Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are the two most disliked candidates ever to run for president of the United States.　I don‘t mean perhaps. I mean really. And if they win their party nominations, it will only get worse.　She’s widely considered to be a liar, and a bad one. He‘s considered to be vulgar and crude. She’s the American political establishment‘s Madame Iron Pantsuits pretending to be a progressive, with that Wall Street cash and packs of hot sauce in her purse if she’s on black radio a

Viewpoints April 26, 2016

Here are three things to know about the nonaggression pact between Ted Cruz and John Kasich, who have now vowed to work together to defeat Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination. Kasich will cede the opposition to Trump in Indiana to Cruz, while Cruz will give Kasich a chance to win in New Mexico and Oregon.　-- Even though this deal is unlikely to change the eventual allocation of delegates by much, a small swing could have a huge effect. As noted by NBC’s Mark Murray, at least

Viewpoints April 26, 2016

Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert will face the music on Wednesday. Can U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin name that tune in zero-to-six months?　That’s the sentencing range a probation officer recommended after Hastert pleaded guilty to one count of illegally structuring bank withdrawals. Durkin could reject that finding, though, and impose a sentence of up to five years in prison. He has plenty of reasons to do so.　Federal prosecutors say Hastert withdrew $952,000 -- $9,000 at a time,

Viewpoints April 26, 2016

North Korea’s firing of a sea-based ballistic missile during the weekend represents another step forward in the rogue regime’s relentless efforts to make its nuclear threats more tangible. The submarine-launched ballistic missile flew only some 30 kilometers, far short of the 300 km range needed to qualify as an SLBM. But the test launch cannot be seen as a complete failure, given the progress made in undersea ejection capability. In 2015, the North conducted two ejection tests for a sea-based b

Editorial April 26, 2016

The fate of Korea’s shipping industry hangs in the balance as its two flagship companies are fighting a daunting uphill battle for survival. Policymakers and creditors pushing for corporate restructuring are strongly advised to focus on revitalizing the key industry.On Monday, Hanjin Shipping, Korea’s largest shipping company, applied for a “voluntary agreement” with its creditors, seeking to obtain fresh financial support and restructure its mounting debt.The company’s move was unexpected, as H

Editorial April 26, 2016

Europe’s latest fight against Google will surely be long, messy and kind to lawyers. But it seems unlikely to do much for competition, innovation or the consumers who benefit from both.　In an antitrust case brought on Wednesday, the European Commission alleges that Google uses its Android operating system to unfairly privilege its own products on mobile phones. The new suit, which could result in a fine of more than $7 billion, joins a pending case filed almost six years ago about Google’s domin

Viewpoints April 25, 2016

Every economy faces the challenge of realigning its industries in order to nurture new growth engines and weed out nonviable or underperforming sectors. No economy faces the challenge as urgently and acutely as the Korean economy does now.It is welcome that the government has decided to push what it calls “industrial reform” to foster the competitiveness of the Korean economy.Deputy Prime Minister Yoo Il-ho said last week the reform will have two tracks -- one to develop new industries and the o

Editorial April 25, 2016

The growing allegations of suspicious ties between a right-wing civic group and the nation’s largest business lobby is raising the specter of a major political scandal as they have already spread to President Park Geun-hye’s Blue House.At the heart of the case are allegations that the Federation of Korean Industries provided funds to the Korea Parent Federation -- a group of ultraconservative senior citizens -- and that the FKI and the Blue House used the KPF to orchestrate pro-government, pro-b

Editorial April 25, 2016

If Volkswagen was hoping its $10 billion buyback settlement with U.S. officials would bring some closure to months of hand-wringing over diesel emissions, its timing couldn’t have been worse. A flood of news over the past week showed that what was once a single company‘s scandal has grown into a global regulatory crisis. As world leaders gathered in New York to sign the Paris climate accord on Friday, a cloud of doubt settled over one of the most hotly debated areas of environmental regulation.　

Viewpoints April 25, 2016

The steady economic growth of the Asia-Pacific has transformed lives and the future of millions of people. The Philippines and the Republic of Korea are part of this evolving story.  Yet this region is witnessing profound shifts in its strategic landscape. There are challenges and disputes, which, if not managed wisely, could bring uncertainties to the economic and security environment. One of the most pressing challenges is keeping a predictable and peaceful maritime order, particularly in the

Viewpoints April 24, 2016