[Editorial] ‘Third’ apology

South Koreans again expressed their fury toward the incumbent administration through a historic demonstration last weekend, in which as many as 1 million citizens gathered in streets near Cheong Wa Dae.They showed that the sovereignty of Republic of Korea stems from citizens. And they reiterated that the best way to preserve the constitutional value is to oust the irregularity-saddled President Park Geun-hye.Aside from Seoul, we could see the nation demanding Park step down from her post. Those

Nov. 13, 2016

[Editorial] Unblushing Blue House

The presidential office appears to be trying to shift some of the blame for the escalating woes from the Park Geun-hye scandal to the parliamentary opposition, seemingly as part of a desperate political tactic to block a breakup of the administration.　A Cheong Wa Dae official has raised the necessity of naming a new prime minister as soon as possible to effectively prepare for widening uncertainties in economy and defense. His remarks were targeted at opposition parties, condemning them for dela

Nov. 11, 2016

[Other view] Choosing president, not monarch

In the thunder of a presidential campaign, it is sometimes hard to remember that the president of the United States is the head of just one of three equal branches of the federal government.　The president cannot raise or cut taxes, expand or contract the defense budget, commit the US to treaties or amend the US Constitution. There is very little that a president can do without the consent of at least a majority of US senators, who are under no obligation to support the president’s agenda, and a

Nov. 11, 2016

[Editorial] Trump uncertainties

Every US election matters for the world. This year’s election mattered much more than usual, mainly because there was a possibility that a man, viewed as unfit for the job by many in the US and elsewhere, would seize the most powerful job in the world.Now that Donald Trump has turned that possibility into a reality, defying all the odds and skepticism, the world must brace for a new US -- the undisputable superpower that possesses unrivaled military and economic might -- under a man who has call

Nov. 10, 2016

[Editorial] How not to fight climate change, shipping edition

The shipping industry accounts for more greenhouse gas emissions than airplanes, buses or trains. Yet it was not included in last year’s Paris accord -- and an attempt last month to redress this failure manages to be both unambitious and impractical.The world’s 90,000 shipping vessels burn about 5 million barrels of petroleum products each day, and their emissions are expected to increase as much as fivefold by 2050. In part because it’s not clear which countries should be accountable for the em

Nov. 9, 2016

[Editorial] Possible vacancy

The Park Geun-hye scandal will face a watershed moment later this week, which could provide a clearer indication on the fate of the president. This Friday, a group of opposition lawmakers will hold an extraordinary interpellation session on the administration over Park’s confidante Choi Soon-sil meddling into state affairs. On Saturday, rallies by angry citizens across the nation are scheduled to convene in front of Cheong Wa Dae and in major cities.These events are drawing wide public interest,

Nov. 9, 2016

[Editorial] Bullying businesses

The Choi Soon-sil scandal is exposing many political and social ills in the country. One that stands out among them is the long tradition of the government extorting money from big businesses for public projects. The Choi scandal first came to the fore through media reports that two nonprofit foundations -- Mir and K-Sports -- were established by funds donated by the nation’s biggest conglomerates and that Choi and presidential aides had been behind the fundraising work. As it turned out, 53 fir

Nov. 8, 2016

[Editorial] Sunken ferry

President Park Geun-hye’s state affairs since February 2013 have been placed under new scrutiny due to irregularities involving her nongovernment confidante Choi Soon-sil’s meddling.More and more citizens are demanding a closer look into the administration’s unusual actions that have come with unconvincing excuses.Those include the whereabouts of Park on April 16, 2014, when the Sewol ferry capsized in waters off Jindo, South Jeolla Province, and caused the deaths of 295, with nine missing, out

Nov. 7, 2016

[Editorial] Find breakthrough

Saturday’s mass street demonstrations against President Park Geun-hye showed that what she has done and said she would do will not be able to appease public wrath and resolve the leadership crisis caused by the Choi Soon-sil scandal. The massive rallies and candlelight vigils, held in downtown Seoul and other major cities, gathered tens of thousands of citizens -- including middle and high school students -- who demanded Park resign immediately. The anti-Park protests came one day after Park mad

Nov. 6, 2016

[Editorial] Not enough

President Park Geun-hye stood before a national TV audience Friday -- for the second time in 10 days -- to speak about the snowballing political meddling scandal surrounding her longtime associate Choi Soon-sil.Park offered apologies and said she would accept an investigation by the state prosecution. She also said she would accept the opposition’s demand to name independent counsel. Park read the statement as the crisis touched off by the scandal was infuriating the public to the degree that th

Nov. 4, 2016

How not to regulate the internet

On the internet, ads giveth and ads taketh away. They‘re the reason you can enjoy so many services for free, and also why everything you do is so relentlessly tracked. It’s an awkward duality. But for consumers, it more or less works. Last week the Federal Communications Commission tinkered with this delicate equation. It approved new privacy rules that will require broadband providers to get permission from their subscribers before they can collect certain personal data. That sounds great. Unfo

Nov. 3, 2016

[Editorial] Probe, hearings on TV

The current situation involving Cheong Wa Dae reminds one of a day in December 1989 when lawmakers were grilling military coup initiator Chun Doo-hwan in front of the public, live on TV. Parliamentary hearings on Chun were attained nearly two years after the dictator finished his presidency, as the opposition then outnumbered the ruling party. Although one difference between then and now is that President Park Geun-hye is still in office, the opposition also forms a majority now.Furthermore, the

Nov. 3, 2016

[Editorial] Another misstep

Is President Park Geun-hye working toward her own undoing? One cannot but raise the question as she, already devoid of effective leadership as the chief executive, keeps taking missteps that could drag her -- and the nation -- into a deeper quagmire.   Park on Wednesday nominated Kim Byong-joon, a liberal professor who held key posts during the Roh Moo-hyun administration, as new prime minister. Park also named Yim Jong-yong, head of the Financial Services Commission, as the new deputy prime min

Nov. 2, 2016

[Editorial] World watching Korea

More and more foreign countries are watching South Korea and the Blue House during this indescribably disgraceful time for Koreans.  The scandal involves President Park Geun-hye and her nongovernment confidante Choi Soon-sil. More than a week ago, evidence emerged that Choi had meddled in a variety of government affairs. But Park has yet to publicize her stance on the matter after making a lax apology to the public a week ago.There is no lawmaker from the ruling Saenuri Party who officially dema

Nov. 1, 2016

[Editorial] Cool head

The scandal surrounding Choi Soon-sil and President Park Geun-hye is battering the nation. Many Korean citizens, already in a state of shock, anger and despair, are fearful of what is to come. This is a crisis not only for Park, but for the entire nation.As more allegations continue to surface that the president let Choi exert undue influence over key state affairs, the public is becoming more restless. The recent petitions calling for Park to step down and street marches by angry college studen

Oct. 31, 2016

[Editorial] Stop and reset

Bank of Korea Gov. Lee Ju-yeol convened an irregular meeting of senior officials at the central bank last Thursday to discuss pending economic issues.The Finance Ministry -- in coordination with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport -- plans to unveil measures to stabilize the heated property market this Thursday with assistance from the BOK and the Financial Services Commission.President Park Geun-hye is seen as being too caught up with handling her own scandal, in which she allege

Oct. 30, 2016

[Editorial] Tamed prosecutors

South Korea’s prosecutors are believed to have been quite loyal to President Park and her predecessor Lee Myung-bak, both of whom came from the Saenuri Party.　The prosecution’s stance is in contrast to its tense relations with the late former President Roh Moo-hyun, who had tried but failed to root out irregular practices in the monopolistic agency via a drastic overhaul.　Unlike Roh, Lee and Park sought to maintain friendly relations with the prosecution by securing the agency’s vested interests

Oct. 28, 2016

[Editorial] Park’s job

All the recent presidents here encountered difficulties in the final phase of their presidencies due to wrongdoings committed by their relatives, aides and associates. Some of them went to jail on charges of exploiting their close relationships with the president and engaging in corruption or influence-peddling. President Park Geun-hye has fallen into crisis due to the snowballing scandal that centers on her longtime associate Choi Soon-sil. For all the similarities, there is one big difference

Oct. 27, 2016

[Editorial] China’s tourism limit

The Chinese government appears to be embarking on economic retaliation against South Korea over the decision by Seoul and Washington to station the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system on the peninsula.Beijing’s action targets the tourism industry here, as it has instructed its private travel agents to cut the number of tourists to Korea by 20 percent on-year. The state-led regulations will also reportedly include curbing low-price package tours and discouraging shopping in Korea.The trave

Oct. 26, 2016

[Editorial] Park’s about-face

It seems obvious that President Park Geun-hye proposed amending the Constitution in the belief that it would help divert political and public attention away from the scandals that have been engulfing her presidency. Nevertheless, the reversal of her position is good for the nation. As expected, Park’s proposal to amend the Constitution within her term of office that ends in early 2018 was met with mixed reactions -- from outright rejection by the main opposition party and enthusiastic support fr

Oct. 25, 2016