One year into Russia’s assault on Ukraine, a few things are clear. Ukraine remains highly motivated, punching well above its weight against a far bigger and more experienced foe. The Russian military, meanwhile, has underperformed to nearly the same degree, though it continues to muster bodies and ammunition to throw at the front. It is also clear that the US role has been essential in giving Ukraine a fighting chance. Thanks to a successful American campaign to become the indispensabl

Today marks one year since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. US President Joe Biden marked the occasion by making a surprise visit to Kyiv to underscore the depth of the US commitment to Ukraine. The day after Biden’s visit, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a speech saying that Russia will continue the war indefinitely. He also stated that Russia would suspend the New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) with the US that caps its number of intercont

Military tensions on the Korean Peninsula have sharply risen to a dangerous level as North Korea launched the Hwasong-15 missile, one of the intercontinental ballistic missiles, on Feb. 18. North Korea's launch of long-range ballistic missiles was a severe provocation against international norms and order, as the UN Security Council’s resolutions on North Korea prohibit. Kim Yo-jong, the younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and deputy department director of the Workers�

During World War II, the Allies started planning for the postwar era before victory was anywhere in sight. One year into Ukraine’s struggle against Russia, it's time for Kyiv and the West to do likewise. Ukraine certainly hasn’t won the war, and in view of Russia’s unfolding offensive, a settlement may be months or even years away. But whenever peace breaks out, Ukraine will still have to ensure its security against a Russian regime that barely acknowledges its right to ex

On Feb. 7, the Seoul Central District Court said, "In February 1968, in the village of Phong Nhi, Quang Nam province, Vietnam, she lost her family and was seriously injured in the civilian massacre by the Korean Army." It ruled that the Korean government is responsible for compensation for Nguyen Thi Thanh, a survivor of the killings. The ruling marks the first time that the South Korean judiciary has recognized government responsibility for such an atrocity, and is a new milestone tow

Recently, I came across an intriguing article by a professor of sociology at Yonsei University. In that persuasive essay, the writer claimed that humans fought and won the battle with fascism in the early 20th century and with communism in the late 20th century. According to him, the great war of humanity is now against populism in the 21st century. Indeed, populism is seriously undermining democracy and human civilization these days. The term “populism,” which originally developed i

When the 1996 presidential campaign approached, Bill Clinton faced an uphill struggle to win a second term. His biggest legislative proposal, a sweeping health care bill, had failed. His party had lost the House of Representatives to Republicans led by a fiery conservative, Newt Gingrich. Clinton's poll ratings were sagging. So he tacked toward the center. He battled Gingrich to a standstill over GOP plans to cut spending on Medicare. He championed modest but popular proposals such as the

Every day, the $6.7 trillion Big Tech industry affects our lives in ways that empower and harm. Despite recent hits in earnings, current layoffs and Google getting slapped with yet another lawsuit from the Justice Department, the tech giants are still all-powerful in our society, economy and daily lives. As long as the digital age keeps pulling more of our lives online, Big Tech companies will grow and dominate. The big five -- Google, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft and Apple -- have become so lar

The United States is finally paying attention to Africa. But recent attempts at engagement -- the US-Africa Leaders Summit in December and US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s 10-day tour of the continent last month -- have offered no indication that the US has anything close to a meaningful strategy for engagement with the continent. And the European Union is no better. Renewed Western interest in Africa is long overdue. The continent plays an essential role in world affairs, not least be