Korea

South Korea’s Democracy in Crisis

On September 11th, I was a panelist with the Korean historian Ingu Hwang for a seminar on South Korea's democracy, past and present, sponsored by Massachusetts Peace Action. Professor Hwang wrote a great book, Human Rights and Transactional Democracy in Korea, about the international support for the Korean democracy movement in the 1980s, in which I played a part.

The Nagasaki Bomb and the Division of Korea

24 hours after Nagasaki, the U.S. divided Korea in half. Bruce Cumings, the leading historian of the Korean War, has called Truman's directive the “first act of containment." In fact, it was the opening salvo of a Cold War that would soon engulf Korea and the rest of Asia and, five years later, explode into another full-scale conflict.

Memories of the DMZ

I just spent an exhilarating week with Korea Peace Activists in DC to push for an end to the Korean War after 70 years. To mark the occasion, I've posted an article on my experiences at the DMZ in 1960 and 2023 - 63 years apart. Lessons: The war is not over and the USA still controls the inter-Korean border.

Images of Gwangju

The events of May 18 to May 27, 1980, in photos, from from "Records of the May Uprising," a new book published by the 5.18 Archives in Gwangju. Some are familar, others have never been published before. An incredible monument to the brave people of Gwangju during an unforgettable time in Korean history.

Rockets Away: the cycle of military confrontation continues

Another missile launch from North Korea, another American aircraft carrier in nearby seas, and the cycle of military confrontation on the peninsula continues. Meanwhile, the latest rocket can reach “not only Japan but also Guam,” home to a US strategic bomber base. All in all, a dangerous situation.

Gwangju Presente!

May 18 marks the 40th anniversary of the Gwangju Massacre and Uprising, which shook the foundations of South Korea in 1980 and marked the beginning of the country’s long march towards democracy. I’ve written extensively about Gwangju and the unfortunate…

And Behold, A White Horse

That line from Johnny Cash was all I could think of when these bizarre photos were posted on social media today.  Here’s how the Washington Post reported the story. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was shown riding a white horse in…

Korea Aerospace Industries under FBI scrutiny

This is a pretty big deal, posted tonight at the Washington Post: A California man who says he served as a translator last year for Michael Cohen and a South Korean aerospace firm that paid Cohen’s company $150,000 said Tuesday that FBI…

The 4.19 Democratic Uprising in South Korea

Through the eyes of an American boy in Seoul In 1960, I was living in Seoul, where my father was working for Church World Service, a Protestant-financed organization that distributed relief aid in postwar South Korea. During the presidential elections…

Coming soon – Intel Biz News

Intel Biz News is about to publish its first story. This site will be the only news website to cover intelligence the way it actually operates – as a joint venture between state security agencies and the private sector. The site…

LMI grabs high-level big data firm Four Winds

A big transaction in the big data space today. As reported by Washington Business Journal, “Tysons-based not-for-profit government consultant LMI announced Thursday that it bought Herndon-based FourWinds Limited Co., strengthening its position with intelligence community customers.” Here’s the key graf: FourWinds…