The administration is holding a series of meetings on soaring prices ― ministerial-level policy coordination on Wednesday, policy consultations with the ruling party on Thursday and price checking by vice ministers on Friday. The administration has good reason to hurriedly summon senior economic policymakers to the three consecutive days of talks: It is losing the war it launched to contain intens

Editorial Feb. 9, 2011

In Korea, the Cabinet has recently approved a free trade agreement with the United States ― a formality undertaken before the bilateral pact is sent to the National Assembly for ratification. On the other side of the globe, the European Parliament has been taking final steps to approve a similar accord with Korea.The Korean legislature will soon have to act on the two free trade agreements. But th

Editorial Feb. 9, 2011

The term “summit talks” has made a comeback in Korean politics. It refers to a meeting between the president and the head of the main opposition party aiming to settle pending political issues in one stroke. Yet, the ongoing maneuvers involving the two major parties and the Blue House in arranging a meeting between President Lee Myung-bak and Democratic Party Chairman Sohn Hak-kyu are only making

Editorial Feb. 8, 2011

The situation in Egypt remains hazy after two weeks of protests while a caretaker vice president is announcing a series of concessions on behalf of President Hosni Mubarak. The cabinet was replaced, the top leaders of the ruling party were purged and many promises were made to guarantee freedom of the press and other civil liberties. Most importantly, Vice President Omar Suleiman is meeting repres

Editorial Feb. 8, 2011

The government and the ruling coalition parties on Saturday launched a new panel of experts chaired by Prime Minister Naoto Kan to discuss social security reform.We will wait and see how detailed a picture the panel can paint of the future of the nation’s social security system.The de facto leader of the panel is the assistant to the chairman, Kaoru Yosano, state minister in charge of economic and

Viewpoints Feb. 8, 2011

From a humble beginning as a joint military exercise between Thailand and the U.S. involving selective personnel of the Marine Corps in 1982, the Cobra Gold has become the world’s largest operation of its kind.Nearly two dozen countries are taking part as well as observing the annual war games. Malaysia is the latest to join, sending 13 troops for training this year ― beginning this week at the he

Viewpoints Feb. 8, 2011

Changing the republic’s Constitution needs a national consensus. As we perceive it, what stands in the way to constitutional amendment now is national indifference. In his televised roundtable a week ago, President Lee Myung-bak revealed his wishes to have the basic law revised during his tenure, but his political desire is not shared by a significant number of lawmakers even in his own party.Peop

Editorial Feb. 7, 2011

It is regrettable that President Lee Myung-bak’s remarks on the “science-business belt” plan in his New Year roundtable brewed strong protests from the Chungcheong-Daejeon region. The live-televised “free discussion” session on Feb. 1 designed to improve the president’s communication with the people only caused deep disappointment to those who had believed their province would host the 3.5 trillio

Editorial Feb. 7, 2011

With its per capita gross domestic product rising to about 30,000 yuan ($4,500), China is at a critical point if it is to avoid the middle income trap and push living standards closer to those of rich economies. Robust economic growth in 2010 has allowed China much of the wherewithal to underpin an encouraging rise in average income levels. But if the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15) is to become a c

Viewpoints Feb. 7, 2011

“Zero tolerance” policies continue to result in injustices to our nation’s public school students. In one of the latest examples, a North Carolina school district’s application of zero tolerance may cause 17-year-old senior Ashley Smithwick, described by local media as a standout student-athlete, to miss the rest of her senior year.Far worse, local prosecutors’ apparently wooden enforcement agains

Viewpoints Feb. 7, 2011

Despite the media’s recent focus on Egypt, events in Lebanon may well tell us more about the troubled prospects for Middle Eastern democracy. The fall of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s government, replaced by a Hezbollah-dominated coalition, dramatically imperils Beirut’s democratic Cedar Revolution.Financed and dominated by Iran, terrorist Hezbollah has consistently refused to disarm and b

Viewpoints Feb. 7, 2011