In Seoul, a somber reflection on the past 20 years imbues the minds of the people. To many here, the third nuclear test by North Korea on Feb. 12 was an official proclamation that the strategies of Washington and Seoul for the past two decades to deter the Pyongyang regime from acquiring nuclear weapons capabilities had failed. Unlike the previous two nuclear tests by the North in 2006 and 2009, in which the effectiveness and appropriateness of the two competing sets of policies (i.e., a big sti

Unlike ordinary ambassadors who are primarily concerned with international politics, we are lucky to have many European ambassadors who are deeply interested in cultural exchanges. These ambassadors run excellent cultural centers at their embassies, allowing the Korean people to gain a deeper understanding of their home countries, while also enthusiastically learning about our country’s culture and society.Ambassador Jaroslav Olsa of the Czech Republic is one such outstanding example of a true c

In most countries that experience a fiscal crisis, there is no ambiguity about the situation. The government is unable to sell debt at a reasonable interest rate. This probably coincides with a broader shift out of domestic assets, as smart investors read the writing on the wall or in the newspapers. The currency collapses and, often, inflation accelerates. The government is forced to slash spending and, cap in hand, asks for help from the world’s least popular ambulance service: the Internation

After North Korea’s third nuclear test, the tensions between South and North Korea have intensified so much that it raises the question of whether the countries have reached the point of no return. It is time for us to review what has gone wrong.Historically, South Korea has become more conciliatory toward North Korea, but North Korea has responded sometimes cooperatively and at other times provocatively with a varied degree of intensity. The Syngman Rhee government and the first half of the Par

WASHINGTON ― The Obama administration and the Syrian opposition are beginning to grapple seriously with the core problem in Syria, which is how to topple President Bashar al-Assad without creating a political vacuum in which terrorists, warlords and regime die-hards could thrive. A top White House official warns that it’s crucial to avoid a Syrian version of “the Bremer problem” ― by which he means the chaos in Iraq that followed America’s decision in 2003 to disband the Iraqi army and uproot go

PARIS ― Now that Benyamin Netanyahu has formed a new Israeli government out of a dizzying kaleidoscope of possible post-election permutations, has the country’s politics moved to the center? U.S. President Barack Obama would be wrong to think so as he prepares for his first official visit.The unexpected second-place finish of Yair Lapid’s new Yesh Atid (“There is a Future”) party in the recent election has certainly changed the complexion of the government: the two leading Orthodox parties, Shas