That someone in the administration recognizes the absurdity of engaging in Ground Hog Day deals with North Korea (and is publicly commenting about it) is somewhat encouraging. Robert Gates, U.S. Secretary of Defense, recently had this to say about North Korea:
“We will not stand idly by as North Korea builds the capability to [...]

In July 2006, I wrote about the potential for an East Asian arms race. One possibility mentioned at that time was of Japan also going nuclear if a reunified Korea chose that option. A recent Congressional Research Service report, “Japan’s Nuclear Future: Policy Debate, Prospects, and U.S. Interests,” (PDF) 19 February 2009, has [...]

Outward Bound, an international non-profit outdoor education program, is offering fully funded (including transportation to/from sites) outdoor adventure excursions to all OEF/OIF veterans. It doesn’t matter what your current military status is (active, inactive, discharged, retired) - you’re eligible to attend as long as you deployed in support of OEF/OIF combat operations while in [...]

Predicting the future is a chancy business at best and rarely rewards either the prognosticator or the consumers of the fortunetelling. Nonetheless, I offer the following thoughts as a conversation-starter.
With the recent speculation of Kim Jong-Il’s ill health, incapacitation and perhaps death, it might be useful to conceptualize the political shape of the Korean Peninsula [...]

The Combined Forces Command (CFC) Ulchi Focus Lens (UFL) exercise is no more; it has been replaced by the Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) exercise, which started on 18 August and ends on 22 August. The change is more than just the name as this year the South Korean military took the lead role as [...]

This post is continued from last July, when rumors or Kim Jong-il having heart surgery had (again) brought up the question of who would lead North Korea should he die. That post basically covered dynastic succession and focused on his three legitimate sons, Kim Jong-nam (김정남), Kim Jong-chol (김정철), and Kim Jong-eun (김정운), none of [...]

GI Korea has an excellent and lengthy post on the background, events, and aftermath of the 2002 accident where a U.S. armored vehicle killed to schoolgirls. I arrived in Korea a few days after the accident, but things didn’t start to heat up until two months later, as I was returning to the States.

Victor Cha, in the Chosun Ilbo, discusses the problem - the current lack of a joint plan should Kim Jong-il die and North Korea spirals into chaos:
In what would be the single most important contingency that could impact the South Korean economy and security for decades, there is no agreed upon plan for how [...]

As part of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month there was a small conference at Bolling AFB, DC yesterday, which I was fortunate enough to be able to attend. The three speakers and guests of honor;
Terry Shima – Mr. Shima was drafted into the 442nd Regimental Combat Team in 1944 and arrived in Europe on [...]

In written comments to questions from members of the Senate Armed Services Committee concerning his nomination to replace Gen. B.B. Bell, current director of the Joint Staff at the Pentagon Gen. Walter Sharp lobbied for improved missile defense in South Korea:
North Korea has 13,000 artillery systems and 800 missiles, and South Korea lacks anti-missile [...]