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Troy Stangarone

Turning darkness to light in North Korea

From outer space North Korea is engulfed in a sea of darkness at night. Looking from afar there would be very little reason to believe that roughly 25 million people live on the other side of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

2019-09-25 16:00

US should back South Korea in talks with North

With the conclusion of military exercises between the United States and South Korea there is an expectation that working level talks between the United States and North Korea may resume.

2019-08-26 17:00

Japan escalating conflict with Korea

When the Japanese Cabinet met on Aug. 2, it had the option to de-escalate the current conflict with South Korea. Its frustrations over the South Korean Supreme Court decision on compensation for forced labor victims had already been expressed with the restrictions imposed in early July.

2019-08-06 17:27

Japan risks harm to world trade

When I started this column a year ago, I touched upon the importance of international trade rules for South Korea's economic future. While we still often think of trade in terms of lowering tariff barriers, the rules and norms that allow goods and services to flow freely and predictably are increasingly important. Unfortunately, adherence to those rules have grown weaker over the past year and the current standoff with Japan is symptomatic of a worrying trend.

2019-07-22 17:25

We need new economic model for North Korea

As part of the talks with North Korea since the beginning of 2018, the United States and South Korea have offered the prospect of an improved economic future if Pyongyang were to dismantle its nuclear weapons program. But achieving that future will require the North to engage in domestic economic reforms.

2019-06-24 17:16

Trump considers visiting DMZ

Can womenomics solve demographic decline?

The world's population is aging. The population of those over the age of 60 is growing faster globally than any other age group. This is especially true in much of the developed world where countries like Germany, Italy, and Japan were among the first to become super-aged societies with more than 20 percent of their populations over the age of 65. South Korea, however, will experience the same transition in a much shorter timeframe than most countries.

2019-05-29 17:38

Korea needs to innovate beyond semiconductors

As the world's leading producer of memory chips, the last two years were good for South Korea's semiconductor industry. The adoption of cloud computing and the continued growth in demand for cellphones helped to usher in a super-cycle of rising prices and demand for memory chips that South Korea was well-placed to take advantage of.

2019-04-29 17:22

Humanitarian aid to North Korea

In the most recent report by the U.N. Panel of Experts, the 1718 Committee documented the increasing number of ways that North Korea continues to evade U.N. sanctions. However, the report also discusses the unintended consequences of sanctions, one of which is the impact on humanitarian assistance in North Korea.

2019-03-24 16:59

A step back or forward in Hanoi?

All negotiations face setbacks. In most instances these breakdowns happen at the working level rather than between leaders as occurred in Hanoi. In negotiating problems as intractable as the dismantlement of North Korea's weapons programs, setbacks are likely, but need not preclude a successful outcome if the proper groundwork is laid in advance. Something that is more challenging in the current top-down process between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un.

2019-03-05 17:43

Don't be too quick to judge any US-North Korea deal

We live an in era of instant analysis. When a major event occurs there is an inclination to immediately declare whether it was a success or a failure. If an agreement is reached, to say whether it is a good or a bad deal. But that can often be hasty.

2019-02-24 17:25

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