Over the Circle

South Korea’s Arctic Journeys

February 10, 2018February 10, 2018 Over the Circle

With the start of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyongchang, as well as historic meetings between senior government officials from North and South Korea after months of tensions in the region caused by North Korean missile and nuclear tests and harsh words between US President Donald Trump and DPRK leader Kim Jong-un, many eyes… Continue reading South Korea’s Arctic Journeys

The Faroe Islands: They Say You Want a Constitution?

February 3, 2018February 3, 2018 Over the Circle

Over the past year, the questions of sovereignty and secessionism have occupied much of European politics, ranging from the political deadlock over the status of Catalonia within Spain to the ongoing ‘Brexit’ talks between Great Britain and the European Union. However, another North Atlantic sovereignty question has quietly but steadily been gaining momentum in the… Continue reading The Faroe Islands: They Say You Want a Constitution?

Flashback: North Korea and the Svalbard Treaty

February 3, 2018February 3, 2018 Over the Circle

[Author's Note: A previous version of this article appeared in the now-defunct Arctic Journal in February 2016, which outlined North Korea's interest in joining the Svalbard (Spitsbergen) Treaty. Since this article was written, North Korea tested two other nuclear warheads, the most recent test being in September 2017, and conducted several follow-up missile tests. There… Continue reading Flashback: North Korea and the Svalbard Treaty

China’s Arctic White Paper Released

January 30, 2018 Over the Circle

After more than two years of speculation, the government of China announced the publication of its first ever governmental White Paper on Arctic policy (Chinese version here) on 26 January, following in the footsteps of its East Asian neighbours, namely Japan and South Korea, which have also released policy documents detailing their emerging Arctic interests.… Continue reading China’s Arctic White Paper Released

Stumbling Block: China-Iceland Oil Exploration Reaches an Impasse

January 24, 2018February 27, 2022 Over the Circle

by Marc Lanteigne This week, it was announced that the China National Offshore Oil Cooperation / 中国海洋石油总公司 (CNOOC) intended to withdraw [In Icelandic] from what was an ambitious oil exploration project in the waters off Iceland. In October 2013, an agreement had been finalised which granted a licence to the partnership of CNOOC and Eykon, a… Continue reading Stumbling Block: China-Iceland Oil Exploration Reaches an Impasse