Writing
Kim Jong Un’s ousted uncle is North Korea’s Rob Ford
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 party line, according to an state propaganda broadcast on Monday.
By Geoffrey Cain
PRI’s The World
Dec 9, 2013
Breaking Kim Jong Un: How North Korea became a meth hub
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.
By Geoffrey Cain
PRI’s The World
Dec 7, 2013
Japan passes a democracy-muzzling Patriot Act
SEOUL, South Korea — Asia’s rapidly mounting tensions just helped deliver a blow against democracy, with the Obama administration’s backing.
By Geoffrey Cain
PRI’s The World
Dec 6, 2013
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.
By Geoffrey Cain
PRI’s The World
Dec 4, 2013
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.
By Geoffrey Cain
PRI’s The World
Dec 3, 2013
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.
By Geoffrey Cain
PRI’s The World
Nov 30, 2013
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.
By Geoffrey Cain
PRI’s The World
Nov 25, 2013
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.
By Geoffrey Cain
PRI’s The World
Nov 24, 2013
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.
By Geoffrey Cain
PRI’s The World
Nov 21, 2013
Kim Jong Un and the birth of a personality cult
SEOUL, South Korea — Next month will be a big one for North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, as his nation hosts various conspicuous, cultish festivities. On Dec. 12, North Korean state media will probably memorialize its satellite launch one year ago, an early boost to Kim Jong Un’s prestige.
By Geoffrey Cain
PRI’s The World
Nov 20, 2013