For South Korea’s first female president, a baptism by fire

Mar 16, 2013 | Writing

SEOUL, South Korea — From both sides of the Korean Peninsula, South Korea’s first female president, Park Geun-hye, has gotten a baptism by fire since she took office on Feb. 25. On the one hand, Park is dealing with the much-publicized war threats from North Korea....

North Korea’s latest barking? South Korea had a sex scandal

Mar 15, 2013 | Writing

SEOUL, South Korea — Last week, the administration of the South Korean president, Park Geun-hye, fired a spokesman after a Korean American intern called the police on him. During the president’s visit to Washington, DC, the unnamed victim accused the official, Yoon...

North Korea: All talk, no action?

Mar 13, 2013 | Writing

SEOUL, South Korea — If North Korea decides to back up its words with action, what could it really do? Most experts agree a full-blown war or a nuclear attack on the peninsula is off the cards. But the two Koreas have dialed up the rhetoric over the past week, raising...

As Korean war rhetoric rises, separated families lose hope

Mar 12, 2013 | Writing

PAJU, South Korea — Lee Eunsook’s artwork glows in the quiet border village of Imjingak as the sun sets over the DMZ, the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea. A line of neon-threaded pillars in front of the village’s barbed-wire fence, her installation...

Bringing The Simpsons to North Korea

Mar 7, 2013 | Writing

SEOUL, South Korea — It’s been a mixed week for North Korea. The country reportedly moved mid-range Musudan missiles away from a launch site at the east coast, a possible sign that leaders won’t test a rocket as feared. But the Supreme Court also sentenced...