Kim Jong Un and the birth of a personality cult
Geoffrey CainSEOUL, 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...
View ArticleWhy did North Korea detain an American veteran?
Geoffrey CainSEOUL, 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...
View ArticleHow the Iran nuclear deal matters for North Korea
Geoffrey CainSEOUL, 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...
View ArticleUnable to afford Gangnam-style plastic surgery, Korean teens deploy DIY methods
Geoffrey CainSEOUL, South Korea — In the heart of Seoul’s famous Gangnam neighborhood lies the “Beauty Belt,” a grouping of streets lined with hundreds of cosmetic surgery joints.Untold numbers of...
View ArticleSouth Korea urged Cambodia’s military to crack down on protesters
Geoffrey CainSEOUL, South Korea and PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Conspiracy theorists frequently accuse rich countries of “puppeteering” in the developing world, quietly pushing governments to deploy thugs...
View ArticleTreating garment workers in Cambodia as terrorists
Geoffrey CainPHNOM PENH, Cambodia — In the Canadia Industrial Park, factories are mostly back in operation, bustling to fulfill orders for major Western labels. There are few signs of the brutal...
View ArticleIncarceration in North Korea: 5 Americans who got out
Geoffrey CainSEOUL, South Korea — Since the Korean War, which ended in 1953, no American has been imprisoned in North Korea as long as 45-year-old Korean-American missionary Kenneth Bae.Bae was...
View ArticleSouth Korea: It's a nice day for a shady wedding
Geoffrey CainSEOUL, South Korea — Weddings here are not just huge American-style parties. They’re lavish, anxiety-inducing celebrations. They’re even sometimes used for nefarious purposes, such as...
View ArticleKim Yuna and the Korean art of suffering
Geoffrey CainSEOUL, South Korea — Call it the gasp heard round the world.Olympic fans were aghast when Russia’s Adelina Sotnikova took the figure skating gold medal over South Korean uber-star Kim...
View ArticleSouth Koreans blame themselves for ferry tragedy
Geoffrey CainSEOUL, South Korea ― Wednesday's ferry sinking off Korea’s west coast is being called one of the country’s worst peacetime disasters in modern times. Although 14 are confirmed dead, close...
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