• Preparing for the end of the Afghan war

    International combat operations in Afghanistan, now involving mostly U.S. troops, are to come to a formal end at the close of 2014, at roughly 13 years by far America’s longest-running war. The families of the returning troops will be delighted to see them come home; the rest of the country…

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  • World

    Ukraine’s missed opportunity

    As expected, Ukraine’s recent election was reportedly riddled with massive fraud, albeit on an arguably lesser scale than the corruption which triggered the 2004 Orange Revolution. Meanwhile, the charismatic Yulia Tymoshenko, one of the leaders of the Orange Revolution remains locked up. Tymoshenko’s incarceration is indicative of the price she…

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  • East Asia

    Celebs join campaign trail

    Entertainers, sports stars livening up election atmoshpere Since official campaigning for the presidential poll began this week, a number of celebrities have joined forces to support the leading candidates, Park Geun-hye and Moon Jae-in, in order to charm undecided voters. Members of the celebrity cast have different supporting roles in…

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  • East Asia

    NK sacks defense minister

    North Korea has sacked its defense minister in a shake-up apparently aimed at bolstering loyalty to its young leader Kim Jong-un among the military elite, reports said Thursday. The regime replaced Kim Jong-gak as minister of the People’s Armed Forces after just seven months in the position. He is replaced…

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  • East Asia

    Envoy in China to discuss NK

    Seoul’s top nuclear envoy Lim Sung-nam left for Beijing Thursday to discuss North Korea as speculation mounted over a possible long-range missile launch by Pyongyang. Recent satellite images have shown preparations being made at a launch site at the North’s Sohae Satellite Launch Station on the nation’s West Coast, raising…

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  • East Asia

    First-borns often win presidential elections

    Park, Moon are ‘functional’ first children marking rare cases in Korean history Many American presidents, including Barack Obama and his predecessor George W. Bush, have been either first-born sons or the eldest children in their families. Is the tendency featuring “first-born children born to rule” also applicable to Korean political…

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  • Culture

    You can interpret your own dreams

    A woman agonizing over her career consulted me about her dream. She recently lost her job and was trying to change occupation to lead a stable mid-life. However it was frustrating as she kept failing to find appropriate employment. Under pressure to earn a living, she studied further to attain…

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  • East Asia

    Tour of Taiwan

    Taiwan will touch your heart TAIPEI — Only two-and-a-half hours from Seoul, Taipei is a great option for a quick getaway. The Taiwanese capital has everything from rare ancient Chinese relics and splendid Confucian temples to a wide array of local cuisine and lots of places for a shopping spree.…

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  • East Asia

    Leading Members Of NK Communist Party Visit Friendship Tower In Pyongyang

    The delegation of China’s Communist Party, led by Politburo member Li Jianguo, visits the Friendship Tower in Pyongyang, North Korea, Friday, Nov. 30, 2012. <AP Photo/Jon Chol Jin>

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  • East Asia

    All Reservoirs In Ji’an County, China’s Jiangxi Province, Under Repair

    A laborer works on the consolidation of a reservoir in Wan’an County of Ji’an, east China’s Jiangxi Province, Nov. 29, 2012. Since winter, all kinds of reservoirs have been under consolidation and repair at fever pitch in Ji’an. <Xinhua/Zhou Mi>

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