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 :)

South Korea advances satellite and surveillance capabilities

Significance. South Korea’s launch of its second military reconnaissance satellite on board the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket marks a critical step in its longstanding objective of building a more autonomous defense posture.

2025 04 22

Korea and the worst possible timing to negotiate with Trump

Timing is everything in diplomacy, and South Korea has found the worst possible timing to enter trade talks with the Trump administration. With the U.S. mid-tariff offensive and Trump’s desperate need for a public victory,

2025 04 21

Will South Korea get a worse deal than Japan?

As Seoul prepares to engage with Trump for his trademark “package deal” tariff negotiations, there is growing concern that Japan will ultimately walk away with a better deal.

2025 04 18

Japan’s one-theater proposal won’t fly in South Korea

Japan’s ambitious “One Theater” proposal—to integrate U.S. allies across East Asia into a single unified operational command—is generating buzz in Tokyo and cautious interest in Washington. But in Seoul, the response is far more skeptical. And for good reason.

2025 04 17

Anti-China sentiment in Seoul

Significance. Bilateral relations between South Korea and China remain one of East Asia’s most consequential yet misunderstood strategic dynamics.

2025 04 16

South Korea’s deeper democratic crisis lies in economic inequality

At first glance, South Korea’s democracy appears resilient. Martial law was imposed, swiftly overturned, and those responsible held to account. Protests were loud, legal, and effective.

2025 04 15

Presidential candidates and Sejong City

Significance. The proposed relocation of South Korea’s National Assembly and presidential office from Seoul to Sejong has re-emerged as a campaign issue ahead of the presidential election.

2025 04 15

Koreans cautious about strategic flexibility

Washington under Biden, and now under Trump, are placing increased emphasis on “strategic flexibility” - the ability to deploy U.S. forces based in Korea to respond to regional or global contingencies.

2025 04 12

China, Korea, Japan trilaterals

It’s at this point of time in a Trump Administration that every foreign policy analyst, everyone schooled under the conventions of liberal democratic international relations, wonders wtf is going on.

2025 04 10

South Korea’s coming chaebol turn to unification

In whispered conversations amidst executives behind the closed doors of corporate offices; amidst researchers at water fountains in strategy think tanks; and amidst political movers and shakers under the stained flaps of late-night soju tents; a new line of thinking on North Korea is gaining traction.

2025 04 08