Professor of Chinese Studies at Yonsei University & author of Agents of Subversion: The Fate of John T. Downey and the CIA's Covert War in China (Cornell, 2022)
Mar 5, 2022 • 8 tweets • 2 min read
Thoughts on the North Korea angle, mentioned in passing by @michaelcrowley@ewong in their piece on the pros and cons of sanctioning Putin/Russia nytimes.com/2022/03/04/us/…
Why have sanctions proven ineffective in stopping North Korea's nuclear weapons program? Let me count the ways 1) NK economy is so isolated, hard to make them hurt 2) NK regime control is so entrenched & means of resistance so limited, even when people suffer Kim/KWP are ok.
Mar 5, 2022 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
We will interpret this in the context of Putin's War on Ukraine-- DPRK as one of only 5 countries to vote w/ Russia against the UN Resolution, the trickle of statements they have put out siding w/ Moscow and sounding like Beijing, etc.
So just a reminder that based on the flurry of North Korean missile testing in January (before Ukraine) and in the absence of US-NK or inter-Korean talks (since Oct 2019), more tests this year looked very likely. That is to say, even w/o war in Ukraine, this was in the cards.
Jul 15, 2020 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
I'm all for Cold War analogies! Good excuse to study more Cold War history and think about its meanings. nytimes.com/2020/07/14/wor…
Americans seem to still frame the Cold War in terms of themselves and the Soviets. 'Global Cold War' historians dismantled & rebuilt that narrative, but how much has academic work has seeped into public awareness? 从 JL Gaddis 到 Westad, Lien-hang Nguyen, @LorenzLuthi 等等？
Jun 6, 2020 • 10 tweets • 3 min read
I'm struck by the difference btwn how the US military & US foreign service are grappling with the #BLM movement and civil rights protests. Tell me if I'm getting this wrong, or you have a better way to see it.
Many US military leaders are publicly acknowledging the moral failure on the part of the nation as well as their own institution, & committing to do better. See for ex the US Forces Korea Commander Gen Abrams
We should carefully distinguish between: containment, quarantine, isolation, lockdown. And what are best methods for liberal democracies and open societies to cope with the virus?
South Korea may offer a third way between China-style draconian, authoritarian lockdown [excess of 'order'] and US-style chaos & incompetence [excess of 'freedom'?].
Hardly perfect here, but so far outbreak contained to Daegu/Gyeongbuk province w/o draconian measures
Feb 24, 2020 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
Of course the fact that Liang Qichao said it doesn't make it not racist. In fact, Liang bless his heart was pretty racist at that point in his journey. Liang & Yan Fu, who also used the phrase if memory serves, were strongly influenced by Social Darwinism for ex.
'Sickness' is a major trope of modern Chinese history--used & abused by imperialist aggressors & nationalist reformers alike. Prior to 'sick man of Asia,' racists in the US promoted 'yellow peril' discourse, linked to mob violence on Chinatowns & the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882
Jun 24, 2019 • 11 tweets • 3 min read
June 10
- Trump receives "birthday letter" from Kim Jong Un [Trump bday is June 14]
- State Dept announces Pompeo will join Trump when he goes to Seoul after G-20, on June 28-29
June 11
- Trump tells reporters about his 'very PERSONAL' letter from Kim. edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2…
