Most Popular
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[Exclusive] Korean adoptee sisters meet for the first time in 39 years
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Yoon calls for measures to protect Koreans amid escalating Iran-Israel conflicts
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Signs point to N. Korean troops in Russia-Ukraine combat zone
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Rose's 'Apt.' redefines K-pop's global appeal
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Civil servant’s death linked to workplace bullying
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[Weekender] Walk around Korea to really get to know the country
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Two years on, thousands mourn Itaewon tragedy, calling for accountability
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N. Korea slams Seoul-Washington joint air exercise
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[Herald Interview] K-pop’s 'best years are ahead of us': Spotify’s general manager for Asia Pacific
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[Herald Interview] Love for K-drama, food defines 'Secret Ingredient'
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[Noah Smith] Automation is a race US can’t afford to lose
The US has traditionally been a nation of optimists about technology. But just when the world seems poised for a technologically-driven productivity boom, Americans have acquired a dour outlook about the march of progress. Growing fears that not everyone will share in the benefits is leading to resistance that threatens to hold the nation back. Recapturing the bold attitudes of yesteryear will require more than rhetoric -- it’ll require sweeping policy changes. You’d think now would
June 28, 2021
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[Carl P. Leubsdorf] The most significant result of Biden-Putin meeting
In the 75 years that the United States and Russia have dominated global power politics, their underlying goal has remained remarkably constant: maintaining enough stability and predictability to prevent their differences from sparking a nuclear war. It was the mutual renewal of that concept that, if maintained, will be the most significant long-term result of the recent summit meeting between President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin, especially after the unpredictable tenure of
June 28, 2021
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[Serendipity] Innovations should be natural
The government recently launched a new round of publicity blitz to promote Korean culture abroad, this time involving the screening of a “fashion film” set in a Joseon period palace that is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. The aim is two-fold: Let the world know the beauty of Korea’s palaces and, perhaps more urgently, send a clear message that hanbok belongs to Korea. The latter aim has gained urgency as Chinese media have been claiming that hanbok originates from China.
June 25, 2021
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[Lee Kyong-hee] Do not ostracize but protect sexual abuse victims
“Would the perpetrator have been arrested if the victim was a young woman?” This is a question from Hyo-jeong, the 69-year-old protagonist in the 2019 movie “An Old Lady.” While hospitalized with an injured shoulder, she is sexually assaulted by a 29-year-old male nursing assistant, but the authorities do not believe her and repeatedly reject demands for an arrest warrant. Helpless, she chooses her own way of pursuing justice. Hyo-jeong may be right in considering her
June 24, 2021
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[Joe Nocera] Era of exploiting college athletes is ending
The dam has broken. College athletes are going to be paid -- eventually. And it’s about time. The Supreme Court on Monday confirmed unanimously that the National Collegiate Athletic Association is a business that has to conform to the same antitrust rules as any other business. That means its days of operating a multibillion dollar industry on the backs of an unpaid labor force -- the players -- are dwindling rapidly. The issue in NCAA v. Alston, which was argued before the court in Marc
June 24, 2021
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[Karl W. Smith] America should become a nation of renters
Rising real estate prices are stoking fears that homeownership, long considered a core component of the American dream, is slipping out of reach for low- and moderate-income Americans. That may be so -- but a nation of renters is not something to fear. In fact, it’s the opposite. The numbers paint a stark picture. After peaking at 69 percent in 2004, the homeownership rate fell every year until 2016, when it was 64.3 percent, its lowest level since the Census Bureau started keeping track
June 23, 2021
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[Kim Seong-kon] Making the Korean War the “Unforgotten War”
Situated between World War II and the Vietnam War, and overshadowed by the Cold War, the Korean War has inadvertently become the “Forgotten War.” Strangely, people have kept silent about the war and seem to have forgotten it completely. Whenever I see the epigraph “The Forgotten War” at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, I am as heartbroken as I can be because we should remember the Korean War forever. The Korean War was much more than a civil war. Rather, i
June 23, 2021
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[Lee In-hyun] His passion for the country -- Sibelius
In South Korea, June is known as the month to commemorate patriots, veterans and service members. During the month, we have two very special national holidays: Memorial Day, honoring those who have fallen serving the country, and Korean War Memorial Day for those who sacrificed their lives fighting for democracy. My mind often feels solemn on this month as the country recognizes our service members, patriots and veterans. For more diverse and professional music studies, I decided to study in th
June 23, 2021
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[Trudy Rubin] Biden-Putin summit: No illusions, but Russia put to the test
Rate the US-Russia summit in Geneva as a success for President Joe Biden. If you want to understand why, just look at what Vladimir Putin said back home the day after the summit ended. “I want to say that the image of President Biden, (as) portrayed by our and even the American press, has nothing to do with reality,” Putin told alumni of a Russian management program, by video. (He was referring to constant efforts by Russian state-controlled media, along with Trumpist media, to por
June 22, 2021
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[Dave Anderson] Centrist position on Mideast problem
There is a familiar pattern of responses to the Israeli-Palestinian problem that mirrors most political problems. There are two positions that are diametrically opposed to each other, and then there is a middle position that is characterized as a moderate or centrist position. The two positions that stand in direct opposition are complete support for Israel and complete support for the Palestinians. The former position holds that the Palestinians rejected the initial offer by the British and Eu
June 22, 2021
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[Jeffrey D. Sachs] Group of Seven summits are an anachronism
The latest G7 summit was a waste of resources. If it had to be held at all, it should have been conducted online, saving time, logistical costs, and airplane emissions. But, more fundamentally, G-7 summits are an anachronism. Political leaders need to stop devoting their energy to an exercise that is unrepresentative of today’s global economy and results in a near-complete disconnect between stated aims and the means adopted to achieve them. There was absolutely nothing at the G-7 summit
June 21, 2021
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[Bill Emmott] Herd immunity is closer than you think
When will the world have vaccinated 80 percent of all adults, the level presumed by scientists to produce herd immunity against COVID-19? Most people’s answer is 2023 or 2024, which suggests deep pessimism about the progress of vaccinations outside the rich world. That is also why pledges at the recent G-7 summit to donate 1 billion doses to poor countries during this year and in 2022 look to some like generous game changers. But despair is the wrong sentiment and self-congratulation by t
June 18, 2021
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[Robert J. Fouser] New directions for education policy?
For decades, education has sat at the center of political discourse in South Korea. As the country developed, the center of discourse moved from educating the masses for the needs of a growing industrial economy to preparing for university admission and the high social status that it bestowed. Since the 2010s, however, interest in education has cooled somewhat as other issues have come to the fore. Why is this? And what does it mean? During Park Chung-hee’s long dictatorship from 1961 to
June 18, 2021
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[Noah Smith] Global battle for microchip dominance
The world is gearing up for a titanic battle over semiconductors. To secure its position in this most strategic of all industries, the US will have to weigh its strategy carefully and learn the lessons of the past. The right balance of support for both production and innovation will distinguish the winners. Of all modern industries, semiconductors -- i.e., computer chips -- are the most jealously guarded and sought-after by national governments, for many reasons. First of all, they‘re mil
June 17, 2021
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[Kim Myong-sik] New age of politics calls for high morality
During an open debate before he was elected chairman of the main opposition People Power Party last week, Lee Jun-seok said he made “several hundred million won (several hundred thousand dollars)” through cryptocurrency trading. Later he reported spending just 30 million won ($27,000), seemingly from these earnings, for his intraparty leadership campaign. It is no surprise that the 36-year-old prodigy in Korean politics who majored in computer science and economics at Harvard Unive
June 17, 2021
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[Jon Healey] Can US Congress fix Big Tech?
The internet has been a great unifier, enabling people to join others around the globe in pursuit of common interests. And now, the internet’s largest platform operators -- Facebook, Amazon, Apple and Google -- are uniting Democrats and Republicans on the House antitrust subcommittee in pursuit of their common interest: reining in Big Tech’s power. Members of the subcommittee on Friday introduced five bills, each with bipartisan co-sponsors, that aim to bar platform operators from u
June 16, 2021
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[Kim Seong-kon] Precious things in these difficult times
Living in these troubled times, we ponder the things that are most precious in life. Some people might think of expensive jewels as precious, such as a diamond ring, a platinum bracelet, or a pearl necklace. Others may pick famous brand name products, such as a Chanel handbag, a Gucci purse, or a Rolex watch. Those who adore expensive cars would treasure a Rolls Royce, a Ferrari, or a Bentley. I addition, there are those who think of political fame and power as a precious thing, such as a minist
June 16, 2021
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[Stephen L. Carter] Paying off ransomware criminals shouldn’t be illegal
Lots of companies have lately been victimized by ransomware hackers -- cybercriminals who infiltrate and encrypt IT systems, then demand money to unlock them. In addition to the much-publicized attack on Colonial Pipeline, recent victims have included one of the biggest US meat packers and the Irish health care system. Cyber pirates might have derailed my family’s annual Martha’s Vineyard vacation by targeting the Steamship Authority -- which controls ferry service to the Island -- a
June 15, 2021
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[Trudy Rubin] What Biden-Putin summit tests
The most eagerly awaited event in President Joe Biden’s overseas trip to Europe is his June 16 summit meeting in Geneva with Vladimir Putin. This is a high-drama event -- regardless of whether the drama takes place in public. Biden has billed his entire trip as an effort to rally the world’s democracies to the competition with dictators at a seminal moment in history. He will meet Putin only after conferring with America’s closest European allies, and with NATO. “We hav
June 15, 2021
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[Charles T. Clark] The trouble with living in denial
I’m a big believer in self-reflection on a personal level, a professional level and a societal level. I firmly believe that if we as individuals and collectively are able to critically think about our failures and shortcomings, we can use them as motivation and as a road map for how to improve. Now I wanted to begin there because it informs how I view this ongoing debate around critical race theory, which seems to have become the latest partisan flashpoint in the “culture wars.&rdq
June 14, 2021