The Korea Herald

[Robert J. Shiller] Global economy’s hesitation blues

Economic slowdowns can often be characterized as periods of hesitation. Consumers hesitate to buy a new house or car, thinking that the old house or car will do just fine for a while longer. Managers hesitate to expand their workforces, buy a new office building, or build a new factory, waiting for news that will make them stop worrying about committing to new ideas. Viewed from this perspective, how worried should we be about the effects of hesitation today?Hesitation is often like procrastinat

Viewpoints July 25, 2016

[Robert J. Shiller] Global economy’s hesitation blues

[Shlomo Avineri] The strange death of Turkish secularism

The aftermath of Turkey’s failed military coup raises a fundamental question: Will President Recep Tayyip Erdogan continue to pursue his authoritarian path, perhaps with a vengeance, or will he reach out to his opponents and attempt to bridge the deep fissures in Turkish society?The jury is still out, but judging from previous historical examples, serious challenges to authoritarian or semi-authoritarian leaders usually lead to a hardening of the regime, not greater moderation. And Erdogan’s mov

Viewpoints July 25, 2016

[Editorial] Losing weight

Obesity has become a social concern that needs the attention of government officials, politicians, as well as individuals. One does not need the authorities to explain why being overweight is becoming a global phenomenon: People are consuming more calories, sugar and fat. They live in an increasingly stressful society and engage in little physical activity. Koreans are no exception. Figures back up the trend. A research center affiliated with the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation said

Editorial July 21, 2016

[Editorial] Under siege

It is obvious that President Park Geun-hye is under siege. She faces hostility on many fronts -- the media, opposition parties and even ruling party members as well as residents from a region that had previously been loyal to her. First, the controversy over one of her most trusted Blue House aides is threatening to erode public trust in the presidential office and the civil service as a whole. It is ironic that a conservative newspaper -- which usually supports Park -- started the increasingly

Editorial July 21, 2016

Privacy nuts say ‘Pokemon Go’ is No-go

Beyond the obvious risks of being hit by a car, falling into a ravine, being shot at for trespassing or the wholesale detachment from the real, physical world, there’s a clear and present danger that comes from playing the wildly popular new augmented-reality game, “Pokemon Go.” Your kids, or anyone who plays the game, may not be aware that once they have signed up for the game, before they can prowl around the city looking for virtual monsters, catch them with Pokeballs and train them at so-cal

Viewpoints July 21, 2016

[John Nery] After #Chexit: Do nothing?

This is the third in a new series of columns on global affairs which will be written by top editors from members of the Asia News Network and published in newspapers across the region. --Ed. The Philippine Left has a gift for mischievous phrase making, and last week’s coinage was both obvious and effective. #Chexit, with the now-obligatory hashtag, quickly made the rounds. Inspired by the tumultuous campaign to consider Britain’s exit from the European Union, the new catch phrase was code for th

Viewpoints July 21, 2016

[Robert Cheek] Drone racing, an endless sky of opportunities

Once the domain of the world’s militaries, a new breed of drones have taken flight and are being raced in competitions around the world such as Korea’s GiGA Drone Race in Seoul last year, the World Drone Prix 2016 in Dubai and upcoming Drone Worlds world championship races in Hawaii this October. These high-performance racing drones are being created by the next wave of drone developers and are pushing the thresholds of robotics, aeronautical engineering, machine vision, battery technology, and

Viewpoints July 21, 2016

[Robert Cheek] Drone racing, an endless sky of opportunities

[Kim Tae-woo] Neighbors’ THAAD opposition 　

On July 8, The South Korean Defense Ministry agreed to deploy the controversial Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system on the Korean Peninsula. China’s response was strong and immediate. It protested the move publicly, and also lodged formal complaints with the ambassadors of South Korea and the U.S. North Korea was also furious, saying that the deployment is “tantamount to a proclamation of war and a major act of crime that could never be forgiven.” Russia took that opportunity to side with

Viewpoints July 21, 2016

[Kim Tae-woo] Neighbors’ THAAD opposition

[Markos Kounalakis] Books and ideas can be the ultimate threat

Book publishers are an endangered species. Amazon.com may be the most immediate worry for anyone in the book publishing business, where fear of the Internet retail giant’s power over content and distribution is pervasive. As a former publisher, I understand the economic challenges of today’s marketplace.Global publishing industry fears, however, go beyond the mere concerns surrounding profit margins and shelf placement. In Hong Kong, publishers and booksellers have a deeper, more immediate worry

Viewpoints July 21, 2016

[Editorial] Gender inequality

Two years ago, the government established a task force, composed of major conglomerates and civic groups, on narrowing the nation’s gender gap and increasing women’s participation in the workforce.Despite the effort, South Korea still has an enormous gender gap, with the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report in 2015 placing Korea 115th out of 146 nations in gender equality.According to the report from the Swiss-based WEF, female economic participation and opportunities stood at 56 perc

Editorial July 20, 2016

[Editorial] Internal conflict

Pyongyang has test-fired three ballistic missiles in an apparent protest against the Seoul’s decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system in the southern county of Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province.Like military officials’ interpretation, the North’s missile launches are in line with its earlier threats. Last week, it warned of a “physical counteraction” after South Korea and the U.S. announced the THAAD deployment, scheduled for 2017, to better deal with evolving nuclear a

Editorial July 20, 2016

[Sean Randolph] Why Silicon Valley matters to Korea

Every day a parade of presidents, cabinet ministers, government officials, academics, journalists and countless business leaders passes through the San Francisco Bay Area. They come from every corner of the world, but particularly from Europe and China, looking to understand how innovation happens in the region, and why so many world-leading technology companies come from there. Essentially they’re looking for the future, believing that much of the world’s economy will be shaped by what’s happen

Viewpoints July 20, 2016

[Sean Randolph] Why Silicon Valley matters to Korea

[Adam Minter] Has China reached peak urbanization?

The skylines of some of China’s biggest cities sprout from land that was farmed less than a generation ago. For the government, they’re a soaring testament to the country’s transformation into an urbanized superpower. And despite China’s economic slump, there are plenty of bureaucrats who’d like to see the process continue. According to a report last week, local governments are planning to develop more than 3,500 new urban areas in the next few years, with the capacity to house 3.4 billion peopl

Viewpoints July 20, 2016

[Kim Myong-sik] Internal division, poor diplomacy only causes damage 　

The hours-long detention of Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn by thousands of angry residents of Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, last week was a serious incident. The unruly crowd temporarily incapacitated the prime minister while he was heading the government on behalf of President Park Geun-hye who was then attending the Asia-Europe Meeting in Ulan Bator. Surrounded by the unruly, violent crowd who were throwing eggs, water bottles and other objects in the county office compound, the prime mini

Viewpoints July 20, 2016

[Kim Myong-sik] Internal division, poor diplomacy only causes damage

[Lee Joo-hee] Daring to go against the norm

Last week, a close friend of mine told me that he is constantly badgered by people around him.This friend, a smart, well-educated and kind-hearted man in his early 40s with a respectable job was “bullied” by his colleagues for no other reason than that he was not yet married.“Don’t you have a father? Your family must be ashamed of you,” was one of the remarks that he heard from his superior. “What is the use of decorating your place if you are not married?” was another.The comments — to which th

Viewpoints July 20, 2016

[Lee Joo-hee] Daring to go against the norm

Articles by 김케빈도현