AS PARK GEUN-HYE marked her first year in office on February 25th, her approval rating, at around 56%, was higher than when she came to power: a first for a South Korean president. Polls show that the public is chiefly impressed with her policy towards North Korea. She ended her first year on a high with reunions of families separated for decades. She was also boosted by the reopening last September of the Kaesong industrial complex, where South Korean companies employ North Koreans. For Ms Park and her supporters this is all vindication of her signature approach towards the North: “trustpolitik”, a fuzzy term that doles out carrots and wields sticks according to behaviour. Ms Park has enjoyed other foreign-policy kudos. She held successful summits in America in May and China in June. And talking tough at Japan, as ...
Thursday, February 27, 2014
CHINA'A Role in HONG KONG Under Spotlight
A senior Chinese official on Thursday condemned the daylight stabbing of an influential newspaper editor that has exposed deep-rooted anxieties about possible interference by Beijing in the financial hub's affairs. Police have made no arrests nor established any motive for the stabbing of Kevin Lau, a former chief editor of the Ming Pao newspaper, by two men, that left him fighting for his life. Suspicions have spread, however, that powerful individuals from mainland...
BRUNEI Sultan Issues Warning to Sharia Critics
The ruling sultan of oil-rich Brunei has issued a stern warning to citizens who’ve expressed criticism of a plan to introduce harsh Islamic criminal laws – stop the insults.
CHINA, JAPAN Must Ease Tensions in Disputed Sea
Just days before stepping down as U.S. ambassador to China, Gary Locke urged China and Japan to ease tensions in the disputed East China Sea to avoid severe "unintended consequences”.
SOUTH KOREAN Missionary 'Confesses' to Spying in Pyongyang
A South Korean Christian missionary confessed Thursday to trying to overthrow the North Korean government at the behest of Seoul. Kim Jung Wook is at least the third Christian evangelist being detained by North Korea, which views unauthorized religious workers as spies. His comments came during a news conference in Pyongyang, where he said he was arrested in October with Bibles and other religious material. "I was thinking of turning North Korea into a religious country, and...
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