North Korea’s declaration on Friday that it would conduct a satellite test next month proves one thing: Kim Jong-il might be dead, but his ghost still haunts the Korean peninsula.The announcement was a shock, coming just three weeks after a deal was reached between the United States and North Korea, where Washington agreed to provide 240,000 tons of food aid in return for Pyongyang’s suspension of nuclear and missile testing.The deal had led to cautious hopes that new leader Kim Jong-un might ad

When talking about a “going-abroad” policy, China immediately and justifiably comes to mind. From a Middle Eastern perspective, however, a smaller country has been taking an increasingly confident posture and deserves attention. In 2009, it took nearly everyone by surprise when a consortium of its leading companies won a $20.4 billion contract to construct four nuclear power plants in the United Arab Emirates, beating traditional nuclear suppliers from France and the United States. This developm

Nominees running in the parliamentary elections start their formal campaigns when they register as candidates on Thursday or Friday. Their competition is set to heat up, with all pre-registration campaign restrictions lifted.Surrounded by their campaign workers, candidates will crisscross districts, seeking to win voter support at subway stations, markets and other crowded places. Their campaign vehicles will roam the streets, with loudspeakers mounted on them blaring slogans and jingles.But the

Kendal, an engaging girl who looks about 11 years old, is wearing a koala bear hat in the video she uploaded to YouTube. In it, she looks straight at the camera, explaining that “I just wanted to make a random video seeing if I was, like, ugly or not, because a lot of people call me ugly and I think I am ugly.”In the time it took me to watch the video, titled “Am I Pretty or Ugly?” 13 new answers to her question appeared, including this one: “ugly, kill yourself.” The crowd-sourcing of Kendal’s

This has been one of the worst fortnights in the increasingly unhappy 10-year Afghan war for NATO and, above all, the United States and its ally, Britain.First there was the burning of the Korans at Bagram air base, which unleashed a wave of religious fury and revenge killings of U.S. troops. Then came the deaths of six British soldiers, incinerated by a giant Taliban bomb two weeks ago, which pushed the British death toll in the war over the symbolic 400 mark. Support in Britain for an increasi

It is well known that elections are both benevolent and malevolent. They are benevolent because politicians can suddenly become extremely generous and come up with all sorts of rosy promises. For example, facing elections for the National Assembly and the office of the president this year, politicians have made promises ranging from a 400 percent increase of pay for drafted soldiers to incredibly beneficial welfare policies. If one listens to the plethora of fantastic promises being made, one ma

Jeju Island is one of Korea’s most attractive tourist destinations for Koreans and foreign visitors. Its reputation of unique beauty and majesty has been widely known for a long time.Indeed, Jeju is a special place. Its distinct traditions, diverse flora, magnificent landscapes and what could only be described as playful remnants of nature’s most creative formations are harmoniously mixed to become the home to nine of the world’s 66 UNESCO Global Geoparks. Even Mr. Robert Redford, not so long ag

“If a crow-tit walks like a stork, he only breaks his legs.” This old saying is often quoted in debates these days on the role and mission of the Republic of Korea Navy. At present, the proverb that warns against over-ambitiousness in setting a vision for the future is used by those who are opposing the construction of a naval base on the southern coast of Jeju Island and the Navy’s vision of its ocean-going operations.“Ocean-going navy” has been an on-and-off catchphrase of the ROK Navy over th

Even after announcing their plan to launch a “satellite” into space on the back of a rocket, which the international community determined as the test-firing of a missile, North Korean leaders seem to be still hoping that they will receive food aid from the United States under an agreement last February. North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Li Yong-ho said in Beijing that the plan to launch “Bright Star-3” between April 12 and 16 is a “separate issue” from the U.S.-North agreement on the suspension

In a typical civil courtroom proceeding, if recorded testimony is lost or tampered with, one can expect the case to be dismissed and an investigation begun. It seems hard to imagine that the case would proceed in court without such missing evidence, especially if it could be interpreted as exculpatory and if a verdict rendered against a defendant could destroy his career and force him into bankruptcy. But, as I have previously written, the arbitration process forced on bankers and customers who

It is well known that elections are both benevolent and malevolent. They are benevolent because politicians can suddenly become extremely generous and come up with all sorts of rosy promises. For example, facing elections for the National Assembly and the office of the president this year, politicians have made promises ranging from a 400 percent increase of pay for drafted soldiers to incredibly beneficial welfare policies. If one listens to the plethora of fantastic promises being made, one ma