Prof
@KingsCollegeLon
| Korea Chair
@CSDS_Brussels
| Books: Shrimp to Whale: South Korea from the Forgotten War to K-Pop & Korea: A New History of South & North
One of the most famous pics from the
#KoreanWar
A girl carries her brother on her back near Haengju, in front of a US tank. We don't know where their parents are. It would be people like them who built South Korea into what it is today. All due respect to them.
#KoreanWar70Years
Interesting. It turns out that 'Asians' don't wear masks because of Confucianism, obedience or authoritarianism. They do because it makes sense during a pandemic and they care about others. And now most in the 'individualistic West' are catching up for exactly the same reasons.
1. Taiwan's MFA openly thanking SK for its stance on the TW Strait.
2. SK's Indo-Pacific Strategy explicitly linking peace in the TW Strait to peace in the Korean Peninsula.
3. A SK parliamentary group visiting TW for 1st time since COVID-19.
What's going on? A short thread.
117-year old Park Myung-soon receives an award on behalf of her deceased, independence hero husband. Park has lived through the Joseon dynasty, Japanese colonization, and an independent South Korea. She has voted in every single SK election. All due respect to her. #광복절
문재인 대통령은 경축식을 통해 故 김좌목, 故 김병륜, 故 박두옥, 故 최사진, 故 최풍오 등 다섯 분께 건국훈장 및 대통령표창을 직접 수여했습니다.
그중에서도 최고령 수상자인 故 최사진 님의 아내 박명순 님(117)께는 대통령이 직접 자리로 다가가 머리숙여 대통령표창을 수여했습니다.
#광복절
This book is real now! 'The Oxford Handbook of South Korean Politics', with more than 40 experts explaining amd analysing South Korea's contemporary politics, economics, society and culture. I thoroughly enjoyed working with this group, and learnt quite a bit myself.
#SouthKorea
has been ranked as the top democracy in Asia for the 2nd year in a row; also above USA or France. Do remember this when you hear that SK is becoming authoritarian, hopelessly corrupt, etc. SK is a great case study of people led democratic transition & consolidation.
Delighted to announce that next year
@HurstPublishers
will publish my book on South Korean history since its foundation until today! I trace the social, political, economic & cultural evolution of this most amazing of countries, explaining how it became a global trendsetter.
The number of
#coronavirus
tests per capita in
#SouthKorea
is simply phenomenal. Sure, it will look like you have more cases this way. But this is about public health and transparency. People have the right to know if they have the virus and act accordingly.
South Korea has had one of the lowest death rates per capita from
#COVID
and the lowest economic decline among OECD members. And with no lockdown. Spending on pandemic preparedness, allowing experts take the lead, and effective track and tracing saves lives and helps the economy.
Very excited that the proofs are ready! In three months time my book analysing how South Korea's politics, economics, society & culture have evolved from the foundation of the country to this year's election will be published by
@HurstPublishers
Now back to work on the proofs.😀
Combined population of 🇯🇵🇰🇷🇹🇼🇭🇰🇸🇬= 215 million; total number of recorded COVID-19 deaths? 323
Combined population of 🇫🇷🇬🇧🇮🇹🇪🇸= 240 million; total number of recorded COVID-19 deaths? 53,824
Some in Europe are still questioning the effectiveness of masks and temporary tracking.
New book coming out soon! "South Korea's Grand Strategy: Making Its Own Destiny." I analyse SK's GS from 1988-2023. I show that SK's GS has remained fairly constant since its democratic transition, UN entry & the end of the Cold War in late 80s-early 90s.
Korea continues to be Asia's top country for press freedom in Asia, very closely followed by Taiwan. Very good reminder that a country can develop and maintain a very strong civil society within 25-35 years of becoming a democracy.
Jung Eun-kyeong, head of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, recognised as one of the most influential people of 2020. She leads and embodies South Korea's great response to the coronavirus. Congratulations!
#TIME100
Ah, the good old 'Asians are authoritarian' line. I hope that in Taiwan, Korea or Japan you're enjoying your non-freedom while here in the UK we enjoy our freedom to be in a second lockdown. But no mention of Confucianism in the interview? I'm a bit disappointed about that.
Despite the British transport secretary’s false claim, S. Korea didn’t force people to download an app. We scan a QR code to enter a cafe or a bar using our equivalent of WhatsApp.
We’ve also not had a nationwide lockdown — the opposite of freedom.
Delighted to share the cover of 'The Oxford Handbook of South Korean Politics', coming out in a few weeks. Analysing and critically evaluating contemporary South Korea in the areas of politics, society, economics, culture and foreign policy. More here:
KJU: no one talks about me anymore; time for some missiles
Twitter: look at🇰🇷response to COVID19!
KJU: hello? let me skip grandpa's birthday & make Twitter talk
Twitter: look at🇰🇷elections amid COVID19!
KJU: I give up; going to my summer house
Twitter:
#KIMJONGUNDEAD
KJU:🤷♂️
My new book is now out! 'North Korea-US Relations: Kim Jong Il to Kim Jong Un'. The book analyzes how North Korea has tried, and ultimately failed, to normalize diplomatic relations with the US from the early 1990s all the way to this year's Hanoi summit.
The first printed copies of Shrimp to Whale have arrived! Delighted to be able to feel them with my own hands. The book will be out in only three days.
@HurstPublishers
#shrimptowhale
This pic shows a historic moment in South Korean history. The pantheon of democratic SK's foreign policy is as follows:
1990-92: diplomatic normalisation with Soviet Union & China
1996: OECD membership
2008: G20 membership
2021: G7 participation
(inter-Korean summits aside)
Table of contents ready! In two months' time, my book with
@HurstPublishers
and
@OUPAcademic
tracing South Korea's social, political, economic and cultural history all the way until this year will be out for all to read.
"South Korea's Grand Strategy: Making Its Own Destiny" is now published! Using a novel approach to middle power grand strategy, I analyse Korea's own in 1988-2022, from Roh Tae-woo to Yoon Suk-yeol. I explain why Korea has maintained a consistent strategy throughout the decades.
I'm delighted to share that I've joined
@CSISKoreaChair
as an Adjunct Fellow (Non-resident). I'll be working on a book on South Korean grand strategy plus a co-authored book on Korean modern history together with
@VictorDCha
during my time as a fellow.
Seoul to host the new
@washingtonpost
's Asia breaking-news hub. Great news for Korea, with yet another major media outlet showing its confidence in the country's robust institutions. The foreign media landscape has really improved over the past 20 years.
Korea has become the first Asian country to join one of NATO's key cyber security groups. The degree to which Seoul has strengthened security ties with NATO, the EU and European countries under Moon has been phenomenal. Expect the same under Yoon.
#SouthKorea
ranks number one in Asia for press freedom for a second year in a row. After last week's election, timely reminder that the country's civil society has played a crucial role in quickly consolidating democracy.
#RSFIndex
Korea joins the '30-50 club'. It has become only the seventh country in the world with a population over 50 million and GNI per capita above $30,000. References to the club will increase in years to come, since Korea is the fastest-growing economy in this group along with the US.
OECD는 최근 세계 경제전망을 하향조정했습니다. 인구 5천만명 이상 1인당 국민소득 3만달러 이상인 '3050 클럽'은 어떨까요. 한국전쟁 직후 67달러에서 방금 3050클럽에 진입한 우리나라. 지난해 미국에 이어 2위, 올해는 공동1위, 내년엔 1위로 예측됩니다. 성장이 체감되도록 계속 노력하겠습니다.
We’re working round the clock with ambitious goals for
#coronavirus
testing. Today we’ve hit a record number of tests carried out: 21,389 - exceeding any daily total in South Korea - a great step towards targets
South Korea's nuclearisation debate isn't going away. In this article with
@ForeignPolicy
I explain why Seoul could very well go nuclear and not suffer any major fallout. With thanks to everyone who has spoken to me about this over the past two years.
Personal news: I'm joining
@ESIWA_EU
as a consultant to work on its implementation in Korea. I'll be supporting the EU & EU member states to strengthen their security relations with Korean partners, with special focus on maritime & cyber. Really excited to take on this new role!
Baby steps, but clearly steps in the right direction. And this is the reason why
@moonriver365
kept insisting in engagement with North Korea: at some point, this would pay off whether with him or with some other South Korean president. Hopefully the Koreas can build on this!
The presidential office in Seoul says the hotline between North and South Korea that was cut off by Pyongyang last June has been restored. The Blue House says President Moon and Kim Jong Un have exchanged a number of letters in recent months and agreed to restore communications.
South Korea to export millions of high-quality, rapidly produced coronavirus tests. North Korea conducts record number of missile tests in a single month. Tests kind of sum up the differences between the two Koreas.
This. Authoritarianism, Confucianism/culture or obedience aren't the reasons why Korea (or Taiwan or Japan) have successfully dealt with the
#coronavirus
. Really good preparation and quick implementation have been the keys. In other words, leadership and competence.
For all the discussion of Asian examples with authoritarian overtones, the most successful state in handling COVID19 was a democracy. Many tools extolled as examples of greater social discipline were not used by South Korea.
Speed of response was crucial
Interesting graph showing voting patters by age group & gender. Among those in their 20s, 1/3 of men voted Lee & 1/3 of women voted Yoon. Gender differences are small or inexistent for other age groups. Analysts focusing on the generational divide seem to have been vindicated.
Shrimp to Whale is now published! Available both in hardback and as an e-book. You can have a look at the first few pages via some seller websites too.
@HurstPublishers
#shrimptowhale
Delighted to announce that
@KoreaChair_EU
will be one of six partners implementing the
@EU_Commission
's 1st-ever EU-ROK Policy Dialogue Support Facility! At a personal level it's a dream come true to support relations between two places I love. More here:
63% of South Koreans are positive re. Sunday's Panmunjom meetings vs 29% who are negative. Good reminder that a large majority of SKs support the current diplomatic process with NK. This support goes beyond any simplistic liberal-conservative divide:
#SouthKorea
remains the top democracy in Asia according to the latest
@TheEIU
Democracy Index. Good reminder that the country has consolidated its democracy relatively quickly thanks to the strength of its civil society and, yes, institutions.
#DemoIndex
Can the
#EU
do more on
#NorthKorea
? Yes, former FM Yoon Young-kwan and I argue. As the
#EUROKsummit
approaches, we explain what Brussels can do both under the current
#sanctions
regime and if sanctions start to be lifted. Read here:
@ReutersOpinion
Delighted that 'Korea: A New History of South & North' will be out very soon! With the best cover on a book about the Koreas there is. And a content to match. 😀
'South Korea: How to Fight the Coronavirus'. Really good inside story by
@BBCLBicker
explaining how South Korea has been working to address the
#coronavirus
pandemic. Great interviews with healthcare, epidemiological and biotech professionals in it.
'The Oxford Handbook of South Korean Politics'. Delighted to announce that Han JeongHun
@SNUnow
Cho Youngho
@sogangism
& I will edit this new
@OxUniPress
book. 42 top-notch academics will write about S. Korea's politics, economics, culture, society & foreign policy, 1980s-2020.
This is how close this election has been. Simply incredible. Two interesting questions moving forward: 1) How will Yoon try to work with a National Assembly heavily dominated by the DP? 2) How may Yoon try to incorporate Ahn's (in theory) more centrist views?
Out now! My book analysing North Korea-US relations from Pyongyang's perspective is now available in paperback. The book explains why North Korea has been unable to normalise relations with the US, a long-term goal dating back to the 1970s. Check here:
Japan, Korea and Taiwan are all classified as full democracies by
@TheEUI
once again. At a time of democratic backsliding elsewhere, it's truly great news to see the resilience and strengthening of democracy in this part of East Asia. Kudos to civil society in the three of them!
And
@moonriver365
is now in Spain for his state visit. First one by a Korean president in 14 years. Three days, two nights. Celebrating 70 years of bilateral diplomatic relations (OK, 71 already). This Spaniard who loves both his country and Korea couldn't be more excited!
This is happening very soon! 'The Routledge Handbook of Europe-Korea Relations' to be published by
@routledgebooks
@Rout_PoliticsIR
next month. A fantastic group of leading scholars from Korea and Europe analyse this relationship throughout 31 chapters.
So Korea has joined 13 others in accusing China of withholding data from the WHO during its COVID investigation. This matters. Korea is going public with views that were only shared privately until now. Values increasingly matter in its foreign policy.
Officially SK hasn't changed its 'one-CH policy'. In practice, SK has no intention to isolate CH & will seek coop whenever possible. Plus, SK isn't going to criticise CH every time. But SK's position towards CH has changed from a few years ago. Its stance on CH-TW reflects this.
2) CH's THAAD-related sanctions, CH's incursions on SK's territorial waters plus ADIZ, the COVID-19 pandemic & Russia's invasion of Ukraine (plus CH possibly thinking about doing the same in TW) have hardened SK's stance towards CH. This is now becoming more open.
1) SK has become more vocal about its position on CH-TW relations: no change in the status quo by force. The ROK-US 2021 joint statement under Moon stated "the importance of preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait"; the 2022 statement under Yoon had the same wording.
We don't know where this inter-Korean rapprochement process will end. But to see a South Korean president address tens of thousands of North Koreans for the first time ever and to have them cheering him is truly historical. Moon's full address here:
9월 19일, 평양 5월 1일 경기장,
15만 명의 평양 시민 앞에서 문재인 대통령이 연설했습니다.
"우리는 오천년을 함께 살고 칠십년을 헤어져 살았습니다.
나는 오늘 이 자리에서 지난 칠십년 적대를 완전히 청산하고
다시 하나가 되기 위한 평화의 큰 걸음을 내딛자고 제안합니다."
#남북정상회담
🧵 Where does South Korea sit on Ukraine? "Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected." Quite clear & direct. No ifs, no buts. There is much more to Seoul's response though. Both in terms of words and actions.
1/ Just finished listening to President Moon's very interesting and comprehensive interview with
@BBCLBicker
. Highly recommended. Available here: . On the bits about Europe, some quick thoughts:
3) The view of many in SK that Seoul should more clearly align with "like-minded" partners, make values a more important component of its FP (certainly with limits) & try to separate security from economics when it comes to relations with CH. Quite clear with the Yoon admin IMO.
Yoon Suk-yeol becomes the first foreign leader to be hosted by Charles III for a state visit since his coronation. Further proof of Korea's growing global status, including in the UK and across the rest of Europe.
South Korea actually has two films nominated for
#Oscars2020
The other one is 'In the Absence', a documentary about the Sewol ferry disaster. Harrowing, yet recommended to understand the reaction of South Koreans to this tragedy. Watch here:
Two big developments in Korea's foreign policy in recent days. 1) SK joined 11 other countries in condemning the Myanmar coup. This matters because increasingly values are becoming part of its FP, even when they can affect relations with a crucial region for SK such as SE Asia.
Book finished! Everything you wanted to know about North Korea-US relations during the Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Un years up until today's Vladivostok summit (thanks, no deal Hanoi summit) from Pyongyang's perspective will be with you before the end of the year. 🙂
The Moon gov't won't shout about it but Seoul has a clear position when it comes to the US-China rivalry: it's on Washington's side but won't openly antagonise Beijing. Actions, not words, show Korea's position. I explain this in an article for
@WPReview
Very few things in Seoul match being lucky enough to finish the working week and transition into the weekend with this view. Do head to the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History for the great exhibitions, the chats with the knowledgeable workers, and the views.
#NorthKorea
blows up
#Kaesong
to escalate tensions. Will it make SK breach sanctions for the sake of inter-Korean links? No. Does it help Kim Yo-jong domestically? Yes. Does it serve NK to show displeasure with the lack of sanctions relief? Yes. Some goals achieved, others not.
Wined and dined, speakers joining tomorrow's Brussels Korea Forum are ready to go. Delighted that travel between Korea and Europe is reopening, and that physical events are back!
In his recent speeches in Stockholm and Oslo
@moonriver365
mentioned several examples of the ways in which peace and reconciliation in Northern Europe may hold lessons for the
#KoreanPeninsula
and
#NorthKorea
. I analyse how these examples can apply in my latest for
@nknewsorg
.
"The Swedish govt's decision, from Moon’s perspective, created trust..across the region & at the int'l level,"writes
@rpachecopardo
. "NK will earn the trust of the int'l community as & if it takes these meaningful steps" towards denuclearization, he says.
'Korea: A New History of South & North' is the best-selling South Korea and North Korea book in Amazon UK! Thanks to everyone who has pre-ordered a copy. You can get it from your favourite bookstore from June 13th.
"The war in Ukraine [...] is accelerating the breakdown of familiar geopolitical antinomies, such as Europe and Asia. Nothing illustrates the new landscape more powerfully than South Korea's emergence as a major supplier of arms to Europe." IMO a crucial recent change in SK's FP.
Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha discussing South Korea's response to the
#coronavirus
crisis
@BBCPolitics
So far, Korea is coming out of this with a reputation as an efficient and transparent country. Credit to the medical professionals and government officials working flat out.
"We are definitely seeing a… reduction of new
#coronavirus
cases but we’re not being complacent," says South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha
#COVID19
#Marr
Job 🚨
@kings_eis
is hiring a permanent Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in International Political Economy with specialism in Heterodox Economics. Come and join a great bunch of people in a truly multidisciplinary department!
Honoured that my book 'North Korea-US Relations from Kim Jong Il to Kim Jong Un' has been selected by
@IAJournal_CH
as one of the top 10 books reviewed in 2020. As
@kriscsortea
kindly writes, to be enjoyed by 'your nuclear apocalypse-obsessed uncle' 😀
One of the best features of Seoul and Korea in general: mountains to walk up a few minutes from the town centre. Incidentally, that hanok won the prize for the best one in the country in 2015. Recommended to see how nature and traditional buildings can blend.
Packed room and hundreds of people from all across the world online. It's really great to see the growing interest about South Korea everywhere you go!
"If you look at where South Korea was in the 1950s and now, it's an extraordinary transformation of how a country can go from poverty to boisterous democracy that very few countries have achieved"
-
@rpachecopardo
ICYMI: Watch our talk here
UK marines join Korea-US joint drills for the first time ever. Expect more of this as Korea seeks to bring in more countries into its Korean Peninsula defence readiness strategy, while also working more with partners across the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
'Shrimp to Whale' in the
@WaterstonesPicc
display window! What an incredible honour this is for me personally. More generally, I'm delighted that this London institution considers a book about South Korea's history among those to highlight for this Christmas season.
Lots of interest & questions about Yoon's announcement that he will attend the upcoming Madrid NATO summit. Good. This matters tremendously for Korea. But this is a story dating back to 2005, when Korea first engaged in dialogue with NATO. A short thread.
Opportunity for Korean PhD students & post-docs!
@KoreaChair_EU
is looking for researchers for a project analysing ROK-EU relations in global governance. Of interest to those exploring opportunities in the research institute & think tank world. See here:
Do you want to know how
#SouthKorea
has been able to quickly develop, produce & export millions of
#COVID2019
tests? The story goes back to the 1990s and to the city of Daejeon. It involves both liberal and conservative governments. I explain more here:
For the first time ever, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are classified as full democracies by
@TheEIU
They all improved their scores compared to the year before. Great development as democracy weakens in other countries. A testament to the tremendous work from civil society.
FWIW I think we should thank all the responsible media and experts/watchers trying to dig information, offer context, etc. No one knows
#KimJongUn
's current state; that's a fact. But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't try to find out and discuss what's going on (responsibly).
Dear Seoul: Let’s hang out. Tuesday, 8/9: Book signing at Kyobo Bookstore (Gwanghwamun) at 2-4pm. Wednesday, 8/10: Moderated Conversation and Q&A at Daeyang Hall at Sejong Univ. at 7pm. RSVP below.
The time for South Korea to decide whether to join a Quad+ is coming. In my view, the tangible benefits for South Korea itself outweigh the potential costs. With thanks to
@CSISKoreaChair
for the opportunity, read here:
South Korea & Taiwan (not in the graph) are the only big developed economies projected to be substantially bigger in 2021 than they were before the pandemic. And their death tolls are small. Thank competent & transparent governance. Don't mention Confucianism or authoritarianism.
#Korea
had the 3rd largest level of satisfaction with democracy among developed countries in 2018. The level of dissatisfaction went down by 34 points from 2017 - the largest in the world. Very positive effect of the people-led Candlelight Revolution to keep in mind. #촛불혁명
The University of North Korean Studies-Institute for Far Eastern Studies combination. Perfect place to learn about and discuss all aspects of North Korea, with a beautiful building and relaxing garden.
King Felipe VI just mentioned Australia, Japan, Korea and New Zealand as key NATO partners. Very meaningful for NATO and Europe. A proud moment for a Spaniard!
#NATO
#NATOPublicForum
Fascinating graph: China, Taiwan, Korea & SE Asia (plus Turkey) are the biggest 'winners' of the pandemic in terms of exports. Taiwan, Korea & Singapore are the only developed countries that increased exports last year, boosted by high-tech goods such as semiconductors & biotech.