[Editorial] Denuke NK in order

The second US-North Korea summit is looming large. President Moon Jae-in said in the opening statement at his summit with US President Donald Trump on Monday, “North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said he wants to meet with US President Donald Trump early to conclude the denuclearization process as soon as possible.” Then, Trump said he would meet with Kim for a second time “in the not too distant future” and that the date for his second meeting with Kim would be announced soon.Some experts predict t

Sept. 26, 2018

[Editorial] There is work ahead

President Moon Jae-in returns home Thursday from a three-day visit to Pyongyang, the highlight of which were his discussions with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un about denuclearization and improved inter-Korean relations. Overall, the trip appears to have been a success. One successful element was that Moon drew Kim into agreement to take additional denuclearization steps, which could help revive the stalled talks between the US and the North. Trump made a positive response to the agreement in a

Sept. 19, 2018

[Editorial] Key to denuclearization

The United Nations Security Council discussed the implementation and enforcement of UN sanctions on North Korea in a special session the day before President Moon Jae-in arrived in Pyongyang on Tuesday for his summit with Kim Jong-un.The US had called the session in response to what it says are efforts by “some members” to “undermine and obstruct” sanctions against the North.　An interim report, prepared by an independent UN panel that monitors sanctions compliance, was submitted to the UNSC last

Sept. 18, 2018

[Editorial] Moon’s mission

President Moon Jae-in leaves for Pyongyang on Tuesday for talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. It is Moon’s first visit to the North Korean capital, but it is not evoking as much excitement as previous visits by former South Korean leaders Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moon-hyun. It is partly because two of his predecessors, including his former boss Roh, have already made precedents and partly because he has already met Kim twice at the truce village of Panmunjom. But perhaps a bigger reason for

Sept. 17, 2018

[Editorial] Untimely trip

It is untimely for heads of the nation’s global business groups to accompany President Moon Jae-in to Pyongyang for his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.Cheong Wa Dae reportedly asked leaders of the top four conglomerates to go along with Moon. Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chairman Kim Yong-hwan and LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo will join him on his trip. His entourage will also include Hyundai Group Chairwom

Sept. 16, 2018

[Editorial] Some must go

Koreans are used to encountering candidates for high public posts who have a low level of ethical standards. But what we hear from the ongoing parliamentary confirmation hearings on presidential nominees is truly distressing. The series of confirmation hearings that started Monday will go until Sept. 19. There are a total of 11 nominees, six for the Constitutional Court, including its president, and five for ministerial posts. 　Already, many ethical violations have surfaced, some of them verifie

Sept. 13, 2018

[Editorial] Don’t rush ratification

On Tuesday, the government asked the National Assembly to ratify the declaration that President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed shortly after their first summit in Panmunjom on April 27.　It was pushy and impetuous of Moon to submit the ratification motion to parliament, despite an agreement to the contrary a day earlier by floor leaders of the ruling party and two opposition parties. The three sides had decided first to await the results of the third inter-Korean summit in

Sept. 12, 2018

[Editorial] Better prepared?

It seems that the nation is better prepared for the Middle East respiratory syndrome than it was three years ago. But authorities’ response to a new case of the deadly infectious disease was not without loopholes. The biggest loophole so far was that the airport quarantine inspector let an apparent MERS patient pass through the checkpoint. The 61-year-old man told the quarantine officer that he was returning from a 22-day business trip to Kuwait and that he visited a hospital there with diarrhea

Sept. 11, 2018

[Editorial] Supply where needed

The government is reportedly working on a wide array of measures to stabilize soaring housing prices.The measures are expected to focus on suppressing demand further as the government has done, such as raising tax on real estate possession and making it more difficult to take out mortgages. This time, eyes are also drawn to how much and where it will increase supply.　Supply expansion is a move in the right direction. The administration under President Moon Jae-in has effectively treated the owne

Sept. 10, 2018

[Editorial] Far from safe

Recent incidents involving land subsidence and mass food poisoning at schools highlight Korea’s poor public safety standards. We never seem to learn from past disasters caused by a combination of low public safety awareness, the blind pursuit of money, lax regulations and a lack of responsibility on the part of authorities. Some major incidents in the past have involved children and young students, such as the sinking of the Sewol ferry four years ago. In light of the circumstances, people react

Sept. 9, 2018

[Editorial] Show actions

The date for President Moon Jae-in’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang, North Korea has been set for Sept. 18-20.It is good for leaders of both countries to meet often. But it is not good to give meaning to their meeting itself without dealing with the North Korean nuclear issue properly.The upcoming summit, their third in five months, should produce substantial results. However, the situation is not easy.The North Korean leader reaffirmed his commitment to denuclearizatio

Sept. 6, 2018

[Editorial] Fairness in society

Draft dodging is a despised crime in this country. People who are given questionable exemptions from military service -- which is mandatory for all able-bodied men -- also become targets of severe public criticism and disdain. Sometimes, gaining exemption from active-duty service by illegal or suspicious means becomes a socially and politically explosive issue -- so much so that it influenced the fate of a major presidential contender, whose sons were exempted from military service on disputed h

Sept. 5, 2018

[Editorial] Old faces

Major political parties have replaced their leaderships recently, some of which has been necessitated by the outcome of the June 12 local elections in which the ruling Democratic Party scored a resounding victory. The most common, conspicuous aspect of the latest leadership changes is that all the major parties are now led by “men of the past,” or “old boys” as they are described by the local media. The election of Sohn Hak-kyu, a 71-year-old former four-term lawmaker, as the new head of the min

Sept. 4, 2018

[Editorial] Back to basics

Corporate facility investment decreased for the fifth straight month in July, according to data released by Statistics Korea last week.It is the first time since the 1997-1998 Korean financial crisis that Korea has had such an extended decrease. Facility investment fell 10 months in a row from September 1997, two months before Korea sought a bailout from the International Monetary Fund.　Both industrial production and retail sales inched up 0.5 percent from a month earlier.　An index showing the p

Sept. 3, 2018

[Editorial] Envoy’s mission

The planned visit to North Korea of President Moon Jae-in’s special envoy raises both expectations and concerns. What’s certain is that how it goes will have many repercussions. Taking the positive aspects first, the envoy’s visit -- which comes at a time the North and the US are deadlocked over denuclearization -- may finalize details of a third meeting between Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un scheduled for this month. If Moon, who brokered the historic Singapore summit between US Presi

Sept. 2, 2018

[Editorial] No return to crisis

The US has hinted that it will resume joint military exercises with South Korea. “We have no plans at this time to suspend any more exercises. We will work very closely, as I said, with the secretary of state and what he needs done,” Defense Secretary James Mattis said Tuesday.The military drills have been suspended since Trump dropped the bombshell that the Pentagon would not conduct “war games” with South Korea following his meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un in Singapore on June 12.Before

Aug. 30, 2018

[Editorial] Dubious dismissal

President Moon Jae-in suddenly replaced the commissioner of Statistics Korea on Sunday.Previous commissioners had held the post for about two years, but Hwang Soo-kyeong was dismissed as head of the agency after little more than a year. Cheong Wa Dae offered no explanation. There is strong suspicion that the decision to sack Hwang is related to the latest statistics on household income. According to Statistics Korea, household income for the bottom 20 percent of income earners plunged 8 percent

Aug. 29, 2018

[Editorial] Skepticism growing

The US-North Korea denuclearization talks that have come to a stalemate should raise two key questions. The first question is about whether the North intends to fulfill its promise to do away with its nuclear and missile menace on its own, and the second one is about what role South Korean President Moon Jae-in could play to resolve the problem. It is not the first time that the first question has been raised since North Korean leader Kim Jong-un offered his denuclearization commitment in his me

Aug. 28, 2018

[Editorial] Lee’s duty

Lee Hae-chan, the new leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea as of Saturday, vowed upon his election to help the Moon Jae-in administration overcome the economic crisis and gear up for the next election.His promise to prioritize people’s livelihoods and hold nonpartisan meetings to come up with solutions is a welcome step. Wherever he goes, he will meet people facing economic difficulties and people with serious concerns about the national economy.Lee must talk with businesses, workers,

Aug. 27, 2018

[Editorial] Cloudy again

The cancellation of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s visit to North Korea highlighted once again the uncertainty and complexity surrounding the international efforts to neutralize nuclear and missile threats from the North. What makes it more intricate is that US President Donald Trump behaves as unpredictably as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who is notorious for brinkmanship. That Trump announced the cancellation of what could have been Pompeo’s fourth visit to Pyongyang just a day after

Aug. 26, 2018