Afghan election unlikely to be decisive in first round
Amidst the biggest security operation in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban, the country held a landmark presidential election on Saturday. There was high overall turnout of an estimated 7 of 12 million eligible voters, a third of them women, well in excess of the approximately 4.5 million people who cast a ballot in […]
Siding with big tobacco
Korea’s first tobacco litigation ended up in smokers’ defeat Thursday, running counter to the global trends of punishing the rogue industry. Wrapping up the 15-year-long damage suit, the Supreme Court ruled ― quite regrettably ― the link between tobacco and “non-specific cancers” was difficult to prove. It also said the evidence showed neither defects in […]
Parties to fight under same rules
Rival camps still face criticism over breaking campaign promises The two rival parties have managed to avoid competing in the June 4 local elections with two conflicting sets of nomination standards, following a decision by the opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) to maintain the practice of the party nominating candidates. However, both camps […]
`Drones belonged to N. Korea’
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) said Friday it was certain that three recently crashed spy drones belonged to North Korea. The ministry plans to create a team composed of international experts to confirm this. “We have a lot of evidence, which makes us quite sure that the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) came from North […]
Foreign companies hunting Korean talent
AMCHAM president says Korean employees are No. 1 in the world Global technology majors such as Microsoft, Intel and International Business Machine (IBM) are pitching up to hire Korean graduates. “Korean employees are No. 1 in the world,” Microsoft Korea Country Manager James Kim said at a student session held in Seoul, Tuesday. Amy Jackson, […]
BOK raises growth outlook to 4%
New governor indicates rate hike in offing The country’s top central banker Thursday hinted at raising the key interest rate to rein in growing inflationary pressure resulting from economic recovery. “We will consider price stability, economic growth and other factors in shaping our monetary policy,” Bank of Korea (BOK) Governor Lee Ju-yeol told reporters. “We […]
Enjoying traditional and modern Incheon
A friend who has been to Incheon told me that it was a fascinating city. She said we could travel through time along the Gwandong modern architecture street or experience “Little China” in China Town. She talked about Shinpo Dakgangjeong, a restaurant that serves “dakgangjeong,” a sweet and spicy fried chicken dish, and Gonghwachun, a […]
Silence is not necessarily golden: a message to Korean reporters
U.S. President Barack Obama offered a chance for Korean reporters to comment or to ask questions at the G20 Seoul conference in 2010. The Seoul conference was an opportunity to boost the morale of the Korean people and burnish the image of Korea to the world. I don’t know the exact timing of Obama’s offer […]
Korea must legislate plain language act
Last week, spokespersons of government agencies agreed to use plain language in their documents and statements, with the help of the National Institute of the Korean Language. On Hangeul Day (Korean Alphabet Day) on Oct. 9, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) will award government agencies that use plain language consistently and effectively. […]
Stop the brain drain
When an unprecedented currency crisis hit Asia and Korea in 1997, domestic businesses first trimmed their R&D manpower, as they were of little use in making quick profits. Kim Jong-hoon, a Korean-American IT expert nominated by President Park as her first minister of future planning and science, gave up the opportunity to serve his country […]
Media in Tie-up with The AsiaN 
Trump, Kim, and the Three P’s of Summit Diplomacy: 
