That turbulent Year of the Tiger, 2022, is finally over. As the Year of the Rabbit 2023 is looming, we hope serenity and tranquility are ahead of us after a hard year of domestic and international disruptions. The year 2022 began with the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February and President Yoon Suk-yeol’s inauguration in March. In September, Queen Elizabeth II passed away and in October, the tragic Itaewon crowd crush happened. Then the US mid-term election in November rounded out the Ye

ViewpointsJan. 4, 2023

Imagine you’re crammed into your middle seat -- behind a crying baby, of course -- and a wave of turbulence rocks the plane. Then another. Then that singular, ominous “ding” as the flight crew kindly urges -- demands, really -- that passengers return to their seat and buckle up. They’re sorry for the inconvenience, but it’s for your own safety. Imagine, then, that the turbulence doesn’t stop. It gets worse. People begin to panic. Somehow, though, miraculously,

ViewpointsJan. 4, 2023

Belarusian Ambassador to Korea Andrew Chernetsky urged Poland to resolve bilateral disputes over the Russia-Ukraine war and migration crisis on the Polish border through diplomacy and dialogue. Responding to Polish Ambassador to Korea Piotr Ostaszewski's comments in a previous interview with The Korea Herald, Chernetsky said his claims of Belarus' support of Russia in the war were "extremely belligerent" and that addressing such "accusations" via local media is not

Foreign AffairsJan. 3, 2023

There's been a lot of uplifting, we're-in-it-to-win-it language used about the Ukraine war recently. The message being sent is that the United States is committed for the long haul and won't abandon its friends to a brutal aggressor like Russian President Vladimir Putin. It's a moving display of solidarity, including last week's visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the White House -- especially since it comes against the backdrop of 100,000 Ukrainian sol

ViewpointsJan. 3, 2023

Are we truly heading for war? The Ukraine war is such a horrible disaster that we must think seriously about how to get back to peace and stability. Reading Roman history during the Christmas holidays, I was struck by how the Romans were driven by almost perpetual war. Rome first consolidated power during the Punic wars against Carthage, but the spoils of war in Gaul, Syria and Egypt, etc. became booty for aggressive consuls and generals like Julius Caesar to buy political votes in Rome. Ultimat

ViewpointsJan. 3, 2023

If there is one piece of legislation Congress prioritizes every year, it’s the annual government spending bill. After the usual last-minute hiccups over amendments, the Senate finally settled on an agreement to pass the $1.7 trillion bill and the House followed suit. Unsurprisingly, much of the debate over the spending package focused on the top-line numbers, particularly in the realm of defense. At $858 billion, the US defense budget got a boost of $76 billion, or about 10 percent, from

ViewpointsJan. 2, 2023

Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to wage a winter war of attrition against Ukraine, targeting its civilian population in an attempt to starve and freeze the country into submission. In light of this dangerous escalation, the West must heed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s urgent plea for additional support. To be sure, supplying the Ukrainian military with weapons beyond anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles walks the fine line that US President Joe Biden and NATO drew

ViewpointsJan. 2, 2023

Events of the last view months of 2022 offer hints about the direction of the world in 2023. In November, results of the US midterm elections deeply damaged Donald Trump’s prospects for a return to the White House. In December, China abandoned its long-held “zero-COVID” policy, beginning the long process of returning to normal. And just before Christmas, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a surprise visit to Washington and gave a stirring speech to a joint session of

ViewpointsDec. 30, 2022

The Kazakh Embassy in Seoul discussed a strategic partnership, cultural linkages and new areas to solidify cooperation with Korea in a roundtable held as part of the 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan-South Korea relations on Dec. 22. Delivering a keynote speech at the roundtable, the Kazakh Ambassador to Korea Bakyt Dyussenbayev assessed significant achievements from the two countries’ political, economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation. The ambassador noted that trade turnover between

Foreign AffairsDec. 29, 2022

In recent years, the authority and reputation of Uzbekistan in the international arena have increased dramatically. This can be seen from the example that the initiatives put forward by the president of our country are supported at the international level, documents of prestigious international organizations are developed and implemented on their basis. At the 75th session of the UN General Assembly in 2020, the head of state put forward several initiatives to strengthen peace and stability at t

Foreign AffairsDec. 29, 2022

Burmese writer and democracy activist Pencilo has been honored with the Kim Geun Tae Award for her book "Spring Revolution." The award is named after Kim Geun-tae, a pro-democracy activist and politician who laid the cornerstone of South Korean democracy. Pencilo, the author of "Spring Revolution," published a Korean translation of her work in February. Pencilo is an aide to Aung San Suu Kyi. She and six other high-profile figures have been sought after Myanmar's junta on cha

Foreign AffairsDec. 29, 2022

For many Americans, social media has become a monster. Platforms like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are seen as festering hotbeds of hate and misinformation that threaten the very foundations of American democracy and civility. Calls for regulation have intensified, with some prominent voices looking across the pond for a model to regulate social media in the public interest. In November, the European Union’s Digital Services Act took effect, with enforcement beginning for some businesses

ViewpointsDec. 29, 2022

Nonstop cable news presenters were agog and aghast. They warned us, last Wednesday, that we were about to witness an epic moment. Their news worlds were about to collide. Unprecedented and seemingly unrelated mega-news stories, foreign and domestic, were careening at us simultaneously, anchors explained. They all might suddenly gush out of our Great News Funnel -- and into our living rooms -- at once. Just imagine it: NEWS GUSH: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was secretly flying

ViewpointsDec. 29, 2022

Every man has his heyday. Stars in the entertainment business, especially, have their heydays and reminisce about them with strong nostalgia later. The point is that no one can enjoy his or her heyday forever. It is only, at best, an evanescent and transient moment in one’s life. Recently, the New York Times carried an intriguing article entitled, “Gangnam Style Brought K-Pop to the World, but Haunted Its Creator.” Referring to the music video, “Gangnam Style,” that

ViewpointsDec. 28, 2022