[Editorial] Ill-considered move

Not many are better qualified than Ahn Dae-hee, chairman of the ruling Saenuri Party’s newly established special committee on political reform, to flesh out its presidential nominee’s promise to aggressively fight political corruption, ranging from illegal election funding to bribery among those in power.His credentials include a 2003 criminal investigation he led as a senior prosecutor. His team successfully dealt with the provision of a vanload of cash and other illegal corporate contributions

Aug. 30, 2012

[Editorial] Nomination fraud again?

The prosecution, which has been investigating the ruling Saenuri Party’s money-for-nomination scandal, is looking into another similar case now, this time involving the main opposition Democratic United Party. It is a matter of course for the law-enforcement agency to deal sternly with any attempt to buy a seat in the National Assembly ― one of the worst political crimes.The prosecution must determine in this case whether money changed hands in a failed attempt to buy nominations, as it suspects

Aug. 30, 2012

[Editorial] Seasoned judges

In Korea, few litigants settle with rulings in the lower courts. In many cases, they appeal through the three-trial system to the highest court.According to figures from the Supreme Court, the number of appellate cases registered with it in 2010 reached 36,418, nearly doubling from 18,960 a decade earlier. That means an average 8.3 cases per day have to be handled by each justice, making it nearly impossible to closely examine cases one by one. Of the 14 members of the top court, the chief justi

Aug. 29, 2012

[Editorial] Extramarital babies

Having a child outside of marriage meant one would have to carry a lifelong moral stigma, with Korean society traditionally cherishing Confucian values. As recently as a generation ago, most unmarried people with a child took extra care not to let others know that they were parents. In a possible sign of changes in perception, the number of babies born out of wedlock has continued to increase in recent years. According to figures from Statistics Korea, the number rose for nine consecutive years

Aug. 29, 2012

[Editorial] End to patent battle

Samsung Electronics has suffered a crushing defeat in a landmark patent battle against Apple Inc. A U.S. jury found last week that the Korean smartphone maker infringed upon a number of patents held by Apple, while the American tech giant did not violate any of its Korean rival’s intellectual properties. The jury’s judgment is widely criticized here as unfair. But it is highly likely to be upheld by the California court, dealing a serious blow to Samsung, the world’s largest mobile device produc

Aug. 28, 2012

[Editorial] ‘Education-poor’ families

People who are financially strapped because of their mortgages are commonly called “house poor.” Likewise, families that are poor due to heavy spending on their children’s education are called “education poor” in Korea. According to a recent survey, a large number of Korean households belong to this category. The survey, conducted by Hyundai Research Institute, defines the education poor as families that are indebted and unable to make ends meet but nevertheless spend more than average on their

Aug. 28, 2012

[Editorial] Debate on basic law

A longstanding political proposal in the nation is to rewrite the Constitution. The issue is coming to the fore again as the political parties are gearing up for the December presidential election.Of great concern at the moment is whether or not the proposal for constitutional revision will be included among the “extraordinary political reforms” that Rep. Park Geun-hye has promised as presidential nominee of the ruling Saenuri Party.When the party nominated her as the presidential candidate last

Aug. 27, 2012

[Editorial] Rules not so unfair

The race for nomination in the main opposition Democratic United Party is being hampered by a claim that the rules on mobile voting in primaries favor the frontrunner Moon Jae-in. The rules do look biased, as Moon’s competitors claim. But those were the rules they had agreed on before the primaries started on Jeju Island last Saturday.At the party’s open primaries, people registered for voting may choose to cast ballots at the polling stations or vote by mobile phone. At issue is voting by mobil

Aug. 27, 2012

[Editorial] Missing agenda

During their first TV debate last week, four presidential hopefuls running in the primary race of the main opposition Democratic United Party tried to project themselves as its best possible standard bearer. They also exchanged barbed words, finding fault with one another’s qualifications. Moon Jae-in, the former chief of staff for late President Roh Moo-hyun, particularly came under fire from other contenders who wanted to drag him down from his frontrunner status.What was noticeably missing in

Aug. 26, 2012

[Editorial] Non-Aligned Summit

In the Cold War era, the summit of the Non-Aligned Movement used to be a stage for diplomatic rivalry between the two Koreas. South Korea, with observer status, often found itself at disadvantage with North Korea, a full member, in their competition to draw support from non-aligned states.The three-yearly summit has been largely out of interest for South Korea since Seoul began to establish ties with former communist bloc countries following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.But the event

Aug. 26, 2012

[Editorial] DUP’s primaries

A group of lawmakers affiliated with the main opposition Democratic United Party sponsored a special lecture by Buddhist Ven. Pomnyun on Wednesday, three days ahead of the first in a series of open presidential primaries. The lecture drew such big shots as Rep. Park Jie-won, floor leader of the party.The lecture spoke volumes about where the liberal opposition party was headed ahead of the December presidential election, with Ven. Pomnyun regarded as one of the key mentors to professor Ahn of Se

Aug. 24, 2012

[Editorial] Decline in exports

During the first seven months of this year, Korean exports marked a 0.8 percent drop on a year-on-year basis. Given the worldwide slump, the decline may look to be nothing to fuss about. But it is a matter of grave concern for a nation that generates much of its economic growth with exports. The problem is that few expect an early rebound. On the contrary, the decline in exports may accelerate in the months ahead. Hardest hit is the shipbuilding industry, whose seven-month exports stood at $38.1

Aug. 24, 2012

[Editorial] Head in sand

Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto, one of Japan’s emerging leaders, this week made remarks denying Korean women were forced into sexual slavery for Japanese soldiers during World War II. He reportedly said there is “no evidence that comfort women were taken away by the (imperial Japanese) military after being assaulted or threatened.” He called on Seoul to put forward the evidence.It is deeply regretful to hear the 43-year-old mayor, who represents his country’s next-generation leadership, repeat the r

Aug. 23, 2012

[Editorial] Another 20 years

Seoul officials have waited helplessly for Beijing to make a thorough investigation into the allegation by a South Korean activist that he had been tortured while in detention in China earlier this year for helping North Korean defectors. Their request for the improbable inquiry is just the latest in a series of cases that have made South Korea frustrated at China for disregarding or neglecting what they see as international standards.But a string of seminars held here recently were flooded with

Aug. 23, 2012

[Editorial] Middle class blues

A recent survey by Hyundai Research Institute on Koreans’ perception of class membership is a must read for presidential candidates, as it suggests policies that will help them capture the hearts and minds of the largest segment of the electorate ― the middle class.The survey’s title sums up its findings ― “The confidence of the middle class is crumbling.” In many countries, middle class families are under siege due to the prolonged global economic slump. Yet the survey shows Korean middle class

Aug. 22, 2012

[Editorial] Admissions reform

The admissions officer system is touted as one of the incumbent government’s major achievements in education. It is intended to free students from the grueling test-based college entrance process so that they can develop creativity and build character.Yet the problem is the new student selection method has many loopholes. Under the system, admissions officers of a university assess applicants based not just on their test scores but on other criteria, including their potential, extra-curricular a

Aug. 22, 2012

[Editorial] Fear of rising prices

Households must have felt relieved when Statistics Korea announced on Aug. 1 that the July consumer price index marked a 1.5 percent increase ― the lowest since July 2009. But the euphoria was short lived, as the prices of perishables, such as spinach and lettuce, shot up with the heat wave gripping the nation.It is not just perishables whose prices have been climbing rapidly. High global crop prices are being transferred to those of processed food items, such as instant noodles. The Korea Rural

Aug. 21, 2012

[Editorial] Stuck in the past

As described in Japan’s postwar constitution, the Japanese emperor is the “symbol of the state and of the unity of the people.” To many Japanese, however, he is more than an earthly symbol. He has the aura of a deity, given that he is called the “tenno” in Japanese, or “heavenly sovereign.”At the center of the current diplomatic dispute between Korea and Japan are the Japanese emperor and the Korean leader’s call for him to apologize. President Lee Myung-bak said recently that Emperor Akihito wo

Aug. 21, 2012

[Editorial] Beyond father

Rep. Park Geun-hye was nominated as presidential candidate of the ruling Saenuri Party at its national convention Monday, entering the main stretch of her second, and probably last, bid for the post held by her father for 18 years until his assassination in 1979. If she wins the election on Dec. 19, she will become the nation’s first female president.Park beat her four rival contenders by a wide margin in the nomination vote, which combined ballots cast by party members and selected citizens wit

Aug. 20, 2012

[Editorial] Irresponsible pledges

The Ministry of Land, Transportation and Maritime Affairs last week affirmed that it was preparing to conduct a feasibility study on the construction of new airports in the southeast and on Jeju Island. Ministry officials said the study is part of the work to draw up a five-year airports development plan for 2016-2020 and has nothing to do with recent voices raised by politicians in support of new airports.The public, however, seems hardly persuaded by their explanation, which marked a sharp tur

Aug. 20, 2012