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1 month ago | 
koreatimes.co.kr | Yun Byung-se |Casey Lartigue Jr.
By Casey Lartigue Jr.While I am often associated with North Korean refugees because of my work these days, many people may not be aware that I once had a different career. A quarter-century ago, as a policy analyst at the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C., I participated in a fierce national debate: Should the U.S. Department of Education be dismantled? With the 2000 presidential election then on the horizon, Republicans pledged to shut it down, while Democrats fought to preserve it.
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1 month ago | 
koreatimes.co.kr | Yun Byung-se |John J. Metzler
By John J. MetzlerThe darkening rule of the Taliban regime over Afghanistan continues to dim prospects for women’s rights as well as any chances for the war-torn country to overcome an ongoing humanitarian catastrophe. Currently more than 50 percent of the population — some 23 million people — require humanitarian assistance and that aid is now decreasing.
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1 month ago | 
koreatimes.co.kr | Yun Byung-se |Troy Stangarone
By Troy StangaroneThe Trump administration is pushing to end the war in Ukraine. If successful, the conclusion of the more than three-year-old conflict will have implications for security in Europe, but also the future of what has become an increasingly close relationship between Russia and North Korea.
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1 month ago | 
koreatimes.co.kr | Yun Byung-se |John J. Metzler
By John J. MetzlerAnother major country has flipped politically to the conservative column. After three years of a drifting center-left coalition government, voters elected a conservative (small c) Christian Democratic Union CDU government in Germany’s parliamentary elections. Yet what was expected to be a massive win for the likely new chancellor, Frederich Merz, became a bit disappointing when his party gained 28.5 percent of the vote.
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2 months ago | 
koreatimes.co.kr | Yun Byung-se |Troy Stangarone
By Troy StangaroneWhat can South Korea learn from Donald Trump’s initial tariff moves against Canada, Mexico and China? Potentially a good deal, especially considering the temporary pause in tariffs on Canada and Mexico. First, the United States’ use of tariffs is no longer confined to disputes over trade, but rather the Trump administration also sees tariffs as a useful tool to achieve other policy objectives.
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2 months ago | 
koreatimes.co.kr | Yun Byung-se |Casey Lartigue Jr.
By Casey Lartigue Jr.South Korea has the highest suicide rate in the world — but for North Korean refugees, the situation is even worse. Their suicide rate is nearly three times higher than that of South Koreans, as first reported by the Korea Institute for National Unification in 2015. Nearly half of North Korean refugee women experience suicidal thoughts, and 18 percent have attempted suicide within the past year, according to a research team led by Boyoung Nam.
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2 months ago | 
koreatimes.co.kr | Yun Byung-se |John J. Metzler
By John J. MetzlerThe Panama Canal is back in the headlines after President Donald Trump raised political and security concerns over the future of the strategic waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The heart of the President’s argument is that the canal, built and paid for by the United States in the early 20th century, is now coming under Chinese communist influence.
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Jan 21, 2025 | 
koreatimes.co.kr | Yun Byung-se |Kevin Kim
By Kevin KimK-pop has always been a vibrant showcase of musical storytelling, weaving compelling narratives through lyrics that resonate far beyond catchy hooks. In 2024, the genre revealed new depths by addressing self-discovery, love, uncertainty and collective hope. Far from mere embellishments, this year’s standout lyrics evolved into powerful messages that connected people across demographics, languages and personal histories.
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Jan 12, 2025 | 
koreatimes.co.kr | Yun Byung-se |Casey Lartigue Jr.
By Casey Lartigue Jr.It has been said that everything is brand new to those who don’t know history. Earlier this year, I was interviewed live on Arirang TV about recent “creative” escapes by North Korean refugees. The inspiration for the interview was a pair of newspaper articles in the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post highlighting modern-day defection stories and portraying them as unprecedented responses to the Kim regime’s tightening grip.
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Jan 7, 2025 | 
koreatimes.co.kr | Yun Byung-se |Troy Stangarone
By Troy StangaroneDonald Trump is set to return to the White House later this month. Many world leaders are apprehensive about his return and unsure how to best manage relations with the incoming Trump administration.
