From our mountaintop observation post we enjoy a panoramic view of a vast, empty plateau flanked and dissected by hills and ridges. Elsewhere in the world such scenery would invite exploration, but not here.

South Korea's brief period under martial law harkened to the country's past dictatorships. TOKYO — South Korea spent about six hours under martial law after President Yoon Suk Yeol issued a sudden, shocking declaration that harkened to the country's past dictatorships.

The Biden administration has hailed South Korea as a model democracy and bolstered military ties as it relies on the country as a bulwark against North Korea, China and Russia.