We won’t stop here
The Korea Times has conducted a major renewal changing its whole appearance ranging from design and typeset to size of font and layout. It is a beginning of a journey we are inviting our readers to take with us ― our journey of perpetual change and constant reinvention. The overhaul, implemented from our New Year’s […]
N. Korea’s blackmail missile
TOKYO ― The Unha-3 rocket launched from Sohae in North Korea on the morning of Dec. 12 passed through Japanese air space over the island of Okinawa 12 minutes later, and crashed into the Pacific Ocean roughly 300 kilometers east of the Philippines. The launch could be considered a mild surprise, because South Korean intelligence […]
As New Year’s dawns, a look at the future
A little known spy agency has hoisted a crystal ball to gaze into the future, determining how new technologies could lead to everything from precisely managed smart cities, to battery-powered exoskeletons helping grandma get around, to time-and-money saving personalized medicine. The possibilities outlined in “Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds” might sound like science-fiction, but the […]
Egypt: the not so bad constitution
Egyptian politics over the past nine months has not been an edifying sight, but the new constitution does not spell the end of democracy in Egypt. It scares the 36 percent of Egyptian voters who rejected it, but their fears are probably misplaced. The revolution was made in the big cities, mostly by people who […]
Gloomy year-end for 48%
Main opposition party must go back to square one Another year is passing us by, leaving more regrets and grief than pride and joy behind ― as always. Nowhere might this year-end’s atmosphere be gloomier than in the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP), which lost an election most, including the party itself, thought it […]
Ushering in Year of the Snake
Traditionally, at this Yuletide period, best wishes for a “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year’’ are exchanged by many people throughout the world. In Korea, in greeting the New Year while bidding farewell to the old one, the most typically heard greetings may be “Wish you a great deal of fortune in the New Year!” […]
Christmas tree in N. Korea
The fuss made by North Korea over the Christmas lights on a steel tower at an observation post overlooking the demilitarized zone reminds me of a similarly lit tree far inside North Korea. It was on the shelf behind the bar of a hotel in the industrial east coast city of Hamheung. I saw this […]
Park Geun-hye must enforce affirmative action
President-elect Park Geun-hye has pledged to recruit highly qualified people for various government posts fairly. According to her, such impartial recruitment is necessary to end the vicious cycle of division and hatred that has haunted South Korea for the past half century. Park’s predecessors have reneged on their promises of fairness. They have installed cronies […]
Divided nation
A few days ago, I received a widely circulating Kakao Talk message from a friend who vehemently supported Park Geun-hye during the presidential election. It read as follows: “A totally new era seems to be in store for the nation given Park’s victory and numerous signs of good fortune.” It cited a series of numerical […]
Why I won’t go to North Korea
“Have you ever been to North Korea?” This is the question I am almost always asked here in South Korea when people learn that I have become an activist for North Korean escapees. My response is curt: “No.” “Do you plan on going?” they ask next. My answer remains the same: “No.” When they start […]
Media in Tie-up with The AsiaN 
Trump, Kim, and the Three P’s of Summit Diplomacy: 
