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Hither and Yon

Media hatred may derail Trump-Kim summit; And does Kim Jong-Un dare leave home?

March 22, 2018

Special to WorldTribune.com

By Donald Kirk

U.S. President Donald Trump is in such hot water in Washington that his summit with Kim Jong-Un, if it actually happens, will be either a distraction or a welcome relief from the pressure-cooker atmosphere at home.

The only problem is, he may be so busy  Read More 
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North Korean ‘regime change’? Give dreamers a chance

March 15, 2018

Special to WorldTribune.com

By Donald Kirk

In the excitement over impending summits, we may have forgotten one other solution everyone was talking about, oh, just a month or two ago.

Whatever happened to all the enthusiasm for forcing Kim Jong-Un out of his job by internal upheaval, external attack, or maybe just  Read More 
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About those euphoric Korea peace talks: A trip down memory lane

March 8, 2018
Special to WorldTribune.com

By Donald Kirk

Don’t hold your breath. We’ve been disappointed so often in moves toward North-South reconciliation that it’s hard to believe any face-to-face talks between President Moon Jae-In and North Korea’s “respected leader” Kim Jong-Un will lead to resolution of  Read More 
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How I got into the closing ceremonies at the PyeongChang Winter Games

March 2, 2018

Special to WorldTribune.com

By Donald Kirk

PYEONGCHANG ― Now I know firsthand what they’re talking about when they say the Russians are tricky. Yes, they’ve gotten into American and other websites, tried to sway the U.S. presidential election and are not to be trusted, but those were media reports. In  Read More 
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The Ivanka counter-charm offensive: Bracing for the Winter Olympics end game

By World Tribune on February 23, 2018

Special to WorldTribune.com

By Donald Kirk

PYEONGCHANG, South Korea — Ivanka Trump’s upcoming weekend in South Korea is sure to set off another round of intense speculation while the vice chairman of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party leads a delegation south at just about the same time.

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Joshua Cooper Ramo, the Winter Olympics and NBC’s staggering conflicts of interest

By World Tribune on February 19, 2018

Special to WorldTribune.com

By Donald Kirk

The strange case of NBC sports commentator Joshua Cooper Ramo touched the sensitive nerves of millions of Koreans. Thousands responded with indignation, aggrieved feelings, even outrage to his on-air remark at the Winter Olympics to the effect that “every Korean will tell  Read More 
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Korean protests at the Olympics, then and now

February 8, 2018, Special to WorldTribune.com

By Donald Kirk

Mid-winter is not exactly the best time for mass demonstrations in South Korea. Protesters prefer to wait for spring, but the Winter Olympics leave them no choice.

Flag-wavers are out there during the coldest ever Olympics, the rightists waving Korean and American flags, leftists and liberals  Read More 
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Trump’s ‘new American moment’: Paving the way to a ‘bloody nose’ for North Korea?

By World Tribune on February 1, 2018, Special to WorldTribune.com

By Donald Kirk

Don’t count on the Winter Olympics as the moment for rapprochement on the Korean peninsula. That message came through loud and clear in President Donald Trump’s first State of the Union address. “Our new American moment,” as Trump called this  Read More 
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Has it been 50 years? Remembering the Tet, the Blue House raid and North Korea’s capture of the Pueblo

By World Tribune on January 23, 2018

Special to WorldTribune.com

By Donald Kirk

VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia ― How quickly we forget. Memories, dates and events fade away, only to be revived on anniversaries. A lot of historical events are barely recalled.

I was in a country named “South” Vietnam 50 years ago when North Vietnamese and Viet  Read More 
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Let the games begin, but watch out for those N. Korean dancers

January 18, 2018, Special to WorldTribune.com

By Donald Kirk

WASHINGTON ― Ah, let the games begin! The fun and games, that is, of seeing how the clever North Koreans play the Winter Olympics for all they’re worth.

For sure, North Korean strategists are looking for a diplomatic and political triumph regardless of who wins what  Read More 
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