South Korea News

The Daily Signal reports on South Korea with conservative commentary on the U.S.-ROK military alliance, North Korean missile threats, denuclearization negotiations, troop deployments, economic partnership, and Seoul’s frontline position defending against communist aggression.
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    • Opinion

    Japanese-South Korean Relations Need to Improve. The US Can Help.

    Japanese–South Korean relations suffer from centuries of built-up animosity due to sensitive historical issues and sovereignty disputes. Cyclical spikes in tensions are triggered by incidents that unleash nationalist furor in both countries. However, a recent development provides a means to improve strained relations. On the 102nd anniversary of South Korea’s independence protest against Japanese occupation,…
    Bruce Klingner
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    • Opinion

    South Korea’s Strong Alliance With US Built on Solid Economic Foundation

    Half a decade ago in Seoul, then-Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted the importance of the U.S.-South Korea alliance by noting:   South Korea is a nation that has faced down war, faced down poverty, faced down political chaos, faced down division to emerge as an economic powerhouse, a vibrant democracy, and a donor partner that itself now provides aid to…
    Anthony B. Kim
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    • Opinion

    As South Korea Cracks Down on Sexual Exploitation Online, More Must Be Done to Fight Human Trafficking

    Two hundred sixty thousand. That is the estimated number of users of “Nth rooms.” Nth rooms are chat rooms that illegally produce and sell sexually dehumanizing content in Korea. Those exploited in the Nth rooms may be considered victims of sex trafficking because many were conscripted into the Nth room abuses through force, fraud, or…
    Olivia Enos
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    • Opinion

    North Korea Ramps Up Vitriol Toward South Korea

    Pyongyang is putting pressure on South Korea through increasingly acerbic means, including aggressive missives, breaking off communications, and threatening to take future steps against its “enemy” to the south. Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, is behind these actions. She recently was made responsible for overseeing North Korea’s relations…
    Bruce Klingner
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    • Opinion

    In COVID-19 Era, South Korea Remains America’s Steadfast Ally of Democracy

    From a foreign policy perspective, the COVID-19 pandemic shows why the United States should be in the business of preserving and advancing freedom, civil society, and other democratic values in practical partnerships with like-minded and willing allies, such as South Korea. In fact, South Korea’s response to the coronavirus outbreak has been exemplary. That dynamic…
    Anthony B. Kim
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    • News

    5 Things Americans Should Know About South Korea’s Handling of Coronavirus

    This week in South Korea, a 97-year-old woman—well into the age group most susceptible to the coronavirus—fully recovered from COVID-19.  This was one more victory for South Korea, a U.S. ally that is viewed as a success story to the world in combating the coronavirus pandemic.  The small country of South Korea is close to…
    Fred Lucas
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    • Opinion

    South Korea Provides Lessons, Good and Bad, on Coronavirus Response

    Early international media reporting on the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus in South Korea was both alarming and alarmist. News coverage emphasized that, outside of China, South Korea had the highest number of coronavirus cases, which led 170 other countries to impose travel entry bans on South Koreans. But, after new cases peaked in late…
    Bruce Klingner
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    • Opinion

    South Korea Made the Right Call Staying in Intelligence Sharing Agreement With Japan

    For a while, it looked as though South Korea might abandon a critical military information sharing agreement with Japan. Its last-minute decision to remain in the agreement is welcome news. Established in 2016, the General Security of Military Information Agreement enables both South Korea and Japan to share military intelligence in partnership with the United…
    Bruce Klingner
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    • Opinion

    South Korean Youth Suffer Consequences of Progressive Economics

    The progressive policies of South Korean President Moon Jae-in are a threat to his nation’s economy. Young people in South Korea are suffering most from those policies as youth unemployment continues to rise. With national debt growing at a rapid pace, and a rapidly aging population, there are large concerns over the future of the…
    Justin Rhee
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    • Opinion

    Why South Korea Is Key to America’s Indo-Pacific Strategy

    During his recent visit to South Korea, President Donald Trump discussed with South Korean President Moon Jae-in a range of issues pertaining to our bilateral partnership. One of the least-noticed but actually critical outcomes was an acknowledgement by Moon of America’s Indo-Pacific strategy, which refers to America’s approach to various powers in the region. Moon…
    Anthony B. Kim
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    • Opinion

    Why Ending US-South Korea Joint Exercises Was the Wrong Move

    The Trump administration made a decision that could weaken U.S. and South Korean readiness in a conflict with North Korea. On Saturday, the Pentagon and South Korea’s Ministry of Defense announced an end to the joint military exercises that both countries normally partake in each spring. As justification, the Pentagon cited its “desire to reduce…
    Thomas Spoehr
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    • Opinion

    Suspending Military Exercises in South Korea Carries Risks

    Only a few tangible outcomes emerged from the Singapore summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. One of those was Trump’s announcement that “we will be stopping the war games, which will save us a tremendous amount of money.” Trump went on to add that the games will be halted…
    Thomas Spoehr
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    • Opinion

    US-South Korea Trade Agreement Dodges a Bullet

    President Donald Trump derided the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement as an “unacceptable, horrible deal” and a “job killer.” He vowed to “renegotiate that deal or terminate it.” The South Korean trade ministry responded by declaring “the U.S. is not the only one who can use scrapping the [free trade agreement] as a negotiating tactic.” Despite…
    Bruce Klingner
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    • Opinion

    In Reviewing Trade Deal, US and South Korean Leaders Must Preserve Critical Alliance

    March 15 marks the sixth anniversary of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement. The United States and South Korea have been close economic partners for decades. Since March 2012, however, this free trade agreement has allowed economic interaction between the two countries to become more comprehensive and institutionalized. It is still premature to weigh the full, comprehensive impact of the agreement,…
    Anthony B. Kim
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    • News

    US, South Korea Stand United Against Kim Ahead of Trump’s Asia Trip

    President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in could be set to take an international good cop/bad cop approach in handling the North Korean nuclear threat, one expert suggests in advance of Trump’s two-week trip to Asia in November. “While it’s true many of the things said by President Trump and [North Korea’s] Kim…
    Fred Lucas
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    • Opinion

    In Upcoming Summit, an Opportunity for US, South Korea to Forge Economic Partnership

    President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in will hold their first face-to-face meetings in Washington on June 29 and 30. While there are a host of issues that the two presidents could disagree on when they meet at the White House, the real focus of the Trump-Moon summit, beyond cultivating a personal connection…
    Anthony B. Kim
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    • Opinion

    Here’s Trump’s Chance to Recommit to the Vital Alliance With South Korea

    This week’s U.S.-South Korea summit will be scrutinized for signals of the strength of the relationship and divergence in approaches to North Korea. The elections of U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in upended their countries’ policies toward the bilateral alliance and North Korea, producing uncertainty and concerns in both capitals. Both…
    Bruce Klingner
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    • News

    North Korea’s Missile Launch a ‘Litmus Test’ for Trump and South Korean Leader

    President Donald Trump will speak again to the newly elected South Korean president—who during his campaign advocated more direct engagement with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. That was before North Korea’s ballistic missile test over the weekend. “There is no question that North Korea continues to threaten the United States,” @PressSec says. Trump talked…
    Fred Lucas
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    • Opinion

    Liberal Moon Jae-in Has Won the South Korean Election. Here’s What It Means for US, North Korea.

    As with most presidential elections, South Korean voters predominantly voted their pocketbooks in Tuesday’s national election. While the election featured the usual struggle between a conservative market-based growth strategy and liberal redistributionism, voters this time were driven in large part by a desire to end their nation’s endemic political corruption. After 10 years of conservative…
    Bruce Klingner
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    • Opinion

    Impeachment Controversy Stokes Uncertainty Ahead of South Korean Election

    The next South Korean presidential election is scheduled to be held on or before Dec. 20, 2017. However, there is a possibility that South Korea will have its election in advance because of President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment, which led to her immediate suspension. Park’s impeachment must be ratified by the Constitutional Court within six months…
    Soo Jin Hwang
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