ROK

South Korea’s Yoon launches vicious attack on unions, peace groups

In scenes reminiscent of South Korea's authoritarian past, South Korea's National Intelligence Service - the successor to the once-dreaded KCIA - raided the headquarters of the country's second-largest and most militant labor federation on Wednesday morning. Security forces also raided a "peace shelter" on Jeju Island that is dedicated to remembering the Sewol, a passenger ferry that capsized off the coast of southern Korea in April 2014.

The Rise of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces

Due to its defeat in World War II, Japan's "great imperial army" was dissolved. Immediately after the outbreak of the Korean war in 1950, however, General Douglas MacArthur, Commander-in-chief of the occupation army, ordered the Japanese government to establish a national police reserve force. Here is the story of Japan's Self-Defense Forces and their special relationship to South Korea. From the AMPO Magazine archives, 1979, with an update on how the SDF was funded.

Demining the DMZ

Who says North and South Korea can’t get along? This strikes me as very significant. Yonhap:  SEOUL, Oct. 19 (Yonhap) — The two Koreas are wrapping up their demining operations in part of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) to carry out…

Guest post: Simone Chun on South Korea’s elections

Five takeaways from the ruling party’s landslide victory   On June 14, less than 24 hours after the Trump-Kim Summit in Singapore, South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party (DP) won a landslide victory in local elections, winning 13 of 17 metropolitan mayoral…

Koizumi insults Asia once again

Japan’s Elvis-loving Prime Minister has visited Yasukuni Shrine for the umpteenth time. The Germans have left behind their Nazi past. Isn’t it about time Japan does the same for its reactionary emperor system and helping to trigger World War II?…

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