The Korea Herald

[Noah Smith] The middle class risks consuming itself

Jan 1, 2020

Americans are increasingly anxious about the costs of services such as health care and education. But these are the very same industries that increasingly sustain the middle class. Resolving this par...
[Robert J. Fouser] The 2020s, a look ahead

Dec 31, 2019

In my last column I looked back on the 2010s in South Korea; this time I look forward and offer some predictions for the 2020s. The predictions highlight the challenges that South Korea will face in ...
[Kim Seong-kon] Belling the cat in the Year of the Mouse

Dec 31, 2019

In the Chinese horoscope, 2020 is the Year of the Mouse. According to the fable behind the horoscope, when the Emperor of Heaven invited 12 animals to his party, the Mouse cunningly tricked the Ox in...
Striving for clarity in 2020

Dec 31, 2019

The first day of the new year is perhaps one of the most optimistic days of any year, bringing with it a host of new possibilities. “Out with the old, in with the new,” we intone. In this age of bef...
[Tyler Cowen] Women dominated the decade

Dec 30, 2019

People react so emotionally to politics, I have decided to assess the decade just past by considering something less partisan but no less illuminating: culture. Start with the music I have been list...
[Noah Smith] Inequality is up a lot. The question is: how much?

Dec 30, 2019

Inequality in the US has risen a lot during the past few decades. This has sparked outrage among segments of the public, raised concern among economists and other social scientists, and revitalized A...
[Letter to the Editor] Facts on palm oil, please, not falsehoods

Dec 30, 2019

I write in response to the opinion written by Justin Fendos, “Palm oil catastrophe.” At a time when there is an urgent need to find sustainable sources for food and energy, it is important that cons...
[Trudy Rubin] During holidays, here’s how to help refugees

Dec 29, 2019

On Dec. 20, in a grim prelude to Christmas, China and Russia vetoed cross-border aid deliveries from Turkey and Iraq to millions of desperate Syrian civilians. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused...
[Pankaj Mishra] Trump’s trade wars expose an abiding truth

Dec 29, 2019

As the year ends, a partial and brief cease-fire seems imminent in Donald Trump’s trade war on the world. The United States and China may sign a deal as early as next month. But make no mistake: The ...
[Ferdinando Giugliano] Greece gets a dose of McKinsey management

Dec 26, 2019

Since the euro crisis earlier this decade, Greece has been the sick man of the monetary union. Athens has at times been in danger of crashing out of the single currency, despite three rescue program...
[Lionel Laurent] Macron battles against boomers, pensions

Dec 25, 2019

Emmanuel Macron is the first French president in a decade who isn’t a baby boomer, and it shows. The 41-year-old’s battle to reform France’s high-tax, high-spend economy is often fought in the name ...
[Adam Minter] In ‘Star Wars’ economy, one thing doesn’t pay

Dec 25, 2019

Junk is surprisingly pervasive in “Star Wars,” playing an understated role in nearly every film in the series. In “The Phantom Menace,” we meet young Anakin Skywalker, the future Darth Vader, workin...
[Conor Sen] Soccer is the future of sports in America

Dec 24, 2019

If you’re in the business of professional sports right now, the fundamentals are cause for concern. Attendance is falling, even in the midst of a strong economy. Perhaps some of that decline can be a...
[Kim Seong-kon] Dreaming of a white Christmas in Spain

Dec 24, 2019

When I was a little boy right after the 1950-53 Korean War, I received a Christmas present from Santa Claus. On that Christmas Eve, I woke up in the middle of the night and found the gift next to my ...
[Noah Smith] High-speed rail is going nowhere fast in US

Dec 23, 2019

Some leaders in the US are intent on reviving the old dream of high-speed rail. Sen. Bernie Sanders is proposing $607 billion for a new high-speed train network as part of his Green New Deal. Represe...