[Benjamin Carter Hett] Putin and the desperation of tyrants

In recent days the world has watched with astonishment and admiration as the people of Ukraine have put up fierce -- and so far, successful -- resistance against Vladimir Putin’s brutal invasion of their country. Putin has united the world against him like never before. Unexpectedly severe sanctions are starting to bite deeply into the Russian economy. Even thousands of brave Russians have taken to their own streets to protest the war. It may be that Russia will still manage to win some

March 8, 2022

[Josep Borrell] Putin’s war has given birth to geopolitical Europe

Some weeks can feel like decades, and this week has been one of them. With Russia’s naked act of aggression against Ukraine, the tragedy of war has erupted in Europe once again. Russian forces have shelled residential housing, schools, hospitals, and other civilian infrastructure. The Kremlin’s propaganda machine has been pushed into overdrive in its effort to justify the unjustifiable. More than one million people have already fled the violence with more to come. Ukrainians, meanwh

March 7, 2022

[Lee Kyong-hee] Romanization of Korean -- alphabet buffet

The Oxford English Dictionary’s latest update on words of Korean origin is yet another reminder of chronic confusion in the romanization of the Korean language. The world’s most authoritative dictionary of the English language added 26 words of Korean origin, more than doubling the number to 50. It was an unprecedented update load from a single language, acknowledgement of the global penetration of Korean cultural content. But while the OED’s description of a “daebak&rd

March 3, 2022

[Jean Pisani-Ferry] Will the climate agenda unravel?

In a recent survey, 52 percent of French citizens cited their purchasing power as a major concern. Only 29 percent mentioned the environment, putting this issue roughly on a par with the health system (30 percent) and immigration (28 percent). Given this background, it is no surprise that the transition to a climate-neutral economy does not feature prominently in the current French presidential election campaign. With the start of the war in Ukraine, the French may -- for once -- discuss foreig

March 3, 2022

[Kim Seong-kon] We lost our guiding star Lee O-young

When professor Lee O-young sadly passed away last week, Korea lost its precious Polaris, the North Star that has guided her people in the darkest hours of the night. When he was with us, we were already praising him as a legendary person so rarely and extraordinarily gifted that someone like him could appear only once in a century. Now leaving this world after 89 years, he has become a legend again. Professor Lee lived an admirable life with fame and honor. A renowned literary critic and proli

March 2, 2022

[Doyle McManus] Welcome to Cold War 2.0

No matter how Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine ends, it already marks a turning point in history: the end of a 30-year period of relative peace in Europe and a return to hostility between Russia and its neighbors -- a kind of Cold War 2.0. If we’re lucky. The first Cold War, from 1947 until 1991, divided the world between two hostile blocs. The United States and the Soviet Union reached the brink of nuclear war at least three times, most famously in the 1962 Cuban missile crisi

March 2, 2022

[Jeffrey Frankel] Fighting the last inflation war

In 1955, then-US Federal Reserve Chair William McChesney Martin famously said that the Fed’s job was to take away the punch bowl “just when the party was really warming up,” rather than waiting until the revelers were drunk and raucous. Decades later, in the aftermath of the 1970s inflation, it became an article of faith among monetary policymakers that they should not wait until elevated inflation showed its face before reining in an overheating economy. Today, with inflation

March 1, 2022

[Elizabeth Shackelford] If Putin doesn’t fear Western sanctions, his cronies might

A decade ago, I was a US diplomat serving in Warsaw, Poland. I had a close group of Polish friends who, while not in the field of foreign affairs, had a strong fear of Putin’s Russia. They were concerned his aggression and resentment would lead him one day to launch war again in Europe. I dismissed their concerns as a Cold War hangover. Poland then seemed so prosperous and at peace, and Russia so weak compared with the EU. The 2008 invasion into Georgia seemed a far cry from a threat on W

March 1, 2022

[Jean Guerrero] Are electromagnetic weapons involved? Taking victims of ‘Havana syndrome’ seriously

The US investigation into mysterious symptoms known as the “Havana syndrome” could provide Americans with long-overdue insights into the emerging threats of directed-energy devices. Hundreds of US government personnel -- mostly spies and diplomats abroad -- have reported piercing pain, unexplained sounds, vertigo, vision loss, memory loss, insomnia and signs of brain damage since 2016, when dozens were afflicted in Cuba. Later incidents were reported in China, Russia, Colombia, Aus

Feb. 28, 2022

Japanese gold mine hides seedy, sordid past

“Sado Kinzan Gold Mine, located in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, is a collection of historic relics depicting the 400-year history of Sado‘s gold and silver mines. A guided tour, which includes facilities such as ‘the Best Gold Processing Plant in Asia’ and ‘Japan‘s First Western-Style Vertical Tunnel,’ will cause visitors to marvel at the impressive scale.” The introduction of the tourist site, which has been formally recommended by the Japanese gov

Feb. 25, 2022

[Robert J. Fouser] Election 2022: Passion vs fear

As the presidential election gets closer, candidates have picked up the pace of campaigning in the hope of reaching out to a dwindling pool of malleable voters. Polls continue to show a tight race between Lee Jae-myung and Yoon Suk-yeol, with Ahn Cheol-soo and Sim Sang-jung far behind. Since Lee and Yoon received their nominations, polls have been remarkably stable. As of this writing, Yoon has a slight lead, but within the margin of error in most polls. Since democratization in 1987, South Kor

Feb. 25, 2022

[Pankaj Mishra] Don’t play demagogues’ games

Recent weeks have confirmed that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson poses a dire risk to the moral health of UK society. His canard, borrowed from far-right conspiracists, that Labour Party leader Keir Starmer failed in his previous role as prosecutor to put a notorious pedophile behind bars prompted a mob to assault Starmer in the street. London’s Metropolitan Police are now investigating death threats against him. Commentators are aghast that Tory members of Parliament have not replac

Feb. 24, 2022

[Kim Myong-sik] A tale of two migratory bird sanctuaries

When Gimpo, right outside of Seoul in Gyeonggi Province, began a “new town” project in cooperation with the Land and Housing Corp. about 10 years ago, it conceived an eco-friendly community where residents could enjoy the spectacle of migratory birds flying over and resting in the wetland along the Han River estuary. The Gimpo delta is on the migration route of birds from Siberia and Alaska to Japan and Southeast Asia. The Gimpo-Han River Ecological Park was created on a plot of ab

Feb. 24, 2022

Japan’s Sado mine heritage bid spawns conflicts

The Japanese government’s newly launched effort to place a gold mine complex on the UNESCO World Heritage List plunges it into another unseemly historical and diplomatic quagmire. In December, Japan’s Council for Cultural Affairs approved the candidacy of the complex on the island of Sado, 32 km from the Japanese mainland. The Korean Foreign Ministry quickly protested and public concerns mounted over the already stalled relations between Seoul and Tokyo. With the Feb. 1 deadlin

Feb. 23, 2022

[Kim Seong-kon] Twelve eerie stories that reflect our society

I recently came across Oh Yoon-hee’s intriguing novel, “The Eerie Story Club at Samgae Tavern & Inn.” The novel is set in the 18th century in the Joseon Kingdom, at a tavern & inn in Samgae Ferry -- modern day Mapo -- where all sorts of vendors come and go with lurid and strange stories to tell. Part One unfolds with various bizarre stories that the protagonist, Seonnomi overheard from vendors who had dropped in for a drink or a one-night stay. Part Two introduces the

Feb. 23, 2022

[Martin Schram] The most fateful error

We begin today’s respite with an easy, one-question pop quiz: QUESTION: At the end of the 20th century’s Cold War, the three nations with the largest nuclear arsenals were: the United States, Russia, and -- (A) Britain, (B) France, (C) China, (D) none of the above? And the correct answer, as you probably know, is: (D). When the Soviet Union collapsed, about one-third of the former Soviet nuclear weapons were still in Ukraine, the suddenly untethered Soviet region just southwest o

Feb. 22, 2022

[Ana Palacio] Has Putin reversed Nixon in China relations?

On Feb. 21, 1972, US President Richard Nixon arrived in China for what would become a transformative weeklong visit. Beyond establishing diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic, Nixon’s trip deepened the estrangement between China and the Soviet Union, thereby laying the foundations for a new world order. But, 50 years later, China and Russia are pursuing their own entente, with far-reaching implications. Even if Russian President Vladimir Putin withdraws some of the troops

Feb. 22, 2022

[Shang-Jin Wei] Understanding China since Nixon

On Feb. 21, 1972, Richard Nixon became the first US president to visit the People’s Republic of China, setting in motion a process that would end China’s decadeslong isolation and kick-start the emergence of a modern, dynamic economy. But, despite the seismic economic changes in China in the intervening half-century, many in the West regard today’s People’s Republic as an unreformed communist country whose unfair trade practices are harming Western workers and consumers.

Feb. 21, 2022

[Lee In-hyun] Love and classical music

There is a romantic and lovely event in February. Someone confesses one’s love or goes out on a date with a special someone or even remembers past loves. Do you know which day I am talking about? Valentine’s Day in the past was a day only for lovers, but now it is a day for exchanging chocolates regardless if between lovers, friends or family. Some say it is a day established by the chocolate business to sell their products. Some say it is like any other normal day. However, it is

Feb. 21, 2022

[Lynn Schmidt] Teamwork a winning factor in politics

Jan. 10 marked the 40th anniversary of my favorite football memory. The San Francisco 49ers pulled off an 89-yard drive with an impressive play pass, designed by coach Bill Walsh, in which Dwight Clark literally rose out of the pack in the end zone and made “The Catch.” The 49ers came from behind and won the 1981 NFC championship against the Dallas Cowboys. The 49ers then went on to win 1982 Super Bowl against the Cincinnati Bengals. Clark told reporters following the game that quar

Feb. 18, 2022