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Abenomics is Not more Dangerous than the North Korean Missile Program

Fri, 06/14/2013 - 00:00 — Robert E Kelly

okRegular readers know that I write now-and-again for the Diplomat web-magazine. This post is a re-print of my June column. Abenomics is still dominating Korean business news, and I continue to be amazed at how few people want to admit that Japan’s revival is really good for democracy in Asia and the prevention of Chinese regional primacy.

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Queer Links from the Week

Sun, 06/02/2013 - 22:28 — The Kimchi Queen

AP: South Korea's Gay Film Maker in News Over Wedding Plans
Gay Star News: Saturday Night Live Korea apologizes for 'homosexual nurse' skit

Regional:
Bangkok Post: Young Monks Struggle With Gender Issues
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Don’t Fear Abenomics, Korea

Fri, 05/31/2013 - 00:00 — Robert E Kelly

 

 

kuroda

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My Joint ‘Newsweek Korea/Japan’ Story: Do US Alliances Create Moral Hazard in Asian Conflicts?

Fri, 05/24/2013 - 00:00 — Robert E Kelly

Newsweek Korea cover

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The Chinese on Okinawa: “Yeah, that’s ours, too.” More fun territorial disputes

Sun, 05/19/2013 - 11:12 — idlewordship

The soft power, “peaceful rise” concept seems lost on the Middle Kingdom. The intimidate the crap out of everyone, especially Japan, The Philippines and Vietnam tact is apparently the plan of action.

Now, the PRC is claiming Okinawa.

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Korea’s Regional Foreign Policy: Being an Encircled Middle Power Sucks

Sat, 05/18/2013 - 00:00 — Robert E Kelly

Newsweek 3rd coverNewsweek Japan asked me to contribute an essay on Korean foreign policy for a special issue on current Northeast Asian tension. I also wrote the introductory essay for this special issue. There is one essay each on Japan, China, and Korea; mine is the Korean one. So this is a nice laymen’s review without too much fatiguing jargon.

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I’m Done Defending Abe: the Japanese Right is getting Genuinely Creepy

Wed, 05/15/2013 - 00:00 — Robert E Kelly

protesting-comfort-women-by-bloggerswithoutbordersIf you’ve ever read this blog before, you know I try to avoid the details of the Korea-Japan tussle. It gets so emotional so fast. Like most Americans, I want Japan and Korea to reconcile so they can work together on the larger, more important issues of North Korea and China. I don’t take a position on the Dokdo/Takeshima flap. I refuse to call the Sea of Japan the ‘East Sea’ (do you want to re-name the Korea Strait too?). When Koreans push me about the war, I try to deflect the issue. It is really not appropriate for outsiders, especially Americans, to weigh in on the details of Asian disputes. We can’t be an umpire to local fights, and our intervention would be seen as illegitimate by the losing party anyway. This is also the USG’s position: we have no position other than that we want all the parties to work out the disagreements with coercion or force. That’s the right attitude IMO.

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My ‘Newsweek Japan’ Cover Story on the post-1979 ‘Asian Peace’ & Economic Miracle

Thu, 05/09/2013 - 00:00 — Robert E Kelly

Newsweek 3rd coverNewsweek Japan asked me to write an introductory essay for its January 4 special issue on tension in Northeast Asia (cover story to the left). Here is the link in Japanese, but I thought it would be useful to publish the original, untranslated version as well. (If you actually want the Japanese language version, email me for it please.)

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I Park Mall’s Bandai Gundam Base & Hobby Shops (Yongsan)

Sat, 05/04/2013 - 04:56 — Elle

Gundam is a staple in anyone’s childhood that grew up in Asia, of course this included Koreans even though the importing of Japanese entertainment goods was fairly tight due to Korea’s censorship back in the day. With the notion that Japanese anime were too sexual and violent for kids in Korea, a lot of manga were censored and banned.  Despite that, Japanese anime and toys did manage to slip in here over the years and Gundams of course have a special place in Korean boys hearts young and old!

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Queer Links from the Week

Fri, 05/03/2013 - 17:40 — The Kimchi Queen
Keith from Seoulistic. I assume he's straight, but that doesn't stop me from thinking he certainly is eye candy
PinkNews: South Korea: Court grants Ugandan lesbian refugee status after family killed due to her sexuality
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Queer Links from the Week

Sun, 04/28/2013 - 21:36 — The Kimchi Queen
Expat Kerri: Gay in Korea - Foreign Female Perspective
Huffington Post: Kissing in a Bamboo Closet
Korea Bang: Korean Literary Prize Reignites Criticism of Homosexuality (warning: comments will piss you off)
The Hankyoreh: [Editorial] The need for anti-discrimination legislation
The Hankyoreh: On tenth anniversary of suicide, gay community still seeking human rights
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Watching Cherry Blossoms at Seokchon Lake

Sat, 04/27/2013 - 02:17 — chrissantosra

 


What if US/Japan Try to Shoot Down a North Korean Missile & They Miss?

Tue, 04/16/2013 - 14:14 — Robert E Kelly
Is our BMD better today than it was in 1985?…If they take out MTV though, that’d still be ok

 

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What will the NK Military do if Japan Shoots Down the Missile?

Sun, 04/14/2013 - 19:42 — Robert E Kelly

 

 

Jpn Patriots

A few days ago, I predicted there would be no war, probably because I’m lazy and predicting the future will be the same as the present is an easy way to protect my credibility. However, I also noted that NK could get entrapped by its own belligerent rhetoric and be forced to escalate even if it doesn’t want to. I think this is why Kaesong was closed, for example.

I also noted how sanguine South Koreans are about NK, but foolishly, I didn’t really think about the Japanese. Then came the story about a mistweet by the city of Yokohama that apparently created local panic.The Japanese seem far more nervous about this than South Koreans, and NK did launch a missile once over Japan. The Japanese have also been talking a lot tougher, and Abe is clearly a hawk on NK. So here is the most likely escalation pathway I can see, despite my firm conviction the North Koreans do not want a war, because they will lose badly and quickly, and then face the executioner in Southern prisons:

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An Origin of Korean Discontent

Fri, 04/05/2013 - 00:30 — conor_o_reilly

A thought struck me as I was taking a shower before work this morning. With the renewal of tension along the North-South Korean border it’s a sharp reminder of the results of history, and what we’re looking at here, could be considered as one of the final plays in the game of the Great Powers. It, like so many skirmishes before, is taking place in a distant field which effects the lives of people so far away they don’t even look real. Well as one of these people I can assure you that it’s quite real.

Since Korea opened up to outside influence in the late nineteenth century, much like many other small kingdoms, was turned into a pawn in the chessboard of empire building. This process set Korea up to be misused and abused by forces outside their control, and today we are experiencing the continued results of this.

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