https://www.scmp.com/rss/294365/feed Yoon Young-kwan, former minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of Korea, is professor emeritus of international relations at Seoul National University. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com South Korea probably endured more political turbulence than almost any other country in 2018. On the domestic front, the new liberal government of President Moon Jae-in forged ahead with measures to address entrenched corruption, and implemented progressive (and hotly debated) economic policies to help low-income people. But these important changes were dwarfed by the wave of disruption from abroad. Few South Koreans had expected that US President Donald Trump would show such determination in... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/asia/article/2178504/can-kim-jong-un-become-north-koreas-deng-xiaoping-only?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/asia/article/2178504/can-kim-jong-un-become-north-koreas-deng-xiaoping-only?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Dec 2018 16:30:45 +0000 In 2002, President George W. Bush famously described Iraq, Iran and North Korea as an "axis of evil". In the years since, however, America has not treated each in the same way. The differences are highly instructive. Bush and his hardline advisers believed that only force or "regime change" would stop these "rogue" states' terrorism or their programmes acquiring "weapons of mass destruction". So, in March 2003, the United States invaded Iraq, resulting in near-constant civil war for more than a... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1847540/us-needs-make-informal-contact-north-korea-improve-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1847540/us-needs-make-informal-contact-north-korea-improve-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Aug 2015 01:19:41 +0000 Has the world entered a new era of chaos? America's vacillating policy towards Syria certainly suggests so. Indeed, the bitter legacy of the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, followed by the 2008 financial crisis, has made the United States not only reluctant to use its military might, even when "red lines" are crossed, but also seemingly unwilling to bear any serious burden to maintain its global leadership position. But if America is no longer willing to lead, who will take its place? China's... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1324464/us-and-china-must-work-hard-grand-compromise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1324464/us-and-china-must-work-hard-grand-compromise?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Oct 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Whether East Asia's politicians and pundits like it or not, the region's international relations are more akin to 19th-century European balance-of-power politics than to the stable Europe of today. Witness East Asia's rising nationalism, territorial disputes, and lack of effective institutional mechanisms for security co-operation. While economic interdependence among China, Japan, South Korea, and the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations continues to deepen, their diplomatic... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1140384/major-power-shift-play-east-asia-must-not-end-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1140384/major-power-shift-play-east-asia-must-not-end-war?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000