Author: Moon Chung-in, Seoul

Nearly two weeks into South Korea’s new administration, the dark clouds of impeachment have cleared. President Moon Jae-in‘s inauguration speech was full of common sense, and genuinely communicated with the people. Read more…

Author: Chung-In Moon, Yonsei University

On the brink of a crisis that threatened to escalate into conflict, North and South Korea recently reached an agreement on 25 August to prevent further confrontation, resume official talks, hold reunions of separated families and promote civilian exchanges. This was a remarkable reversal in tensions. But the thaw is only the beginning of a precarious and long journey toward peace and stability on the Korean peninsula. Read more…

Author: Chung-in Moon, Yonsei University

The controversy over North Korea’s highly enriched uranium (HEU) program, despite intense diplomatic efforts, shows no immediate signs of reaching a peaceful settlement.

Rays of hope from the 15 September Joint Statement in 2005 and the 13 February 2007 Agreement on ‘Initial Actions for the Implementation of the Joint Statement’ at the Six Party Talks (SPTs) have been fading. Read more…

Authors: John Delury and Chung-in Moon, Yonsei University

Kim Jong-il’s sudden death spurred yet another round of fevered speculation over the DPRK’s imminent demise.

Some analysts gave the North Korean state only a matter of months to live, and renewed calls on Beijing to engage in ‘contingency planning’ with Washington and Seoul to pre-empt catastrophe when collapse finally comes. Read more…

Authors: Peter Hayes, RMIT and Chung-in Moon, Yonsei University

A declassified 1978 CIA report related to nuclear proliferation during the Park Chung-hee era shows that, far from making South Korea more secure, Park’s toying with the nuclear option made him an unpredictable and even dangerous client who needed restraint in the eyes of US policy makers.

The ROK’s nuclear ambitions, especially in the post-1975 period, resulted in the US threatening to rupture the security alliance if the ROK did not stop its nuclear intransigence. Read more…

Author: Moon Chung-in, Yonsei University, Seoul

There is flashing red light in Korea’s China diplomacy. Turning a blind eye toward us, China adopted a neutral stance in the Ch’ŏnan incident, and in the case of the Yŏnp’yŏng Island incident, China even gave the impression it was taking North Korea’s side by its use of terms such as ‘cross-fire’ to refer to the shelling.

On North Korea’s uranium enrichment program, China has taken an essentially passive stance by not only stressing the importance of ‘verifying the facts’ in reference to the reported enrichment facility, but also recognizing North Korea’s right to peaceful use of atomic energy. Read more…