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Manspreading
Fiction

Manspreading

Fiction can be speculative but more often reflects reality from a different perspective. Either way, sorting fact with fiction builds creativity in strategic analysis.

2024-12-20
What if Korea had unified in 1950?
Commentary

What if Korea had unified in 1950?

The Korean War remains one of the defining conflicts of the Cold War, shaping the geopolitical landscape and the Korean Peninsula. Both sides came close to complete victory. What if the war had ended in 1950 with a unified Korea?

2024-12-19
Academics and the competition for attention
Commentary

Academics and the competition for attention

The impeachment of Yoon brought out a new academic phenomenon - the scholarly live report as academics compete with random commentators, acerbic trolls, and journalists for likes and reposts in a race to the bottom.

2024-12-18
Korea watchers and nefarious state actors
Commentary

Korea watchers and nefarious state actors

If you're a Korea Watcher, you are a target for disinformation, surveillance, espionage, and intimidation. Every second member of the tribe will tell you that North Korea’s cyber capabilities are among the most sophisticated in the world. With thousands of hackers operating under organizations like Bureau 121, the regime targets governments, corporations, and individuals - including Korea watchers. Few however, think about the threats emanating from closer to home.

2024-12-10
South Korea’s conservative party needs a new name
Commentary

South Korea’s conservative party needs a new name

South Korea’s conservatives like to change their party name after a f@*k up - and this time, they’ve really f@*ked up.The public is really pissed. Nobody wants this - and soon the economy will start to feel the effects as general strikes spread and investors say WTF? I’m outta here! What confuses most people, is why the party leader would want this - he’s shooting himself in the foot. He will soon be as unpopular as Yoon.

2024-12-08
Yoon’s foreign policy is dead in the water
Commentary

Yoon’s foreign policy is dead in the water

I’ve written often about the hollowness of Yoon’s foreign policy and the risks of accepting it at face value. As is often the case in the modern world, any analysis that doesn’t match our own attitudes and opinions is lost in the algorithmic ether as we sit in our own echo chambers.

2024-12-07
Shamanism and Korean politics: Choosing a time for a coup
Commentary

Shamanism and Korean politics: Choosing a time for a coup

For those outside Korea, it’s hard to imagine that the country’s politics are influenced by centuries-old mysticism. Shamanism (musok), once a cornerstone of indigenous spirituality, has quietly evolved into a shadowy force in modern politics.

2024-12-05
The wildcard of an incompetent coup
Commentary

The wildcard of an incompetent coup

On 3 December South Korea’s president imposed martial law. Within six hours the National Assembly voted to overturn the declaration. While democracy prevailed, the incident exposed entrenched political instability in South Korea.

2024-12-04
South Korea imposes martial law
Analysis

South Korea imposes martial law

Event or Trend: On 3 December 2024, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law, citing threats from pro-North Korean elements and accusing the opposition of anti-state activities.

2024-12-03
Korea’s Gen-Z and comulsory military service
Commentary

Korea’s Gen-Z and comulsory military service

For decades, South Korea's mandatory military service has been viewed as a rite of passage—a moment where young men set aside personal aspirations to serve their country, foster camaraderie, and uphold national security in a region marked by tension.

2024-12-01
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