Jeffrey Robertson's recent articles
5 November 2025
Zombie multilateralism: The undead world of APEC
After 20 years, APEC returned to Korea, but it feels different.
31 October 2025
South Korea, Canada and a middle-power submarine: Can Australia join?
Sometimes, middle-power enthusiasts get overly excited about the potential for said states to work together. It’s almost as if you want to see those “little guys” grab the ball and run it all the way to the try line — or the end zone, for you Americans.
28 October 2025
A circus and a summit: Trump and Xi visit Lee
It’s now in all the media. Lee Jae-myung will meet Donald Trump and Xi Jinping next week.
25 October 2025
APEC: The curdled yoghurt of middle-power diplomacy
When APEC was born in 1989, it was more than another acronym. It was a moment of triumph for middle powers — Australia, Canada, South Korea, and others — asserting that the post-Cold War world could be shaped not just by the great powers but by those who knew how to manage co-operation.
18 October 2025
South Korea has missed the alternative media train
US alternative media is awash with stories on Israel and Gaza, Ukraine and Russia, and now Iran and Venezuela.
13 October 2025
South Korea's caution on US Iran aims
Just last month in New York, South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister.
6 October 2025
South Korea’s anti-China protests
This week, South Korean authorities expressed concern regarding the potential impact of anti-China protests during APEC.