- Tillerson to UN rights council: Reform or we’re leaving
South Koreans will go to the polls in May to elect a successor to Park Geun-hye, whose presidency ended last week in a historic court ruling, the government announced on Wednesday. – New York Times
American and Korean captains of industry gathered on Wednesday in a convention center here to mark the fifth anniversary of the U.S.-South Korean trade pact. But it was a nervous celebration. Many were worried the U.S. will try to renegotiate or even abrogate the hard-fought agreement, which many tout as “the gold standard,” after U.S. President Donald Trump deemed it detrimental to American interests. Mr. Trump already scrapped American participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which was structured on the Korean deal. – Wall Street Journal (subscription required)
The U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD) deployed to South Korea earlier this month and while the missile-muting shield is meant to keep North Korean nuclear ambitions in check it is also driving the Chinese to distraction. – Scout Warrior
Anthony Blinken writes: What, if anything, can change his strategic calculus? The answer is a comprehensive, sustained and relentless international pressure campaign, led by the United States, South Korea, Japan and China, that raises the price of Mr. Kim’s obstinacy to the point that he believes his survival is in jeopardy. – New York Times
Joel Wit and Richard Sokolsky write: Fair or not, Secretary Tillerson has been pilloried by the press and pundits as missing in action. This sensitive diplomatic mission offers him an opportunity to show his mettle. The last thing Washington needs, at a time when America’s global leadership and position in Asia is under challenge, is for Secretary Tillerson to leave the region empty-handed, or in worse shape than he found it. – The National Interest
Minxin Pei writes: Unless the upcoming summit reaches a grand bargain that stabilizes U.S.-China relations across the board, the risks that the Trump administration will push back against China on trade and security will remain high and China will have little incentive to help America out where North Korea is concerned. If anything, the unfolding crisis in North Korea could get far more dangerous – The Atlantic