With response to Kim Jong-il’s death reigniting the debate ...Should the National Security Law be abolished?Divisive debateThe National Security Law has divided Korean public opinion since its introduction in 1948. To its proponents, more often on the conservative side of politics, the law is a necessary safeguard against North Korea and communist subversion of the state. To its critics, generally on the political left, it is used a tool to stifle criticism of the government and economic status

Jan. 2, 2012

More than 18 months after its introduction ...Is current teacher evaluation effective?Testing teachersTeacher Evaluation for Professional Development, a system to evaluate the performance of teachers at primary and secondary schools, was introduced in April 2010, after months of planning and debate. Under the system, fellow teachers, parents and students assess teachers using 18 criteria. High-performing teachers are rewarded with research opportunities, while those who score poorly must undergo

Dec. 26, 2011

With many cases causing public outrage ...Is punishment for sex crime too lenient?Scales of justiceA series of high-profile sex crime cases in recent years has caused public uproar over perceived leniency in sentencing. Perhaps most controversial of all was the punishment doled out to three teachers at Gwangju Inhwa School for sex crimes against deaf students. Two teachers were sentenced to six months and two years in prison for sexual assault, while the principal received a suspended sentence o

Dec. 19, 2011

Skyhigh sell-offThe President Lee Myung-bak administration proposed a partial privatization of Incheon International Airport in 2008 with a plan to sell off a 49 percent stake, including 15 percent to a foreign airport operator. Lee said the move would improve the competitiveness and efficiency of the country’s main gateway. The plan was ultimately shelved in the face of public antipathy. Last year, the Grand National Party drew up a bill for a similar plan, only to see it stalled indefinitely a

Dec. 12, 2011

With GNP proposing higher rates on big earners ...Should there be a new tax for the rich?Taxing timesCalls for the imposition of a new tax for the nation’s richest have become part of the mainstream political discourse in Korea, echoing similar debate in the U.S. The most recent proposals for a tax on the wealthy have come from a somewhat unlikely source, the conservative Grand National Party. GNP Rep. Kim Sung-sik, backed by other reformist lawmakers, last month called for a new 40 percent tax

Dec. 5, 2011

With the deal finally passed ...Will the Korea-U.S. FTA be good for Korea?Rocky road to ratificationAfter years of bitter dispute, the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement passed the National Assembly on Nov. 22 in dramatic fashion. But opposition to the controversial pact, which is expected to come into effect in January, has far from evaporated. Thousands of protestors have taken to the streets demanding the pact be scrapped or renegotiated, leading one local newspaper editorial to speculate whethe

Nov. 28, 2011

With the Hanjin dispute finally resolved ...Are Korea’s trade unions too powerful?The influence of organized laborBy most measures, Korean trade unionism is at its lowest ebb in two decades. The union participation rate today of 9.8 percent is less than half of what it was in 1989. Among OECD countries, Korean workers’ unionization ranks near bottom. That does not mean that unions do not still wield considerable power. The recently ended labor dispute at Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction is

Nov. 21, 2011

With the nation ranking well in a recent report on business conditions ...Is the biz climate good for foreigners?Korea’s business climateSome of the many challenges of doing business in Korea as a foreigner are obvious. Language, a distinct and demanding work culture and an unfamiliar regulatory and legal environment are but a few of the obstacles to overcome. These would all be challenges for a budding foreign investor in any country. But how does Korea compare with other countries for the ease

Nov. 14, 2011

With four currently allowed per team ...Should the K-League allow more foreign players?Playing at home and awayWith the exception of military club Sangju Sangmu, each of the K-league’s 16 teams is permitted to include up to three foreign players in its lineup, plus another from within the Asian Football Confederation. The number of foreign players allowed per club has varied since the league’s inception in 1983. From a maximum of three per team at the league’s outset, the limit reached a high of

Nov. 7, 2011

With Korea’s reputation as a ‘baby exporter’ ...Should overseas adoptions continue?Korea’s 220,000 kids overseasSouth Korea has the world’s oldest overseas adoption program, having sent an estimated 220,000 children abroad. In the aftermath of the Korean War, overseas adoptions were largely a mechanism for children to escape poverty and destitution, but in the decades that followed, societal attitudes were the primary driver of the phenomenon. Up to 90 percent of children born to unwed women are

Oct. 31, 2011

After decades of rapid change ...Is Korea looking after its cultural heritage?Threats to Korea’s historyAs has been the case in many countries, Korea’s cultural heritage has faced numerous threats in both ancient and modern times. Japanese colonization and invasions by other foreign powers saw thousands of artifacts taken from the country, many of which have never been returned. It is estimated that 74,434 artifacts remain overseas, 46 percent of which are in Japan. In recent decades, rapid mode

Oct. 24, 2011