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Donald Kirk

Asia's deepening standoff

The acronym, “AUKUS,” when you try to pronounce it, sounds like some weird wild animal, an AUKUS. The initials stand for Australia, the U.K. and the U.S., but to the North Koreans and their Chinese supporters, they might as well be spelling the exotic name of one of those strange beasts that only inhabits Australia. Maybe a new breed of kangaroo or wombat with particularly sharp claws and mean teeth, poised to spring and strangle and tear apart enemies near and far.

2021-09-23 16:45

History's 'what if' questions

WASHINGTON - Millions remember exactly what they were doing when first hearing about awful events. The day John F. Kennedy was shot, Nov. 22, 1963, I'd been sleeping after an overnight shift for a paper in New York. For some reason I had to call about paying a parking ticket. The woman who took the call was weeping. I asked her what was wrong, and she told me Kennedy had been shot. I forgot about the parking ticket while pursuing on-the-street stories for the paper.

2021-09-09 17:00

Afghanistan's meaning for Korea

This nightmare scenario comes to mind: the Chinese have invaded South Korea in the name of the North Koreans, who are sort of an auxiliary force, and the wobbly, weak-kneed American president decides the South Koreans can fight on their own with no American troops, no U.S. air or naval power, just the arms the Americans have been selling them for billions.

2021-08-26 17:00

Olympic gamesmanship

Amazingly, the Tokyo Olympics went quite well. The upside of dramatic events, medals and celebrations captured top headlines on the sports pages. There were few real glitches. The decision of American gymnast Simone Biles to pull out of events that were too much for her mentally and the defection of Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya as her coaches were trying to force her to return to Belarus for remarks she had made against the dictatorial regime added touches of drama to the spectacle. The absence of spectators from the stands did not diminish the glory of competing for medals an...

2021-08-12 17:20

Looking for peace 68 years later

The U.S., North Korea and China were still at war, rhetorically speaking, on the 68th anniversary earlier this week of the signing of the armistice that formally ended the Korean War. The North Koreans declared the armistice a victory after the Americans and South Koreans and contingents from 16 other countries had fought to a stalemate.

2021-07-29 17:10

Battling for glory in England

The tension was building for days. Commentators of all political stripes were writing that the English, divided between right and left, liberals and conservatives, haves and have-nots, upper and middle and lower classes, were coming together at last. The unifying force: a game of soccer, or football, between the English and Italians for Euro Cup 2020.

2021-07-15 17:05

Shifting priorities

WASHINGTON - The news from Afghanistan is not good, but what did anyone expect? As the U.S. and other NATO forces withdraw, the Taliban are attacking, killing enemies, taking over the country, including stockpiles of U.S. supplies provided for Afghan government forces.

2021-07-01 17:05

Fantasizing peace on Jeju

The search for peace and reconciliation between North and South Korea burns bright in one province of South Korea that endured far more suffering than other regions before the Korean War had even begun.

2021-06-17 17:05

Memorializing Vietnam, Korean wars

WASHINGTON - A gentle wind on a sunny day created the perfect atmosphere for visiting monuments on the Mall, honoring America's war dead on its Memorial Day, which is the last day of May.

2021-06-03 17:26

Deals at Korea-US summit

WASHINGTON - It's time for a reality check on North Korea. No, I'm not suggesting we come to our senses about Kim Jong-un and his nuclear program and try to bludgeon him into “denuclearization.” We all know he's not giving up on the program on which he's staked the pride of his fiefdom and dynasty. Nobody is even talking up that fantasy.

2021-05-20 16:40

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