[Lee Kyong-hee] Syngman Rhee gets a shaky makeover

Syngman Rhee died in exile 59 years ago. Time has not tempered visceral reactions to his mention. To his supporters, he was an astute politician, savvy diplomat, staunch anti-communist and wrongly accused leader. To his detractors, he was a corrupt, vain, power-hungry authoritarian who did little to end postwar poverty. In 1919, Rhee was elected president of the Korean Provisional Government in exile to confront Japanese imperialism. In 1948, he became president of the newly independent Republ

July 15, 2024

[Yoon Young-kwan] What to make of Russia-NK alliance

Not content with disturbing the peace in Europe, Russian President Vladimir Putin recently signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty with his North Korean counterpart, Kim Jong-un. As troubling to China’s leaders as it is to Western officials, the deal is shaking up the geopolitics of Northeast Asia and sending reverberations around the world. Despite the strategic unease that Putin has provoked, the West must be careful neither to overestimate nor underestimate the treaty&rsq

July 15, 2024

[Robert Fouser] Toward sustainable tourism in Seoul

Tourism around the world is booming this year, building on several years of recovery from the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Seoul, of course, is no exception, as any walk through Myeong-dong reveals. Empty two years ago, the area is now full of international tourists and shops are doing a booming business. Other areas of Seoul, such as Bukchon, Hongdae and Seongsu-dong are full of international tourists. Myeong-dong’s recovery and the ongoing tourist boom are part of a long-term tr

July 13, 2024

[Room Tone]Industry premieres: Glitz, glamour and grind

Industry film premieres are a delicate high-wire act where glitz and glamour can quickly devolve to grind, depending on your bias toward large social gatherings. From the stressful hunt for parking to navigating the after-party, the night is abundant with the complexities of a blockbuster film production. First off, dress code: Assuming you aren’t walking the photo line, there is none. Its important to note that during the winter months, the theaters really crank up the thermostat

July 11, 2024

[Wang Son-taek] Yoon needs to work on diplomacy, not just security

As South Korea and Russia exchanged vulgar words again, the relationship between the two countries reached a new low. The trouble began on July 8 with a foreign media interview of President Yoon Suk Yeol ahead of his attendance at the NATO summit in Washington. He said Russia should consider who is more important to Russia between South and North Korea. He then warned that South Korea's possible provision of weapons to Ukraine depends on the level and content of cooperation between Russia a

July 11, 2024

[Kim Seong-kon] Conspicuous forms of discrimination in our society

Anyone who has lived in South Korea long enough has likely encountered subtle or even open forms of discrimination. Perhaps one of the most conspicuous forms of discrimination in Korea is ageism. Ageism is taboo in most advanced countries, but in Korea, a supposedly Confucian country, many people openly practice it. Not long ago, our newspapers were full of headlines declaring the urgency of revoking senior citizens’ privilege of riding the subway for free or carrying out pension reforms t

July 10, 2024

[Ylli Bajraktari] NATO must confront disinformation

NATO’s July summit in Washington marks the 75th anniversary of the alliance’s establishment, and it comes at a critical juncture. As threats to global stability evolve beyond conventional military domains, NATO must confront the barrage of disinformation undermining its unity and values. Specifically, member countries must prevent hostile authoritarian regimes from manipulating public opinion by leveraging technology to wage “cognitive warfare.” Fittingly, the summit is e

July 10, 2024

[Sung Soo Eric Kim] Why generative AI must be regulated

I visited the Louvre Museum a couple of months ago, where legends and mythologies of humankind are preserved. Before the age of scientific reasoning in the 19th century, humankind lived based on beliefs and myths since we could not prove or scientifically reason what someone else observed. What became a legend and then a truth was based on what we wanted to see as a truth from a compelling story told by others. We could record what we see with modern recording technology during the Industrial Re

July 10, 2024

[J. Bradford DeLong] How humanity lost control

How can we be at least 15 times richer than our pre-industrial Agrarian Age predecessors, and yet so unhappy? One explanation is that we are not wired for it: Nothing in our heritage or evolutionary past prepared us to deal with a society of more than 150 people. To operate our increasingly complex technologies and advance our prosperity, we somehow must coordinate among more than 8 billion people. We therefore have built massive societal machines comprising market economies, government and corp

July 9, 2024

[Ana Palacio] The global implications of Iran’s election

The first round of Iran’s presidential election unfolded with little fanfare last weekend. But as the country prepares for a runoff -- in which voters will choose between the reformist Masoud Pezeshkian and the hardline anti-Western Saeed Jalili -- the world should be paying attention. At a time of deep tensions and shifting alliances, the results will reverberate across the region and beyond. The election’s backdrop is messy, to say the least. The death of Iran’s last presiden

July 8, 2024

[Yoo Choon-sik] What foreign investors want from South Korea

One of the most frequently discussed phrases this year in South Korea regarding the economy and financial markets was "Korea Discount,’" and the government has made addressing this issue one of its top economic policy goals. In fact, President Yoon Suk Yeol has presided over high-profile meetings to discuss ways to address the issue, and relevant government agencies have either taken steps or promised to do so. The phrase "Korea Discount" refers to the local stock m

July 8, 2024

[Lee Byung-jong] The disappearing incumbency premium

Across the globe, existing political power is being challenged and toppled. Sitting presidents, prime ministers and ruling parties are being badly beaten. Just last week, the Conservative Party in the UK lost its power for the first time in 14 years. A week earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron’s party faced a similar fate. Ruling parties in India and South Africa lost their majorities in parliamentary elections for the first time in decades. And let’s not forget South Korea&

July 8, 2024

[Peter Singer] Will Biden spoil it all?

After US President Joe Biden’s stumbling and unconvincing performance during the debate with former President Donald Trump on June 27, it is no exaggeration to say that the future of our planet may depend on a decision he must make. Does he want to go down in history as the man who was responsible for the disastrous consequences of a second Trump presidency? Will he join others whose lifelong efforts to do good were undone by their refusal to put the public interest first? For progressives

July 4, 2024

[Wang Son-taek] A third option for US President Biden

Since the surprising TV debate on June 27, the Democratic Party of the US has been heated with controversy as to whether President Joe Biden should renounce his reelection bid. Voices calling for Biden to step aside express severe frustration that the debate revealed the longtime politician’s lack of cognitive ability. They argue that if Biden runs in the election in November, he will surely lose, so he should be replaced as the Democratic presidential candidate in the form of resigning hi

July 4, 2024

[Kim Seong-kon] The image of South Korea overseas

I recently came across an intriguing article on alot.com by Ron Winkler, entitled, “AI shows what people actually look like in these 30 countries.” The writer asked an artificial intelligence system what the average person would look like in the 30 included countries, and the article features 30 images of people presented by AI for each country, followed by the writer’s brief comments on them. AI personifies South Korea as a charming K-pop girl with the background of “the

July 3, 2024

[Christine Ledbetter] Ethics crisis at US Supreme Court

A photo of Ruth Bader Ginsburg is pinned by a magnet to my refrigerator door, nestled among pictures of my grandchildren. With her head bowed, she is reading briefs during intermission at Arena Stage’s 2018 production of August Wilson’s “Two Trains Running” in Washington. I saw her numerous times at cultural events in DC during my eight years there. But I never introduced myself or told her she was my hero. I feared being embarrassingly inarticulate. Imagine having a he

July 3, 2024

[Contribution] Scientific policing's role in S. Korea's public safety

By Kang Sang-gil In an unprecedentedly short period, South Korea achieved remarkable economic development, often referred to as the "Miracle on the Han River." Since the 2000s, international organizations such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the Development Assistance Committee and the Paris Club have acknowledged South Korea's status as an advanced nation. In 2010, Seoul hosted the G20 Summit. In July

July 2, 2024

[Grace Kao] BTS Jin’s hugs and idols’ 'fan service'

Immediately following BTS member Jin’s completion of his military service, he hosted an event where he hugged 1,000 fans. Apparently, he wanted to hug even more people than that, but HYBE had to talk him down. Still, the event was not without incident -- there are videos of multiple women taking the opportunity afforded by a hug to kiss him. I find this behavior disgusting and I’m glad that the suspects have been charged with sexual assault. Still, this event was one where hugs wer

July 2, 2024

[Lee Kyong-hee] Don’t write off unification

I have a sister who lives -- or lived -- in North Korea. The Korean War separated my family and she ended up in the North. We met once since then, at Mount Kumgang across the DMZ, before inter-Korean family reunion events were suspended. We had only hours to bridge six decades of separation. Yet, the opportunity of the 2009 reunion was a godsend for my family, especially for my mother, who turned 100 that year. She lived 10 more years, probably waiting for another chance to see her daughter but

July 1, 2024

[Robert Fouser] Trump on course to win

Thursday’s presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump marked the beginning of the final stretch of the race for the White House. Next up are the Republican convention in July, the Democratic convention in August and another debate on Sept. 10. Traditionally, the final stretch of the campaign begins after Labor Day in early September, but the early debate has lengthened the campaign season. Where does the race stand now and what does it mean for South Korea? According to the New

June 28, 2024