The Korea Herald

[Michael Schuman] South Korea’s lessons for Trump

Advisers seem to have convinced US President Donald Trump not to trash the country’s free-trade agreement with South Korea -- for now. Trump himself still seems intent on extracting concessions from the Koreans and could yet withdraw from the deal. The irony is that, more than any other, South Korea’s own story shows how foolish that would be.Korea’s postwar rise may be the world’s most striking testament to the power of trade to create jobs and amass wealth. In the 1960s, economists wrestled wi

Sept. 13, 2017

[Daniel Moss] Stanley Fischer and IMF changed Asia for good

As he steps down as vice chair of the Federal Reserve, Stanley Fischer has been saluted for his overall contribution to central banking. His complex legacy after transforming key Asian economies should not be forgotten. As first deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund in the late 1990s, he played an important role in the emergency loans to Thailand, Indonesia and South Korea when their currencies collapsed. All three are American allies, and the last two are pivotal strategic

Sept. 13, 2017

[J.M. Opal] General Andrew Jackson plagues US today

One Southern monument that has not come under fire of late stands in front of the North Carolina Capitol. It is a bronze equestrian pose of Gen. Andrew Jackson, the president from 1829 to 1837, with a plaque that reads: “He Revitalized American Democracy.”That’s the usual view of the man. Somehow, we just know that Old Hickory made America a more egalitarian place than what the stuffy, bewigged Founders had designed in 1787.I don’t think the North Carolina statue should be removed. But I do thin

Sept. 13, 2017

[Robert J. Fouser] Korea and the world in 2100

The internet and social media make it hard to escape the news. News junkies are addicted to breaking stories and jump at the chance to post and tweet. Others scroll through the drone of the news in search of more interesting things. The only way to escape, it seems, is to turn off and hide.Fall is a busy season in Korea. The opening of the school term is followed by Chuseok, which soon leads to fall and the end of the year. This year will soon give way to 2018. Most of the children born in Korea

Sept. 12, 2017

[Robert J. Fouser] Korea and the world in 2100

[Kim Seong-kon] We need good professionals and wise men

Koreans are known to be extremely proud of themselves. Perhaps they are too proud to know their place in the world or even in East Asia. Many are so proud of themselves that they have delusions of grandeur, thinking they are one of the smartest peoples in the world. Embarrassingly, however, foreign experts on Korea would not agree with them because of poor decisions the Korean people have made at critical moments in their history. Indeed, we and our political leaders have made astonishingly poor

Sept. 12, 2017

[Kim Seong-kon] We need good professionals and wise men

[Noah Feldman] Trump’s right: Immigration is Congress’ mess

Amid the laudable moral support for the DACA recipients after President Donald Trump’s revocation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, liberals should keep in mind an important constitutional principle: Immigration is supposed to be the province of Congress, not the executive. The belief that the president has ultimate immigration power can lead to terrible results -- like Trump’s travel ban against six majority-Muslim countries, also powered by the mistaken idea that immigrati

Sept. 12, 2017

[Doyle McManus] 'What Happened' in 2016? Hillary Clinton still doesn’t know

Was this book necessary? Hillary Clinton’s anguished, angry memoir of her presidential campaign, “What Happened,” will be unveiled this week, complete with television appearances and a 15-city lecture tour.Other Democrats have been dreading this moment for months.“I love Hillary,” Al Franken, the senator from Minnesota, said a few weeks ago. “I think she has a right to analyze what happened. But we do have to move on.”A backward-looking slog through the disappointments of last year’s campaign is

Sept. 12, 2017

[Lee Sung-yoon] Tighten North Korea sanctions; it’s the only way

North Korea isn’t stopping. Whether the powerful nuclear device it detonated earlier this month really is compatible with an intercontinental ballistic missile matters far less than the fact that the Kim Jong-un regime now stands on the verge of nuclear breakout. Simply put, Kim is closer to being able to kill millions of people outside North Korea, not least Americans.That is precisely the message behind Pyongyang’s repeated missile tests and Kim’s bluster barrage over the past several months.K

Sept. 12, 2017

[David Ignatius] While Trump takes the shots, Tillerson runs the offense

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has often been the silent man in Trump’s foreign policy team. But out of the spotlight, he appears to be crafting a broad strategy aimed at working with China to resolve the North Korea crisis and with Russia to stabilize Syria and Ukraine.The Tillerson approach focuses on personal diplomacy, in direct contacts with Chinese and Russian leaders, and through private channels to North Korea. His core strategic assumption is that if the US can subtly manage its relat

Sept. 11, 2017

[David Ignatius] While Trump takes the shots, Tillerson runs the offense

[Leonid Bershidsky] Negotiate with North Korea? A Russian tried

Negotiating with North Korea about the future of its nuclear program is often mentioned as an alternative to a military intervention. Neither is a viable option, says Vitaly Mansky, one of the few people who know first-hand what it’s like to negotiate with North Koreans and achieve a measure of success.In May 2013, Mansky’s documentary production company signed a deal with the Korea Film Export & Import Corporation, a North Korean government agency, to jointly make a movie called “Under the Sun.

Sept. 11, 2017

[Leonid Bershidsky] Negotiate with North Korea? A Russian tried

[Eli Lake] Art of renegotiating Iran nuclear deal

Since Donald Trump assumed the presidency, European allies have worried he will fulfill his campaign promise and pull the US out of the Iran nuclear deal.Trump’s national security cabinet has a different idea. US officials tell me that a new strategy on the agreement is ready for the president’s approval. Instead of blowing it apart, the plan is to make it stronger.The idea can be summed up as “waive, decertify and fix.” On Sept. 14, Trump is expected to waive the crippling sanctions on Iran’s b

Sept. 11, 2017

[Carl P. Leubsdorf] Trump and the Texas Republicans declare war on Hispanics

For more than three decades, Republicans have regarded the growing number of family-centered, socially conservative Hispanics as natural targets in their quest to become a majority party.But not anymore.In deed and word, President Donald Trump and Texas Republican officials have essentially declared war on Hispanics, targeting their growing presence and burgeoning influence at a time the Republican Party is receiving dwindling national support from them.The long-term political impact could be de

Sept. 11, 2017

[Mark Buchanan] I’m not sold on self-driving cars

If you believe the optimists, self-driving cars will dominate our roads within a couple decades. This will reduce or even eliminate such human-created ills as traffic jams and fatal accidents.I’m not so sure.Granted, the rise of autonomous vehicles does seem imminent, with companies such as Apple, Google, Ford and General Motors already testing small fleets in realistic conditions. Some think the US could have 10 million by 2020. Experts predict that the shift away from car ownership could save

Sept. 11, 2017

[Trudy Rubin] On NK, generals undercut by Trump

In 1964, as Moscow and Washington were locked in a nuclear competition, the satirical blockbuster “Dr. Strangelove” mesmerized the nation. It portrayed an unhinged general who triggers a nuclear first strike against the Soviets behind the president’s back.As Secretary of Defense James Mattis (along with the Joint Chiefs chairman, Gen. Joseph Dunford) met with reporters on the White House lawn last week, after North Korea’s sixth and most powerful nuclear test, it seemed as if the premise of “Dr.

Sept. 10, 2017

[Trudy Rubin] On NK, generals undercut by Trump

[Noah Smith] Free trade with Korea is great for US

President Donald Trump is reportedly moving to renegotiate or even cancel the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement. Allow me to explain why this is a uniquely bad idea.Many of my Bloomberg colleagues have already spoken out to defend the agreement. The Bloomberg View editors point out that since the deal was signed, South Korea has invested more in the US, creating jobs for Americans. David Volodzko notes that US exports of services to Korea have risen as well, creating a $10 billion trade surplus in s

Sept. 10, 2017

[Noah Smith] Free trade with Korea is great for US

[Daniel Moss] Australia must get serious about investing in Asia

Sure. It’s impressive. No wonder Australians like to boast about their 25 years of uninterrupted economic growth.But the achievement masks a deep complacency and risk aversion that could ultimately undo those gains.A large part of Australia’s economic success reflects a huge expansion in trade with Asia, particularly China. Corporate Australia is quite willing to sell to Asia, especially commodities. The nation’s direct investment tells a different story. It is focused instead in the US, the UK

Sept. 10, 2017

[Hans A. von Spakovsky] DACA is unconstitutional, as Obama admitted

President Donald Trump has caught a lot of heat for rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program with a six-month wind-down. Few people seem aware that he’s ending an administrative amnesty for illegal aliens that President Barack Obama lacked the constitutional and legal authority to implement.How do we know? Because even Obama admitted it -- repeatedly.Responding in October 2010 to demands that he implement immigration reforms unilaterally, Obama declared, “I am not king. I ca

Sept. 10, 2017

[Ann McFeatters] Trump reshaping America for worse

We’ve all become bit players in Donald Trump’s bizarre reality show, but behind the bluster, he’s altering our lives through dramatic changes in regulations.We quake with anxiety that he might get us into a catastrophic war with North Korea. Then we gasp when he threatens to deport 800,000 of the best and brightest. We puzzle over his touting of a nonexistent tax plan. And he stuns by equating racists and neo-Nazis with opponents of hatred and discrimination.We nervously watch him try out differ

Sept. 10, 2017

[Letter to the editor] Let diplomacy work its way

In resolving the Korean Peninsula issue, South Korea needs to take a leadership role and own the issue outright. The country’s leadership plays second fiddle to the US. Surprisingly, it does not seem to understand the concerns related to North Korea.South Korea is far stronger than North Korea militarily and should therefore not fear the North. South Korea should terminate for a year the annual military exercise with the US in return for the North’s cessation of missile and nuclear tests. After

Sept. 10, 2017

[Fabiola Santiago] Mr. President, let’s talk about the Dreamers

Mr. President (aka @realDonaldTrump),After the inauguration, you pledged to treat Dreamers with “great heart.”You might have heard the collective sigh of relief around the nation from the White House. But, a mere month later, you were giving mixed signals.“DACA is a very, very difficult subject for me,” you said. “To me, it’s one of the most difficult subjects I have because you have these incredible kids, in many cases not in all cases. In some of the cases they’re having DACA and they’re gang

Sept. 8, 2017

[Fabiola Santiago] Mr. President, let’s talk about the Dreamers