Russia, China unite against U.S. THAAD despite North’s test

Russia, China unite against U.S. THAAD despite North’s test

Special to WorldTribune.com By EastAsiaIntel.com On April 29, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi issued a joint statement objecting to the contemplated deployment in South Korea of the U.S. Theater High Altitude Area Defense [THAAD] missile interceptor system. But what is unusual is that the joint Russian-Chinese objection to THAAD […]

The South Korean split over Gwangju revolt still festers, empowering the North

The South Korean split over Gwangju revolt still festers, empowering the North

Special to WorldTribune.com By Donald Kirk, EastAsiaIntel.com GWANGJU ― The ghosts of the uprising of May 18, 1980, hover over this old but new city in a restive spirit that shows the disunity, the factional splits and the regional hatreds that persist in undermining the ability of South Korea to stand effectively against challenges from […]

Does China have more influence over South Korea than North Korea?

Does China have more influence over South Korea than North Korea?

Special to WorldTribune.com By Donald Kirk, EastAsiaIntel.com We keep hearing about all the influence the Chinese have over North Korea. If only they’d exert their power, maybe cut off or slow down the flow of oil that’s the lifeblood of the country, then the North Koreans would start talking seriously about giving up their nukes. […]

South Korea’s Park rains on Kim Jong Un’s coronation parade

South Korea’s Park rains on Kim Jong Un’s coronation parade

Special to WorldTribune.com By Donald Kirk, EastAsiaIntel.com Kim Jong-Un celebrates his “coronation” in Pyongyang Friday while forgetting about one unpleasant reality that deepens North Korea’s isolation in an already hostile world. He presides over North Korea’s biggest-ever party, the Seventh Workers’ Party Congress, while Iran, his longtime partner in nuclear crime, vastly improves its ties […]

Iran says oil exports to South Korea up fourfold since January

Iran says oil exports to South Korea up fourfold since January

Special to WorldTribune.com Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty Iran has increased oil exports to South Korea fourfold since January and now hopes to triple its yearly trade with Seoul, Iranian leaders have said. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said Tehran had quadrupled its oil exports to the world’s fifth-largest importer of crude, sending Seoul […]

North Korea specialist: How an apocalyptic invasion of South Korea would play out

North Korea specialist: How an apocalyptic invasion of South Korea would play out

Special to WorldTribune.com A North Korean invasion of the South would ultimately fall to the superior military technology of the U.S. and South Korea, but “not without four to six months of high-intensity combat and many dead,” a former White House adviser said. In his new book “The Impossible State”, Victor Cha describes how a […]

South Korean leader in Iran for first bilateral summit

South Korean leader in Iran for first bilateral summit

Special to WorldTribune.com Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty South Korean President Park Geun-Hye has arrived in Iran for the first bilateral summit since Seoul and Teheran established diplomatic relations more than 50 years ago. Park’s office said the three-day visit will focus on business and trade issues between the two countries as well as […]

By ‘invitation’ only: North Korea’s blunt force approach to foreign language education

By ‘invitation’ only: North Korea’s blunt force approach to foreign language education

Special to WorldTribune.com By Donald Kirk, EastAsiaIntel.com North Koreans some years ago had an unusual way of acquiring professional expertise in teaching people foreign languages. Rather than advertise for teachers, they kidnapped native speakers. Most of them were Japanese, but they also captured likely candidates from Europe and the Middle East. Robert Boynton, a professor […]

S. Korean president to visit Iran, longtime secret N. Korean strategic partner

S. Korean president to visit Iran, longtime secret N. Korean strategic partner

Special to WorldTribune.com Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty Park Geun-Hye is due to become the first South Korean president to visit Iran, according to her office. Park’s office said on April 18 that she and Iranian President Hassan Rohani will next month discuss ways to boost bilateral relations as well as regional issues such […]

S. Korea’s new elite ‘Spartan 3000’ special forces unit trained for raids inside North

S. Korea’s new elite ‘Spartan 3000’ special forces unit trained for raids inside North

Special to WorldTribune.com South Korea has formed an elite unit of marines which can be quickly deployed to any part of the Korean peninsula and could carry out raids inside North Korea. The “Spartan 3000” unit trained with U.S. forces during a massive joint exercise earlier this month that included 300,000 troops. The elite force’s […]

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