Mongolia: The Land of Dunes, Diplomacy, and a Fragile Democracy

My journey to Mongolia: An infant democracy wedged between giants, where K-pop blasts from crumbling Soviet blocks and dusty Toyotas glide across surreal dunes and endless steppes

Sandwiched between China and Russia, Mongolia is a rising geopolitical hotspot, ultra-rich in resources, yet dirt poor, recently backed by unlikely allies like Japan and South Korea. From Ulaanbaatar’s grit to the Gobi’s towering dunes, I explore how its fragile democracy and fierce independence are shaping its future.

When I was a kid, my dad would ofte…