[Robert Cheek] Robonomic question: economics of scarcity and economics of abundance

A few months back, I witnessed a massive strike by Korea’s taxi drivers’ union. They were protesting the planned rollout of a ride-hailing application by a technology company. Admirable as their cause was, their fight was an exercise in futility that eventually came to a head when the chief of the taxi drivers’ union immolated himself. In response, the government placed a moratorium on the rollout of the service, another exercise in futility. In my experience, Koreans are often quick to respond

April 21, 2019

[Cass R. Sunstein] Mueller left a strong hint on obstruction

In coming to terms with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report, we should adopt a principle of neutrality and put entirely to one side our enthusiasm, or our lack of it, for President Donald Trump. It is also essential to emphasize that the report, running to two volumes and some 448 pages, will take some time to absorb.Even so, the most puzzling thing about it is unquestionably a single sentence, repeated several times: “while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime,

April 21, 2019

[David Ignatius] How Xi overplayed his hand with America

In the rebalancing of Sino-American relations that’s underway, the usual roles are reversed: China’s normally deft President Xi Jinping appears to have badly overreached in seeking advantage. And President Trump, who often seems tone-deaf on foreign policy, is riding a bipartisan consensus that it’s time to push back against Beijing. The two nations will probably make a trade deal soon, patching together a working relationship that has been frayed by a year of tariffs and economic brinksmanship.

April 18, 2019

[Jeffrey D. Sachs] Our zero-emission future

The solution to human-induced climate change is finally in clear view. Thanks to rapid advances in zero-carbon energy technologies, and in sustainable food systems, the world can realistically end greenhouse-gas emissions by mid-century at little or no incremental cost, and with decisive benefits for safety and health. The main obstacle is inertia: politicians continue to favor the fossil-fuel industry and traditional agriculture mainly because they don’t know better or are on the take.Most glob

April 17, 2019

[Yang Sung-jin] Mysterious global impact of BTS

Disclaimer: I’m not a member of the BTS fandom named Army. However, because of my job as a newspaper editor, I have been keeping track of the now world-famous K-pop boy band on a regular basis. I’ve read plenty of news articles about the group and listened to their music. Strangely enough, the more I get to know about BTS, more mysteries pop up in my mind. One mystery is BTS’ explosive power that keeps growing in a way that catches even the relatively well-prepared music industry off guard. On F

April 17, 2019

[Kim Seong-kon] Pleasure of reading Mendoza and Molina

Recently, I read “The Truth About the Savolta Case” by celebrated Spanish writer Eduardo Mendoza. In his intriguing novel, Mendoza depicts the turbulent social milieu of early 20th century Barcelona, where there were daily clashes between workers demanding a raise and company owners exploiting workers. It was a critical time when Spain witnessed a massive influx of foreign ideologies such as Bolshevism and anarchism that instigated workers, and capitalism that captivated company owners. The nove

April 16, 2019

[Lee Jae-min] Clawing our way out of plastic mountains

This time we are serious, as things have changed since last summer. We sense increasing social awareness on chronic overuse of plastics, and this is a welcome step in the right direction. New regulations with teeth have arrived at shops. Starting from April 1, single-use plastic bags have been banned at supermarkets and malls. This follows an earlier ban (August 2018) of single-use plastic cups in coffee shops and cafes. Further anti-plastic measures are waiting in queue. Civic engagement is als

April 16, 2019

[Pankaj Mishra] The secret to Modi’s success

On the face of things, Narendra Modi has failed variously and spectacularly as India’s prime minister. After pledging to create millions of jobs, he has -- according to a leaked government report -- presided over a dramatic rise in unemployment among young Indians. Vowing to vanquish terrorism, he took most currency notes out of circulation and cracked down hard in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Kashmir has since witnessed a sharp spike in militancy and its biggest terrorist attack in years.Swe

April 15, 2019

[Sam Rainsy] Rising cost of strongman rule in Cambodia

On April 4, a group of international buyers’ associations from the garment, footwear, sporting and travel goods industries sent a letter to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to express concerns over abusive labor practices and human rights violations.Already, Cambodia’s tax-free access to the vast European Union market, granted under the EU’s “Everything But Arms” scheme, is in danger of being suspended over such violations. If the country is excluded permanently from EBA and other preferential t

April 15, 2019

[David Ignatius] Does Assange merit First Amendment protection?

Is Julian Assange a journalist? The US Justice Department sidestepped that question in its indictment of Assange. But his case is still certain to stir a debate about whether the WikiLeaks founder deserves protection under the First Amendment. Assange was arrested in London on Thursday, as US prosecutors unsealed an indictment accusing him of conspiring with Chelsea Manning to hack a Pentagon computer in 2010 to obtain secret documents that WikiLeaks hoped to publish. The indictment focuses on A

April 14, 2019

[Ana Palacio] Closing Europe’s confidence gap

In Spanish, the word confianza has a double meaning. On one hand, it describes a firm trust in something or someone -- the kind of trust that people around the world, from Brazil to the United States to North Africa, increasingly lack in their leaders and even governance systems. On the other hand, confianza refers to confidence in oneself -- something that is in particularly short supply in Europe.In fact, the European Union is suffering from a deficit of confianza in both senses. This is a uni

April 14, 2019

[Joseph E. Stiglitz] Trump’s most worrisome legacy

Kirstjen Nielsen’s forced resignation as US Secretary of Homeland Security is no reason to celebrate. Yes, she presided over the forced separation of families at the US border, notoriously housing young children in wire cages. But Nielsen’s departure is not likely to bring any improvement, as President Donald Trump wants to replace her with someone who will carry out his anti-immigrant policies even more ruthlessly.Trump’s immigration policies are appalling in almost every aspect. And yet they m

April 11, 2019

[David Ignatius] Trump administration’s Iran sanctions could backfire

The Trump administration’s “maximum pressure campaign” against Iran assumes that economic sanctions are weakening the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps -- and that more sanctions will make the IRGC weaker still. The problem is that US and European intelligence analysts don’t think this forecast is accurate. “Re-imposition of sanctions in 2018 has played into the hands of the IRGC,” warns one recent Western intelligence assessment. Rather than turning Iranians against the corrupt IRGC leadership,

April 11, 2019

[Ferdinando Giugliano] How populists can ruin a global recovery

There is a strange sound of relief coming out of the International Monetary Fund.The IMF has slashed its global growth forecasts to the lowest level since the financial crisis, but it also believes policymakers may have stepped in just in time to avoid a turn for the worse.Central bankers deserve credit for pausing on their long road back to a more normal monetary policy. This has helped to bring some calm to financial markets and may help to lift growth in the second half of this year. But it’s

April 10, 2019

[Kim Myong-sik] Mutual distrust between Korean, Japanese mainstream media

Whether in published narratives or private talks, South Korean and Japanese journalists deplore the present status of relations between their two governments, which remain in an abyss of mutual distrust. They call for greater efforts to increase understanding in official as well as civil sectors across the Korea Strait. However, the mainstream media in both countries have little respect for each other, and that poses an additional stumbling block. Korean media people generally regard their Japan

April 10, 2019

[Robert J. Fouser] Making the most of the renewable energy boom

A few weeks ago, somebody asked me the secret to South Korea’s success. Not being an economist, I couldn’t give an authoritative answer, so I replied by saying simply that Korea invests in its people. An increasingly skilled and talented workforce has allowed Korea to become a leading nation in a range of economic endeavors.Continued growth, however, is not guaranteed. Nations throughout history have risen and fallen in response to economic and technological paradigm shifts. The same holds true

April 9, 2019

[Kim Seong-kon] The States, Spain and South Korea

I have always thought that I spent the best years of my life in the United States. Living in the States as a young man was truly an inspiration to me because I was exposed to the great American heritage: cultural and ethnic diversity. From American culture, I also learned the promise of social mobility, generosity, and the capacity for embracing differences. Indeed, my youthful years in America significantly expanded the scope of my mind and broadened my perspective. Recently, I spent the best y

April 9, 2019