Amidst the passage of time, leaders and peoples of nations come to be, live, and pass away. There will never be anything different fundamentally. What shines above the reality of human finitude is the call to aspiration on behalf of civilization, peace, and progress. It is a fundamental ethical choice...

The Obama and Cameron administrations must be bilious at the moment -- or verging to apoplexy. Having weathered financial crises and charted plans for recovery, and having worked hard to sell them to divided governments and even more divided societies, they awaken to lowered bond ratings and falling stock prices...

It is disturbing to read about the continued tensions between North and South Korea. Tens of millions of people live near the DMZ. The center of South Korea, Seoul, is within range of North Korean artillery and military assets. The North would surely face overwhelming destruction should any full-scale engagement...

Today, I read about the suicide of another Korean actor, Park Yong-Ha, another star of the Korean wave or hallyu, which stands for the spread of Korean culture to Asia and the world. Over the last decade, too many of Korea's most successful and promising people are choosing to take...

The death of Roh Moo-hyun in an apparent suicide fills me with many thoughts. I was a visiting professor in Seoul during the period of his rise to the presidency. I remember the wave of enthusiasm surrounding his candidacy in autumn 2002, much of it from younger voters. He was...

Like many, I voted for Barack Obama because I am convinced that his rhetoric and intentions indicate a desire to change America. If it is Iraq, health care, energy policy, or education, I believe his campaign policy positions are closer to meeting the needs of Americans. I also agree that...