North Korea is ramping up pressure through a series of missile tests and harsh verbal attacks against South Korea's top government officials. The intensity of North Korean provocations is well illustrated by a record number of missiles launched on one day ― over twenty ― as well as the unprecedented frequency of missile tests averaging more than once a week for the last three months. Most observers concur that the seventh nuclear test is imminent. It is simply a matter of when, not if.

The relations among nation-states are in flux. Many pundits are raising the alarm about the return of the Cold War. But this time around, the main frontier lies not between the United States and the Soviet Union, but between the United States and China, a fast-rising challenger to the U.S.-led international order.

Multilateral diplomacy has been in full swing for the new government of South Korea since right after the inauguration of President Yoon Suk-yeol four months ago. Most recently it culminated in the United Nations summit in New York, home to the most universally multilateral institution. This fall will see the upcoming G20 summit in Indonesia and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Thailand held consecutively in mid-November.

The long-standing relationship between the Republic of Korea and China goes back thousands of years. In this light, the last 30 years since the normalization of diplomatic relations in 1992 are merely a blink of an eye. Yet this blink might arguably be the most spectacular and productive period in this bilateral relationship. In commemoration and celebration of the past 30 years of enduring partnership between the ROK and China, it would be meaningful to recognize some important changes that have taken place in three areas.

World politics is going through a great upheaval. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is the latest manifestation of the growing malaise in big power relations. At its center lies the rising rivalry between the United States and China, the world's two most powerful states and leaders of their respective blocs.

Over the last five decades, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) has served as the bedrock for keeping the world safe from a nuclear doomsday. Now it stands on the brink of a breakdown.

The new government of Korea is off to a hectic start with multilateral diplomacy. Last month, President Yoon Suk-yeol made a diplomatic debut at the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Summit alongside the leaders of 30 member states, and for the first time, three other Asia-Pacific partners, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.

Liberal democracy, along with the open market economy, has been the main engine of progress for humanity over the last century.

The summit between U.S. President Joe Biden and his Korean counterpart Yoon Suk-yeol took place merely a dozen days following President Yoon's inauguration.

I convey my heartfelt congratulations to you on taking the helm of Team Korea for the next five years. I empathize with you for the enormity of the responsibility that you said you felt for the future of the Korean people upon winning the election, which must have been a sleepless night for you and many Koreans.

The world stands at a tipping point. The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine is a vivid reminder of rising insecurity in global geopolitics. The post-World War II global order led by the United States shows signs of fatigue, increasingly unable to meet the mounting challenges from both competitors and rogue players.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is an outright affront to the international norm of non-aggression. It is wreaking humanitarian havoc on a scale never seen in Europe since the end of World War II.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of former US president Richard Nixon's visit to China. The visit was a dramatic turning point in world politics and the beginning of a new chapter in the US-China relationship.

The 2022 South Korean presidential election is around the corner, with less than a month to go. Korea watchers around the world are anxiously awaiting its outcome, with many apprehensive of the potential fallouts on South Korea's relations with neighboring countries. 

The new year has started with the COVID-19 pandemic still hanging over our heads. On top of that, clouds of hyper-uncertainty are gathering over the global security horizon.

The order among the nations, or more realistically the balance of power among major powers is undergoing tectonic shifts. At its heart lies the fast rise of China relative to the United States.

The overdue summit between the two leaders of the two most powerful states, the United States and China, finally took place, though virtually.

Volatility in the strategic equation of the Korean Peninsula has recently risen. From a short-term perspective, the volatility largely stems from the growing anxiety over a prolonged stalemate in North Korea's dialogue with the United States.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics were finally held during this past summer. Under the cloud cast by the COVID-19 pandemic, there was uncertainty until the last minute. Eventually the decision was taken to proceed with the Games but without spectators, something that was unprecedented.

Afghanistan fell again into the hands of the Taliban, "the day after" the withdrawal of the United States troops began in a manner so abrupt and fast. The speed of the government collapse and ensuing shocks betrayed not only popular expectations of the outside world but also the analysis by the U.S. intelligence community.