PARIS ― Socialist French President Francois Hollande is in the pilot’s seat in the world’s latest military incursion. We’re not used to seeing the French lead the way into battle, but it’s becoming increasingly frequent.Some 63 percent of the French support Hollande’s decision to take military action in Mali, according to a poll conducted by the French Institute of Public Opinion. So why have the French suddenly developed such an itchy trigger finger?Under center-right former President Nicolas S

Viewpoints Jan. 18, 2013

A group of lawmakers are moving to set a statutory quota of women directors at public institutions to break the glass ceiling. Rep. Chung Mong-joon of the ruling Saenuri Party and 61 other legislators have proposed a bill requiring state-run corporations and other public organizations to raise the ratio of women on their boards to 15 percent in three years and 30 percent in five years.The move is justified, given the dearth of women in the boardrooms of public as well as private corporations in

Editorial Jan. 16, 2013

During her presidential campaign, President-elect Park Geun-hye promised to write down the debts of some 3.2 million people by setting up an 18-trillion-won fund, dubbed the National Happiness Fund.At the center of her scheme lay the Korea Asset Management Corp., a state-run agency specializing in resolution of non-performing loans acquired from financial institutions. KAMCO was supposed to secure 1.8 trillion won in seed money and issue bonds, as allowed by law, 10 times the amount of that seed

Editorial Jan. 16, 2013

How would you feel if your baby was seized from your arms by government officials? Just ask a Korean-born American mother. How would you feel if you were being investigated by the prosecution for child abduction for adopting a child? Ask the same mother. How would you feel if you were accused of violating adoption law for assisting a mother in having her child adopted by a loving family? Ask a young dedicated Korean director of a homeless shelter for women. And how would you feel if you were bei

Viewpoints Jan. 16, 2013

If his government proceeds to review apologies that Japan previously tendered for its World War II aggression, new Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will be starting his diplomacy with Asian countries on the wrong foot.His Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga has indicated there might be a review of the decision in 1993 to apologize for direct Japanese coercion of 200,000 women from Korea, China, the Philippines and other Asian countries into brothels to serve Japanese soldiers during World W

Viewpoints Jan. 15, 2013

DA NANG, Vietnam ― A mystery pervades this part of the world.In the Middle East, Africa, Russia, parts of Europe ― even the United States ― thousands of angry citizens have stood up to challenge their governments over the last two years. In several cases, of course, they have thrown dictators out of office.But here in Asia, home to some of the world’s most authoritarian nations, we’ve seen none of that at all. Vietnam, however, may be setting a path for other Asian states. Late last month, the s

Viewpoints Jan. 14, 2013

Women hold up half the sky, as Mao Zedong once declared. Decades later, they don’t hold up much of anything in the halls of Chinese power. In 2012, Liu Yang proved the inverse of Mao’s point, at least as far as China is concerned. The 34-year-old became the first Chinese woman to orbit the Earth. Her milestone highlighted a less heavenly reality: It’s easier for a Chinese woman to circle our planet in outer space than to reach the highest rungs of male-dominated Beijing politics. Expectations th

Viewpoints Jan. 14, 2013

It’s very likely that kids will find this column to be, like, totally stupid, and will conclude that they can write one sooooo much better. They will declare this on their Twitter feed, sandwiched between the hundreds of photos of themselves making that pursed-lips “duck face,” then wait for the “friends” they’ve never met in person to tell them how hot they look.That’s because compared with 30 years ago, more American students think they’re above average in writing, leadership, intelligence, dr

Viewpoints Jan. 14, 2013

Dear kids,It must be heartbreaking mourning the death of your mother, uncle, and father in your tender years. And the manner of their untimely passing must be especially difficult to understand. It’s hard for me to even imagine the extent of your grief and the depth of your sorrow. Although I don’t know you personally, I’ve been a fan of your mother, and a grief-stricken admirer of her work. Now, after reading the sad news of your father’s death, I have become a sympathizing stranger. Clearly, y

Viewpoints Jan. 13, 2013