Although they often miss their youth, old people are wise enough to know that they cannot get any younger. For some inscrutable reason, however, some young people seem to forget they will grow old someday. They naively think that they will be young forever. Perhaps that is why they unabashedly make fun of elderly people, or have even gone so far as to insult them in public by calling them various derogatory names, such as “old bat,” “old-timer,” or “kkondae”

Viewpoints Oct. 13, 2021

Recently, the Korean television series “Squid Game” has become the top-rated program on Netflix in many countries, including Korea. “Squid Game” tells the story of 456 desperate and down-and-out men and women who decide to go through a cutthroat survival game for an astronomical prize: 45.6 billion won, which is about $38.4 million. The problem is that only the final survivor can get the prize money, while all of the others must die along the way. Behind the game, a sin

Viewpoints Oct. 6, 2021

The Netflix television series “D.P.” is the talk of the town lately. As the title “D.P.,” which stands for “Deserter Pursuit,” suggests, the drama is about the military police’s pursuit of deserters. At the same time, the drama vividly depicts the violence within the ROK Army, which is one of the main reasons for soldiers’ desertion. Violence is so rampant that even the protagonist, who is in the military police D.P. unit, faces periodic physical v

Viewpoints Sept. 29, 2021

When Seoul hosted the 1988 Summer Games, a reporter asked a famous Japanese judoka if he expected to win gold. The former gold medalist answered, smiling pleasantly, “I’m working at a bank. That is my job. Judo is merely my hobby. I will just do my best, but a gold medal is not my primary concern.” His answer was cool and impressive. Then, the same reporter turned to a Korean judoka who was also a strong candidate for the gold medal and asked the same question. The Korean ath

Viewpoints Sept. 15, 2021

The news that the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development recently upgraded South Korea from a “developing country” to a “developed country” elated the Korean people greatly. Although the new title may not sound particularly fancy and South Korea may have been a developed country for some time already, Koreans still appreciate the official recognition by the UNCTAD and take it as more than a friendly gesture. Indeed, South Korea has come a long way to earn the

Viewpoints Aug. 25, 2021

“The Odd Couple” is a 1968 American comedy film, starring Jack Lemon and Walter Matthau, based on Neil Simon’s 1965 play. It is a comic story of two divorced men, Felix Unger and Oscar Madison, who decide to live together in a New York City apartment. Soon they become an “odd couple” because one is almost a “neurotic neat freak” and the other is a messy, “fun-loving slob.” Actually, their ex-wives dumped them because they could not stand thei

Viewpoints Aug. 18, 2021

The past is something from which we should learn valuable lessons, not something to have a grudge about or to misuse for the sake of personal vendettas. Regrettably, however, our left-wing politicians are hopelessly obsessed with past resentments, thereby preventing South Korea from soaring into the future. Consequently, they have dragged the nation’s people into the labyrinth of the past for the last few years. In today’s South Korea, therefore, the future is nebulous and history

Viewpoints Aug. 11, 2021

Experts argue that artificial intelligence will bring a revolutionary change to our future lives. Of course, AI has its upsides and downsides: The good news is that AI will make our lives incredibly convenient, but the bad news is that it will replace humans in many jobs, such as cashiers, bank tellers, and even factory workers. Indeed, it is happening already. For example, if you go to a self-checkout lane at a store, AI will greet you and instruct you to complete the checkout process. If you

Viewpoints Aug. 4, 2021

In the late 1980s, when I visited big electronic stores in the US, such as Circuit City or Best Buy, I saw Japanese electronics such as Sony, Panasonic, and Hitachi television sets occupy the display floor like a conquering army. Far behind the Japanese products were two or three Samsung TV sets, sadly left out in the cold. Sanyo stereos, Toshiba laptops and Sony Walkman, too, joined the parade in those US electronics stores. At the time, Japanese electronic devices were Americans’ favorit

Viewpoints July 28, 2021

Recently, most US states finally lifted the year-long requirement of wearing a facial mask indoors. As a result, you can now freely shop groceries, clothes or miscellanies in a store without donning a mask. It is like “Back to normal again.” Still, however, some people, especially those who have to work indoors all day long, dealing with customers, are still wearing a mask as a precautionary measure. Face-covering masks have changed our lives significantly in many respects, especia

Viewpoints July 21, 2021

Sometimes we encounter criticisms and other times compliments. Both are beneficial: From criticisms, we can learn valuable lessons, whereas compliments encourage us to continue what we have been doing all our lives. Looking back upon my life, I have received many notable corrections and encouraging words of praise. When I visited SUNY Buffalo, I proudly told my mentor, professor Marcus Klein, “Some people in Korea think I am an authority on American literature.” He replied with a s

Viewpoints July 14, 2021

When I was president of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea, I once held a workshop on cultural differences so my staff could learn and discuss foreign cultures. At that time, I felt it was imperative that my staff was thoroughly informed of cultural differences because of an incident that had embarrassed us. A Korean institution that had donated hundreds of Korean-language textbooks to India discovered that those books were just piled in a warehouse, never having been used. Among th

Viewpoints July 7, 2021

Situated between World War II and the Vietnam War, and overshadowed by the Cold War, the Korean War has inadvertently become the “Forgotten War.” Strangely, people have kept silent about the war and seem to have forgotten it completely. Whenever I see the epigraph “The Forgotten War” at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, I am as heartbroken as I can be because we should remember the Korean War forever. The Korean War was much more than a civil war. Rather, i

Viewpoints June 23, 2021

Living in these troubled times, we ponder the things that are most precious in life. Some people might think of expensive jewels as precious, such as a diamond ring, a platinum bracelet, or a pearl necklace. Others may pick famous brand name products, such as a Chanel handbag, a Gucci purse, or a Rolex watch. Those who adore expensive cars would treasure a Rolls Royce, a Ferrari, or a Bentley. I addition, there are those who think of political fame and power as a precious thing, such as a minist

Viewpoints June 16, 2021

It seems that our left-wing politicians today tend to think that corporations only exist to exploit their workers. Perhaps that is why they so frequently discourage our enterprises and give them such a hard time. Yet, corporations create jobs, often pay high salaries and instill a good impression of South Korea around the world. They even contribute to our diplomacy by investing in foreign countries. At a recent press conference after the summit between Korea and the United States, US Presiden

Viewpoints June 9, 2021