[Robert Cheek] The advent of the global AIbot and RIoT economy

When asked to define what a robot is, people generally mention one of two “types,” the first is usually something from the sci-fi robot pantheon of our collective pop culture conscious such as R2-D2 or the Terminator. 　For those with a lower proclivity toward fiction, it often means industrial robots, drones or robot vacuum cleaners. 　Whether the robot envisioned by the mind’s eye of the public is real or fictitious, what escapes most is the penetration of robotics technologies into every aspect

Feb. 19, 2016

[Keren Landman] Stop stigmatizing microcephaly

During my first week of medical school, we watched a video documenting the life and death of a child with severe spina bifida. 　Her parents had been aware of her prognosis long before birth but did not terminate the pregnancy; they cared for her until her death, when she was 8. Speaking years afterward, they regretted nothing. They saw her as a gift from God, to be valued and loved as much as their other children.　I distinctly remember sitting in the lecture hall and thinking, “You people are ou

Feb. 18, 2016

[Jonathan Eyal] Paranoia in Pyongyang drives quest for nuclear arms

North Korea’s quest to acquire both nuclear weapons and their delivery systems was high on the agenda when United States President Barack Obama meets with Asean leaders at the Sunnylands resort in California. As the U.S. State Department’s spokesman put it, Obama wishes to forge a “close coordination towards a robust and united international response” to North Korea’s “violations of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions that threaten international peace and security.”　But the disc

Feb. 18, 2016

[Kim Ji-hyun] Age is more than a number

Whenever I stroll around Tokyo, walk into shops or basically do anything that involves meeting people, I forget my age.　I thought it was because I was this incredibly cool person, but after a brief trip to Seoul, I realized it wasn’t me. It was because most people are actually older than me in Japan.　I am not about to reveal my age publicly, but I will say I am closer to 40 than 30. 　But in Japan, I still feel youthful because, except for students and kids — of whom there isn’t an abundant suppl

Feb. 17, 2016

[Kim Myong-sik] From fear, anger to stronger unity, resolve

There was a time at the height of the Cold War when “MAD” was much talked about as the ultimate strategy in the U.S.-Soviet nuclear confrontation. As some may still remember, it was the acronym for mutual assured destruction, which meant ensuring enough second-strike capability to destroy the military and industrial targets in enemy territory after suffering an initial nuclear attack. Critics called it a strategy of “MADness against MADness,” but the West won the Cold War, possibly thanks to MAD

Feb. 17, 2016

[Robert J. Fouser] Fragility of international cooperation

Since the late 2000s, news coming out of Europe has been negative. 　The financial crisis of 2008 hit Europe hard. Concerns over high debt levels in Greece, Ireland, Portugal, and Spain raised speculation that Greece might be forced to leave the euro. Fiscal austerity measures devastated these already weakened economies and nearly caused the collapse of the Greek economy. Terrorist attacks in Paris and a wave of refugees from Syria stoked fears of a nationalist backlash against immigrants. A refe

Feb. 16, 2016

[Kim Seong-kon] Korea’s friendship with Southeast Asia

North Korea has done it again. This trigger-happy country, which keeps turning a deaf ear to warnings from the international community, launched a missile again recently, this time a long-range one. South Koreans wonder why the United States let this happen, even as Washington aggressively pressured Iran to give up its nuclear weapon program. 　Once again, China did not seem particularly enthusiastic about sanctioning its unruly neighbor. It is well known that China does not want to see North Kor

Feb. 16, 2016

[John. H. Cha] Unforgotten soldiers of the 'forgotten war'

The Korean War is often characterized as the “forgotten war.” Just about all the books and articles I’ve read on the subject of Korean War contain those words, and quite frankly, I think using this kind of phrase for a war that has impacted so many lives and continue to do so to this day, is pure nonsense. 　Forgotten by whom, I ask? It certainly is not forgotten by the relatives of the 4 million or so people, military and civilian, who died in the war. The more than 10 million people who have lo

Feb. 15, 2016

[Lee Jae-min] Global warming's other casualty

The onset of the New Year has been greeted by concerning stories about a new global epidemic. The World Health Organization has warned that a new epidemic in South America is “explosively” spreading and declared it a Public Health Emergency situation. 　As of early February, the Zika virus has spread to as many as 33 countries in the Western Hemisphere and is now sprouting elsewhere. Countries in South America have now seen thousands of new cases of microcephaly, a brain defect syndrome presumabl

Feb. 15, 2016

[John. H. Cha] Unforgotten soldiers of the ‘forgotten war’

The Korean War is often characterized as the “forgotten war.” Just about all the books and articles I’ve read on the subject of Korean War contain those words, and quite frankly, I think using this kind of phrase for a war that has impacted so many lives and continue to do so to this day, is pure nonsense. 　Forgotten by whom, I ask? It certainly is not forgotten by the relatives of the 4 million or so people, military and civilian, who died in the war. The more than 10 million people who have lo

Feb. 15, 2016

[Lee Jae-min] Global warming’s other casualty

The onset of the New Year has been greeted by concerning stories about a new global epidemic. The World Health Organization has warned that a new epidemic in South America is “explosively” spreading and declared it a Public Health Emergency situation. 　As of early February, the Zika virus has spread to as many as 33 countries in the Western Hemisphere and is now sprouting elsewhere. Countries in South America have now seen thousands of new cases of microcephaly, a brain defect syndrome presumabl

Feb. 15, 2016

[Joshua Kurlantzick] The dark heart of ASEAN summits with U.S.

WASHINGTON -- Next week, at a summit in California, U.S. President Barack Obama will meet with the leaders of the 10 countries of Asia’s most important regional grouping: the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The event, the first-ever U.S.-ASEAN summit on American soil, is being touted as a sign of America’s growing interest in Southeast Asia. The question is whether the U.S., by inviting all members of ASEAN, has allowed its interests to overwhelm its principles. 　The upcoming summit is t

Feb. 14, 2016

[Ana Palacio] Europe stands on the sidelines 　

MUNICH -- The liberal international order that has helped stabilize the world since the end of the Cold War is under strain. A revanchist Russia, chaos in the Middle East and simmering tensions in the South China Sea are all symptoms of a system that is beginning to fray.　The drivers of instability are many. They include a shift in economic power from the West to the East, the weakening of formal institutions and widespread disaffection in Western democracies. But, above all, two key development

Feb. 14, 2016

[David Ignatius] Kerry signals ‘crunch time’ on Syria

WASHINGTON -- Secretary of State John Kerry said in an interview that the U.S. is nearing a final “crunch time” on Syria -- in which it will either make progress toward a cease-fire or begin moving toward “Plan B” and new military moves. 　For Kerry-watchers, it’s a familiar moment of brinkmanship: He’s making a last, desperate push for a diplomatic breakthrough with Russia and Iran at a meeting in Munich Thursday, even as he warns that the U.S. has “other leverage” if diplomacy fails. 　Kerry’s p

Feb. 12, 2016

[Yu Kun-ha] A financial chokehold on North Korea

South Korea has decided to indefinitely suspend the joint industrial complex in Gaeseong of North Korea, demonstrating its resolve to lead international efforts to punish the communist country for its latest nuclear and missile provocations.　Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo announced the stunning move in a news briefing Wednesday, saying that it was intended to prevent South Korean money from being funneled into the North’s nuclear weapons and missile development programs.　The unilateral actio

Feb. 11, 2016