It is relatively easy to obtain a driver’s license in Korea and this has led to various problems over the past five years, such as traffic accidents, raising the need to toughen the driving test requirements. In July 2011, the government eased driver’s license rules to allow individuals to save time and money.The number of hours for mandatory driving lessons was reduced to 13 hours from 60 hours. Evaluation criteria was also reduced to six items from the original 13. A license can be obtained by

Editorial Aug. 8, 2016

A local think tank has warned that South Korea will suffer deterioration of growth potential in the coming decade, predicting a 1 percentage point drop or more by 2030.The nation’s potential growth rate posted 3.2 percent per annum between 2011 and 2015. Hyundai Research Institute projected that the rate will continue to fall to 2.7 percent between 2016 and 2020, 2.3 percent between 2021 and 2025 and 2 percent between 2026 and 2030.Korea’s potential growth rate was 3.9 percent between 2006 and 2

Editorial Aug. 8, 2016

In 1980, Democratic pollster Peter Hart warned Gaylord Nelson, Wisconsin’s champion vote-getter as governor and senator, that he was going to lose. Hart saw a Republican wave coming. Ronald Reagan would defeat President Jimmy Carter and carry other GOP candidates to victory as well.The opposite of the wave effect in elections is the so-called Eisenhower jacket, a term coined by Democrats predicting that the immensely popular Ike wouldn’t have the coat-tails to help other Republicans down the bal

Viewpoints Aug. 8, 2016

The confrontation between the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the central government over the municipality’s cash subsidy program for young jobless people offer a few things to ponder.   First, would it be effective to improve the life of the nation’s young people who are struggling with the toughest job market in decades? The answer should be negative. The plan devised by Mayor Park Won-soon calls for the city government to provide a monthly cash subsidy of 500,000 won ($450) to 3,000 unemplo

Editorial Aug. 7, 2016

Not many had expected that South Korea could deploy the U.S. advanced missile defense system as easily as it brings in an American-made automobile. But the allies’ decision to deploy it here is facing increasingly formidable challenges. There are two major fronts the Park Geun-hye administration are confronting regarding the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system – opposition from China and within South Korea. China’s protests had long been anticipated, but latest developme

Editorial Aug. 7, 2016

In 2003, the year Californians swept Arnold Schwarzenegger into the governor’s office, a Democratic friend shared a theory on why poor Gov. Gray Davis had been recalled.　“Some years, people want a plumber,” he shrugged, “and some years, they want glamour. Some years, it’s not enough merely to have competence in the job.”　Ouch. Poor Davis, who, in retrospect, was surely more than a Roto-Rooter among public servants. Certainly it wasn’t as if the capitol became Cannes after Schwarzenegger slept he

Viewpoints Aug. 7, 2016

The recent series of cases in which the court rejected prosecutors’ requests for warrants to detain criminal suspects shows that the prosecution has yet to shake off an old-time practice that often draws public criticism. This calls for the public and the legislature to put pressure on the prosecution to add the issue to the self-reform agenda being pushed by a task force set up by the prosecutor-general. Prosecutors’ tendency to abuse their right to detain suspects is nothing new, especially in

Editorial Aug. 4, 2016

The cheating scandal involving German automaker Volkswagen should teach Korean government officials and consumers precious lessons. First, the case centering around the carmaker’s deceit on the levels of noise, emissions and fuel efficiency of its products tells us that we should not have blind faith in any top brand -- be it its technology or honesty. Businesses will do whatever it takes to make money, and we should never completely trust what they say. The initial shock from the scandal was gr

Editorial Aug. 4, 2016

Donald Trump outdid himself by attacking the American Muslim parents of a decorated soldier killed in Iraq who challenged his persistent racism in one of the Democratic convention’s most compelling moments.But that revealing insight into his character may not have been the worst thing Trump did in a week that revealed his true self far more than the Republican convention. He also showed he is dangerously naive -- or worse -- about Russia and its autocratic leader, Vladimir Putin.Trump’s main wee

Viewpoints Aug. 4, 2016

North Korea is stepping up cyberattacks on the South, increasingly targeting national security officials, critical infrastructure and large corporations.  As the North’s cyber threats to national security increase, the government needs to bolster preparedness and push for the enactment of a law on cyber terrorism.The North’s latest cyberattacks targeted some 90 diplomats, defense officials, journalists and researchers specializing in North Korean issues.The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office said Monda

Editorial Aug. 3, 2016

Korea continues to register a large current account surplus despite a prolonged export slump. Data released by the Bank of Korea shows the nation’s current account posted the largest-ever monthly surplus of $12.17 billion in June, extending the surplus streak to a record 52 months. The June figure boosted the aggregate surplus for the first half of the year to $50 billion, surpassing the central bank’s forecast of $48 billion. The bank expects the surplus to reach $95 billion by the end of the y

Editorial Aug. 3, 2016

As an educator, I want the significance of this election year and the privilege of what it means to be an American to get the attention they deserve.This is not the first time a woman has run for president, but it is the first time a major party has nominated a woman for the office. Before Hillary Clinton, there were Margaret Chase Smith, Shirley Chisholm and Patricia Schroeder. Most people will say, “Wait, what? They ran for president? When?”Recently, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow showed footage of

Viewpoints Aug. 3, 2016