Presidents of Korean universities seldom criticize the Education Ministry in public, as they know only too well that they gain nothing by falling into disfavor with a government agency that has the power to determine the amount of financial support they get. Yet principals of 10 major private universities in Seoul got what they had to say off their chests in a seminar held Tuesday to mark the launch of the “Future University Forum.” Choi Kyung-hee, president of Ewha Womans University, criticized

Editorial June 16, 2016

Working efficiently in shorter hours and leading an enriched life both at home and at work. Employing a variety of personnel resources and dealing with the declining birthrate and aging society. In order to achieve these goals, it is vital to change the culture of working long hours.  The Japan government’s plan for the dynamic engagement of all citizens and the Basic Policy on Economic and Fiscal Management and Reform, also referred to as the “big-boned policy,” regards reforming the culture of

Viewpoints June 16, 2016

To start to do something about the horror, the pain, the awfulness of mass-murder terrorism in the United States, it would help if we focused more on real fixes instead of gun control. Some believe the instruments of evil are the evil themselves and here is what happens: President Obama advocates laws that would likely accomplish zip as his rhetoric puts record numbers of guns on the streets.“Fear of gun-buying restrictions has been the main driver of spikes in gun sales, far surpassing the effe

Viewpoints June 16, 2016

Lending a significant push to Thailand’s ambition to become a “smart nation,” the Information and Communication Technology Ministry is to be revamped in September as the Digital Economy and Society Ministry.However, realigning the ministry and its direction in pursuit of a fully “digital economy” will be the easy part. The greater challenge will be in implementing reforms in an entrenched and undeservedly proud bureaucracy that, as matters stand, might undermine any progress made towards that va

Viewpoints June 16, 2016

As Speaker Chung Sye-kyun noted in his speech opening the 20th National Assembly, the new parliament faces daunting challenges in the coming four years.First and foremost is restoration of public confidence in the parliament, which dropped to its lowest level during the 19th Assembly. The new parliament should neither repeat the fierce partisan strife that often paralyzed legislative business nor tolerate corruption and abuse of power by its members. Chung added one more important task to those

Editorial June 15, 2016

The emissions cheating scandal surrounding the German automaker Volkswagen shows that a combination of dishonest, irresponsible business and incapable, negligent regulators can cause immense damage to innocent consumers. Korean prosecutors questioned a senior executive of the Korean unit of the carmaker Monday, about five months after the Environment Ministry asked them to investigate the case. Prosecutors suspect that the carmaker forged at least 48 fuel efficiency test records between June 201

Editorial June 15, 2016

Three years ago, the United States and the European Union launched negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, promising to complete them on “one tank of gas.” But now the talks are running on fumes, with sniping on both sides and the political window for an agreement closing fast.The obstacles that the TTIP negotiations have run up against are not exclusive to that agreement. They reflect a broader trend -- one that demands a fundamental rethink of the prevailing approac

Viewpoints June 15, 2016

In the last week of May, at least 1,050 migrants and asylum seekers died in the Mediterranean Sea, victims of the international community’s unwillingness to address the needs of the world’s most vulnerable people. More than 2,800 migrants have died at sea so far this year -- up nearly 40 percent from the same period in 2015. Almost all of those deaths could have been prevented. With every life that is extinguished, we are losing a bit of our humanity.Clearly, the international response to the re

Viewpoints June 15, 2016

As central banks in advanced economies -- including the Bank of England, the Bank of Japan, the Swiss National Bank and the U.S. Federal Reserve -- hold their policy meetings this week, they will all confront tricky questions about the management of national liquidity and cross-border influences.The most fascinating discussion, however, will take place at the Bank of Japan, which has an additional challenge: It has moved closest to the line that separates effective policy measures from ineffecti

Viewpoints June 15, 2016

U.S. President Barack Obama has called the shooting in Orlando an act of terror and an act of hate. He also said the massacre at a nightclub in the Florida city is a further reminder of how easy it is for Americans to acquire deadly weapons.Obama said, “We have to decide if that’s the kind of country we want to be.”Five months ahead of the U.S. presidential election, the issue of gun control appears to have come to the fore as one of the biggest issues in the campaign.Earlier this year, the U.S.

Editorial June 14, 2016

Britons will go to the polls on June 23 to decide whether the U.K. should stay in or leave the European Union. Uncertainty over the global economy is mounting over the upcoming “Brexit referendum.”The percentage of the proponents of the departure is estimated to hover around 40 percent in the U.K., while the ratio of opponents slightly exceeds it.If Brexit becomes reality, South Korea is certain to face aggravated difficulties in its export performance that has already taken a big hit. This woul

Editorial June 14, 2016