Maybe Kim Jong Un’s uncle wasn’t ousted after all

SEOUL, South Korea — The news yesterday that Kim Jong Un purged his uncle and de facto number two leader of North Korea, Jang Sung Taek, has all the trappings you’d expect from a mysterious and ruthless dictatorship. On Tuesday, the National Intelligence Service...

Kim Jong Un, the boss of firing, ousts his uncle

SEOUL, South Korea — The news today that North Korea removed Jang Sung Taek, the powerful uncle of Kim Jong Un and vice chair of the body that heads the military, could amount to the boy dictator’s greatest leadership shake-up yet. At least, that’s if you believe a...

How Korean bureaucrats turned K-pop into a national symbol

SEOUL, South Korea — If you visit South Korea, you’ll probably hear a triumphant refrain about Korean pop, known as “K-pop,” casting a spell over North America and Europe. The narrative typically goes like this: Swarms of Western fans have been racing to K-pop...

How the Iran nuclear deal matters for North Korea

SEOUL, South Korea — Given the tumultuous relations between Washington and Tehran, the nuclear pact announced early Sunday was the most significant diplomatic development between the two since the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Six world powers agreed to curtail sanctions...

Apple vs. Samsung: Tech’s best frenemies

SEOUL, South Korea — Since 2011, two titans of the electronics industry — Samsung Electronics and Apple — have been locked in legal warfare over their smart phones and tablets, slinging more than 50 lawsuits at each other on four continents. But despite the bitter...

Why did North Korea detain an American veteran?

SEOUL, South Korea — For North Korea watchers, the news is mysterious and the motives unknown. On October 26, an 85-year-old Korean War veteran from Palo Alto, California, became the second American detained in the past year in the world’s most reclusive state. The...