[VOICE] How can Korea boost tourism?

With the nation lagging behind some of its neighbors in visitor numbers ...Korean tourism has seen something of a boom in recent years. Foreign tourist numbers grew almost 50 percent from 2007-2011, from about 6.5 million visitors to close to 10 million. This year, the Korea Tourism Organization aims to increase that number to 11 million. But despite the considerable progress in bringing in more tourists, Korea still lags behind some of its neighbors in the region. Thailand saw 19 million visito

May 14, 2012

[VOICE] Is domestic violence taken seriously in Korea?

With more than half of surveyed spouses reporting abuse...Is domestic violence taken seriously in Korea?Domestic violence is often out of sight, occurring behind the closed doors of the family home. Nevertheless, national surveys on the issue suggest it happens with disturbing frequency.According to the 2010 Korea National Survey of Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence, 53.8 percent of respondents who had been married had experienced spousal abuse in the previous year, and 16.7 percent had suff

May 7, 2012

[VOICE] How effective are the police?

After a bad month for the reputation of the force ...How effective are the police?April has been a devastating month for the public image of the Korean National Police Agency. The bungled police response at the start of the month to an emergency call from a kidnap victim who was later murdered sparked public outrage. Public ire was further stoked with the revelation that the police in Suwon had attempted to cover up the extent of their incompetence with “brazen lies,” as described by KNPA commis

April 30, 2012

[VOICE] Should Korea increase its missile range?

With North Korea developing new long-range weapons ...Should Korea increase its missile range?The display of a new type of missile by North Korea during its celebrations for the centenary of its founder’s birth was no doubt intended as a show of military might. But it also sharpened focus on South Korea’s comparable missile capabilities ― and whether they are up to the task of national defense. Seemingly keen to make a statement of its own, the Ministry of National Defense on Thursday revealed i

April 23, 2012

[VOICE] Are multicultural schools a problem waiting to happen?

With Korea opening schools specifically for multi-ethnic children ...Are multicultural schools a problem waiting to happen?Korea’s children are ethically and culturally diverse as never before. There were more than 151,000 children of mixed ethnicity in the country last year, a more than 350 percent rise since 2007. With many arriving from overseas in their teens, language and cultural barriers are a challenge to succeeding in school. About 30 percent of children with a foreign parent are outsid

April 16, 2012

[VOICE] Has populism taken over politics?

With the parties making big election pledges ...Has populism taken over politics?It’s a charge both the ruling and opposition parties have faced since election season began: Unrealistic campaign promises, with little regard for how to pay for them or their long-term consequences, point to one thing ― populism. Last month, a group of business organizations including the Federation of Korean Industries released a joint statement cautioning against reckless pledges at election time. “Campaign pledg

April 9, 2012

[VOICE] Can Korea break the two-party mold?

With two main parties vying for power in the next AssemblyCan Korea break the two-party mold?Korea, like so many democracies, broadly fits the definition of a two-party system made up of liberal and conservative camps. Yet its two-party mold remains young and fragile compared to countries such as the U.S., where power has passed between the same two parties without interruption for more than 150 years. Korean parties rarely last more than a few years before a name change, merger or outright diss

April 2, 2012

[VOICE] Does Korea have enough Internet freedom?

Following the latest negative Reporters Without Borders report ...Does Korea have enough Internet freedom?South Koreans often point out that they have one of most the Internet-connected societies in the world. More contentious is just how free the country’s Internet users are to use it as they choose. Korea made Reporters Without Borders’ “Enemies of the Internet” list for a fourth straight year on March 12, alongside the likes of Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Eritrea and the United Arab Emirates as a cou

March 26, 2012

[VOICE] Is Korea doing enough for N.K. refugees in China?

With Beijing refusing to budge ...Is Korea doing enough for N.K. refugees in China?China’s forced repatriation of North Korean defectors in the country may have exploded onto the national and international agenda in recent weeks, but the issue is far from new. While reaching an exact figure is impossible, the Chinese authorities have sent countless North Koreans back to their homeland to face imprisonment, torture or even execution over the last two decades.According a recent testimony to the U.

March 19, 2012

[VOICE] Is North Korea closer to denuclearization?

With the latest deal between the U.S. and Kim regime ...Is North Korea closer to denuclearization?The start of the month saw a headline-making development in the decades-long effort to get North Korea to drop its nuclear weapons program. In exchange for 240,000 tons of U.S. food aid, North Korea agreed it would suspend nuclear tests, long-range missile launches and uranium enrichment at its Yongbyon facility, and allow the return of the International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors. The response

March 12, 2012

[VOICE] Is Korea soft on white-collar crime?

With many offenders escaping punishment ...Is Korea soft on white-collar crime?It is a common public perception: Korea is soft on white-collar crime, particularly when it involves high-level politicians, government officials or chaebol.Speaking at the breach of trust case against Hanwha Group chairman Kim Seung-youn, an unnamed prosecutor implored the nation’s justice establishment to take a greater stand against corporate crime. “If we continue to fail to punish (tycoons) for one reason or anot

March 5, 2012

[VOICE] Should big companies have to share profits?

With economic inequality shaping up as an election issue...Should big companies have to share profits?The concept of profit-sharing has been controversial since its announcement in early 2011 by Chung Un-chan, a former prime minister and current head of the Commission on Shared Growth for Large and Small Companies. Chung, appointed by a President Lee Myung-bak desperate to shake off his pro-big business image, rankled conglomerates by proposing that some of their “excess” profits be directed tow

Feb. 27, 2012

[VOICE] Is Seoul’s student rights ordinance proper?

As the Education Ministry seeks to nullify it ...Is Seoul’s student rights ordinance proper?In an election year, little can be considered above ideological conflict. Education is no exception. An ordinance on student rights, passed by Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education late last month, is the latest source of controversy within an education system recently rocked by extreme bullying and student suicides.Liberal superintendent Kwak No-hyun, returning to work after being fined for bribery duri

Feb. 20, 2012

[VOICE] Does Confucianism have a role in Korea today?

Some 2,500 years after the death of Confucius ...Does Confucianism have a role in Korea today?The teachings of Chinese philosopher Confucius have had a profound influence on South Korea. So much so, that the nation is sometimes referred to as the most Confucian society on earth. An emphasis on family, personal betterment and respect for age and authority continue to feature highly in Korean life to this day, some 2,500 years after the philosopher’s death.Ethicist and director of the Institute fo

Feb. 13, 2012

[VOICE] Should Korea sign an FTA with China?

With negotiations set to begin soon ...Should Korea sign an FTA with China?Free trade agreements have been a cornerstone of Korean economic policy in recent years. Since Korea reached its first FTA with Chile in 2004, the country has signed deals with the European Union, Singapore, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and, most recently, the U.S. Now attention has turned to the possibility of an FTA with the nation’s biggest trading partner of all, China.On a state trip to Beijing earlier

Feb. 6, 2012

[VOICE] Are Koreans overeducated?

With the highest university attendance rate in the developed world …Are Koreans overeducated?Koreans are arguably second to none in their zeal for education. Some 82 percent of Korean high school graduates go on to third level education, more than in any other OECD country. There are more than 400 colleges and universities and 70,000 second-level private academies called “hagwon” around the country, while Korean high school students consistently outperform their international peers in reading an

Jan. 30, 2012

[VOICE] Should Korea adopt a welfare state?

With increased social spending an increasingly popular policy ...Should Korea adopt a welfare state?Social welfare was a defining issue in Korean politics last year. President Lee Myung-bak, having come to power in 2008 with a message of small government, less regulation and lower taxes, was confronted with a slew of opposition proposals for expanding welfare. Then came calls for increased welfare from the unlikely source: Grand National Party, driven by the loss of a Seoul referendum against fr

Jan. 16, 2012

[VOICE] Is reunification closer to reality?

After the death of Kim Jong-il...Is reunification closer to reality?As soon as North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s death was announced, speculation began on the implications for South Korea’s relationship with Pyongyang. A major question is how Kim’s death and the transition of power to his youngest son Kim Jong-un will affect the long-held goal of Korean reunification. With the elder Kim gone, is a reunified Korean Peninsula closer to becoming a reality?According to North Korea scholar and Kookmi

Jan. 9, 2012