Few who read this will have had the experience of living in fear. But the same cannot be said of North Korean defectors in China.“There are many North Korean defectors in China who are living under the fear of arrest. Many women end up being the victims of human trafficking, and their children become vulnerable and deprived of maternal care and basic education. Our job is to help and support these people,” said Tim Peters, a prominent social activist living in Seoul.Mr. Peters was speaking to my

Viewpoints May 11, 2016

WASHINGTON -- Early in his tenure as director of national intelligence, James Clapper could sometimes be heard complaining “I’m too old for this (expletive)!” He has now served almost six years as America’s top intelligence official, and when I asked him this week how much longer he would be in harness, he consulted his calendar and answered with relief, “265 days!”   Clapper, 75, has worked in intelligence for 53 years, starting when he joined the Air Force in 1963. He’s a crusty, sometimes cra

Viewpoints May 11, 2016

As expected, new allegations and accusations are coming up one after another as prosecutors dig into the case of the deadly humidifier sterilizers that killed more than 100 people. One of the allegations hit a seemingly unlikely group of people -- academics -- as at least two university professors have been implicated in the case that has generated a public outcry and forced government officials and politicians to take action.  The two professors -- one from Seoul National University and the oth

Editorial May 10, 2016

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un clearly showed what was on his mind through the ruling Workers’ Party congress: He wanted to crown himself as the supreme leader of the country and use nuclear bombs to symbolize his ascension. As it turned out, the congress, which opened Friday in Pyongyang, did not result in any major decisions or policy blueprints befitting a high-profile political event held for the first time in 36 years. It is apparent that by holding an event that even his father skipped be

Editorial May 10, 2016

Quaker Oats, a brand that claims to embody “wholesome goodness,” has been hit with a class-action lawsuit challenging its much-trumpeted claims that its products are “100% Natural.” The reason? Trace quantities of glyphosate, the active ingredient in the weed killer known as Roundup, have been found in breakfast cereal.　The outcome of this and other, similar lawsuits could depend on the answer to a pesky question: What does it mean for a food to be natural? There is an abundant historical record

Viewpoints May 10, 2016

Making sense of the rolling political and economic disaster in Venezuela isn’t easy. But the bigger mystery may be why the whole country isn’t flooding into the streets to demand the end of the social revolution that’s left one of Latin America’s most resource-rich nations in a shambles.Start with the riddle of why the country with the world’s largest crude oil reserves has suffered constant power outages. (Spoiler: instead of using oil to generate electricity, the government has relied on hydro

Viewpoints May 10, 2016

It’s hard to say what was the best moment of Sunday night’s Invictus Games opening ceremony, although the sight of August O’Neill dropping from the sky to deliver the flag was certainly up there.His left leg was severely injured during a rescue mission in Afghanistan. After 20 surgeries, it could not be saved. But the Air Force special operator didn’t give up.He trained and fought and got his old job back. Spotlights trained on O’Neill as he rappelled from a helicopter and landed outside Champio

Viewpoints May 10, 2016

The three major political parties have all picked their new floor leaders amid high expectations for a more productive National Assembly.The three new whips have one thing in common: strong communication skills. Effective communication is essential to successful political negotiations, but it remains to be seen whether the new leaders would be able to handle knotty issues through dialogue and collaboration.The Minjoo Party of Korea, the main opposition party, elected Rep. Woo Sang-ho as its new

Editorial May 5, 2016

The upcoming U.S. presidential election will almost certainly be a showdown between Hillary Clinton of the Democratic Party and Donald Trump of the Republican Party, as the two candidates have each all but clinched the nominations of their parties.A former first lady, Clinton has already cleared the way to become the Democratic nominee. Her victories in four states last week gave her an almost unbeatable lead over runner-up Bernie Sanders in terms of the number of delegates.Real estate mogul Don

Editorial May 5, 2016

Strolling through Tokyo on a Sunday afternoon, it is hard to tell Japan’s economy is a mess. Deflation has returned, while growth has not. But Shibuya Crossing remains as packed with diners, bag-toting shoppers and gawking tourists as ever. Nearby, a line of more than 50 people stretches outside a restaurant selling overpriced burgers. Lost decades be damned!Japan had the good fortune to have become wealthy before entering its years of stagnation. Some Japanese are now suffering in an economy th

Viewpoints May 5, 2016