The United States doesn‘t have a lot of standing to criticize Europeans for cracking down on Apple’s tax shenanigans in Ireland.If anything, the European Commission’s finding that Apple owes more than $14 billion in taxes should push the US to fix its own tax policies, under which its biggest companies stash most of their cash overseas to avoid domestic taxes.As highlighted by the presidential election, globalization and its negative effects on the US are a concern across party lines. Lack of fu

Viewpoints Sept. 4, 2016

According to Statistics Korea, three major engines for economic growth posted simultaneous slumps in July, raising uncertainty over the third-quarter gross domestic product.The three sectors -- industrial output, private consumption and corporate investment in facilities -- were in decline. Even though seasonal vacancies during the summer should be taken into consideration, the sharp drop in corporate facilities investment is especially worrying.Local businesses’ investment in facilities plunged

Editorial Sept. 1, 2016

Calls are growing among ruling party lawmakers for the construction of nuclear-powered submarines as the threat of North Korea’s submarine-launched ballistic missiles looms large.North Korea successfully test-fired a SLBM last week. Launched near Sinpo on the North’s eastern coast, the missile flew some 500 kilometers and fell into waters 80 kilometers inside Japan’s air defense identification zone.Defense officials in Seoul said it would take the North one to three years to deploy SLBMs. North

Editorial Sept. 1, 2016

The sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development was held in Nairobi, with the leaders of Japan and about 50 African nations attending, among others. They adopted the Nairobi Declaration, calling for economic structural reforms and reinforcing measures against communicable diseases as its main pillars.In a keynote speech, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged a total of $30 billion in investments from the public and private sectors over a period of three years through 2018, and to dev

Viewpoints Sept. 1, 2016

Would you believe it has only been two months into the Duterte presidency? From the fast, furious, loud and graphic news and exchanges that have captured our attention, you would think the Duterte government had been in place for a few years. This tells us of the ripeness of the moment for change, not the usual kind that we take for granted, but change that needs to erupt from almost nowhere. This also speaks of the character of a man handpicked by destiny more than by personal ambition.Destined

Viewpoints Sept. 1, 2016

Whatever the motive and whoever was behind the attack on a Medan church on Sunday, Indonesia could be facing a new security threat in the form of people, particularly youth, who sympathize with the terrorist Islamic State group and are willing to manifest its creed of violence in this country.Failure to anticipate similar attacks may stretch religious harmony and the state’s commitment to protect religious minorities in this diverse nation to the limit, despite the fact that terrorism knows no r

Viewpoints Sept. 1, 2016

WASHINGTON -- The US military campaign to seize the Islamic State group’s capital of Raqqa may be delayed because of a nasty fight between Turkey and the Syrian Kurdish militia known as the YPG. Sadly, it is a classic Middle East moment, when regional players’ mistrust for each other overwhelms their common interest in fighting the terrorist Islamic State group. And, equally sadly, it is a moment that illustrates the frailty of the US’ Syrian policy, which has built its military plans on the tre

Viewpoints Sept. 1, 2016

Finance Minister Yoo Il-ho has stressed that policymakers will put job creation on the front burner in managing the 2017 budget, which features a 10.7 percent growth in allocation for the job creation segment.The budget for boosting employment is 17.5 trillion won ($15.6 billion), aimed at creating 240,000 jobs for young people next year, compared with 210,000 this year. The rise is noteworthy when the budget growth is compared by sector -- 6.9 percent increase for tourism, 6.1 percent for educa

Editorial Aug. 31, 2016

Creditors have decided not to bail out the debt-saddled Hanjin Shipping, a main unit of Hanjin Group. In the wake of the banking sector’s rejection of the rescue fund, the nation’s largest container shipping firm will be pressured by the financial regulator to dispose of its viable assets to the second-largest Hyundai Merchant Marine.Market insiders allege that Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Yang-ho had a lack of resolve to normalize the shipping firm, compared to a similar solution by Hyundai Group,

Editorial Aug. 31, 2016

Germany’s vice chancellor, Sigmar Gabriel, says talks about a major trade deal between the European Union and the US have failed, though “nobody is really admitting it.” That statement should be taken with a grain of salt, but the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership appears to be doomed, at least until after elections in the US and major European countries.　Gabriel’s Economy Ministry is not involved in the TTIP negotiations. He also is the leader of Germany’s Social Democratic Party,

Viewpoints Aug. 31, 2016