[John Mark Hansen] McCarthy has won - at an alarming cost

For the past four days, Americans and others around the world have had their eyes glued to the spectacle of the US House of Representatives trying -- and failing, 14 times -- to elect a new Speaker. Now, by making even more concessions, Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California has finally grasped the gavel. McCarthy has won, but at an alarming cost for the country and his own party. Some features of the conflict in the Republican Party that we saw on display this week are nothing new. Every party has i

Jan. 9, 2023

[Shang-Jin Wei] Can China save its economic miracle?

China’s recent decision to abandon its strict zero-COVID policy has led many to believe that its economy will bounce back. The Economist Intelligence Unit, for example, has revised its forecast for Chinese GDP growth in 2023 upward, to 5.2 percent. But growth recovery is not automatic, and China must contend with several challenges, including declining confidence among firms and households about their future incomes in the short run, insufficient productivity growth in the medium run, and

Jan. 6, 2023

[Martin Schram] A New Year’s border crisis resolution

Ever true to its traditions, Official Washington has celebrated its holidays by toasting its successes, and then cruising comfortably into yet another new year. So this is the right time to remind our capital’s cognoscenti that some areas of Washington governance can and must do better in 2023. We can think of three: executive, legislative and judicial. Each of the three official branches of government has always provided us with insider wisdom on just what is wrong with the other two. And

Jan. 5, 2023

[Lee Kyong-hee] Calming your soul at celadon exhibit

For readers seeking a peaceful interlude at the start of the new year, I would suggest visiting the renovated celadon gallery at the National Museum of Korea. A moment of tranquility and self-reflection in aesthetic ambience may help reset and recharge for the challenging times ahead. The gallery has been carefully remodeled to emphasize the beauty of outstanding celadon objects from the Goryeo period (918-1392), the zenith of traditional Korean art. The centerpiece of the gallery is a room name

Jan. 5, 2023

[Kim Seong-kon] Peace and prosperity! The Year of the Rabbit 2023

That turbulent Year of the Tiger, 2022, is finally over. As the Year of the Rabbit 2023 is looming, we hope serenity and tranquility are ahead of us after a hard year of domestic and international disruptions. The year 2022 began with the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February and President Yoon Suk-yeol’s inauguration in March. In September, Queen Elizabeth II passed away and in October, the tragic Itaewon crowd crush happened. Then the US mid-term election in November rounded out the Ye

Jan. 4, 2023

[Tammy Duckworth] Realistic FAA evacuation standards

Imagine you’re crammed into your middle seat -- behind a crying baby, of course -- and a wave of turbulence rocks the plane. Then another. Then that singular, ominous “ding” as the flight crew kindly urges -- demands, really -- that passengers return to their seat and buckle up. They’re sorry for the inconvenience, but it’s for your own safety. Imagine, then, that the turbulence doesn’t stop. It gets worse. People begin to panic. Somehow, though, miraculously,

Jan. 4, 2023

Belarusian ambassador urges Poland to resolve disputes via dialogue

Belarusian Ambassador to Korea Andrew Chernetsky urged Poland to resolve bilateral disputes over the Russia-Ukraine war and migration crisis on the Polish border through diplomacy and dialogue. Responding to Polish Ambassador to Korea Piotr Ostaszewski's comments in a previous interview with The Korea Herald, Chernetsky said his claims of Belarus' support of Russia in the war were "extremely belligerent" and that addressing such "accusations" via local media is not

Jan. 3, 2023

[Nicholas Goldberg] Is it time to wind down the war in Ukraine?

There's been a lot of uplifting, we're-in-it-to-win-it language used about the Ukraine war recently. The message being sent is that the United States is committed for the long haul and won't abandon its friends to a brutal aggressor like Russian President Vladimir Putin. It's a moving display of solidarity, including last week's visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the White House -- especially since it comes against the backdrop of 100,000 Ukrainian sol

Jan. 3, 2023

[Andrew Sheng] Give peace a chance

Are we truly heading for war? The Ukraine war is such a horrible disaster that we must think seriously about how to get back to peace and stability. Reading Roman history during the Christmas holidays, I was struck by how the Romans were driven by almost perpetual war. Rome first consolidated power during the Punic wars against Carthage, but the spoils of war in Gaul, Syria and Egypt, etc. became booty for aggressive consuls and generals like Julius Caesar to buy political votes in Rome. Ultimat

Jan. 3, 2023

[Daniel DePetris] Why is US defense budget so big? Rethink its approach

If there is one piece of legislation Congress prioritizes every year, it’s the annual government spending bill. After the usual last-minute hiccups over amendments, the Senate finally settled on an agreement to pass the $1.7 trillion bill and the House followed suit. Unsurprisingly, much of the debate over the spending package focused on the top-line numbers, particularly in the realm of defense. At $858 billion, the US defense budget got a boost of $76 billion, or about 10 percent, from

Jan. 2, 2023

[Gordon Brown] Putting Putin and Company in the Dock

Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to wage a winter war of attrition against Ukraine, targeting its civilian population in an attempt to starve and freeze the country into submission. In light of this dangerous escalation, the West must heed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s urgent plea for additional support. To be sure, supplying the Ukrainian military with weapons beyond anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles walks the fine line that US President Joe Biden and NATO drew

Jan. 2, 2023

[Robert J. Fouser] Looking toward a more stable 2023

Events of the last view months of 2022 offer hints about the direction of the world in 2023. In November, results of the US midterm elections deeply damaged Donald Trump’s prospects for a return to the White House. In December, China abandoned its long-held “zero-COVID” policy, beginning the long process of returning to normal. And just before Christmas, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a surprise visit to Washington and gave a stirring speech to a joint session of

Dec. 30, 2022

Kazakhstan discusses new ways to solidify cooperation with Korea

The Kazakh Embassy in Seoul discussed a strategic partnership, cultural linkages and new areas to solidify cooperation with Korea in a roundtable held as part of the 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan-South Korea relations on Dec. 22. Delivering a keynote speech at the roundtable, the Kazakh Ambassador to Korea Bakyt Dyussenbayev assessed significant achievements from the two countries’ political, economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation. The ambassador noted that trade turnover between

Dec. 29, 2022

UN adopts resolution on Uzbekistan's proposal

In recent years, the authority and reputation of Uzbekistan in the international arena have increased dramatically. This can be seen from the example that the initiatives put forward by the president of our country are supported at the international level, documents of prestigious international organizations are developed and implemented on their basis. At the 75th session of the UN General Assembly in 2020, the head of state put forward several initiatives to strengthen peace and stability at t

Dec. 29, 2022

Burmese activist named recipient of Kim Geun Tae Award

Burmese writer and democracy activist Pencilo has been honored with the Kim Geun Tae Award for her book "Spring Revolution." The award is named after Kim Geun-tae, a pro-democracy activist and politician who laid the cornerstone of South Korean democracy. Pencilo, the author of "Spring Revolution," published a Korean translation of her work in February. Pencilo is an aide to Aung San Suu Kyi. She and six other high-profile figures have been sought after Myanmar's junta on cha

Dec. 29, 2022

[Jacob Mchangama] Don’t be too tempted by Europe’s plan to fix social media

For many Americans, social media has become a monster. Platforms like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are seen as festering hotbeds of hate and misinformation that threaten the very foundations of American democracy and civility. Calls for regulation have intensified, with some prominent voices looking across the pond for a model to regulate social media in the public interest. In November, the European Union’s Digital Services Act took effect, with enforcement beginning for some businesses

Dec. 29, 2022

[Martin Schram] Putin's and Trump's wars on democracy

Nonstop cable news presenters were agog and aghast. They warned us, last Wednesday, that we were about to witness an epic moment. Their news worlds were about to collide. Unprecedented and seemingly unrelated mega-news stories, foreign and domestic, were careening at us simultaneously, anchors explained. They all might suddenly gush out of our Great News Funnel -- and into our living rooms -- at once. Just imagine it: NEWS GUSH: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was secretly flying

Dec. 29, 2022

[Kim Seong-kon] Never look back, move forward

Every man has his heyday. Stars in the entertainment business, especially, have their heydays and reminisce about them with strong nostalgia later. The point is that no one can enjoy his or her heyday forever. It is only, at best, an evanescent and transient moment in one’s life. Recently, the New York Times carried an intriguing article entitled, “Gangnam Style Brought K-Pop to the World, but Haunted Its Creator.” Referring to the music video, “Gangnam Style,” that

Dec. 28, 2022

[Jonathan Bernstein] Democrats‘ way to get things done

With the passage of a defense bill and an agreement on a spending package, the 117th Congress is wrapping up an extremely productive two years in office. This Congress, when Democrats held narrow margins in both houses, stands in sharp contrast to the last era of unified control of government, when Republicans controlled both chambers in 2017-2018. That era, remembered for late Sen. John McCain’s thumbs-down rejection of the repeal of part of the Affordable Care Act, ended with an extended

Dec. 27, 2022

[Daniel DePetris] India’s foreign policy is slowly changing thanks to China

Historically, India has preferred to stay away from aggressive power politics, formal security alliances and an us-vs-them foreign policy. Maintaining businesslike relationships with all of the world’s great powers was, and some ways still remains, a paramount objective. Successive Indian governments are notoriously protective of their nation’s sovereignty, integrity and independence. When Biden administration officials sought to convince New Delhi to wean itself off Russian oil to

Dec. 27, 2022