[Editorial] PyeongChang’s success

The PyeongChang Winter Olympics starts its 17-day run with an opening ceremony Friday, with Koreans -- traditionally enthusiastic supporters of the Olympic movement -- and world citizens anticipating exciting events to be played out by top athletes on the ice and snow.As the quadrennial event raises its curtain, many Koreans -- especially residents of PyeongChang and Gangneung, the two host cities, would recall the joyful moments seven years ago of winning the right to host the 2018 Winter Olymp

Feb. 7, 2018

[Editorial] Lack of hard evidence

The Seoul High Court on Monday sentenced Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong to 2 1/2 years in prison suspended for four years. In the first trial, Lee was not given a suspended sentence, and was instead given five years in prison on bribery and other charges. 　The appellate court’s ruling is quite different from the first trial’s sentencing on Aug. 25. The special counsel’s case for Lee’s “tacit solicitations” to former President Park Geun-hye to help him inherit management rights fo

Feb. 6, 2018

[Editorial] Diplomatic arena

The Olympic Games that provide the stage for the world’s top athletes every four years often becomes an arena for high-level diplomacy due to having many political leaders in one place at the same time. This year, there will be 26 leaders at the head of state level from 21 countries at the PyeongChang Olympic opening ceremony Friday. As the host, President Moon Jae-in plans to have separate, personal meetings with at least 14 of them. Most of the meetings, to be held in the form of formal summit

Feb. 5, 2018

[Editorial] Free democratic order

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea, briefing its bill for constitutional amendment Thursday, announced it decided to revise “the basic free and democratic order,” a phrase in the Constitution, to “the democratic order.”Its spokeswoman explained “democratic” is broader in meaning than “free and democratic.” Then, four hours later, after angry backlash from opposition parties and constitution scholars, the party decided to stay with the word “free,” saying it made a “mistake.”　Article 4 of Chapt

Feb. 4, 2018

[Editorial] Cha’s withdrawal

Washington’s withdrawal of Korea expert Victor Cha from consideration for ambassador to South Korea shows US President Donald Trump’s North Korea policy is much more hard-line than expected.Cha had all but been officially nominated to be Trump’s first ambassador to South Korea, with Washington asking for Seoul’s diplomatic consent to his appointment last year. But his nomination did not occur. It is rare for Washington to withdraw an ambassador nominee whom Seoul had already signed off on. The q

Feb. 2, 2018

[Editorial] Here too

Korea has largely been spared from the global #MeToo movement, in which victims of sexual misconduct make public revelations of their own cases. That does not mean that sexual misdeeds in this society are not as pervasive as in other countries. As a matter of fact, sexual scandals – big and small – used to hit Korean society from time to time, touching off public backlashes and outcries. But none of them have prompted a public campaign on the level of the #MeToo movement. It is against this back

Feb. 1, 2018

[Editorial] Unruly cancellation

North Korea was rude and unruly. It canceled a joint cultural performance with South Korea abruptly. All it did to break agreements signed at a high-level meeting on Jan. 17 was send a notice to the South on Monday night. It is the second time that the North has backed out of an inter-Korean deal. On the night of Jan. 19, a prominent band leader’s visit to inspect performance venues in the South was delayed abruptly by North Korea. If the North ignores official accords this way, it would be near

Jan. 31, 2018

[Editorial] Disaster politics

Politics is one of the least respected institutions in Korea. Corruption, abuse of power and excessive partisan strife are some of the major factors that cause the public to distrust politicians. Korean politicians also become a target of public criticism frequently because they are bent on making political issues of mass disasters. The fire at a hospital in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, which claimed 39 lives, is a good case in point. As usual, senior politicians, including President Moon

Jan. 30, 2018

[Editorial] Disturbances in judiciary

Although a recently concluded reinvestigation confirmed the National Court Administration did not blacklist judges, disturbances in the judiciary are not easily calmed.New suspicions must be cleared, but the Supreme Court ought to move toward the resolution of conflicts, not fueling them with endless investigations.A team created by Supreme Court Chief Justice Kim Myeong-su to reinvestigate blacklist allegations first raised and investigated in the days of the previous chief justice confirmed th

Jan. 29, 2018

[Editorial] Academic fraud

It is not rare for universities and colleges in Korea to be stricken by the social ills prevalent in the country, including corruption, sexual misdeeds and abuses of power.Yet another dark side of the academic community has come to the fore: Some professors include their children as co-authors on their own research papers. The seemingly widespread practice was first exposed late last year when a Seoul National University professor was found to have included the name of his son as a co-author in

Jan. 28, 2018

[Editorial] Don’t embolden NK

There are worrying signs with 15 days left to the opening of the PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games. Though the Moon Jae-in administration is trying to further inter-Korean dialogue and make a breakthrough in resolving the North Korean nuclear issue, its servile attitude to the North is causing side effects and concern.The government reportedly told prominent North Korean defector Thae Yong-ho and others to refrain from criticizing the North during the Winter Olympics. Seoul will also tone down ce

Jan. 25, 2018

[Editorial] Happier, safer society

There are dark sides of Korean society, some that can normally be seen only in underdeveloped countries. They include the high suicide rate and frequent traffic and industrial accidents. A short list of statistics shows you the gravity of the situation, which hardly befits a country whose economy is fourth-biggest in Asia and whose per capita gross domestic product is soon to reach $30,000.In 2016, Korea’s suicide rate stood at 25.6 per 100,000 people, with 13,092 people taking their own lives.

Jan. 24, 2018

[Editorial] Conditions for deregulation

The Moon Jae-in administration outlined regulation reforms for innovation-driven growth, but its deregulation plans are likely to end up as a mere gesture unless politicians and bureaucrats change.It is regrettable that the deregulation road map is biased toward small venture businesses. The government must not make light of the role of large businesses in propelling industrial innovation. To raise the effectiveness of deregulation, it also needs to review its controversial economic policies.Wor

Jan. 23, 2018

[Editorial] Come to table

It has often been tricky for Korea to promote social dialogue. Defiant labor groups have long stood in the way of negotiations. Korea introduced its first tripartite committee of labor, management and government in 1998 in the heat of the Asian foreign exchange crisis. But the hard-line umbrella union group -- the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions -- bolted from the committee the following year, and has since shunned every proposal to rejoin. The larger, but less militant group -- the Federat

Jan. 22, 2018

[Editorial] Leaning toward NK

The Moon Jae-in administration is leaning toward North Korea for its participation in the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang next month.But the inter-Korean agreements that were finalized at a meeting hosted by the International Olympic Committee in Switzerland on Saturday, are facing domestic headwinds.The North made little of the South by suspending and resuming a pre-Olympic visit to the South without offering any explanation.Despite public opinion against fielding a unified team in the women’s i

Jan. 21, 2018

[Editorial] Regrettable collision

Former President Lee Myung-bak has denounced the prosecution’s investigation of his aides as “political retribution,” while President Moon Jae-in is infuriated by the description. The unusual head-on collision between the incumbent and former presidents is regrettable.Lee’s claim is arguable, but it is not right to try to turn the investigation into a political mud fight without clearing related suspicions.Not only Lee and his close associates but also Moon and ruling party lawmakers must refrai

Jan. 19, 2018

[Editorial] Do not overstep

A committee entrusted to select the CEO of Hana Financial Group has decided to ignore the government’s pressure and go ahead with its plan to pick a candidate next Monday. The committee deserves praise for its decision, which is bold in view of relations between financial companies and government agencies that exercise regulatory and supervisory rights. It would also be good if the case brings fresh public attention to the practice of politicians and government officials interfering with the app

Jan. 18, 2018

[Editorial] Beware of propaganda

North Korea is feared to be trying to turn the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in South Korea into a stage for the regime’s propaganda.It made an unacceptable counteroffer to a South Korean offer of humanitarian exchanges, became infuriated at the South mentioning dialogue on its nuclear arms program, spoke ill of South Korea and even tried to intimidate the South by saying that talks could be broken off any time.However, the South Korean government did not take issue with the North, leading to crit

Jan. 17, 2018

[Editorial] Crux of the problem

Few would raise questions about the need to reform the powerful agencies that have often been tainted by their interference with domestic politics. It is right, therefore, that the Moon Jae-in administration is committed to overhauling the intelligence service, state prosecution and police.But the proposals made by the government raised more questions than answers. They are already encountering fierce objection from critics and skeptics, including the main opposition Liberty Korea Party.One of t

Jan. 16, 2018

[Editorial] Curbing housing prices

The government has vowed an indefinite crackdown on speculators in apartments in Seoul’s affluent Gangnam region.Though a strong clampdown targeting houses in a specific area is an unusual move, it is understandable considering the latest surge in apartment prices there.But whether the measure can cool the overheating apartment market in the region is questionable. There are many factors behind high demand for apartments in the region. The government must take them into sufficient consideration

Jan. 15, 2018