[Lee Jae-min] Ending 18 years of controversy

The 1997 indictment of a doctor was the turning point of how the medical fraternity and hospitals treat patients who are terminally ill and in coma with no prospect of recovery. 　The doctor involved agreed to release a patient from the hospital at the request of family members wishing for a peaceful final moment. When the patient subsequently died, the doctor was indicted and found guilty of aiding murder.  　What followed (naturally) was a strictly defensive reaction from doctors and hospitals.

Jan. 26, 2016

[Mohamed A. El-Erian] New mindset for global economy

As companies and investors painfully discovered in 2008, liquidity can be most elusive when you need it most.　Going forward, for both structural and operational reasons, there is every reason to believe that liquidity will become quite patchy when markets encounter the next major air pocket. The turmoil of recent weeks provided a vivid illustration that the global economy and financial markets are undergoing two transitions.　The first has to do with the shift from a prolonged regime of repressed

Jan. 25, 2016

[Trudy Rubin] U.S.-Iran relations unchanged

Now that the Iran nuclear deal is a done deal, what next?　More quickly than expected, Tehran has dismantled large portions of its nuclear program, leading to the lifting of the sanctions imposed on its nuclear activities. Contrary to the critics, this deal does make the Mideast safer -- for now.　But it also raises the controversial question of whether the deal will trigger a broader shift in U.S.-Iranian relations. The quick release of 10 U.S. sailors who strayed into Iranian waters and a prison

Jan. 25, 2016

[Noah Smith] Japan must cease support of zombie companies

Imagine that you’re a Japanese 26-year-old with big dreams. You graduated from Waseda University, an elite private school, with a degree in electrical engineering. You and your college buddies used to hang around your apartment, watching anime on your LCD television, which was made by Sharp Corp. — the world’s 10th-largest LCD TV manufacturer. Even then, you had ideas about how to improve the product.　Now, after graduating and working for four years in the research division of an LCD manufacture

Jan. 24, 2016

[Rachel Marsden] Senseless worries about Iran

Iran effectively rejoined the international community a few days ago, as longstanding U.S. and European sanctions were lifted and the country was granted access to $32 billion of its previously frozen assets. It’s the razing of the Berlin Wall all over again, as another country is opened up to the global market without any shots being fired.　　But why isn’t there nearly as much celebration over Iran’s economic liberation as there was with the fall of the Soviet Union?　Russia even kept its nukes.

Jan. 24, 2016

[David Ignatius] The chill from China’s slowdown

For the past 15 years, the mere mention of the word “China” has brought smiles to the faces of global business executives who gather annually for the World Economic Forum. This year, with Chinese stock and currency markets in turmoil, it brings a chill. 　China, so long described as an economic miracle, has become a contagion, setting off negative shocks in markets around the world. A correction in perceptions of China was overdue, but financial markets this month have probably been overreacting

Jan. 22, 2016

[Wishnu Wardhana] It's time to change gears on ASEAN

Very recently more than 2,000 global financial and business leaders participating in the 9th Asian Financial Forum in Hong Kong on Jan. 18-19 concluded that a new paradigm for growth must be adopted in the face of the world’s increasing volatility.　Right across Asia, business is in a struggle to find traction in a world of slower growth. Investors are reassessing the growth prospects in each economy and, as part of this, the spotlight is on Indonesia and its ASEAN neighbors.　ASEAN’s pitch in thi

Jan. 21, 2016

[Robert J. Shiller] Economists on refugee path

Today’s global refugee crisis recalls the period immediately after World War II. By one contemporary estimate, there were more than 40 million refugees in Europe alone. These “displaced persons,” as they were called at the time, were forced to flee their homes because of violence, forced relocation, persecution and destruction of property and infrastructure.　The dire postwar situation led to the creation in 1950 of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which was expected to serve on

Jan. 21, 2016

[Justin Hiraga] We don’t need billionaire philanthropists

These days we praise charitable donations and philanthropy; however, we must understand that they are the symptoms of a dysfunctional society, not the remedy. It’s similar to the Red Cross during wartime; they can’t stop the war. In many ways, they propagate the dysfunctions because the biggest funders of these temporary resolutions are also the greatest oppressors of our society, from whom these dysfunctions stem. 　There are, for example, many people suffering around the world from curable dise

Jan. 20, 2016

[Kim Myong-sik] Watching Iran nuke deal with envy, apprehension

“Agreed framework,” “KEDO,” “light-water reactors,” “six-party talks,” “CVID,” “Sept. 19, 2005 and Feb. 13, 2007 Joint Statements.” Only people with very good memories might know what these meant. The laborious outcomes of denuclearization talks in Geneva and Beijing since the 1990s are now in oblivion and what remain in our troubled minds are North Korean nuclear tests repeated four times since 2006, the last one just two weeks ago.  　 　Days after Pyongyang announced the underground detonation

Jan. 20, 2016

[Kim Ji-hyun] Can you afford to follow your heart?

On Saturday, I had one of the worst hangovers of my life.　And the worst thing about it was that it began while I was still drinking.　I had only a few beers, but the side dishes were all cold — sashimi, salad and the like — and pretty soon, I had a searing headache.  　But I wasn’t about to lose my cool, so I held on for dear life, trying to smile and make small talk.　Then as we were talking, I suddenly forgot about my hangover for a bit and became quite engrossed in the conversation.　My counterpa

Jan. 20, 2016

[Park Sang-seek] How to deal with North Korea’s 4th nuclear test

Since North Korea announced its “hydrogen bomb” test on Jan. 6, mass media and numerous experts have been expressing their views on North Korea’s true intentions and South Korea’s policy options. In general, they demand more aggressive and proactive policies toward the communist nation. 　They recommend stronger military preparedness and response; stronger and comprehensive military sanctions unilaterally or in cooperation with the U.S. and Japan; stronger pressure on China to force North Korea t

Jan. 19, 2016

[Kim Seong-kon] Was I born with a silver spoon in my mouth?

Everybody wants to be born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Unfortunately, life is not fair. Many people are born in a barn instead. You cannot choose your parents. It is your destiny and karma. 　However, it does not mean you have to give up or despair. No, not necessarily. Jesus was born in a barn, and yet he became a celebrity, a great man who lived a worthwhile life. 　Why, then, should you not? You, too, can become a successful and great man, even if you were born without a silver spoon in y

Jan. 19, 2016

[Robert J. Fouser] Street banners and public trust

Living in my hometown of Ann Arbor after 29 years away has helped me connect my past. The old pictures of Ann Arbor posted in a local history group that pop up on my Facebook timeline stir memories, but also questions for the present and future. 　One picture that caught my eye recently was taken in front of the downtown movie theater where I saw “Jaws,” “Star Wars” and “Alien” as a teenager. 　The most striking thing about the photograph was how clear the sidewalk was. No trash cans, no public ar

Jan. 19, 2016

[Trudy Rubin] Snapshot impressions from fermenting Cuba

At the darkened Delirio Habanero nightclub on top of Havana’s National Theatre, a group of young Cubans listen to an all-girl band dressed in micro miniskirts belt out salsa lyrics. Through the windows behind them, the glowing faces of revolutionary heroes Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos shine down, outlined in neon several stories high on the facades of neighboring buildings. The young people are too busy texting to take any notice, even as the older folks dance. Cuba is a society going throu

Jan. 18, 2016