[Elaine Scarry] North Korea’s new law is far from the only nuclear threat the world faces

North Korea passed a law this month putting into effect Kim Jong-un’s decision that in case he is incapacitated by foreign hands, the country will “automatically and immediately” launch a nuclear retaliation. This arrangement makes it sound as though the North Korean nuclear arsenal is not only designed to be used by one man but exists to keep that one man in power. Is this arrangement an aberration of North Korea, or is it descriptive of the other eight nuclear states? As tens

Sept. 26, 2022

[Jason M. Blazakis] Should the US declare Russia a sponsor of terrorism?

“No.” That was President Joe Biden’s response earlier this month when a reporter asked whether the Russian Federation should be added to the Department of State’s “sponsors of terrorism” list. Biden’s terse reply was disappointing, particularly when there is bipartisan support in Congress for adding Russia to the rolls of repressive regimes that have previously been declared terrorist states. The executive branch despises being pressured on terrorist san

Sept. 26, 2022

[Robert J. Fouser] Restraining power of bureaucracy

The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on Monday brought the largest gathering of world leaders in years, as 500 heads of state and foreign dignitaries gathered in London to honor the beloved queen. Immediately following her death, the new king, Charles III, began leading the nation in mourning and introduced himself to a public that knows no other monarch. In his speeches, King Charles has vowed to dedicate his life to service as his mother had done. His speeches have been marked by their respect fo

Sept. 23, 2022

[Kim Myong-sik] Ten commandments for today’s South Koreans

Teachings from ancestors, dead or alive, are worth taking seriously because they are absolutely unselfish pieces of advice for a successful life of posterity. In family gatherings on occasions like Chuseok that we celebrated earlier this month, teachings are passed down from the older to younger generations. Parents will want to deliver to their children the advice they have received from their own parents with some modifications they feel are necessary out of their lifelong experiences. Meanwhi

Sept. 22, 2022

[Doyle McManus] Putin's brutality in Ukraine can worsen

Russia's imperious president, Vladimir Putin, may have just endured his worst week since the collapse of the Soviet Union, which he says was the greatest tragedy of the 20th century. His vaunted army, including a tank force once considered one of Russia's best, collapsed in the face of a Ukrainian offensive in eastern Ukraine. Some Russian soldiers fled after ditching their uniforms and donning civilian clothes they stole from homes, according to local residents. In southern Ukraine, R

Sept. 22, 2022

Arab cultural festival showcases Qatar World Cup Pavilion

Arab cultures are being showcased ahead of the upcoming Qatar World Cup through Sept. 16 -24 in the lobby of Coex in southern Seoul. The pavilion is part of an exhibition held ahead of the World Cup which kicks off on Nov. 20 in Doha, Qatar’s capital city, and offers visitors a chance to experience Arab culture through activities like trying on Arab costumes, tasting Arabic desserts, getting Arabic pattern tattoos, and taking photos in a majlis, or sitting room in Arabic. Co-hosted by the

Sept. 21, 2022

[Kim Seong-kon] How to become an internationally esteemed country

There is a saying that you can easily find quite a few rich countries, but you have to go quite far before you find an internationally esteemed country. In other words, becoming a respectable country is more difficult than being a rich country. Respect is not something that you can have automatically; you should earn it. How, then, can you earn respect from the international community? Among other things, you should avoid losing dignity and integrity under any circumstances and act with this in

Sept. 21, 2022

[From the Scene]Partnership with Korea in e-governance, digital ecosystem vital to Kazakhstan: minister

By SanjayKumar Korea Herald correspondent NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan -- A partnership with South Korea in e-governance and the digital ecosystem is vital to Kazakhstan, the country's Minister of Digital Development Bagdat Musin said Thursday. “I visited South Korea in 2006 and I saw first e-services there and I realized the need to bring such a system to Kazakhstan,” Musin told foreign journalists at the Digital Government Office in Nur-sultan, Kazakhstan. “Now, we are collaboratin

Sept. 20, 2022

[Ana Palacio] Europe's Energy Myopia

As summer turns to autumn in Europe, the stakes of the continent’s energy crisis are rising fast, with no end in sight. While the proximate cause of the current price spike is the war in Ukraine, its roots run much deeper. In fact, it was the inevitable result of European inaction and tunnel vision -- specifically, its failure to build a true energy union and its single-minded focus on implementing the European Green Deal. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had a unifying effect on the Eur

Sept. 20, 2022

[Martin Schram] Did Xi just learn from Putin?

This was not the way Russia’s (President) Vladimir Putin wanted to look, for all the world to see on Thursday, when he walked into the massive and bizarrely flowered and leafy conference room in Uzbekistan for his much-needed meeting with a deep-pocketed counterpart, China’s (President) Xi Jinping. Putin, who has perfected the art and skill of walking into a summit with his dictator’s swagger-strut that exudes confidence, must feel these days like he’s walking with his te

Sept. 20, 2022

[Josep Borrell] The strategy against Russia must continue

Russia’s war against Ukraine has entered a new phase. The Ukrainian army is making spectacular advances, liberating many towns and villages, and forcing Russian forces to retreat. While it remains to be seen how far the Ukrainian counteroffensive will go, it is already clear that the strategic balance on the ground is shifting. Meanwhile, the European Union has fully mobilized to confront the energy crisis. We have filled our gas storage facilities to above 80 percent -- well ahead of the

Sept. 19, 2022

[Lee Seog-kwang] Upon Queen Elizabeth II’s passing: ‘Your Servant’

Queen Elizabeth II has departed from her long life of service, leaving for us an exemplary record of service bespoke of her commitment to the same. Whereas a great many extraordinary epithets are being offered by means of respect and admiration, she herself would frequently describe herself by this dedication to service in signing royal documents alongside the phrase, "Your Servant." Whatever the presuppositions may be regarding the nature of being a ruling monarch, Queen Elizabeth II

Sept. 19, 2022

[Daniel Johnson] Why women leave US military early

This year, the US military is behind recruiting goals by 23 percent, with the Army alone estimating it will miss goals by nearly 40,000 personnel over the next two years. Now, with the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, a new front has emerged that will likely exacerbate the military’s personnel struggle. The recent decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide abortion access to female veterans is much needed; unfortunately, active duty service members mus

Sept. 16, 2022

[Xuedong Huang] Empowering the Digital Transformation of Education with Artificial Intelligence

During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, I witnessed the ways in which artificial intelligence (AI) could transform the future of education for both teachers and students.  In this video, a young student independently read out loud into a web cam from a teacher-supplied assignment and received feedback on ways to improve their reading fluency. It's the type of remote learning scenario that has become common during the pandemic.  But, what's uncommon in this interaction is how the as

Sept. 15, 2022

[Lee Kyong-hee] Inter-Korean shared roots of gayageum music

Nestled on the southwestern tip of the Korean Peninsula, Yeongam is a rural county in South Jeolla Province with some 53,000 residents. This is where players of the gayageum, a traditional Korean zither with 12 silk strings, gather from around the nation to compete every fall. The backdrop is Wolchulsan, a mountain with exquisite rock peaks that famously anchor a national park. Yeongam also is said to be the birthplace of Wang In, a legendary scholar who introduced Chinese characters and classic

Sept. 15, 2022

[Elizabeth Shackelford] Don’t let China’s rights abuses pay off

The international community should make China a pariah for its crimes against the Uyghur population. Last month’s report from the UN Human Rights Office says China’s actions could constitute crimes against humanity. The United States and others have called it genocide. But China’s massive role in our highly integrated global economy means meaningful action will be costly. A complete economic divorce is impractical, but the United States can and should work with like-minded part

Sept. 14, 2022

[Kim Seong-kon] Missing the great America I used to know

The title may be misleading, but I do not miss the “Great America” that Donald Trump promised in his political campaign motto “Make America Great Again.” I miss the truly great America I used to know and admired in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s when I lived in the US. I miss the great America that heartily pursued and generously embraced cultural and ethnic diversity. I miss the great America that was warmhearted and friendly to foreigners and immigrants. I miss the great Am

Sept. 14, 2022

[Trudy Rubin] Queen Elizabeth’s death deprives Britain and the world of a rock of stability

When it comes to Queen Elizabeth II, it is the marmalade sandwich I will always remember. For those who never saw the video she made with an animated Paddington Bear that was released during her Platinum Jubilee in June, now is the time to watch it on YouTube. Watching Paddington tip his hat and thank the queen “for everything” (after she has just pulled a marmalade sandwich from her purse to show him) was incredibly touching. But, when the two then began to clink their spoons on the

Sept. 13, 2022

[Robert J. Fouser] Problems with country-of-the future analyses

Suddenly, almost overnight, China is now seen as a declining power. Articles and columns discussing how slowing growth, an aging population, and inward-looking nationalism will send China into decline have appeared everywhere. This marks a sea change away from long-held predictions that China would become the pre-eminent economic power in the world. The shift reflects a long tradition in the West of jumping to extremes in discussing Asia. From the late 1970s to the late 1980s, the rise of Japa

Sept. 9, 2022

[Kevin Shird] Reparations would acknowledge injustice

It’s widely understood that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. evolved significantly on the issue of reparations during his short lifetime. Toward the start of his career, he was a moralist in his thinking, rather than the radical economic thinker he later became. In 2018, I befriended Dr. King’s former barber, Nelson Malden, now in his late 80s, and wrote a book with him titled “The Colored Waiting Room” about Nelson’s life and the American civil rights movement

Sept. 8, 2022