[Robert J. Fouser] The new park in Songhyeon-dong

After years of sitting behind a wall, the large empty space in Songhyeon-dong opened to the public on Oct. 7 this year. During the Japanese colonial period, the space was used for housing for employees of the Joseon Shiksan Bank. From liberation in 1945 to 1997, it was a housing compound for US diplomats. After the diplomats moved out, Samsung Life Insurance bought the land and then sold it to Korean Air, who planned to develop it into a luxury hotel. As opposition to those plans grew, the City

ViewpointsOct. 21, 2022

[Djoomart Otorbaev] Russian elite flood Central Asia

Bishkek’s residents have been confronted with an unusual sight these past few weeks. The streets of Kyrgyzstan’s capital are teeming with tens of thousands of educated men with European features -- Russian citizens fleeing President Vladimir Putin’s “partial mobilization” of 300,000 reservists to fight his war against Ukraine. The Kyrgyz people and government have welcomed them with open arms. Many other Eurasian cities such as Tbilisi (Georgia), Baku (Azerbaijan),

ViewpointsOct. 20, 2022

[Kim Myong-sik] Leftist opposition needs to revise security framework

If, just if, the Yoon Suk-yeol administration of South Korea decides to go nuclear to counter the nuclear threat from North Korea, it will have to deal first with the leftist opposition inside the country before trying to win support from its allies. Actually, voices are growing in the intellectual community of South Korea, calling for the development of the nation’s own nuclear arms capability as Pyongyang rachets up its saber-rattling these past weeks with the test-firing of missiles of

ViewpointsOct. 20, 2022

[Martin Schram] Will Putin’s exit be an off-ramp or trapdoor?

Once again, the talking- and typing-heads are filling our news screens with double-doming about building an “off-ramp” Vladimir Putin will be willing to take to get out of the Ukraine war. But Putin still doesn’t seem to be looking for an off-ramp. He’s frantically watching out for a trapdoor. It may well be his most likely exit from the Ukraine war he now knows he can’t win. A now panicky Putin fears he might stumble or strut onto an unseen trapdoor that could in

ViewpointsOct. 19, 2022

[Kim Seong-kon] K-pop: The power of cultural diplomacy

Travelling around the world these days, we can easily see Korean pop culture's diplomatic power. K-pop and K-film have not only let the world know about South Korea, but also significantly upgraded its international image. Recently, I found out that the most highly rated Netflix movies included two Korean films, “Handmaiden” and “Mother.” Then, I came across an intriguing article in The Guardian, entitled, “Squid Game, Blackpink, kimchi pancakes ... How did S

ViewpointsOct. 19, 2022

[Dan Reiter] Lessons of history about how to end Ukraine war

Every war must eventually end. But how will the last chapter of the Russia-Ukraine war read? With a bang, a white flag or a begrudging agreement? Moscow planned for rapid victory, imagining the indomitable Russian army sweeping aside collapsing Ukrainian resistance. But Ukrainian bravery, weapons from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Russian military incompetence prevented a swift win. Ukraine, in fact, is now taking back land that Russia had seized. History shows us how other flailing

ViewpointsOct. 18, 2022

[James Stavridis] Putin's futile bet on air power

In the rapidly shifting Ukraine war, the growing failure of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ground game is causing him to seek asymmetrical responses. Most visibly, he is turning to what is essentially a terror-bombing campaign against the civilian population of Ukraine. Much like the V2 blitzes Nazi Germany directed against British cities in World War II, these missile attacks will accomplish very little tactically. Instead, they will heighten the already enormous anger and resolve of

ViewpointsOct. 18, 2022

[Shang-Jin Wei] Is China's zero-COVID policy worth the cost?

Before COVID-19 vaccines were developed and distributed, China’s strict approach to controlling the virus resulted in fewer deaths and a much lower death rate per million people than in many other countries. But while these successes were impressive in late 2020 and early 2021, effective vaccines and treatments have become readily available since then, leading the World Health Organization to declare that the end of the pandemic is in sight. Yet China has maintained its strict zero-COVID

ViewpointsOct. 17, 2022

[Thitinan Pongsudhirak] The end of ASEAN as we know it

As Cambodia, Indonesia, and Thailand gear up to host major world summits in November, the 55-year-old Association of Southeast Asian Nations is facing an existential crisis, owing to severe internal splits over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Myanmar’s military coup, and other issues. The 2007 ASEAN Charter’s vision of deeper political, economic, security, and socio-cultural integration is no more. Salvaging what’s left will require accepting this reality and regrouping a

ViewpointsOct. 14, 2022

[Lee Kyong-hee] The art of apologizing: UK, Germany and Japan

Among the flood of tributes to Queen Elizabeth II that followed her passing was recollections of her 2011 visit to Ireland, the first by a British monarch in a century. It was a trip for healing, though there were doubts about its success. “I was raised in an Irish family baked in bitterness about British oppression,” wrote New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd. Her op-ed piece was about the new King Charles III having been overshadowed by his late ex-wife Princess Diana and his moth

ViewpointsOct. 13, 2022

[Kim Seong-kon] 3 cheers for 50 years of Literature & Thought

This month, the famed literary magazine Literature & Thought published its 600th issue, commemorating its 50th anniversary. Founded in 1972 by the late professor Lee O-young, the magazine has not only survived, but also thrived for half a century, steering Korean literature in the right direction and significantly contributing to upgrading it from national to world literature. Considering that it is a monthly magazine, the longevity of Literature & Thought amazes us, especially in this e

ViewpointsOct. 12, 2022

[Simon Johnson] OPEC’s mistaken move for Russia

On Oct. 5, OPEC+ announced a dramatic reduction in production quotas, by 2 million barrels per day. According to oil ministers, the goal is to boost crude prices and “encourage investment” in the sector -- making it sound like they are doing the world a favor. In fact, this is an extraordinarily harmful step that will push oil prices up -- when the global economy is in a precarious state amid persistent inflation pressures. Americans may first notice the effects at the gas pump.

ViewpointsOct. 12, 2022