The forthcoming April general election is important not just because it is a precursor to the December presidential poll. It is important more because it offers a rare chance to reshape the nation’s election culture. The April 11 election is the first major election in Korea where candidates and their supporters are allowed to fully utilize the Internet for electioneering ― unless they poison the election atmosphere by attempting to defame their rivals. Previously, the Internet could not be used

Editorial Jan. 25, 2012

Many consumers wonder why beef prices in department stores and other retail outlets remain high even as cattle prices have plummeted at livestock farms. The Consumers Union of Korea has come up with an answer.According to a report released by the union, a top-notch 600 kg Korean cow fetches its owner about 5.8 million won on average. But the cow’s final consumer price is slightly over 10.04 million won, generating a distribution margin of 42.3 percent.The report has found out how the large margi

Editorial Jan. 25, 2012

In this age the complex relations developing between individuals outside of the workplace or the family, whether those that develop through online communications within organizations, or those found in social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, are having a profound impact on our society. Connections between people from vastly different backgrounds, who serve at different levels within organizations, can subtly, or bluntly, influence policy. Almost all actions within social networks

Viewpoints Jan. 25, 2012

In North Korea, the king is dead, long live the king. Now what? I say we need to find a new way forward. Let me explain. At its meeting last October, the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council for Korea (http://www.weforum.org/content/global-agenda-council-korea-2011) called for a “New Model” for relations between North Korea and the world. That call is even more valid with the death of Kim Jong-il. I chaired that Global Agenda Council and I will present the “New Model” at the WEF’s full m

Viewpoints Jan. 25, 2012

“Broken Arrow,” a court drama film depicting a laid-off professor’s unsuccessful challenge to what he believed were unjust legal proceedings, was a box office leader during the lunar New Year holiday. It can be taken as yet another testimonial to the dwindling public trust in the nation’s justice system, although some attribute its success to the popularity of the two top actors Ahn Sung-ki and Moon Sung-keun.It was only last autumn that another court film, “Dogani (Melting Pot),” stirred contro

Editorial Jan. 24, 2012

Changes are happening fast in Korea, even in such tradition-bound areas as funeral culture. In 2000, only about one-third of the dead were cremated; now more than 70 percent of families choose not to bury the dead in tombs. They extend their funeral period by one or two days to secure a slot in the crematorium operated at full capacity.High expenses for burial with limited availability of cemetery spaces and the posterity’s uncertain prospect for properly taking care of the ancestors’ tombs are

Editorial Jan. 24, 2012

In planning to withdraw two of the U.S.’s four combat brigades from Europe, the Barack Obama administration is drawing on an unlikely inspiration: Donald Rumsfeld, when he was secretary of defense under President George W. Bush, wanted to do the same thing (the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan made the idea moot). Not that this will make Obama immune to partisan criticism: Howard P. “Buck” McKeon, the Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, likened the administration’s proposed de

Viewpoints Jan. 24, 2012

Bullying is nothing new, and neither is the recent surge in school violence a new global phenomenon. Ours is an educational system that generates a vicious circle of ruthless competition and for those left behind, well, there’s either one of two choices: succumb to failure or lash out at the powers that be. In the case of the former, who often become victims of bullying, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by a perceived sense of helplessness and worthlessness. These poor souls feel as if they have n

Viewpoints Jan. 24, 2012

In 1912, the RMS Titanic, the largest and most advanced passenger liner of its day, sank in the Atlantic Ocean, reminding the world there was no such thing as an invincible ship. The Costa Concordia, a cruise ship so enormous that it is essentially a floating town, lies half submerged off the coast of Italy, making the same point today. The Titanic tragedy, which claimed some 1,500 lives, ushered in a new era in maritime safety law. A century later, the Costa Concordia debacle, in which 11 peopl

Viewpoints Jan. 24, 2012

Blustering and fuming, Iran seems to be spoiling for war.The United States and Iran have treated each other with outright hostility for more than three decades now, ever since the mullahs captured the Iranian revolution in 1979 and then sent students to seize the American embassy. But never before has the relationship teetered so close to military conflict.Even with the atmosphere freighted with bellicosity, the threats and hostile acts keep coming. On Sunday Iran issued a stark warning, saying

Viewpoints Jan. 24, 2012

The Korean economy will face greater risks this year as the Seoul government has agreed to reduce its oil imports from Iran gradually in response to a U.S. request to participate in global sanctions against the Middle East country. Washington has officially asked Seoul to cut its purchases of oil from Iran and unwind financial dealings with the Central Bank of Iran as part of its campaign to drive the Tehran government toward more serious negotiations over its nuclear program.Given its close rel

Editorial Jan. 19, 2012