North Korea angered its neighbors ― South Korea, Japan and its ally China ― and the United States when it conducted another nuclear test Tuesday in defiance of U.N. resolutions. The beleaguered communist state did so apparently in the misguided belief that nuclear armament would provide protection for its regime headed by the young leader Kim Jong-un.Contrary to its wishes, however, North Korea may hasten its implosion by making a costly attempt to arm itself with nuclear bombs and long-range mi

Editorial Feb. 13, 2013

The nation sustained a shortfall in its 2012 tax revenue, the first since 2004 when the nation had to control the damage from a credit card crisis. Tax collections fell short of the target by as much as 2.8 trillion won as consumers, among others, tightened their purse strings, imports declined and the property market tanked.Moreover, President Lee Myung-bak’s outgoing administration outspent the total revenue for the first time since the government was established in 1948. The amount, 148.4 bil

Editorial Feb. 13, 2013

North Korea would like nothing more than for the U.S. and its allies to hyperventilate over the North’s third test of a nuclear device. Indeed, with two satellite-cum-missile launches and one nuclear test during his first year in power, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has already displayed an appetite for foreign-policy brinksmanship that goes beyond the political need to show his people that he’s large and in charge.That said, there is good reason for the U.S. to remain calm and carry on, build

Viewpoints Feb. 13, 2013

Kim Jong-un has just carried out North Korea’s third nuclear test and the general mood among experts is, “There they go again.”If history is any indicator, the test will make headlines and the international community’s response will crescendo, followed by near silence. Over the last two decades, alarm bells have quieted despite concerns over continued nuclear and missile testing because experts believe the North Korean nuclear threat is still in its infancy.However, this test is a pivot point. I

Viewpoints Feb. 13, 2013

The events, during Black History Month, commemorate the 60th anniversary of the truce that ended fighting in the Korean War and the black troops who helped keep South Korea free. It was 65 years ago that Missouri’s own President Harry S. Truman did the unthinkable with an executive order, integrating U.S. armed forces.African-American soldiers had fought in every U.S. war before then ― but in segregated units ― and were never fully recognized or appreciated. It was in the Korean War from 1950 to

Viewpoints Feb. 13, 2013

Under the incoming government, big business groups engaged in unfair labor practices are likely to face mounting pressure to clean up their act. Thus far, some of their old practices have been tolerated, but not anymore.In her Lunar New Year message, President-elect Park Geun-hye renewed her resolve to change the “wrong” practices of the past to usher in a new era. Although she did not mention any specific field where such corrective action was needed, she repeatedly stressed on the campaign tra

Editorial Feb. 12, 2013

It’s not just corrupt prosecutors who make a mockery of the nation’s legal system. Corrupt judges do so as well.The latest example is a judge in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province, who granted bail to an unscrupulous university founder charged with embezzling 104 billion won from the 10 schools under his control.According to reports, the judge released Lee Hong-ha, chairman of Seonam University in Namwon, North Jeolla Province, and three other people who helped him, on health grounds Friday, saying

Editorial Feb. 12, 2013

In his second inaugural address, U.S. President Barack Obama offered a vague but appealing vision. Now it’s time for the more distinct and contentious translation. In his State of the Union address, scheduled for Feb. 12, the president is widely expected to talk about ways to improve the condition of the middle class and increase job growth. The question, given the slow-growing economy and intransigent congressional opposition, is what exactly he can say and do to advance those goals. From our s

Viewpoints Feb. 12, 2013

Pope Benedict XVI’s decision to step down as the leader of the Roman Catholic Church was fittingly unexpected for a man who has long defied easy categorization. It was also a brave step at a time when the Catholic Church is facing an array of global challenges. First, we applaud Benedict’s courage in recognizing that he is simply no longer up to the job. He is 85, and by his own admission in failing strength, mentally and physically. His successor, to be selected by the College of Cardinals, wil

Viewpoints Feb. 12, 2013

My favorite Haruhiko Kuroda moment was on a Tokyo-bound flight on March 13, 2011, two days after a gigantic earthquake struck northeast Japan. I was in the Philippines when the quake precipitated a nuclear crisis. On the first available flight back, the president of the Manila-based Asian Development Bank sat near me on an almost-empty plane. Manila-to-Tokyo flights are rarely made with a single empty seat, but no one likes to fly into a potential Chernobyl, not with tens of thousands in Japan c

Viewpoints Feb. 12, 2013