[Editorial] Another revolving door

The investigation into the “nut rage” case surrounding Heather Cho, a former senior executive of Korean Air, is entering its final stretch, as prosecutors have asked the court to issue an arrest warrant for her and two more people. Cho, the eldest daughter of Korean Air CEO and Hanjin Group chairman Cho Yang-ho, was charged with violation of the aviation safety law, coercion and interference with the execution of duty. Cho forced a Korean Air flight bound for Incheon from New York to return to t

Dec. 26, 2014

[Editorial] Labor market reform

A trilateral commission of labor, management and government representatives agreed this week on the basic principles and direction of their future discussions on reforming Korea’s inflexible labor market. Under the agreement, the three sides committed themselves to concluding negotiations on three top agendas by March.Members of the Economic and Social Development Commission shared the perception that a fundamental structural shift is needed to overcome the crisis facing the local labor market.

Dec. 25, 2014

[Editorial] New school year

It seems reasonable and sensible that the government is pushing to have the country’s school year start in September, not in March as currently set. Under a plan announced this week as part of structural reforms aimed at enhancing national competitiveness, the Education Ministry is to collect public opinions on the proposed change before making a final decision by the end of 2016. This is not the first time that the need to change the school year system has been raised here. In 1997 and 2007, di

Dec. 25, 2014

[Editorial] Enhancing tourism

It is good news for the Korean economy, which has been struggling with sluggish domestic consumption, that the country’s tourism revenue has been sharply increasing.In the first 10 months of this year, Korea’s tourism revenue amounted to $14.78 billion, surpassing the previous record of $14.16 billion set in 2013, according to data compiled jointly by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute. The revenue is estimated to reach $16.7 billion by the en

Dec. 23, 2014

[Editorial] Alert over debt

Combining expansionary policy measures with structural reforms has been cited by economic policymakers here as a sensible approach to reinvigorating the sluggish economy. This stance framed the direction of economic policies for 2015, which were approved at a meeting of economy-related ministers Monday.The Ministry of Strategy and Finance, which drew up the policy framework, said that expansionary macroeconomic policy would be maintained next year to help boost the economy. Finance Minister Choi

Dec. 23, 2014

[Editorial] Legislative deadlock

The legislative deadlock at the National Assembly stemming from the rival parties’ standoff over the Blue House document leak and influence-peddling scandal is raising concerns as its monthlong extraordinary session is coming to an end. A bigger cause for concern is that the dissolution of the Unified Progressive Party may make it more difficult for the parties to return the parliament to normal although there are many legislative agenda items pending in the Assembly. Urgent parliamentary concer

Dec. 22, 2014

[Editorial] A moral rebirth

It may sound ironic, but the demise last week of a major progressive party should reawaken Korean society to the need to foster healthy progressive political forces. There is no doubt that the Constitutional Court’s ruling to disband the Unified Progressive Party triggered the gravest crisis for the nation’s progressives as a whole since they entered mainstream politics a decade ago. Making matters worse for the progressive bloc, the UPP’s exit came at a time when it is already in tatters in the

Dec. 22, 2014

[Editorial] Nuclear plant document leak

Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. was beset with yet another leak on Sunday, the fourth time since information on its nuclear reactors and its employees were found posted on a blog last week. In its latest message posted on Twitter, a group that describes itself as an antinuclear power organization reiterated its demand that three of the country’s 23 nuclear power reactors be shut down starting Dec. 25, threatening that it would release an additional 100,000 pages of information if its demand wa

Dec. 21, 2014

[Editorial] Age of cyberwarfare

The U.S. government took the unprecedented step last Friday of publicly revealing that North Korea led the cyberattack against Sony Pictures Entertainment and vowing a proportionate response against Pyongyang.On Nov. 24, an entity calling itself the Guardians of Peace broke into the computer system at Sony Pictures Entertainment, leaking employee emails, unreleased movies and other sensitive information. It also virtually destroyed the company’s computer system. North Korea was seen as a possibl

Dec. 21, 2014

[Editorial] Blue House blues

For many, this is a time to look back at the past year and prepare for the coming one. But President Park Geun-hye may well be denied this year-end serenity, as she is struggling with a raging scandal surrounding the leak of Blue House documents and allegations of influence-peddling by her former and current aides.Recent opinion polls showed that Park’s endorsement ratings have dropped to their lowest level since the Sewol ferry disaster in April and the consequent bungled designation of nominee

Dec. 19, 2014

[Editorial] Demise of radicals

The Constitutional Court’s ruling to disband the leftist Unified Progressive Party was a long-awaited, legitimate move to drive out dangerous radicals disguised as “liberals” from this society. The court, announcing the result of its yearlong adjudication on a petition filed by the government, ruled Friday that the UPP should be disbanded because its objective and activities violate the basic democratic order protected by the Constitution. Park Han-chul, president of the court, said that the UPP

Dec. 19, 2014

[Editorial] Dealing with nuclear waste

The much awaited nuclear waste facility in Gyeongju will begin operations next year following final approval by the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission last week.The Wolseong Low and Intermediate-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Center, consisting of six silos some 80 meters underground, can hold up to 100,000 barrels of radioactive waste.A second-phase construction is underway to add a 125,000-barrel holding unit to the site, which is designed to store 800,000 barrels of nuclear waste over t

Dec. 18, 2014

[Editorial] Reviving local markets

The Seoul High Court has ruled that the restrictions on large retailers’ operations were unlawful, renewing the debate about the coexistence of large businesses and neighborhood mom-and-pop stores. The court found the Dongdaemun-gu and Seongdong-gu ordinances that ban large discount retailers from operating between midnight and 10 a.m. and mandated their closure two Sundays a month to be unlawful.The restrictions on large discount retailers were imposed as a measure to aid ailing neighborhood re

Dec. 18, 2014

[Editorial] More immigrants

Controversy recently erupted over a bill aimed at guaranteeing undocumented immigrant children the right to receive education and medical treatment. Some Koreans raised objections to using taxpayers’ money to care for the children of those who are here illegally. In a further worrisome phenomenon, the dispute over the bill proposed by 10 liberal opposition lawmakers prompted an outpouring of hatred in cyberspace toward immigrants in the country.Registered or not, all children should be protected

Dec. 17, 2014

[Editorial] Kim Jong-un’s choice

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may be seen as having been successful in consolidating his control over the isolated regime since he took power in December 2011 following the sudden death of his father Kim Jong-il.Pyongyang’s state media this week described last year’s execution of Jang Song-thaek, the young ruler’s uncle and mentor, as his major political accomplishment. Kim was also lauded for having made the North relish the heyday of its military over the past three years through a “revoluti

Dec. 17, 2014

[Editorial] Parliament’s mission

As expected, the monthlong extraordinary parliamentary session that began Monday is sailing thorough rough waters, darkening prospects for its legislative business.The contentious issue that stands in the way of a smooth operation of the parliament is the escalating scandal surrounding the leak of Blue House documents and alleged behind-the-scenes influence-peddling by President Park Geun-hye’s former and incumbent aides. The opposition, bent on taking advantage of the scandal, which is pulling

Dec. 16, 2014

[Editorial] True mandate

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe won a fresh mandate by winning a landslide in Sunday’s snap election, which he called as a referendum largely on his economic policies. Having won up to four more years in power, a triumphant Abe said that the Japanese voters returned him to power because they wanted him to revive the economy through reflationary economic policies. Abe said the result showed the Japanese public’s confidence in his two years in charge. On the surface, the election result may wel

Dec. 16, 2014

[Editorial] Plot thickens

The onus is heavier than ever on the prosecutors investigating the Blue House document leak to conduct a fair and transparent investigation after a police officer allegedly implicated in the leak was found dead on Saturday. An autopsy showed that he had committed suicide. The police officer left a lengthy suicide note in which he hinted that the Blue House had pressured his colleague, also implicated in the leak, to admit to the charges against him. The Blue House spokesperson refuted the allega

Dec. 15, 2014

[Editorial] Outrage over ‘nut rage’

An incident referred to as “nut rage” is an example of what can happen when a member of the founding family of a conglomerate becomes involved in business.Former Korean Air vice-president Cho Hyun-ah, 40, has been making headlines since she ordered the pilot of a Korean Air plane, already on the runway, to return to the gate to let off the cabin crew chief at New York’s JFK Airport on Dec. 5.Cho is alleged to have yelled and physically abused a flight attendant and a cabin manager over what she

Dec. 15, 2014

[Editorial] Cost-effective Olympics

PyeongChang, the host of the 2018 Winter Olympics, said Friday it would continue preparations for holding all events there and two nearby towns as originally planned. Cho Yang-ho, president of the PyeongChang Winter Games organizing committee, said in a statement that it would be difficult to relocate some events to another country as recommended by the International Olympic Committee because all the venues are currently under construction.His statement came after IOC members unanimously voted e

Dec. 14, 2014