Jan 3, 2014 | Writing
SEOUL, South Korea — After a week or two in the South Korean capital of Seoul, newcomers often harbor extreme views on the city. They either love it or absolutely despise it. The first cohort can’t get enough of this Asian metropolis of almost 10 million people. They...
Dec 19, 2013 | Writing
SEOUL, South Korea — In the heart of Seoul’s famous Gangnam neighborhood lies the “Beauty Belt,” a grouping of streets lined with hundreds of cosmetic surgery joints. Untold numbers of Koreans — as well as Chinese and Southeast Asian tourists — have trekked to this...
Dec 13, 2013 | Writing
SEOUL, South Korea — On Sunday, North Korea announced that Kim Jong Un’s uncle, the powerful guiding-hand regent, had been excommunicated from the leadership. Four days later, after a special military tribunal found him guilty of treason, Jang Song Taek was executed....
Dec 9, 2013 | Writing
SEOUL, South Korea — In a faraway kingdom, a chubby, eccentrically dressed dictator has purged his number-two man, a veteran ally of the ruling dynasty. The second-in-command, a well-known advocate of reform, may have veered too far from his boss and challenged the...
Dec 7, 2013 | Writing
SEOUL, South Korea — Extradited from Thailand, the five suspects appeared before a New York court last month to face charges of a sensational plot: smuggling crystal meth from enemy number one, North Korea. The five men — from China, the UK, the Philippines and...
Dec 6, 2013 | Writing
SEOUL, South Korea — Asia’s rapidly mounting tensions just helped deliver a blow against democracy, with the Obama administration’s backing. The context: In late November, China declared an “air defense identification zone” in airspace over the disputed...
