The China Moment
November 23, 2020
China has achieved the almost impossible – a free trade agreement with 14 countries – the ten ASEAN, plus Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, altogether 15 countries, including China. The s…
South Korea
RCEP set to supercharge the New Silk Roads
November 20, 2020
Ho Chi Minh, in his eternal abode, will be savoring it with a heavenly smirk. Vietnam was the – virtual – host as the 10 Asean nations, plus China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, signe…
The RCEP Deal Signed on Sunday Represents a New Era in World Trade Relations
November 19, 2020
A major treaty was signed on 16 November 2020 and it has been barely noticed by the western media. The treaty in question was between 15 predominantly Asian states, with two exceptions being Australia…
Seoul’s “New Old” Proposal to End Inter-Korean Conflict
October 12, 2020
On September 22, 2020, South Korean President Moon Jae-in “called for a declaration to the end of” the Korean conflict in a prerecorded speech addressed to the participants of the 75th session of the …
Nukes and North Korea: A New Direction?
October 9, 2020
North Korea’s acquisition of nuclear weapons has changed the nuclear balance in Northeast Asia. But it hasn’t altered the way politicians and diplomats approach the question of arms control and disarm…
US Presidential Elections and the Korean Peninsula
September 14, 2020
In the United States, participants in the presidential election that will be held on November 3, have been determined. The Republican nominee is the White House’s current head, Donald Trump, and the D…
A Dangerous Precedent Set in South Korea
July 31, 2020
On July 7, 2020, the Seoul Central District Court obliged Kim Jong-un and the North Korean government to pay damages to two former prisoners of war for forced labor during the time they were held capt…
The Economic Aspects of a Trade War between Japan and Korea
July 18, 2020
On 4 July 2020, it will be exactly one year since Japan introduced export restrictions on South Korea on three types of chemicals critical for the microelectronics industry: fluorinated polyimide, hyd…