Ahn Byung Joon - The Japan Times

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Ahn Byung Joon

For Ahn Byung Joon's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:

COMMENTARY / World

Oct 8, 2003

Early round would test North Korea's credibility

In all probability, freezing North Korea's nuclear development activities will be the key to finding a diplomatic solution because time is running out for preventing the actual production of nuclear weapons. Pyongyang's most recent claim that it had finished reprocessing spent fuel rods into plutonium and possessed "nuclear deterrence" attested to this threat. This is why another round of six-party talks must be convened as early as possible to tackle this most urgent task.

COMMENTARY / World

May 24, 2003

Restoring trust in the ROK-U.S. alliance

South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun and U.S. President George Bush took a major step in restoring mutual trust in the South Korea-U.S. alliance by announcing at their May 14 summit that the Korean Peninsula should be nuclear-free and that the North Korean nuclear problem should be resolved through peaceful means.

COMMENTARY / World

Oct 21, 2002

Problem calls for a 'concert of powers'

The stunning revelation that North Korea has a clandestine nuclear-weapons program casts a dark cloud over the future of a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. It also dampens prospects for Japanese-North Korean normalization talks, not to mention the resumption of U.S.-North Korean dialogue.

COMMENTARY / World

Sep 17, 2002

A role for Japan in Korean peace process

There are high expectations that Prime Minister Junichiro Kozumi's Sept. 18 summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il will produce a breakthrough regarding the normalization of Japanese-North Korean relations. In addition to achieving this breakthrough in a manner that the Japanese people and other concerned parties can support, one hopes that Koizumi can also act as a peacemaker and make a substantive contribution to security on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia.

COMMENTARY / World

Jun 29, 2002

Soccer teams show the power of reform

The drama of the World Cup has implications for politics in Japan and South Korea. To be sure, soccer and politics are two different games, one a competition for skill and physical stamina and the other a struggle for power and interests. Nevertheless, we can draw lessons from the performances of the Japanese and South Korean national teams, in particular how they adopted new methods and met with great success -- unlike their nations' leaders, who continue to play the same old political games.

COMMENTARY / World

Jun 3, 2002

An occasion for peace and reconciliation

The cohosting of the World Cup that began Friday is a great occasion for fostering peace and reconciliation not merely between South Korea and Japan but also throughout the world. Although the World Cup is mainly a sporting event that takes place every four years, the current contest portends special significance as it is being held in Asia for the first time -- and on the divided Korean Peninsula.

COMMENTARY / World

May 21, 2002

Time to put Sino-Japanese rivalry aside

Observing the prolonged negotiations over the fate of five North Korean asylum seekers seized by Chinese police from the Japanese Consulate General in Shenyang and the widespread criticism in Japan over the way that Japanese diplomats handled the matter, it seems vital to decouple the humanitarian issue from the inevitable rise of Sino-Japanese national rivalry. To do so is in the common interests of both Japan and China in ensuring human security and also regional stability in an increasingly volatile Northeast Asia.

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.

[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.

The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores

By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Students ‘study abroad’ on island of Suo Oshima

Students ‘study abroad’ on island of Suo Oshima

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