Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Joel Atkinson @joelatkinson.bsky.social · Sep 9

The full response they are selecting is "I understand the Trump administration's action as an unavoidable step by the immigration enforcement authorities"

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Joel Atkinson @joelatkinson.bsky.social · Sep 9

If you want to know how Koreans are reacting to the immigration raid at the battery plant in Georgia, a recent poll has 59.2% responding “I am greatly disappointed in the Trump administration” and 30.7% responding “I understand the Trump administration’s measures”
www.realmeter.net/%eb%a6%ac%ec...

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Joel Atkinson @joelatkinson.bsky.social · Sep 5

I'm stunned by this. In 2019 SEALs killed 2-3 North Korean civilians diving for shellfish and now it's in the NYT
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/05/u...

How a Top Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission Into North Korea Fell Apart

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Joel Atkinson

Joseph Torigian @josephtorigian.bsky.social · Sep 3

In June 1983, Xi Zhongxun, the father of Xi Jinping, hosted Kim Jong-il, the father of Kim Jong-un, in Beijing. They watched a performance by Peng Liyuan, who years later would marry Xi Jinping.

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Joel Atkinson @joelatkinson.bsky.social · Sep 2

Kim Jong Un's daughter, Ju-ae, has apparently accompanied him on the visit to Beijing

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Reposted by Joel Atkinson

Dr. Mark P. Barry ☯︎ @drmarkpbarry.bsky.social · Aug 29

N. Korea publicly announces leader's plan to attend China's Sept. military parade | Yonhap News Agency en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN2025...

N. Korea publicly announces leader's plan to attend China's Sept. military parade | Yonhap News Agency

SEOUL, Aug. 29 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Friday publicly announced leader Kim Jong-un&apo...

en.yna.co.kr

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Joel Atkinson @joelatkinson.bsky.social · Aug 29

Asking if students have done the readings

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Joel Atkinson @joelatkinson.bsky.social · Aug 26

Ah, the customary and highly symbolic presidential exchange of MAGA hats
www.koreatimes.co.kr/photos/photo...

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Joel Atkinson @joelatkinson.bsky.social · Aug 25

Very colorful Lee and Trump Q&A
www.chosun.com/english/nati...

Trump eyes new DMZ meeting with Kim Jong-un

Trump eyes new DMZ meeting with Kim Jong-un Trump presses for US base control; Lee clarifies probe did not involve American forces, says Seoul–Tokyo rift has eased

www.chosun.com

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Joel Atkinson @joelatkinson.bsky.social · Aug 24

This is pretty dark stuff from Lankov: "achieving success in nuclear development will be difficult. But if it does not succeed, I doubt whether the Republic of Korea will have a long-term future"
m.news.nate.com/view/2025082...

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Joel Atkinson @joelatkinson.bsky.social · Aug 20

Lim Eul-chul, Kyungnam University: "North Korea is seeking to push the Lee Jae Myung administration into making a more drastic shift...by exerting maximum pressure...The key question is whether...[Lee-Trump summit] will show...greater diplomatic autonomy vis-a-vis the US”

Kim Jong-un issues inter-Korean policy rejecting Seoul’s olive branch

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Tuesday conveyed his inter-Korean policy plan through his sister Kim Yo-jong, who handed it down during a meeting with key Fo

m.koreaherald.com

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Reposted by Joel Atkinson

Kerim Friedman 傅可恩 @kerim.one · Aug 19

Important piece on the abuse of migrant fishers in Taiwan by @michaelturton.bsky.social, who argues that the government has the power to do something about it—if they wanted to.

Notes from Central Taiwan: Subsidies at root of Taiwan’s migrant fishers abuses - Taipei Times

Bringing Taiwan to the World and the World to Taiwan

www.taipeitimes.com

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Reposted by Joel Atkinson

Joel Atkinson @joelatkinson.bsky.social · Aug 10

My new Pacific Review article explains why China’s economic & diplomatic coercion of South Korea over the USFK THAAD deployment had little—if anything—to do with protecting its nuclear deterrent
www.tandfonline.com/eprint/PAWTC...

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Joel Atkinson @joelatkinson.bsky.social · Aug 10

Along the way, I argue that rather than relying on Chinese scholars/researchers to inform you what motivates Beijing (or worse, mirror imaging), best practice is starting with assumption that Beijing is a rational actor & then working backwards from the known context

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Joel Atkinson @joelatkinson.bsky.social · Aug 10

My new Pacific Review article explains why China’s economic & diplomatic coercion of South Korea over the USFK THAAD deployment had little—if anything—to do with protecting its nuclear deterrent
www.tandfonline.com/eprint/PAWTC...

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Joel Atkinson @joelatkinson.bsky.social · Aug 7

The details/quotes in this story are pure gold
www.koreatimes.co.kr/lifestyle/pe...

How a small Seoul hat maker crafted 'MASGA' hat that helped unlock tariff talks - The Korea Times

A red baseball cap embroidered with the slogan “Make America Shipbuilding Great Again (MASGA)” has emerged as an unlikely symbol of progress in recent U.S.-Korea tariff negotiations. Behind the scenes...

www.koreatimes.co.kr

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Joel Atkinson @joelatkinson.bsky.social · Aug 4

From Choo, Jaewoo. (2019). Conservative and progressives' stance on China and impact on South Korea-China relations. In Milani, M., Fiori, A., and Dian, M. (Eds.), The Korean Paradox: Domestic Political Divide and Foreign Policy in South Korea. Routledge.

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Joel Atkinson @joelatkinson.bsky.social · Aug 4

This from prof of Chinese foreign policy at Kyung Hee University Jaewoo Choo in 2019 on South Korean progressives’ “pro-China approach” & “a more balanced US policy” helps contextualize the current Lee Jae Myung admin & progressive legislature (if you’re into that kind of thing)t kind of thing):

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Reposted by Joel Atkinson

Dylan Motin @dylanmotin.bsky.social · Jul 9

If you'd like to learn more about President Lee's policies towards China and Russia, you can check out @joelatkinson.bsky.social's and my appearance on KBS World from yesterday (episode from 07.08, at minute 8).

world.kbs.co.kr/service/prog...

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Joel Atkinson @joelatkinson.bsky.social · Jul 6

If you want to know why Chinese leader Xi Jinping (probably) talks about “great changes unseen in a century” with Putin and elsewhere—and you definitely should want to know why—I’ve got you covered
thediplomat.com/2025/07/the-...

The Embarrassing Reason Xi Talks about ‘Great Changes Unseen in a Century’

The formulation clearly means something important, but its origins are often obscured.

thediplomat.com

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Reposted by Joel Atkinson

Joel Atkinson @joelatkinson.bsky.social · Jul 3

I explain why Xi Jinping’s signature “Great Changes Unseen in a Century” is likely derivative of a popular Chinese nationalist self-help book, Liu Mingfu’s “China Dream” (2010), which is riffing on a 1994 quote from Kissinger
thediplomat.com/2025/07/the-...

The Embarrassing Reason Xi Talks about ‘Great Changes Unseen in a Century’

The formulation clearly means something important, but its origins are often obscured.

thediplomat.com

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Joel Atkinson @joelatkinson.bsky.social · Jul 3

I explain why Xi Jinping’s signature “Great Changes Unseen in a Century” is likely derivative of a popular Chinese nationalist self-help book, Liu Mingfu’s “China Dream” (2010), which is riffing on a 1994 quote from Kissinger
thediplomat.com/2025/07/the-...

The Embarrassing Reason Xi Talks about ‘Great Changes Unseen in a Century’

The formulation clearly means something important, but its origins are often obscured.

thediplomat.com

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Reposted by Joel Atkinson

Joel Atkinson @joelatkinson.bsky.social · Jun 24

I wrote something for @aspi-org.bsky.social on why there's no political pathway for South Korea to develop nukes. Short answer: sure, there's popular support, but going nuclear requires a sustained bipartisan consensus, which isn't going to happen
www.aspistrategist.org.au/why-south-ko...

Why South Korea won’t build the bomb | The Strategist

The idea of South Korea developing nuclear weapons is reaching critical mass, if you’ll excuse the pun. Surveys show as much as 70 percent of the public now in favor. There has also been plenty ...

www.aspistrategist.org.au

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Joel Atkinson @joelatkinson.bsky.social · Jun 24

Some extra context on the dearth of unity that was cut. This re-broke my brain when I was writing it

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Joel Atkinson @joelatkinson.bsky.social · Jun 24

I wrote something for @aspi-org.bsky.social on why there's no political pathway for South Korea to develop nukes. Short answer: sure, there's popular support, but going nuclear requires a sustained bipartisan consensus, which isn't going to happen
www.aspistrategist.org.au/why-south-ko...

Why South Korea won’t build the bomb | The Strategist

The idea of South Korea developing nuclear weapons is reaching critical mass, if you’ll excuse the pun. Surveys show as much as 70 percent of the public now in favor. There has also been plenty ...

www.aspistrategist.org.au

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