[Editorial] US signal on NK

The US blacklisted on Monday North Korea’s new Defense Minister Ri Yong-gil, a former head of the Ministry of Social Security which is in charge of the prison system, and the Central Public Prosecutors Office on the grounds of forced labor and human rights violation. The sanction is significant in that it was one first imposed by the Joe Biden administration since it was launched in January. The main reason for sanctions so far by the US and the international community against North Kore

Dec. 15, 2021

[Editorial] Dispute over ‘Nth room’ law

The “Nth room prevention law,” enacted hurriedly last year to prevent digital sex crimes, is sparking a wave of disputes over state censorship amid concerns over the law’s fundamental flaws and loopholes. At issue is the revision to the Telecommunications Business Act and a related law that went into effect Friday after a one-year grace period. The revision was made last year after the digital sex trafficking of women and underage girls was committed via secret Telegram chatr

Dec. 14, 2021

[Editorial] Scandal in focus again

The apparent suicide of a key suspect in the Daejang-dong land development scandal has set back a prosecution probe seeking to get to the heart of it. The scandal centers on allegations that the city of Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, south of Seoul, gave a few certain civilians special favors so they could obtain astronomical returns on investments in a land development project when Lee Jae-myung, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea’s presidential candidate, was mayor of the city. Yoo Ha

Dec. 13, 2021

[Editorial] Pulling strings at the hospital

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki faces public criticism for allegedly seeking special treatment from the country’s top hospital when his son needed medical care. This is at a time when around 1,000 patients with severe COVID-19 symptoms are struggling to find a bed. A recent report by the state-run KBS TV said Hong’s son visited the emergency room at Seoul National University Hospital on Nov. 24 with pain in his leg. Medical staff told him it was not urgent and

Dec. 10, 2021

[Editorial] Why not disclose info?

In connection with an incident in which a Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official was shot dead by North Korean soldiers in the North’s waters last year, the presidential office and the Korea Coast Guard reportedly appealed against a court ruling that they should disclose information except for military secrets to his bereaved family. The first-trial court ruled last month that Cheong Wa Dae should disclose reports from the Ministries of National Defense and Oceans and Fisheries and its

Dec. 9, 2021

[Editorial] Vaccine pass dispute

A dispute is intensifying between parents and health authorities, largely due to deepening mistrust in the government’s COVID-19 policies for students and schools. Starting in February, young people ages 12 to 18 will be allowed to go to cram schools, public study rooms and libraries only if they are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or have a recent negative test. Given the impracticality of frequent coronavirus testing, the government’s plan is widely seen as a virtual vaccination r

Dec. 8, 2021

[Editorial] Burden on future taxpayers

One of the most important roles for the legislature is to scrutinize the administration’s use of taxpayer money. But the National Assembly did the opposite with next year’s budget bill, adding to the waste. The budget bill that the majority ruling Democratic Party of Korea effectively passed single-handedly is the largest-ever, at 607.7 trillion won ($516.3 billion), 3.3 trillion won more than the government proposed, and also up 8.9 percent from this year’s budget. The gover

Dec. 7, 2021

[Editorial] Bleak outlook

The long-awaited year-end festive mood is unlikely to be seen in 2021, as South Korea is beset by a host of negative economic signs and the people are increasingly forced to bear the brunt of the painful developments amid another resurgence of COVID-19. Asia’s fourth-largest economy faces a double whammy of surging consumer prices and shrinking incomes that threatens its recovery from the coronavirus-induced downturn. Other key indicators both at home and abroad are far from positive. S

Dec. 6, 2021

[Editorial] Lee’s true colors

Lee Jae-myung, presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, said in an interview with local media Monday that he would not seek to create a land ownership tax if the people oppose it. Lee has vowed to tax owners up to 1 percent of the value of their land, and spend the tax revenue on funding basic income that he pledged to distribute to everyone. But on Nov. 15, he posted on Facebook that those who oppose the tax for fear of suffering a loss even though they are not in the n

Dec. 3, 2021

[Editorial] Crypto-politics

South Korea has moved to push back the planned taxation of virtual assets despite strong opposition from the financial authorities, raising questions about whether the country is properly handling the nascent category of digital investment. The National Assembly’s Strategy and Finance Committee on Tuesday passed a revision bill that would delay taxation of capital gains from the trading of cryptocurrencies by one year to 2023. The delay is set to be confirmed at a plenary session of the

Dec. 2, 2021

[Editorial] Resolute steps needed

As the country’s capacity of available sickbeds for patients infected with the coronavirus is nearing the breaking point, disease prevention authorities will make it a rule to treat them at home. Patients will be hospitalized only when domiciliary treatment is impossible for such reasons as patients’ health conditions or an infection-prone residential environment. Patients will be linked to medical institutions monitoring their health. They will be provided with treatment kits con

Dec. 1, 2021

[Editorial] Perils of smart technology

South Korea’s new apartment complexes increasingly adopt the Internet of Things, or IoT, in which everyday objects and smart devices are connected via the internet. The fast-evolving technology allows residents to remotely turn on and off lights, control home appliances and check for visitors, in what is held up as the future of digital homes. At the heart of apartment IoT is a wallpad, a rectangular smart pad attached to a wall that activates a range of remote functions linked to Wi-Fi

Nov. 30, 2021

[Editorial] Irrational compensation

The government has decided to compensate losses due to its nuclear phaseout policy effectively with electric bills. Criticism of the decision is inevitable in that the government will pass along to the people the cost of enforcing a misguided policy, despite concern and opposition from many quarters of society. It selected five closed or suspended nuclear power plants whose losses it will make up for. They are Wolsong No. 1 in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province; Daejin Nos. 1 and 2 in Samcheo

Nov. 29, 2021

[Editorial] Bumpy road ahead

South Korea’s central bank raised the key rate Thursday, as widely expected, in a bid to rein in rising inflation and snowballing household debt that could derail the economic recovery from the pandemic, but the road ahead appears bumpy. The monetary policy board of the Bank of Korea voted to increase the benchmark seven-day repo rate by 0.25 percentage point to 1 percent, ending a 20-month period in which rates were held below 1 percent to support the pandemic-battered economy. The move

Nov. 26, 2021

[Editorial] The end of a dark history

Chun Doo-hwan, a general-turned-strongman who died Tuesday at the age of 90, was the central figure in South Korean democracy’s dark history. His death came just 28 days after his coup d’etat comrade and immediate successor, Roh Tae-woo, passed away on Oct. 26. With the deaths of the two ex-presidents, the curtain fell on a chapter of Korea’s turbulent times: the bloody crackdown on the Gwangju Democratic Uprising of May 18, 1980. Chun’s iron-fisted rule (1980-1988) le

Nov. 25, 2021

[Editorial] Public safety

South Korea has long been recognized as a relatively safe place to live thanks to tight security and the absence of guns in the hands of criminals. But this perception is breaking apart following latest incidents where police failed to protect victims against brutal assailants. The majority of rank-and-file police officers work hard to protect people day and night, and their dedicated efforts should be duly appreciated. But two tragic cases that took place last week are sending shock waves thro

Nov. 24, 2021

[Editorial] Budget cut concerns

The National Assembly’s National Defense Committee curtailed the Ministry of National Defense’s budget for next year by 446.4 billion won ($375 million), from 55.227 trillion won to 54.781 trillion won. The committee cut the ministry’s “defense capability improvement” expenditures by 612.2 billion won, from 17.336 trillion won to 16.724 trillion won. The expenses, calculated by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, are needed to purchase or develop advanc

Nov. 23, 2021

[Editorial] COVID crisis, again

“Living with COVID-19” has turned out to be more painful than the government forecast, with related figures reaching a precarious level. Unless proper measures are taken in time, the spread of the coronavirus is feared to spiral out of control. Few want to stop the gradual return to pre-pandemic life under the state-guided “living with COVID-19” scheme, but there are signs the nationwide easing of antivirus restrictions on Nov. 1 has caused serious problems. The Korea

Nov. 22, 2021

[Editorial] Parliamentary probe threat

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea went too far when it put pressure on the Ministry of Economy and Finance to include presidential nominee Lee Jae-myung’s major election pledges in the government budget. Referring to this year’s surplus tax revenue, estimated at 50 trillion won ($42.3 billion), Democratic Party Floor Leader Rep. Yun Ho-jung said Tuesday that the financial authorities’ underestimation of the nation’s tax revenue constitutes dereliction of duty and is g

Nov. 19, 2021

[Editorial] Time to halt stopgap measure

As South Korea loosens social distancing rules this month, the number of people venturing out of their homes is rising sharply. This upsurge of outdoor activities was widely expected. What’s surprising, though, is that the Korean government appears to be ill-prepared to handle the increase in human traffic and related changes, suggesting that policymakers did not see what was coming with the introduction of the “living with COVID-19” transition. Even before the restrictions

Nov. 18, 2021