Biegun vs. Bolton
It was just a few months ago that many observers, including myself, believed that U.S. President Donald Trump had fallen under the sway of hawks in Washington after the collapse of his summit in Hanoi with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. That no longer appears to be the case following Trump's recent meeting with Kim at the DMZ.
Setting an example
President Moon Jae-in has apparently recognized that humanitarian aid is a good means to help revive stalled talks on North Korea's nuclear program. Last week, Seoul announced that it would provide 50,000 tons of rice to North Korea as that country faces a looming food shortage this summer. It was the first such planned shipment of rice by South Korea since 2010, when it sent 5,000 tons.
Trump considers visiting DMZ
Debating NK's food crisis
Questions are being raised over the extent of North Korea's current food crisis, with supporters of humanitarian aid saying that help is urgently needed to avoid a famine, while critics claim that Pyongyang is exaggerating the situation.
Climate change and North Korea
North Korea's agricultural sector has long been mismanaged, but climate change is now making the situation much worse.
Politics of aid
Lost amidst the alarming news over the past week about North Korea's test firing of short-range missiles and the U.S. seizure of a North Korean cargo ship was an expression of support by U.S. President Donald Trump for Seoul's proposal to provide food aid to Pyongyang.
United front
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un began his diplomatic breakout a year ago when he met Chinese President Xi Jinping in March 2018 and then followed up with Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump. He has now concluded this initial outreach campaign by meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin last week in Vladivostok.
Warmbier mystery
U.S. President Donald Trump got into hot water in late February when he was asked at a press conference following his unsuccessful summit with Kim Jong-un in Hanoi whether he had discussed the treatment of Otto Warmbier with the North Korean leader.
Hawks resurgent
It has been more than a month since the collapse of the summit in Hanoi between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jung-un and there are signs that the hawks are trying to reassert their influence in Washington.
Solution to Korea jobless woes
President Moon Jae-in faces a host of economic problems. Growth is slowing. Job creation is being hobbled by hikes in the minimum wage. Youth unemployment remains high. Domestic consumer spending is weakening. Lagging productivity threatens to lead to a loss of global competitiveness, while squeezing profit margins. Exports are slipping due to soft overseas demand and the U.S.-China trade dispute. All these factors are undermining confidence in the economy and threatening to increase jobless numbers.
A successful outcome to the Hanoi summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was always based on the premise that both sides were willing to take gradual steps and make compromises.