Korea

April 27, 2018: For the first time in over half a century, a North Korean leader crossed the country’s southern border today. Kim Jong-un met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the newly renovated “Peace House” as part of the two countries’ third summit. The Korean leaders discussed the path for an official end to the Korean War and North Korea’s nuclear program, pledging to totally denuclearize the Peninsula. The historic occasion was watched feverishly by media worldwide, and South Korean citizens took off from work to behold with rapt attention the breakthrough that might have seemed elusive when President Trump began to ramp up the threats on their northern neighbor. The Takeaway examines the prospect of longterm peace in light of this recent breakthrough. Plus, we examine a guilty verdict in the trial of comedian Bill Cosby; a self-described ex-‘incel’ speaks about his former community’s hateful posture; and a new enacted anti-trafficking bill that may endanger sex workers.

April 19, 2018: This week, the South Korean government and President Trump confirmed news items that seemed out of the realm of possibility just one month ago: a prospective meeting between President Trump and Kim Jong-un, and talks to formally end the over-60-years-long Korean War. President Trump also confirmed on Wednesday that C.I.A. Director and Secretary of State nominee Mike Pompeo secretly met with Kim Jong-un during Easter to lay the groundwork for the president’s own meeting in May or June. North and South Korea have technically been in an armistice since 1953, creating a demilitarized zone and a de facto border that has split the two Koreas, and along with it, the families who live on either side. The Takeaway examines the looming prospect of an end to the Korean war. Plus, we look at Cuba’s newest president and hand-picked successor to the Castro regime; a voice from the Somali community in Kansas targeted by a recent bomb plot; and a conversation with comedian Louie Anderson, who plays a mother inspired by his own on the T.V. show “Baskets.”

March 30, 2018: The Texas Civil Rights Project estimates that in total, about 3,000 U.S. military veterans have been deported from the country, though the Department of Homeland Security does not officially keep track. Hector Barajas, once such veteran, operates a safehouse in Tijuana, Mexico, nicknamed “The Bunker.” The storefront functions as a makeshift asylum for veterans deported to Mexico. Barajas served in the military for six years when he was expelled from the U.S. after serving two years in prison due to a weapons charge. The Takeaway brings you to Barajas, who speaks about the way undocumented veterans are treated by the federal government. Plus, the state of the #MeToo movement in Africa; an ‘overlooked’ woman some call Korea’s Joan of Arc; and the selection of a white woman to curate African art at the Brooklyn Museum.