If I were a Palestinian (and, should there be any confusion on this point, I am not), and if I were the sort of Palestinian who believed that Israel should be wiped off the map, then I would be quite pleased with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s performance before Congress this morning. I would applaud Netanyahu for including no bold initiatives that would have suggested to the world that Israe

Viewpoints May 26, 2011

In auto production, it only takes a shortage of one small part to bring the whole assembly line to a screeching halt. This was well demonstrated by the week-long strike at Yoosung Enterprise Co., a manufacturer of key engine parts.The company is the larger of the two piston ring producers in Korea. It meets 70 percent of the demand of Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors and 20 to 50 percent of the demand

Editorial May 25, 2011

The National Pension Service is a big institutional investor in the domestic stock market. As of February this year, it had about 40.2 trillion won invested in local stocks, accounting for 3.8 percent of the market capitalization of the Korea Exchange’s main board or KOSPI. But the NPS has thus far limited its role as an institutional investor to proxy voting. It has never attempted to invoke such

Editorial May 25, 2011

An unprecedented scandal involving the former head of the International Monetary Fund has left the organization’s top post vacant.No time should be wasted in selecting a new IMF chief to ensure the organization will be able to regain its international credibility, which has been diminished by the scandal.Former IMF managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who was arrested and indicted on charges

Viewpoints May 25, 2011

Love it or hate it, Medicare is driving itself and our country broke. The president’s proposed policy and that of Paul Ryan, the House Budget Committee chairman, are viewed as miles apart. The reality is different. And the silly name-calling is obscuring their considerable common ground. It’s even confusing a major presidential candidate.President Barack Obama is relying on a special panel, to be

Viewpoints May 25, 2011

Finally, Dominique Strauss-Kahn has decided to resign as chief of the International Monetary Fund. The move is to prevent further damage to the institution, which is now playing a critical role in bailing out the peripheral euro-zone countries of Europe. Strauss-Kahn said in his letter of resignation that he wanted to focus his energy on defending himself against criminal charges that he sexually

Viewpoints May 24, 2011

President Obama’s recent speech in El Paso, Texas, addressing America’s broken immigration policy was very disappointing to immigrant advocates, the Latino community and anyone concerned about human rights.He offered only a vague assessment of the issue, and ignored calls by leading Latino politicians, most notably Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Illinois, to use his executive powers to take decisive actio

Viewpoints May 23, 2011

The solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is really not so far out of reach. The outlines of a reasonable two-state compromise have long been known, and a couple of reasonable people could work out the remaining details tomorrow. But for stubbornness, cynicism, fear and violence, it probably would have happened years ago. The late Israeli diplomat Abba Eban was speaking of the Arabs when he

Viewpoints May 22, 2011

It has been 487 days since a devastating earthquake hit Haiti, an island in the center of the blue Caribbean Sea. Haiti has suffered what we call “the fivefold difficulty” ― an earthquake, shortages of daily goods, crimes, violent demonstrations and cholera. But since Feb. 4, the situation has begun to stabilize. Now people do daily life with hope, although they are still in the midst of difficult

Viewpoints May 22, 2011

Whether the March 11 earthquake and tsunami could turn bilateral relations in a positive direction has been the subject of some discussion.Wang Lixiong, a Chinese writer from Beijing, was in Japan ― on his first visit to the nation ― on March 10, for meet-and-greet events with readers of his work.After the disaster hit the next day, Wang watched developments in Tokyo, the Kansai region and other p

Viewpoints May 20, 2011

It’s understandable for would-be parents to have a preference for the sex of their child. All over the world, there are fathers who say they want a little boy who will one day play catch with them in the backyard. Likewise, there are dads who long for the sweetness a little girl brings to a family. Moms also either hope for a little girl to share in the experience of being female or wish for a boy

Viewpoints May 20, 2011