S. Nathan Park

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South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol (left) greets soccer player Son Heung-min at Seoul World Cup Stadium on June 2. South Korean Presidential Office via Getty Images

Whether you were for or against U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Asia, you can’t overstate its importance. The legislator became the highest U.S. official to visit Taiwan, prompting a furious response from Beijing and adding to a U.S.-China rivalry that will shape the 21st century. Pelosi was welcomed by crowds in Taipei, Taiwan’s capital. On the Malaysia leg of her whirlwind tour, she lunched with Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob. In Japan, she met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

But after completing her historic visit to Taiwan, Pelosi’s flight landed at the U.S. Air Force base in Osan, South Korea—where no Korean official came to greet her.…  Seguir leyendo »

El director de "Parasite", Bong Joon Ho, reacciona a obtener el premio Óscar a Mejor Película. (Chris Pizzello)

Parasite (Parásitos), del director Bong Joon-ho, es una obra maestra que arroja luz sobre la desigualdad y la pobreza en Corea del Sur. El 9 de febrero se convirtió en un fenómeno al ganar el premio a mejor película en la 92.ª edición de los Óscar. Sin embargo, la película estuvo a punto de no ver la luz del día.

En 2015, el gobierno de la expresidenta Park Geun-hye incluyó en su lista negra a Bong, al actor Song Kang-ho y a la productora Miky Lee junto con más de 9,000 artistas, quienes en su opinión eran demasiado liberales y críticos con el gobierno.…  Seguir leyendo »

‘Parasite’s’ Oscars success was also a victory for democracy

Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite,” a gritty masterpiece that shines an unsparing light South Korea’s inequality and poverty, made waves Sunday by winning Best Picture at the 92nd Academy Awards. Yet the movie almost failed to see the light of the day.

In 2015, President Park Geun-hye’s administration blacklisted Bong, actor Song Kang-ho and producer Miky Lee along with more than 9,000 other artists, who in its view were too liberal and critical of the government. Just as “Parasite” tells an important story of the contradictions of capitalism, its making teaches an important lesson about how a free society is essential for the arts.…  Seguir leyendo »

There were encouraging signs leading up to the second summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. For his part, Trump signaled a subtle but important shift in his approach toward North Korea's denuclearization -- repeatedly saying, "Speed is not important to me" and "I'm in no rush". This indicated Trump finally was beginning to accept what most nonproliferation experts have been saying all along: That denuclearization of North Korea will be a long and complex process that may last over a decade.

The good vibes continued through the summit, as the usually reclusive Kim showed signs of opening up.…  Seguir leyendo »

South Korean football fans react as they watch on a large screen the 2018 World Cup football match between South Korea and Sweden at Gwanghwamun square in Seoul on June 18, 2018. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP) (Photo credit should read JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty Images)

The World Cup, in South Korea, is usually a huge deal—but not this year. The South Korean media has barely covered it, and conversations rarely turn to it. Part of the reason is that the 2018 Korean squad is pretty bad. A dedicated Korea fan could find some solace in the fact that the Taegeuk Warriors—so named after the Korean word for the red and blue yin-yang symbol in the middle of the South Korean flag—have qualified for ten World Cups in all and the past nine in a row, a record for an Asian country. Our ebullient striker Son Heung-min can be a joy to watch—if only there were a few more world-class talents around him.…  Seguir leyendo »