By Sam Dantzler North Korea has reengaged in nuclear saber rattling over the last few weeks with missile launches into its eastern waters, artillery flashes near disputed zones, and South Korean intelligence warning of North Korean nuclear sites being reactivated on short notice. None of this is happening in a vacuum. The global conversation around nuclear... Continue Reading →
By Sam Dantzler Last week’s Trump-Xi meeting in South Koreas was one of those diplomatic moments where the vibes and the substance didn’t totally match, but both administrations pretended they did. Both sides seemed to have a positive response and agreed that relations were headed in a more “stable” direction. Compared to the icy standoff... Continue Reading →
By Sam Dantzler Japan is on the verge of a political milestone with the election of Sanae Takaichi as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), setting her up to become the country’s first female prime minister. At 64, the veteran lawmaker and follower of the late Shinzo Abe has long been one of the most... Continue Reading →
By Sam Dantzler The Trump administration says it wants more foreign investment in America’s industrial revival. Yet when South Korea delivered, with billions flowing into a Hyundai–LG battery plant in Georgia, federal agents showed up in armored vehicles, shackled hundreds of Korean technicians, and shipped them home. The September 4th raid, the largest single-site immigration action in... Continue Reading →
By Sam Dantzler On September 3, 2025, Beijing staged its largest military parade in years to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. President Xi Jinping presided over the event in Tiananmen Square, flanked by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong-un. The imagery was unmistakable: a carefully choreographed alignment of leaders who... Continue Reading →
By Sam Dantzler On Thursday, the 2025 Major League Baseball regular season kicked off with an abundance of compelling storylines to follow over the next six months. Among the narratives, the LOADED Los Angeles Dodgers' sustained dominance is poised to be at the center of attention as the season unfolds. Before their opening day game... Continue Reading →
By Lexi Dean China continues to assert control over the South China Sea where around one-third ofglobal shipping occurs. Amidst growing Chinese aggression in regional countries’exclusive economic zones, Indo-Pacific countries continue to step up efforts to combatthis. This past week, Taiwan’s coast guard detained a Chinese-linked ship after itstopped near an undersea communication cable that... Continue Reading →
By Sam Dantzler In December 2024, approximately 12,000 North Korean troops were deployed to the front lines of the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war, providing support to Russian forces in various roles. Their involvement included aiding in repelling a Ukrainian counteroffensive in the Kursk region that began the previous August. Ukrainian forces have reported that the North... Continue Reading →
By Lexi Dean The proliferation of scam operations and illegal cyber-ploys across Southeast Asia gave rise to a wave of concern back in 2023. This concern led to crackdowns on these operations, which have continued this week, as Thailand received over 250 victims of human trafficking from a Myanma militia who freed workers from scam... Continue Reading →
Sam Dantzler Following Election Day 2024 in the United States, China has braced for the impact of Trump 2.0. In the months between November 5th and Inauguration Day, Beijing’s leadership has been evaluating the outcome of Trump’s election and its implications on broader Chinese grand strategy. Trump’s first term was defined by aggressive diplomatic posturing... Continue Reading →
The Patterson Journal of International Affairs 