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  OPINION: Takaichi's sweeping win in a high-ground gamble - and democracy's test Politics has always been war by other means. Weapons have been replaced by language, battlefields by parliaments and social media. But the logic of victory has changed far less than we like to believe. In this sense, the most enduring manual for understanding modern politics remains The Art of War. Sun Tzu located victory not in manpower or tactics, but in shi—the configuration of power, momentum, and terrain. The decisive battle, he argued, is often won before it is fought February 9, 2026
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  OPINION: Seoul bourse in precarious rally South Korea’s stock market, for now, remains an impressive outlier. While major U.S. and European indices have struggled to sustain momentum, the KOSPI closed at 5,089.1 on Feb. 6, up more than 20 percent from the end of last year. The technology-heavy KOSDAQ has risen nearly 17 percent over the same period. Few advanced markets can match that performance. Yet strong numbers can obscure weak structures. This week, the KOSPI fell to around 4,949, surged to 5,371, and February 7, 2026
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  OPINION: BTS and the king's way When BTS step onto the stage for their upcoming Arirang performance, they are expected to open the show not with pyrotechnics, but with a procession — along a path once reserved for kings. The route is deliberate: from Geunjeongmun to Heungnyemun, onward to Gwanghwamun, and finally to the Woldae. Plans reportedly include a pre-recorded or partially live sequence of the group walking this restored axis — known historically as the “king’s road.” February 4, 2026
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  OPINION: Canadian PM's voice against Trump's 'America First' doctrine Recently, one of the most closely watched figures on the international stage has been Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. In a speech at the World Economic Forum late last month, Carney sharply criticized what he called the United States’ predatory “America First” policy, saying it has “cracked the world order,” drawing a standing ovation. Arguing that the rules-based international order long led by the United States is breaking down, Carney called fo February 3, 2026
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  OPINION: Bringing markets and capital together -- The Uzbekistan–Türkiye Economic Union SEOUL, January 29 (AJP) - Over the past eight years, relations between Uzbekistan and Türkiye have undergone a profound qualitative transformation, evolving from traditionally friendly ties into a full-fledged strategic partnership with a strong economic, investment, and industrial dimension. While the period prio January 29, 2026
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  Editorial: "Arirang" and the next stage of K-culture BTS’s decision to name its new album and world tour Arirang should not be dismissed as a stylistic flourish or a marketing device. When the world’s most influential pop group foregrounds Korea’s most enduring traditional narrative, it signals not only how far K-culture has traveled, but where it may be heading next. Arirang is not a genre of music. It is a cultural language—one shaped by movement and separation, solidarity and recovery, repeated across gene January 29, 2026
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  OPINION: Behind the seizure of military power, is the Chinese military system strengthening or weakening SEOUL, January 26 (AJP) - A national military is both a tool of power and the ultimate safeguard for a country's survival. Historically, military control has rested on a balance between two pillars: political oversight and the autonomy of a professional military organization. When these two elements are in balance, a military grows stronger. When only control remains and autonomy vanishes, the military ceases to be an army and becomes a political organ. What is currently unfol January 26, 2026
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  OPINION: Xi Jinping reshapes military power structure through high-level purges SEOUL, January 26 (AJP) - Reports from Beijing on January 24 regarding the Chinese military indicate more than a routine personnel reshuffle. The announcements signal a profound realignment of the power structure within the Chinese Communist Party. The initiation of investigations into Zhang You-xia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), and Liu Zhen-li, chief of the Joint Staff Department, for "serious violations of discipline and law" targets two pill January 26, 2026
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  OPINION: Gold, silver and the quiet stress test of the FX system The scenery of global financial markets is changing. More striking than the daily swings of stock indices is the sight of gold and silver repeatedly hitting record highs. This is not a fleeting investment fad. It is a signal — one that reveals where global capital feels unease. Markets often exaggerate, but they rarely lie about direction. The current surge in precious metals reflects a collective instinct for risk aversion, rooted in subtle but growing cracks in confidence i January 24, 2026
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  Editorial: Sovereignty isn't a slogan. It's a legal record When two U.S.-based investors in Coupang, widely reported as Greenoaks and Altimeter, initiated the first procedural step toward investor–state arbitration under the Korea–U.S. Free Trade Agreement, they did more than submit a Notice of Intent. They sought to elevate a domestic accountability dispute into the most combustible arena available — treaty law, geopolitics and the global politics of data. Although a Notice of Intent is not yet a formal arbitration fil January 24, 2026