[Kim Seong-kon] Why does socialism persist in capitalist S. Korea?

Many foreigners wonder why socialism and Marxism persist and even remain popular in such an affluent capitalist country as South Korea. Perhaps the reason dates back to Korea’s liberation from Japanese rule in 1945. Historians argue that at the time, the resistance leaders in the Korean Provisional Government located in China needed a counterideology to fight Japanese right-wing military imperialism. Left-wing ideologies such as socialism and Marxism, which flourished in China at that time

Dec. 10, 2019

[Pankaj Mishra] India’s problems bigger than Modi

A new narrative about India is suddenly emerging. Until very recently, India appeared to be a great democracy as well as a rising economic power, a potential partner of the West in its policy of containing China. Writing in Time magazine in 2015, no less a moral and political authority than Barack Obama hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as India’s “reformer-in-chief” who “reflects the dynamism and potential of India’s rise.”However, the latest, radically dif

Dec. 10, 2019

[Daniel Moss] Former sex slaves shouldn’t become trade weapons

A retirement home nestled in farmland 90 minutes from Seoul isn’t what most people would consider a trade-war frontier. But this is no ordinary assisted-living community. Here, visitors can step into a replica of a World War II-era “comfort station”: a dimly lit cabin with a narrow wooden bed, topped with a thin mattress and cheap sheets -- where sex slaves once serviced Japanese soldiers. A photo of a military-issue condom, with holes, is on display.The residents of the House

Dec. 9, 2019

[Ivo Daalder] Cracks in NATO alliance significant

There are really only three ways NATO could end:-- The United States, NATO’s most powerful member, could walk away.-- Europe, led by one of the continent’s larger and more ambitious nations, could break off to try and fend for itself.-- Or an outlying member could throw a wrench in the alliance’s decision-making process, which requires unanimity, therein vetoing the organization into paralysis.All three threats lurked on the horizon as allied leaders headed to London earlier la

Dec. 9, 2019

[Slawomir Sierakowski] Macron needs prudence, restraint to achieve goal

You can be talented, handsome, rhetorically skilled, and politically brave, and yet suffer for it. In the long run, prudence and restraint are crucial ingredients of successful leadership, and it is precisely these two qualities that, up to now, French President Emmanuel Macron appears to lack.Macron wants to lead the European Union into the 21st century. But he will succeed only if he does not go too far. If he overplays his hand, he will open himself up to a challenge from some other rising po

Dec. 8, 2019

[Letter to the Editor] Key factors to consider when choosing a nursing hospital

Nursing hospitals get asked most frequently about the amount charged for hospitalization fees. The reason appears to be that the patient’s children usually pay for the hospitalization fees. If the patients themselves pay the fees, they might ask about hospital facilities or services rather than costs. As the patient’s children bear the cost for the most part, the inquiry about the fees remains the top priority.Simply put, bills for nursing hospitals are specified under the comprehens

Dec. 5, 2019

[Jean Pisani-Ferry] UK and EU should prevent mutual assured damage

Nothing can be taken for granted in the United Kingdom these days, but it is now very likely that 2020 will be the year when Brexit finally happens. A majority of UK citizens will probably be relieved to bring this seemingly endless agony to a close, while most European leaders will likely be glad not to have to argue over another postponement. But questions will remain.To the question of “Who lost Britain?” the answer must be, first and foremost, Britain itself. Whatever mistakes th

Dec. 5, 2019

[Kim Myong-sik] Trump’s gamble in USFK cost-sharing deal

Negotiations are underway on US President Donald Trump’s demand for a fivefold increase in South Korea’s payment for the cost of stationing 28,500 US troops here. The talks in Washington and Seoul may be settled before the year-end. However, the preposterous US demand has raised the average South Korean’s skepticism about the alliance -- by as much as five times. It could be the famous “art of the deal” of the American businessman-turned-president, but it simply bor

Dec. 4, 2019

[Noah Smith] US economy defying recession odds

It’s impressive how well the US economy has held up during the past year. As early as 2018, leading indicators were suggesting a heightened risk of recession in 2019 or 2020. Then early this year the yield curve inverted, a traditional signal that recession is imminent. The inversion has since reversed, but this typically happens before growth actually goes negative. The trigger for a downturn wouldn’t be hard to identify -- a slowing China, combined with President Donald Trump&rsquo

Dec. 4, 2019

[Kim Seong-kon] Korea needs the ‘Factionless’ and ‘Divergent’

“Divergent” is a 2014 dystopian science fiction film based on Veronica Roth’s novel of the same title. This futuristic movie is set in Chicago, where five factions divide society: Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless and Erudite. Those who do not belong to a faction are Factionless -- outsiders who do not have social status and privileges. In addition, there are the Divergent who exhibit attributes of multiple factions and thus can integrate into any faction. That is, a Diverge

Dec. 3, 2019

[Robert J. Fouser] Thinking about language and respect in Italy

A two-week visit to Italy recently revealed much about the state of language in the early 21st century. Apart from sightseeing, I was interested in seeing how much Italian I could learn casually as I traveled.The biggest impression about language on the trip was the spread of English. On a visit to Italy nearly 30 years ago, I remember meeting many people who spoke no or little English, even in major tourist cities such as Florence or Venice. Traveling in Italy meant meeting the language barrier

Dec. 3, 2019

[Jeffrey Frankel ] The case for old-fashioned tariff cuts

The “bicycle theory” used to be a metaphor for international trade policy. Just as standing still on a bicycle is not an option -- one must keep moving forward or else fall over -- so it was said that trade negotiators must engage in successive rounds of liberalization. Otherwise, global openness would gradually succumb to protectionist interests.I don’t know whether the theory was right. In fact, had governments stood still on trade policy over the last three years, the world

Dec. 2, 2019

[Jeffrey D. Sachs] How World Bank arbitrators mugged Pakistan

Wall Street hedge funds and lawyers have turned an arcane procedure of international treaties into a money machine, at the cost of the world’s poorest people. The latest shakedown is a $5.9 billion award against Pakistan’s government in favor of two global mining companies -- Antofagasta PLC of Chile and Barrick Gold Corporation of Canada -- for a project that was never approved by Pakistan and never carried out.Here are the facts.In 1993, a US-incorporated mining company, BHP, enter

Dec. 2, 2019

[Chung Jae-suk] Remaking cultural heritage signs

When I arrive at a cultural heritage site, I linger at the entrance to carefully read the information sign. I formed this habit long before I became the lead administrator of the Cultural Heritage Administration. And I believe most people follow the same routine. As such, the signs are no less than silent guides to our heritage. The passage of time, however, has rendered the signs less and less effective. They were erected decades ago, when Chinese-based technical terms were the norm. Today, Kor

Dec. 1, 2019

[Leonid Bershidsky] Malta proves oligarchs aren’t all Eastern European

The government crisis in Malta, one of the smallest European Union members, shows that oligarchs who purchase political influence -- and who may do just about anything, including commit murder, to avoid being caught -- aren’t just a postcommunist phenomenon. The crisis comes two years after the investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was murdered in a car-bombing. Earlier this month, a suspected middleman in the killing was arrested on unrelated charges and offered up information o

Dec. 1, 2019

[Mark Buchanan] Gene editing might alter DNA, but destroy humanity

Biologists recently revealed a new form of the gene-editing tool known as Crispr that allows researchers to make precise changes to almost any element of DNA, permanently altering cellular biochemistry. It could help treat tens of thousands of diseases linked to variations in a single gene and lead to the creation of better antibiotics.　 The latest development, called prime editing, is more accurate than older Crispr methods, which sometimes alter genomic DNA in the wrong places. The new method

Nov. 27, 2019

[Leonid Bershidsky] Why London has banned Uber — again

London first banned Uber under its buccaneer of a founding chief executive officer, Travis Kalanick -- and now for a second time under Kalanick’s successor, Dara Khosrowshahi, who was meant to be the adult in the room. Though the ban won’t be a popular decision among Londoners and many will call it disproportionate, it shows Uber Technologies has more fundamental problems than the temperament of its top managers.In September 2017, Transport for London, the UK capital’s transpor

Nov. 27, 2019