Most Popular
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[Exclusive] Korean military set to ban iPhones over 'security' concerns
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Korean, Romanian leaders discuss defense tech, nuclear energy
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[Graphic News] 77% of young Koreans still financially dependent
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S. Korea calls on Japan to confront history amid Yasukuni Shrine visit
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Yoon’s jailed mother-in-law excluded from latest parole list
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Hybe and Min Hee-jin, CEO of Hybe sublabel Ador, lock horns
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[Pressure points] Leggings in public: Fashion statement or social faux pas?
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Yoo Jae-suk, Yoo Yeon-seok team up in 'Whenever Possible'
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Aging population to drive down Korea's housing prices from 2040: experts
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North Korea holds drills simulating nuclear counterattack against enemy
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[Editorial] No end in sight
The confrontation between the government and doctors intensified over the weekend, with neither side willing to seek a compromise that is urgently needed by patients waiting for delayed surgeries and treatments to resume. Some 20,000 doctors took part in a rally in Seoul on Sunday in protest against the government’s plan to increase the annual medical school enrollment quota by 2,000 starting from next year. “If the government ignores doctors’ efforts, it will face strong resis
EditorialMarch 4, 2024
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[Carl P. Leubsdorf] Ukraine’s battles drag on
Two years after Vladimir Putin sought to wipe it off the European map, Ukraine still stands. But its future remains in doubt. The resistance of House Republicans has stalled the provision of more vital US aid. And the past few months have not been kind to Ukrainian troops on the country’s hundreds of miles of battlefields. That the embattled country still stands is a surprise to both sides -- an unpleasant one to Putin, who was confident his mighty legions could score a quick success, and
ViewpointsMarch 1, 2024
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[Editorial] A country for children
South Korea’s fertility rate, or the average number of births a woman is expected to give in her lifetime, fell to the lowest ever of 0.72 last year. It has continued downhill from 1.24 in 2015. The number of babies born in the country dropped 7.7 percent from 2022 to the fewest ever of around 230,000, according to Statistics Korea. The dwindling fertility rate, which has been getting worldwide attention, has several reasons. The first is the number of marriages, which has plunged from its
EditorialMarch 1, 2024
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[Room Tone] Perfect companion to 'honbap' -- 30-minute shows
As a producer in the Korean television industry, I recognize that my competitors are no longer confined to fellow producers within the industry but rather extend to creators in the domains of YouTube, TikTok and video games. As the founder of Netflix once said, his biggest competitors are video games and … sleep. In this age of on-demand everything, everywhere, all at once, the battle for audience engagement has never been more difficult. I will admit that I now find it difficult to compl
ViewpointsFeb. 29, 2024
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[Chung Chan-seung] The collapse of trust: South Korea's true health care crisis
"Doctor, are you going on a strike too? Then how should I receive treatment from now on? I have respected doctors all this time, but I was so surprised and disappointed to see doctors leaving their patients behind to strike," a patient receiving treatment for panic disorder asked me. Up until now, the patient and I have had a solid mutual trust relationship. If the task were merely about fixing machines, knowledge and skills would suffice. However, the subject of medical art is not a m
ViewpointsFeb. 29, 2024
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[Takatoshi Ito] Japan as No. 4: Wake-up call for Tokyo
Harvard Professor Ezra Vogel’s 1979 book, "Japan as Number One: Lessons for America," became an instant bestseller in Japan. The flattering title certainly helped sales, but it was the book’s central argument – that the Japanese approach to governance and business were superior to others – that really made a splash. At the time, Japan was riding high. Its GDP had grown by about 10 percent annually for most of the 1950s and 1960s, and 4-5 percent during the sec
ViewpointsFeb. 29, 2024
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[Editorial] Real ways to boost value
The South Korean government on Monday unveiled a plan to help companies enhance shareholder value by addressing the so-called “Korea discount” that has plagued the local markets for years. Markets, however, seem unimpressed. The Korea discount is a chronic issue in which Korean shares are undervalued compared with their peers in other markets, reflecting smaller-than-expected shareholder returns and poor corporate governance. Under the “corporate value-up program,” the go
EditorialFeb. 29, 2024
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[Kim Seong-kon] Why is ‘The Birth of Korea’ in cinemas now?
A Korean documentary film entitled “The Birth of Korea,” directed by Kim Deog-young, has been the talk of the town lately. The film, which portrays our first president, Syngman Rhee, has reportedly been seen by about 1 million people so far. Especially considering the fact that it is a documentary, not a blockbuster Hollywood film, such a high number of viewers indicates that the film is indeed a huge success. Since Korea’s liberation from Japan in 1945, Korean left-wing poli
ViewpointsFeb. 28, 2024
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[Natalie Dunleavy Campbell, Stan Adams] US jeopardizing the open internet
Last October, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) abandoned its longstanding demand for World Trade Organization provisions to protect cross-border data flows, prevent forced data localization, safeguard source codes, and prohibit countries from discriminating against digital products based on nationality. It was a shocking shift: one that jeopardizes the very survival of the open internet, with all the knowledge-sharing, global collaboration, and cross-border commerce that it enables.
ViewpointsFeb. 28, 2024
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[Editorial] Young doctors at crossroads
Some 80.6 percent of the nation’s trainee doctors have tendered their resignation, and 72.7 percent, or about 9,000, have left the hospitals in protest of the government’s plan to increase the number of places at medical schools. The worsening shortage of interns and residents for over a week at emergency rooms and operating rooms has led to delays in surgeries and emergency treatments as well as severe fatigue of the remaining medical staff. The Ministry of Health and Welfare on Tue
EditorialFeb. 28, 2024
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[Jeffrey Frankel] Americans' pessimism about a strong economy
The United States is in unusually good economic shape nowadays -- no recession in sight. But it seems to be enduring a “vibecession”: public-opinion surveys show broad dissatisfaction with the economy and US President Joe Biden’s stewardship. What explains this disconnect between performance and perception? At least six answers -- some far more credible than others -- have been advanced. The first is that there is no disconnect at all; the positive economic indicators are wro
ViewpointsFeb. 27, 2024
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[Grace Kao] The manifold groups of 'Boys Planet'
Even in the world of K-pop, there are second chances. The Mnet idol audition show “Boys Planet” aired from Feb. 2 to April 20, 2023. It featured 98 male trainees (49 from Korea or the “K Group” and 49 non-Koreans/global trainees or the “G Group”) who would compete for praise from celebrity judges and votes from the viewers in Korea and abroad. The top-ranked nine contestants would debut in a new boy group. Audience members could vote for a limited number of
ViewpointsFeb. 27, 2024
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[Andrew Sheng] Is Asia prepared for deglobalization?
In 2021, the US Director of National Intelligence Report 2040 saw five future scenarios by 2040: shared global challenges, fragmentation, disequilibrium, contestation and adaptation. These five possible outcomes from different structural forces and emerging dynamics comprise (i) a renaissance of democracies (ii) a world adrift (iii) competitive coexistence, (iv) separate silos and (v) tragedy and mobilization. In the post-pandemic condition, which saw a Vaccine Divide and Digital Divide along We
ViewpointsFeb. 27, 2024
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[Yoo Choon-sik] Election a test over growth woes
Events regarding central bank policy meetings attract huge attention not only from professional investors but also from many others outside the financial industry in most countries, including South Korea. This attention is understandable, as their policy decisions -- usually concerning short-term interest rates -- impact everyday economic activities across the country indiscriminately. In addition to the policy decision and its underlying factors, the head of the central bank frequently comments
ViewpointsFeb. 27, 2024
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[Editorial] After 2 years of war
Two years ago, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, sending shock waves throughout the world. On Saturday, the war entered its third year, but there is no sign that the conflict will end any time soon. Worse, uncertainty is only deepening as the US President Joe Biden’s $61 billion aid package is now trapped in a political fight in Washington, as Republicans continue to stall the crucial aid to Ukraine, which is struggling with a shortage of ammunition. As the war drags on, th
EditorialFeb. 27, 2024
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[Editorial] Global chips race
With the US and Japan pulling out all the stops to reclaim global leadership in semiconductor manufacturing, South Korea risks losing its competitive edge in chipmaking if it doesn’t speed up deregulation and innovation. US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said last week the US would need a second CHIPS Act if it wants to “lead the world” in the semiconductor supply chain and meet demand from artificial intelligence technologies. The CHIPS and Science Act, signed by US Presiden
EditorialFeb. 26, 2024
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[Robert J. Fouser] Turning Seoul’s dead streams into parks
Ask former residents of Seoul, Korean and foreign alike, what they miss most about the city, many will cite the mountains in and around the city. Indeed, few major cities of Seoul’s size have as many accessible mountains as Seoul. But Seoul has another important natural feature: streams. The streams may not be as flashy as the mountains, but in recent years they have played an important role in improving the quality of life in the city. One of the most accessible and popular streams is t
ViewpointsFeb. 23, 2024
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[Editorial] Deepfake risks in election
Threats of "deepfake" videos and photos are mounting ahead of South Korea’s parliamentary election slated for April 10, posing a serious challenge to both election watchdog officials and voters as forged content is easy to make and circulate thanks to the fast-evolving artificial intelligence capabilities. The National Election Commission said Monday it caught 129 deepfakes in violation of the election laws between Jan. 29 and Feb. 16, a significant number that deserves public at
EditorialFeb. 23, 2024
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[Wang Son-taek] Pyongyang-Tokyo talks a two-edged sword
North Korea and Japan are not hiding signs that they recently had behind-the-scenes talks on a possible summit. While the so-called new Cold War structure is being discussed and worries about the potential war breaking are spreading, interest is increasing rapidly in whether the contact between North Korea and Japan could be a critical event that can change the dynamics of Northeast Asia. It remains to be seen whether the two parties can hold a summit, as there are many obstacles. The most signi
ViewpointsFeb. 22, 2024
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[Martin Schram] A week of Valentines and courtship
One way or another, Valentine’s Day week seemed mostly consumed with the complicated courtships of Donald Trump. Anchors with famous faces spent most of the week pinballing between Trump’s criminal and civil cases in courthouses in New York City, Washington, DC, Atlanta and south Florida. They kept us up-to-the-minute on the maneuverings involving 91 charges contained in the four indictments involving America’s 45th president. They include criminal cases focusing on Trump&rsquo
ViewpointsFeb. 22, 2024