Junotane

My name is Jeffrey Robertson, aka Junotane. On this site, I write on foreign policy, diplomacy and the Korean Peninsula.

As an advisory warning, it’s direct, no holds barred, cutting commentary from in-country. It may offend. There’s no government baloney, no corporate cream, and no thinktank spruiking. Just free-thinking insight - commentary, analysis and fiction.

From here you can head on over to read About Junotane, including subscriptions and contact details; or you can head straight to the Writing section where you will find Analysis, Commentary, and Fiction on the Korean Peninsula and the the region.

Thanks for visiting and remember: be thankful, be nice, and help people - life is short :)

Yoon’s uneasy future with Trump

The Yoon administration’s close alignment with the Biden administration has been a defining feature of South Korea’s recent foreign policy. This tight partnership may now face significant challenges with the return of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency.

2024 11 24

Why non-Koreans can’t help but praise South Korea

South Korea comes across as the darling of non-Korean academics. From scholarly articles to international conferences, South Korea’s political and diplomatic maneuvers are showered with glowing accolades. It’s as if every foreign academic is competing in an unspoken game of - Who can praise Seoul the most?

2024 11 24

South Korea’s anxiety regarding Trump and North Korea

There is growing South Korean concern that Donald Trump will negotiate with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un to accept North Korea's nuclear arsenal in exchange for halting its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program.

2024 11 24

Novelists in the situation room

In international relations, you’d think the people with the clearest view would be those who’ve been trained in the field—foreign policy analysts, diplomats, think-tanks pundits, journalists, and political scientists. They have the education, the experience, and an understanding of the inner workings of governments. But sometimes, the people who see things most clearly are those who aren’t bogged down by all that expertise—outsiders like novelists, playwrights, and artists. Why is that?

2024 11 22

Empathetic reasoning in diplomatic analysis

International relations theory often overlooks the emotional, cultural, historical, and practice dimensions that influence decision-making.

2024 11 21

Institutionalizing the trilateral partnership

The leaders of South Korea, the United States, and Japan announced the establishment of a trilateral secretariat during the APEC summit in November 2024. This institutionalization aims to strengthen security cooperation.

2024 11 19

South Korea broadens espionage laws

The South Korean government is set to amend its espionage laws, previously focused on activities aiding North Korea, to encompass actions supporting other foreign powers.

2024 11 17

The future of diplomacy in a Sino-centric world

Dominant states never reinvent diplomacy, they just adapt it to secure their interests - and most states are already adapting to China.

2024 11 16

Public attitudes towards foreign policy

The U.S. election campaign brought out three facts about foreign policy: (1) the public no longer supports longheld traditions - republican or democrat; (2) isolationism, albeit a nuanced 21st century form, has returned; and (3) public understanding and appreciation of foreign policy is at an all time low.

2024 11 14

Trump as a catalyst for populism in Korea

Donald Trump's rhetoric and foreign policy actions often highlight America's self-interest at the expense of traditional allies.

2024 11 13