Topic: Sea of Japan

Featured

East Asia's top 5 island disputes

East Asia is home to several territorial disputes, which occasionally escalate into regional violence. Many of the island territories are small, isolated from the countries’ mainlands, and sparsely populated. But strategic interests and abundant natural resources make them valuable. Here are five of East Asia’s flashpoints:
08/03/2011 04:48 pm

All Content

How closely related are we to each other?

If you are of European ancestry, a European stranger could be a not-too-distant relative, a new genetic study suggests. Indeed, all humans share a set of common ancestors who may not be as ancient as you might think.
North Korean missiles: Could US shoot them down? (+video)

The Pentagon has been deploying more missile-defense ground batteries and ships to East Asia. Here's a rundown of the three-tiered system that the US could use to counter North Korean missiles.
If North Korea tests missile, might US shoot it down?

A North Korea missile test into the Sea of Japan now looks likely, say defense analysts, and the US Navy could 'probably intercept' it. But that may not be in the best interests of the US, some say.
Island dispute, 'comfort woman' statue put edge on Japan-South Korea ties

Claims and counterclaims over rocky islets are testing steadily improving ties between Japan and South Korea – and the presence of a controversial statue across from Japan's embassy in Seoul adds a sharp reminder of historical resentments.
The Monitor's View Japan-China island clash: Peace in a common history

The island clash between Japan and China, as well as other island disputes in East Asia, could be more easily resolved if neighbors shared a common view of history.
Why Japan is angry over South Korea's visit to an island

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak's surprise visit to a small rocky island marks an abrupt escalation in a territory dispute with Japan.
Jitters as Japan decides to restart nuclear reactors

Critics of Prime Minister Noda's decision to restart nuclear reactors in the town of Oi worry that nearby communities are unprepared to deal with a Fukushima-scale nuclear crisis.
Global News Blog Whose Islands are they? South Korea tries branding in its dispute with Japan

Japan and Korea have long sparred over the Takeshima/Dokdo islets. The latest bid to promote Korea's claim: Napa Valley wine labels.
Why North Korea missile launch angers US, Japan (+video)

North Korea announced plans to launch a satellite atop a ballistic missile. The US says North Korea would be violating a UN resolution.
Experts cast doubt on Japan nuclear power plant stress tests

The Japanese government ordered tests on all nuclear reactors after Fukushima meltdown, and are set to reopen at least one shortly, but advisers say the tests do not prove the plants are safe.
Japan's new PM visits South Korea. Will the visit bring the countries closer?

Japan and South Korea have a complicated history, but both face challenges with North Korea and a rising China.
10/19/2011 01:03 pm
Opinion Nuclear lesson from Libya: Don't be like Qaddafi. Be like Kim.

The US-NATO intervention and fall of Qaddafi in Libya sent this troubling message to the world: Get a nuclear weapon, and you can stick around. Give it up, and you’re gone. It's time to offer states real security guarantees for disarmament and disavow the nuclear double standard.
10/13/2011 09:06 am
East Asia's top 5 island disputes

East Asia is home to several territorial disputes, which occasionally escalate into regional violence. Many of the island territories are small, isolated from the countries’ mainlands, and sparsely populated. But strategic interests and abundant natural resources make them valuable. Here are five of East Asia’s flashpoints:
08/03/2011 04:48 pm
Terrorism & Security Japan's fresh claim to disputed islands reignites feud with South Korea

A Japanese defense report released today reiterates the country's claims to a small chain of islands that South Korea also claims as its own.
08/02/2011 11:07 am
Reports: Lax oversight, 'greed' preceded Japan nuclear crisis

Reports suggest that greed within the worldwide nuclear industry, combined with an insufficient UN watchdog and lax oversight of Japan's nuclear plants, contributed to the Japan nuclear crisis.
03/16/2011 12:25 pm
South Korea and Japan sail into territorial dispute

Japan's Coast Guard said Thursday that it had arrested a captain of a South Korean fishing boat after it refused to stop for inspection near rocky islets long claimed by both countries.
01/13/2011 12:58 pm
North Korea tests limits of South Korea, Japan cooperation

US envoy Stephen Bosworth arrives in Tokyo Thursday after visiting Seoul and Beijing. Implicit in his talks is a push for Japan and South Korea to cooperate for mutual defense against North Korea.
01/05/2011 01:02 pm
Editorial Board Blog Japan and South Korea as allies someday?

The US is pushing the militaries of South Korea and Japan to cooperate in the face of aggression by North Korea and China's military buildup. The two are allies of the US. Why not each other?
12/28/2010 12:38 pm
In trip to India, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao takes cues from Obama

Like Obama on his November trip to India, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is traveling with hundreds of executives and has business deals at the top of his agenda.
12/15/2010 10:11 am
North Korea: Cold-war legacy

12/12/2010 11:11 am
Japan's response to North Korea takes on a sharper edge

Prime Minister Naoto Kan is finding his nation dependent on the US in responding to North Korea, even as public opposition to the US base on Okinawa remains high.
11/30/2010 10:57 am
North Korean attack on South Korea: 8 provocations of the past decade

North Korea shelled South Korea's Yeonpyeong island Tuesday, killing two South Korean marines and injuring more than a dozen people. South Korea returned fire. Both sides claimed that the other fired first. While the South has engaged in past attacks – notably in November 2009, when it fired on a North Korean patrol boat, and in June 1999, when it sunk a North Korean vessel – history shows that Pyongyang is often the instigator. A 2007 report from the US Congressional Research Service documents dozens of provocations, ranging from low-level naval warfare to assassinations of South Korean cabinet officers. Here are seven examples of the North's military provocations over the past decade.
11/23/2010 04:10 pm
Global News Blog Robert Kaplan: Indian Ocean becomes battleground for India and China

'China wants a presence. India is unnerved by all of this,' Robert Kaplan, author of 'Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power,' told a small gathering in Cambridge.
10/26/2010 10:45 am
Putin croons like Sinatra: Top 7 marquee moments

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin thrives on feats of daring-do. In the past decade, he has taken controls of a nuclear submarine, flown an Su-25 fighter plane, co-piloted a Tu-160 supersonic bomber, and tracked endangered whales in the Sea of Japan. But he's also shown off a gentler side, like with his crooning of the song 'Blueberry Hill' at a charity dinner. Here are some of his recent adventures.
08/26/2010 03:38 pm
Chinese Missile could shift Pacific power balance

Chinese Missile could revolutionize China's role in the Pacific balance of power, seriously weakening Washington's ability to intervene in any potential conflict over Taiwan or North Korea.
08/06/2010 01:44 pm