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North Korea and the suicide drone
Commentary

North Korea and the suicide drone

Reports in the Western media recently highlighted details of a Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) report on the visit of Kim Jong-un to the Unmanned Aerial Technology Complex (UATC) where he emphasized the need to mass produce drones and update military theory, practice and education to accomodate these changes.

2024-11-28
South Korea the neo-mercantilist
Commentary

South Korea the neo-mercantilist

South Korea’s steadfast refusal to export military armaments to Ukraine, even amid intensifying international appeals, is interesting. On the surface, the Yoon Administration purported to be a global pivotal state, and gave rhetorical support to the values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law. Beneath the surface, it continues a long foreign policy tradition...

2024-11-26
Yoon’s uneasy future with Trump
Analysis

Yoon’s uneasy future with Trump

The Yoon administration’s close alignment with the Biden administration has been a defining feature of South Korea’s recent foreign policy. This tight partnership may now face significant challenges with the return of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency.

2024-11-24
Why non-Koreans can’t help but praise South Korea
Commentary

Why non-Koreans can’t help but praise South Korea

South Korea comes across as the darling of non-Korean academics. From scholarly articles to international conferences, South Korea’s political and diplomatic maneuvers are showered with glowing accolades. It’s as if every foreign academic is competing in an unspoken game of - Who can praise Seoul the most?

2024-11-24
South Korea’s anxiety regarding Trump and North Korea
Analysis

South Korea’s anxiety regarding Trump and North Korea

There is growing South Korean concern that Donald Trump will negotiate with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un to accept North Korea's nuclear arsenal in exchange for halting its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program.

2024-11-24
Novelists in the situation room
Fiction

Novelists in the situation room

In international relations, you’d think the people with the clearest view would be those who’ve been trained in the field—foreign policy analysts, diplomats, think-tanks pundits, journalists, and political scientists. They have the education, the experience, and an understanding of the inner workings of governments. But sometimes, the people who see things most clearly are those who aren’t bogged down by all that expertise—outsiders like novelists, playwrights, and artists. Why is that?

2024-11-22
Empathetic reasoning in diplomatic analysis
Commentary

Empathetic reasoning in diplomatic analysis

International relations theory often overlooks the emotional, cultural, historical, and practice dimensions that influence decision-making.

2024-11-21
Institutionalizing the trilateral partnership
Analysis

Institutionalizing the trilateral partnership

The leaders of South Korea, the United States, and Japan announced the establishment of a trilateral secretariat during the APEC summit in November 2024. This institutionalization aims to strengthen security cooperation.

2024-11-19
South Korea broadens espionage laws
Analysis

South Korea broadens espionage laws

The South Korean government is set to amend its espionage laws, previously focused on activities aiding North Korea, to encompass actions supporting other foreign powers.

2024-11-17
The future of diplomacy in a Sino-centric world
Commentary

The future of diplomacy in a Sino-centric world

Dominant states never reinvent diplomacy, they just adapt it to secure their interests - and most states are already adapting to China.

2024-11-16
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© 2025 Jeffrey Robertson. This work is licensed under CC BY NC ND 4.0