By John Power
Next week, South Korean President Park Geun-hye will reach the halfway mark of her single five-year term. As a natural point for reflection on her achievements, the timing is unfortunate when considering inter-Korean relations.
With Park poised to enter the second half of her presidency, the relationship between North and South Korea is arguably as tense and acrimonious as at any point since she took office. That’s despite Park coming to power with a pledge to build trust and goodwill between the neighbors through cooperation, a policy she termed “trustpolitik.” Although hard to define, the stance was seen as a move away from the isolation policy of her predecessor, President Lee Myung-bak, while still maintaining robust defense.
Capping a month of elevated tensions, North Korea on Thursday fired an artillery shell at propaganda loudspeakers on the southern side of the militarized border separating the countries, South Korean media reported. No casualties or property damage was reported in the attack, which the South met with a barrage of its own shells.
Read the full story at The Diplomat