Why America’s Christian right is wrong
It’s always been easy to use religion, in this case Christianity, as a means to enshrine bigotry, hatred, and stupidity. In the last 30 years or so, we’ve seen a strong and politically effective bond between Christian zealots and the American Republican Party. All social democracies have freedom of religion. And so, if you believe, […]
US-China ties: cooperation and competition
In the mid-1960s, when the world was dominated by the two superpowers ― the United States and the Soviet Union ― China routinely described their relationship as one of “colluding and contending” for power and influence. That was the view of a China that was economically weak and diplomatically isolated. Today, things are very different. […]
Japanese flag haunts Koreans
The German law bans the use of the Hakenkreuz, the symbol used by the Nazi Party adopted by Adolf Hitler. Violators are fined or face imprisonment of up to three years. The Nazi regime and its collaborators engineered the Holocaust decades ago that massacred 6 million Jews. Today, Europeans pursue a zero-tolerance policy on Nazi […]
Violent sex crimes against children
Several years ago I wrote an article in this paper (“From sexually abused to abusers”) after a violent eroticised attack on a young girl. I stated that the mass media coverage of such crimes was useful because it reminded us that the types of people who reside inside the prison system also reside outside it, […]
Independent offspring
Family lore has it that I have always been very independent. As a toddler, I refused to hold anyone’s hand when crossing the street. So my dad had to be creative: he convinced me to hold onto his belt loops instead. Thankfully, I wasn’t an impulsive kid, which is probably why I’m still here to […]
To self-labeled ‘patriotic person’
Thank you for your “sincere letter” in response to my submission “Unseasonable diplomacy,” which appeared in the Sept. 2 issue of The Korea Times, concerning various issues, mainly diplomatic, between Korea and Japan. You left neither a name nor address so I can only respond to your anonymous reply in this column. You claim that […]
Are executions good for society?
A senior Cheong Wa Dae official last week stated, “There should be discussions on whether executions can deter crimes first. There should be a social consensus to resume carrying out the death penalty.” We don’t know who issued this comment, because it was ― as is the accepted norm ― given “on condition of anonymity.” […]
China-N. Korea economic ties
In late August, a high level North Korean delegation went to China. The country was represented by none other than Jang Song-thaek, the uncle of “Supreme Leader” Marshall Kim Jong-un. While the inner structure of the North Korean leadership remains obscure to outside observers, it seems plausible that Chang is the chief advisor to Kim […]
Moon Sun-myung’s legacy
Probably no Korean has inspired more controversy for so many very different reasons than did the Rev. Moon Sun-myung. As a religious figure and a tycoon, he moved from cult to commerce as if they were interrelated, all in accordance with the will of the God who had placed him on earth to heal and […]
Korea-Japan: enough is enough!
Enough is enough! Obviously, the political leadership in Tokyo and Seoul never learned about the First Rule of Holes: when you find yourself in one, stop digging. Each side seems to be going out of its way to make a bad situation worse, even while providing private assurances that it won’t let the situation get […]
Media in Tie-up with The AsiaN 
Trump, Kim, and the Three P’s of Summit Diplomacy: 
