“South Korea” on The Daily Caller

As Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele recently put it, it is the best of times and the worst of times for Republicans and their ability to influence legislation in Congress. (more)

To boost confidence among entrepreneurs and investors, America’s political leaders need to send positive, pro-business signals. Members of Congress and President Obama have talked a good game of supporting small business, but the policies of the past two years have been downright hostile. Indeed, it’s time for a major shift in direction. (more)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea could fire missiles at South Korea next year, analysts predicted Monday, as the isolated North’s hostility toward the outside world deepens while it undergoes a hereditary transfer of power. (more)

North Korea is ready for a “sacred war of justice” using the nuclear deterrent, its armed forces minister has said. (more)

1.) Unethical Google alumnus leaves White House one day after FCC passes net neutrality — Andrew McLaughlin should have left the White House in March, when he was found to be using his personal gmail account while at work, or even in May, when internal memos revealed McLaughlin was coordinating PR with Google’s U.S. public policy director. Instead, the nation’s deputy CTO waited until the FCC passed its net neutrality bill to bid adieu to government life. According to WaPo, “McLaughlin, who previously worked as a Google executive, oversaw many of the White House’s Internet policy initiatives including Internet access regulations, the expansion of broadband connections and global cybersecurity.” Not mentioned in WaPo’s writeup is Google’s ardent support for net neutrality regulations. McLaughlin will dive back into the startup world, creating products for state and local governments. He “also said he will return to teaching law, which he did at Harvard University’s Berkman Center seven years ago.” Interesting factoid: The Berkman center is the far-left think thank that the FCC commissioned to produce objective reports on the apparent need for net neutrality regulations. (more)

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Fresh off a peacekeeping trip to the Korean peninsula, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson warned violence between North and South Korea could flare anew if the South continues its military drills and the North abandons its intentions to refrain from retaliation. (more)

BEIJING (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson praised North Korea on Tuesday for not retaliating against South Korean artillery drills, and said the current tensions offered an opening for new multinational talks on ending the North’s nuclear program. (more)

South Korean military conducted hour-long live-fire artillery drills from Yeonpyong Island near the west sea today amid threats from North Korea that it will retaliate on a massive scale. (more)

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — World powers trying to defuse tensions between North and South Korea met in an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council on Sunday, but diplomats said China objects to the North being singled out for criticism over two deadly attacks this year that have helped send relations to their lowest point in decades. (more)

North Korea warned Friday it would launch a military strike against the South if Seoul goes ahead with live-fire drills near Yeonpyeong Island over the next five days, North Korea’s state-run KCNA reported. (more)

Why do foreign policy insiders and political analysts incessantly refer to Kim Jong-il as irrational? He epitomizes the phrase “rogue dictator,” but that provides no insight into the man’s mental stability. If anything, he behaves perfectly rationally — he acts as a petulant child that has never been disciplined for behaving badly. The West has already cut off much of Pyongyang’s aid, so Kim has literally nothing to lose. He has a country on the brink of famine and economic collapse yet shows no sign of ingratiating North Korea to the international community. The question isn’t why Kim comports himself this way, it’s why shouldn’t he? (more)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea warned Monday that U.S.-South Korean cooperation could bring a nuclear war to the region, as the South began artillery drills amid lingering tension nearly three weeks after the North’s deadly shelling of a South Korean island. (more)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea’s leader met in his capital with China’s top foreign policy official Thursday as a U.S. governor announced a trip to the North in a flurry of promising diplomacy two weeks after a deadly artillery exchange between the two Koreas. (more)