Just yesterday, the head of the table said grace. He went beyond acknowledgement and thanks for the food to include a prayer for the strength and protection of the State of Israel. Before my first mouthful (and I eat real fast), a close friend raised her voice to say that we should all be praying for the Palestinian people.

Two pieces put out this week invited scorn. The first, “South Korea’s special envoys for… what exactly???”, used diplomatic tradition to criticize the sending of special envoys at the beginning of a presidential administration, invited praise from the right, and anger from the left. The second, “The challenges to Korean conservatism”, used American debates and local knowledge to criticize the ongoing failure to reform the conservative movement in Korea, invited praise from the left and anger from the right. I’m a born charmer.

Significance. The July 30 decision to impose punitive tariffs on Brazil—explicitly citing the criminal case against Jair Bolsonaro—establishes a precedent: the United States is willing to redefine legal accountability as a threat to its economic and strategic interests.

South Korean and American political conservatism may wear the same suits and speak the same buzzwords—freedom, security, tradition—but they are fundamentally different beasts.

Lowly schmuck academics like yours truly, unfortunate enough to still be in Seoul at summertime are often invited by public officials to standard fare lunchtime sessions of questioning and soul-searching.

President Lee Jae-myung has dispatched special envoys to the EU, France, UK and India, and now to Poland, Vietnam, Australia, and Germany. The official explanation is that these envoys are meant to “introduce” the new administration, reaffirm diplomatic ties, and share the government’s broad intentions with key partners.

In the North Korea watcher world, where access is scarce and status is conferred by proximity to power or time on CNN, vanity is more than a character flaw—it’s a vulnerability. For analysts, journalists, and policy wonks who dedicate their careers to decoding the Hermit Kingdom, reputation is currency.

Now, with the election of President Lee Jae-myung, the country stands once again on the edge of a familiar cliff, peering down into another cycle of performative engagement.

For a long time, in America, patriotism meant support for Israel. In South Korea, patriotism meant support for America. Both are changing.

The U.S, or at least some of those within influential circles in the U.S, are creeping towards war with China. Preparations are well underway. Australia, Japan, and South Korea, are pushed, prodded, and compelled to line up and play. They’re playing knock and run.