Dec. 26 last year was a shameful day for the South Korean military. As five drones from North Korea infiltrated into the South Korean airspace for many hours, it failed to shoot them down and only watched as one returned to the North. Military authorities should not only reflect on the disappointment of the people, but also focus on establishing measures to prevent a recurrence. The task should b...

Metaphorically speaking, South Korea stands between the winds and the waves. That is to say, South Korea is located between continental and oceanic civilizations. According to the late cultural critic, Lee O-young, in the countries that belong to the continental civilization, people frequently use expressions with the word “wind” in it. For example, they say, “What wind brought you here?” Or “the...

The television split screen told the story. On one side, Republicans in the House of Representatives labored through the fourth of the 15 ballots they needed during four days of gridlock to choose Rep. Kevin McCarthy as speaker. On the other side, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell stood beaming with President Joe Biden as they congratulated each other for a bipartisan success: a $1.6 bil...

Last July, two activists from Just Stop Oil entered London’s National Gallery and made their way to John Constable’s “The Hay Wain,” an iconic painting of rural England as it was 200 years ago. After covering the painting with an image of environmental destruction, they glued their hands to the frame and awaited arrest. Three months later, another pair of activists went to the National Gallery a...

Starting the new year with legislation that prohibits anyone younger than 18 from having a social media account would benefit our youths. In Texas, that could become a reality. A state representative there has proposed legislation that would ban minors from having social media profiles. While it certainly will be met with some criticism, there is enough data to support this legislation. Consider...

For the past four days, Americans and others around the world have had their eyes glued to the spectacle of the US House of Representatives trying -- and failing, 14 times -- to elect a new Speaker. Now, by making even more concessions, Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California has finally grasped the gavel. McCarthy has won, but at an alarming cost for the country and his own party. Some features of th...

China’s recent decision to abandon its strict zero-COVID policy has led many to believe that its economy will bounce back. The Economist Intelligence Unit, for example, has revised its forecast for Chinese GDP growth in 2023 upward, to 5.2 percent. But growth recovery is not automatic, and China must contend with several challenges, including declining confidence among firms and households about ...

For readers seeking a peaceful interlude at the start of the new year, I would suggest visiting the renovated celadon gallery at the National Museum of Korea. A moment of tranquility and self-reflection in aesthetic ambience may help reset and recharge for the challenging times ahead. The gallery has been carefully remodeled to emphasize the beauty of outstanding celadon objects from the Goryeo ...

Ever true to its traditions, Official Washington has celebrated its holidays by toasting its successes, and then cruising comfortably into yet another new year. So this is the right time to remind our capital’s cognoscenti that some areas of Washington governance can and must do better in 2023. We can think of three: executive, legislative and judicial. Each of the three official branches of go...