Robert Kelly

2 months ago | foreignaffairs.com | Michael Horowitz |James M. Lindsay |John Delury |Robert Kelly

On December 3, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol tried to demolish his country’s democracy. In a shocking late-night television address, Yoon declared “emergency martial law” and put the country under military rule. He prohibited all political activities and suspended freedom of speech and the press.

Dec 28, 2024 | 19fortyfive.com | Robert Kelly

Incoming American President Donald Trump keeps talking about Canada joining the United States. Unfortunately for him, Canadian public opinion does not support accession, and the administrative hurdles are substantial. The likelihood Canada would join America without the US use of force is effectively zero. America has not had territorial designs on Canada in more than a century, nor war plans regarding Canada since the inter-war period.

Dec 14, 2024 | 19fortyfive.com | Robert Kelly

Yoon Seok Yeol, the conservative president of South Korea, was impeached today by the South Korean legislature, the National Assembly, because of his botched martial law declaration of December 3. The Assembly has 300 members; 200 votes are required to impeach. A previous effort to impeach him failed last week. The liberal opposition needed a few conservative parliamentarians to vote to remove Yoon. Last week, they cleaved to him; this week, they defected. Yoon is now suspended from office.

Dec 4, 2024 | channelnewsasia.com | Robert Kelly

BUSAN, South Korea: Late on Tuesday night (Dec 3), South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law. This was an enormous shock, a radical step no one in the government had mentioned or discussed at all. Much of the public’s initial response was disbelief and confusion. Even when North Korea launched dangerous attacks on South Korea – such as in 2010, when it sank a South Korean warship and killed 46 sailors – civilian rule was retained.

Oct 16, 2024 | channelnewsasia.com | Robert Kelly

BUSAN, South Korea: North Korea on Tuesday (Oct 15) destroyed inter-Korean roads and rail lines along the demilitarised zone between the two Koreas, further escalating cross-border tensions and raising concerns about the risk of conflict. The roads and rail lines, once seen as a symbol of inter-Korean cooperation, were built during periods of relaxed peninsular tension - usually at South Korea’s expense.