That turbulent Year of the Tiger, 2022, is finally over. As the Year of the Rabbit 2023 is looming, we hope serenity and tranquility are ahead of us after a hard year of domestic and international disruptions. The year 2022 began with the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February and President Yoon Suk-yeol’s inauguration in March. In September, Queen Elizabeth II passed away and in October, the tragic Itaewon crowd crush happened. Then the US mid-term election in November rounded out the Ye

Viewpoints Jan. 4, 2023

Imagine you’re crammed into your middle seat -- behind a crying baby, of course -- and a wave of turbulence rocks the plane. Then another. Then that singular, ominous “ding” as the flight crew kindly urges -- demands, really -- that passengers return to their seat and buckle up. They’re sorry for the inconvenience, but it’s for your own safety. Imagine, then, that the turbulence doesn’t stop. It gets worse. People begin to panic. Somehow, though, miraculously,

Viewpoints Jan. 4, 2023

Are we truly heading for war? The Ukraine war is such a horrible disaster that we must think seriously about how to get back to peace and stability. Reading Roman history during the Christmas holidays, I was struck by how the Romans were driven by almost perpetual war. Rome first consolidated power during the Punic wars against Carthage, but the spoils of war in Gaul, Syria and Egypt, etc. became booty for aggressive consuls and generals like Julius Caesar to buy political votes in Rome. Ultimat

Viewpoints Jan. 3, 2023

If there is one piece of legislation Congress prioritizes every year, it’s the annual government spending bill. After the usual last-minute hiccups over amendments, the Senate finally settled on an agreement to pass the $1.7 trillion bill and the House followed suit. Unsurprisingly, much of the debate over the spending package focused on the top-line numbers, particularly in the realm of defense. At $858 billion, the US defense budget got a boost of $76 billion, or about 10 percent, from

Viewpoints Jan. 2, 2023

Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to wage a winter war of attrition against Ukraine, targeting its civilian population in an attempt to starve and freeze the country into submission. In light of this dangerous escalation, the West must heed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s urgent plea for additional support. To be sure, supplying the Ukrainian military with weapons beyond anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles walks the fine line that US President Joe Biden and NATO drew

Viewpoints Jan. 2, 2023

Events of the last view months of 2022 offer hints about the direction of the world in 2023. In November, results of the US midterm elections deeply damaged Donald Trump’s prospects for a return to the White House. In December, China abandoned its long-held “zero-COVID” policy, beginning the long process of returning to normal. And just before Christmas, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a surprise visit to Washington and gave a stirring speech to a joint session of

Viewpoints Dec. 30, 2022

For many Americans, social media has become a monster. Platforms like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are seen as festering hotbeds of hate and misinformation that threaten the very foundations of American democracy and civility. Calls for regulation have intensified, with some prominent voices looking across the pond for a model to regulate social media in the public interest. In November, the European Union’s Digital Services Act took effect, with enforcement beginning for some businesses

Viewpoints Dec. 29, 2022

The world’s leading economists spent most of 2022 convincing themselves that, if the global economy was not already in a recession, it was about to fall into one. But with the year’s end, the global slump has been postponed to 2023. Clearly, the reports that the United States was in recession during the first half of the year were premature, especially given how tight the US labor market is. And, despite the confidence with which many again proclaim the inevitability of a downturn, t

Viewpoints Dec. 26, 2022

As 2022 draws to a close, I want to pay tribute to a man who devoted his entire life to correcting inaccuracies of modern history and thereby preventing a repeat of foreign territorial ambition on Korean soil. This year marked the 20th anniversary of the death of this self-taught bibliographer and historian, Lee Jong-hak. In remembrance, museums celebrated his life. With the impact of Russia’s territorial grab in Ukraine echoing around the world, the importance of Lee’s self-appoin

Viewpoints Dec. 22, 2022

More than a decade ago, scholars began pointing to a troubling global trend: a "democratic recession." Dozens of countries were drifting away from democracy toward authoritarianism. The list of backsliders has spanned the globe from India and South Africa to Hungary, Poland, Mexico -- even, in recent years, the United States. Freedom House, a nonprofit organization that rates countries on electoral practices, civil liberties and other measures, has reported 16 consecutive years of the

Viewpoints Dec. 22, 2022

We all know that both socialism and capitalism have their own upsides and downsides. The capitalist system creates polarization between the poor and the rich in an inhumane environment. Socialism creates a society of equal poverty, totalitarianism and dehumanization. The dilemma we face is that we have to choose one or the either. For some inscrutable reason, many Koreans seem to be in favor of socialism and thus ardently support radical politicians who proclaim they advocate for a socialist sta

Viewpoints Dec. 21, 2022

This holiday season let’s try to bring a little comfort and joy to our close friends who are feeling disheartened and disillusioned. They realize now that they have been repeatedly disappointed by someone they truly trusted for years. And now we can give these friends a special gift by helping them find a worthy, and much more trustworthy, successor. And in the spirit of the season, we need to make sure the gift we give doesn’t come wrapped in political lectures and tied with ribbons

Viewpoints Dec. 21, 2022

Before the United States made its chaotic exit from Afghanistan in August 2021, Congress had promised special immigrant visas to Afghans who worked with our military or civilians. Once our allies were without the protection of American forces, they would surely face Taliban revenge. As US troops left, about 80,000 Afghans did make it out of the country, most with the help of their US military colleagues (although tens of thousands who were qualified were left behind). But there was no time for

Viewpoints Dec. 20, 2022

The biggest news story of 2022 was, without question, the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February. The war is the most severe conflict in Europe since 1945 and has raised tensions between nuclear-armed NATO and Russia to the highest level since the Cold War. The next biggest news story was the return of inflation in much of the world. Rising prices have pinched family budgets and caused labor and social unrest. To tame inflation, central banks have raised interest rates rapidly, which has added

Viewpoints Dec. 16, 2022

One of the reasons the public is obsessed with Harry and Meghan is that they represent an important economic trend that resonates well beyond the British royal family: the rising tension between individual branding and the power and prestige of being part of an institution. And it’s not just the royals; it’s an issue for all industries. In the past, if money and security and status were what you craved, your path was clear: You got a job at the most prestigious institution you could

Viewpoints Dec. 15, 2022