The Korea Herald

[Antara Haldar] ‘Women’s economics’ goes mainstream

William Shakespeare’s 1597 comedy “Love’s Labor’s Lost” tells the story of four Frenchmen as they navigate the tension between commitment to intellectual development and the quest for domestic bliss. Some four centuries later, Harvard economist Claudia Goldin reimagined the tale from the vantage point of American women balancing career and family. Now, Goldin’s profound insights into women’s labor-market outcomes have won her a Nobel Memorial Prize in Ec

ViewpointsNov. 7, 2023

[Antara Haldar] ‘Women’s economics’ goes mainstream

[Editorial] Soaring food prices

Grocery price increases are threatening the livelihood of those already struggling to make ends meet. According to Statistics Korea, the grocery price index rose 6.6 percent last month from a year earlier. This is the sharpest rise in 12 months after 7.6 percent recorded in October last year. Looking at price increases of fruits such as apples (72.4 percent) and vegetables including lettuce (40.7 percent) and green onions (24.6 percent), complaints that inflation is an "invisible thief"

EditorialNov. 7, 2023

[Andrew Sheng] Has the West lost the Rest?

The images and news coming out of Gaza are so horrific that I cannot think of anything hopeful or constructive that can come of this cataclysm. Using Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development members as a crude proxy for the West, it accounts for 63 percent of world GDP, three-quarters of world trade, over half of the world's energy consumption, and 18 percent of the world's population. The Western world sees itself as a paragon of civilizational progress and modernity, whe

ViewpointsNov. 7, 2023

[Andrew Sheng] Has the West lost the Rest?

[Kenneth Seeskin] Who do the Jewish people elicit so much hatred?

The rise in antisemitic incidents in the US should concern all of us because it is rarely an isolated phenomenon. According to a recent report from the Anti-Defamation League, the number of antisemitic incidents in the US increased by 36 percent from 2021 to 2022, when it reached the staggering total of 3,697. The war in the Middle East is certain to make the numbers this year even worse. What causes this? Why do a people who constitute 0.2 percent of the world’s population elicit so much

ViewpointsNov. 6, 2023

[Kenneth Seeskin] Who do the Jewish people elicit so much hatred?

[Editorial] Strengthen AI safety

Artificial intelligence is expected to deliver not only new, innovative capabilities but also unknown risks. There is little preparation in place to deal with potentially destructive threats that could emerge at the cutting edge of AI in the future -- a dangerous “frontier” that AI could generate. The global AI Safety Summit, held at Bletchley Park north of London, Britain from Nov. 1-2, explored the concept of frontier AI and countries agreed there are substantial risks that may ari

EditorialNov. 6, 2023

[Robert J. Fouser] Redrawing subnational boundaries in Korea

Last Monday, National Assembly representative Kim Gi-hyeon, leader of the ruling People Power Party stated that the party supports the city of Gimpo becoming part of Seoul. Kim made the remarks at a meeting to discuss transportation in new cities in Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul. He said that the party would push the plan if it received enough public support. The plan has the support of Gimpo Mayor Kim Byeong-soo and other local People Power Party leaders. Mayor Kim said that he wou

ViewpointsNov. 3, 2023

[Robert J. Fouser] Redrawing subnational boundaries in Korea

[Editorial] Bipartisan cooperation in order

As the National Assembly has started reviewing the budget for 2024, partisan wrangling is expected to intensify as the views of the rival parties differ considerably amid lingering worries about populist projects ahead of the election. Lawmakers kicked off the review of the budget for next year on Wednesday, holding a public hearing about the appropriateness of the budget and fund utilization plans filed by the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. The government presented a 657 trillion won ($489 billi

EditorialNov. 3, 2023

[Wang Son-taek] How to stop the forced repatriation

Recently, shocking news broke that China has forcibly sent hundreds of North Korean defectors to North Korea. Although the claim has not yet been verified, the Ministry of Unification commented that a large number of North Koreans were sent, though did not use the word "defector." The ministry’s response hinted that a sizable number of North Korean defectors could have been included. Forced repatriation of North Korean defectors poses a severe risk of a humanitarian catastrophe b

ViewpointsNov. 2, 2023

[Wang Son-taek] How to stop the forced repatriation

[Editorial] 'Mega Seoul' idea

Kim Gi-hyeon, leader of the ruling People Power Party, said that the party will take procedures to incorporate Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, into Seoul. Gimpo is a city adjacent to western Seoul. Yoon Jae-ok, floor leader of the party, said that the party will positively consider incorporating other adjacent cities into Seoul if there is demand. The argument for incorporating Gimpo into Seoul was made in the wake of Gyeonggi Province’s push to establish North Gyeonggi Special Self-Governing Pr

EditorialNov. 2, 2023

[Kim Seong-kon] Seven types of abuse in our society

Abuse, sadly, comes in a wide variety of forms. Of them, the most widely known is child abuse. In advanced countries, child abuse is a serious crime subject to heavy penalties. Some classic types of child abuse include physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and neglect. Accordingly, corporal punishment against children hardly exists anymore in a country such as America where children are strictly protected and widely respected. Protecting children against abusive words and violent languag

ViewpointsNov. 1, 2023

[Kim Seong-kon] Seven types of abuse in our society

[Doyle McManus] Russia-watcher’s view of global crisis

Fiona Hill is worried. The onetime Russia adviser to then-President Donald Trump fears that support for Ukraine is gradually eroding, encouraging Russian President Vladimir Putin to try to wait the West out. “Putin feels everything is trending in his favor,” she warns. But she’s worried about much more than that, beginning with Israel’s war in Gaza, which has made the world more dangerous. The two conflicts aren’t directly linked, but each is likely to affect the

ViewpointsNov. 1, 2023

[Doyle McManus] Russia-watcher’s view of global crisis

[Editorial] Time to heed warnings

Experts have been churning out a flurry of warnings about South Korea’s snowballing household debt. In recent days, two notable warnings have been issued: one from a top-ranked official of the presidential office and the other from the International Monetary Fund. Both warnings share the view that household debt is now at a serious level and the related risks should be kept manageable. The question is whether the government, lenders and households are willing to take the advice seriously a

EditorialNov. 1, 2023

[Editorial] Spreading drug use

Actor Lee Sun-kyun, known for his appearance in the Academy-winning Korean movie “Parasite,” and K-pop star G-Dragon of Big Bang are under police investigation on suspicion of drug use. A medical doctor was recently booked on allegations of supplying illegal drugs to Lee and others. About 10 people, including Lee, a music composer and an aspiring singer, are reportedly being investigated by the police. The two cases involving Lee and G-Dragon are causing quite a stir. The police arre

EditorialOct. 31, 2023

[Lisa Jarvis] Drop that hot dog for your health

The health case against regularly eating red meat keeps getting stronger. At what point is the data convincing enough for Americans to change their diets? One recent study found that eating red meat increases the risk of type 2 diabetes; another paper finds a diet low in meat, sugar and salt but rich in vegetables and legumes is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s. And both studies -- which followed thousands of people for decades -- show that replacing even a few servings of meat

ViewpointsOct. 31, 2023

[Lisa Jarvis] Drop that hot dog for your health

[Editorial] Speed up reform

Pension reform is one of three major reforms being pursued by the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. The other two are labor and education reforms. But the pension reform proposal unveiled by the government on Friday is disappointing. The plan did not present specific figures on pension premium rates, the starting age of pension payout and payout amount. It was a proposal lacking substance. It would be difficult to persuade lawmakers and people even with figures and good grounds, but this proposal do

EditorialOct. 30, 2023

[Editorial] Korean 'Jessica’s Law'

Statistics show that sex offenders have high rates of recidivism. One of the legislations to prevent this in regard to child sex offenders is Jessica’s Law, which was passed in Florida in 2005. It mandated at least 25 years in prison for first-time child sex offenders and stricter regulations such as wearing tracking devices. The Ministry of Justice on Tuesday introduced a draft on the South Korean equivalent to Jessica’s Law, which is designed to block convicted child sex offenders

EditorialOct. 27, 2023

[Daniel DePetris] Biden‘s goals in Israel-Hamas war

As the war between Israel and Hamas enters its third week, US President Joe Biden is walking a tightrope and trying to accomplish three objectives simultaneously: ensure Israel has everything it needs to defend itself in what Israeli defense officials admit will be a long and grueling campaign; remind the Israelis that civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip should be kept to an absolute minimum; and prevent the Israel-Hamas conflict from spiraling into a regional conflagration. It’s the geo

ViewpointsOct. 27, 2023

[Daniel DePetris] Biden‘s goals in Israel-Hamas war

[Joseph E. Stiglitz] Fixing global economic governance

Following the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank this month, the Middle East is teetering on the edge of a major conflict, and the rest of the world continues to fracture along new economic and geopolitical lines. Rarely have the shortcomings of world leaders and existing institutional arrangements been so glaringly obvious. The IMF’s governing body could not even agree on a final communique. True, the World Bank, under its new leadership, has committe

ViewpointsOct. 26, 2023

[Joseph E. Stiglitz] Fixing global economic governance

[Robin Abcarian] Biden’s balancing act is the only choice

President Joe Biden's voice may be more of a whisper than a roar these days, but on Thursday night, he was as loud and strong as he's ever been. "The terrorist group Hamas unleashed pure unadulterated evil in the world," Biden said. "But sadly, the Jewish people know, perhaps better than anyone, that there is no limit to the depravity of people when they want to inflict pain on others." Condemning the corrosive forces of antisemitism and Islamophobia, he said the

ViewpointsOct. 26, 2023

[Editorial] Back to basics

Kakao, an internet company that has grown from a mobile messenger to Korea's 15th largest business group in asset terms, is facing a crisis. Kim Beom-soo, its founder, largest shareholder and former chairman, was summoned and questioned Monday by the Financial Supervisory Service in connection with alleged stock price manipulation. He is suspected of conspiring to artificially boost the price of SM Entertainment shares to frustrate Hybe's tender offer for SM stocks. Earlier, the FSS in

EditorialOct. 26, 2023