The Korea Herald

[Kim Seong-kon] We need good professionals and wise men

ViewpointsSept 12, 2017

Koreans are known to be extremely proud of themselves. Perhaps they are too proud to know their place in the world or even in East Asia. Many are so proud of themselves that they have delusions of gr...
[Kim Seong-kon] Where have all the great men gone in times of crisis?

ViewpointsSept 5, 2017

In his monumental essay, “the American Scholar,” Emerson wrote, “To be great is to be misunderstood.” Indeed, a truly great man can easily be misunderstood by his contemporaries. In English, there is...
[Kim Seong-kon] What we can learn from ‘Mockingjay’

ViewpointsAug 29, 2017

Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games trilogy is a powerful criticism of contemporary society that is seriously plagued by hate and divided by ideological differences. “Mockingjay,” the last installment...
[Kim Seong-kon] Declaration of independence from Confucianism

ViewpointsAug 22, 2017

Recently, I read the controversial book “Confucius Must Die for This Nation to Live” by Professor Kim Kyung-il. The book is a de-facto declaration of independence from Confucianism, which has been th...
[Kim Seong-kon] Korea caught between Scylla and Charybdis

ViewpointsAug 15, 2017

Recently foreign readers wrote me that they would like to know what young Koreans think of the current political climate of the Korean Peninsula and what South Korea can and should do under the circu...
[Kim Seong-kon] Waiting for the autumn and spring

ViewpointsAug 8, 2017

These days, Korea is roasting under the scorching sun. During the day, Koreans seek refuge in air-conditioned buildings and at night, they toss and turn because of the unbearably high temperature and...
[Kim Seong-kon] A colorless man is a colorful man

ViewpointsAug 1, 2017

Generally speaking, Koreans like to belong somewhere and tend to flock together. Perhaps that is why there are so many groups, societies and associations in Korean society. Koreans seem to feel comf...
[Kim Seong-kon] SJWs rampant in South Korea

ViewpointsJul 25, 2017

Haruki Murakami lamented the lack of decency and common sense among the extreme right wing in Japan, in a recent email interview with his Korean publisher, Munhakdongne. He mentioned this while refe...
[Kim Seong-kon] Be lost in Pastland or prosper in Tomorrowland?

ViewpointsJul 18, 2017

If you ask a scientist, “What is a star?” he will probably answer, “It is a gigantic mass of dust located in the universe far away from Earth.” How unromantic! Yet it is the undeniable truth. In the ...
[Kim Seong-kon] What to do with Korea’s future

ViewpointsJul 11, 2017

Recently I read two books that deal with the future of Korea. One was “For Whom This Nation Exists” by Kim Hyong-o, a former National Assemblyman and house speaker. The other was “Korea 4.0 Now” by K...
[Kim Seong-kon] Certain endings and new beginnings

ViewpointsJul 4, 2017

Last week, the LTI Korea Translation Academy held the commencement ceremony for our graduates of 2017. As president of the academy, I was so proud of the students from different nations who wore gorg...
[Kim Seong-kon] Would you fight change and be left behind?

ViewpointsJun 27, 2017

This is the National Assembly Hearing season in Korea for Cabinet minister-designates proposed by the new administration. Every day, newspaper reporters thoroughly examine every nook and cranny of th...
[Kim Seong-kon] Do Koreans properly appreciate favors?

ViewpointsJun 20, 2017

Foreigners have often pointed out that Koreans do not seem to be appreciative and seem to take everything for granted. In the 19th century, a foreigner, after living in Korea for two years, wrote, “W...
[Kim Seong-kon] Waiting for our Maxwell’s Demon

ViewpointsJun 13, 2017

In his short story “Entropy” and his celebrated novel “The Crying of Lot 49,” Thomas Pynchon warns us of the possible annihilation of human civilization, using the second law of thermodynamics, also ...
[Kim Seong-kon] You should seek advice from a professional

ViewpointsJun 6, 2017

When they put up English signboards or use English expressions, Koreans seldom consult with native speakers of English. As a result, awkward English expressions are rampant throughout Korea. Do they ...