Qualifications of justices
Confirmation hearing should not be rite of passage When Chief Justice Yang Seung-tae began selecting candidates to fill four vacancies at the Supreme Court about two months ago, this page called on him to consider such factors as diversity of court composition and the expertise of judges. Please bump that! All we should have demanded […]
Chaebol bashing
Time to discuss roadmap for conglomerates Reforming the country’s large business conglomerates, known as the chaebol, is emerging as a hot-button issue ahead of the presidential election slated for December. As the chaebol system is cited as the chief culprit behind worsening economic polarization, few would dare to challenge the reform drive. What’s most important, […]
Prompt apology
Handcuffing case should be good lesson for allies The handcuffing of three Korean civilians by U.S. military policemen last week was an illegal act in violation of SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement) regulations that prohibit such action. A prompt apology offered by the commander of U.S. Forces Korea is seen as an admission by the […]
McCarthyism
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union seized power through the 1917 revolution in Russia with the slogan of creating a perfectly equal society without classes. It meant the abolition of private ownership of property and, unlike socialism, not only the state’s ownership of the means of production but also equal distribution of production. Americans […]
Let whales live safely
Seoul should retract whaling plan immediately Korea’s proposal to resume hunting whales for scientific research has provoked strong protests both at home and abroad. After most countries reacted angrily to the plan unveiled last week at the annual conference of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in Panama, the government stepped back, saying it would give […]
Senior citizens’ poverty woes
Senior citizens, who spearheaded the country’s economic miracle from the ashes of the 1950-53 Korean War, are now struggling with financial hardships in their later years. With the approaching retirement en masse of the country’s baby boomers ― those born between 1955 and 1963, the poverty problem of the elderly has the potential to mire […]
Seoul-Tokyo chicken game
Seoul-Tokyo relations are at a historic low. Both governments have become hostages to the past. Things might even become worse before getting better unless they take remedial steps. The latest episode is a condensation of the deep-rooted simmering blind nationalism engulfing the two countries. South Korea cancelled its signing of the military information exchange pact […]
Free childcare system
Confusion mirrors policy disunity, poor preparation Despite attacks from deficit hawks and welfare minimalists, the ruling Saenuri Party has decided to push ahead with a free daycare system for all toddlers. And to help ease funding crises at local administrations, it will likely draw about 620 billion won from the government’s contingency funds. All these […]
Shatter glass ceiling
Firms need to sharply increase female executives Women have come a long way to almost equal men in schools and entry- level job markets in male-dominated Korea. But female executives are still a novelty in corporate boardrooms here, meaning they have even a longer way to go to make the most of their own ― […]
Did foreign minister know it?
On the front page of our Tuesday edition, we ran a story about a mix-up inside the government over its handling of a military information-sharing pact with Japan. The headline ― Rebellion against lame duck ― concisely summarized the situation, one that couldn’t even be imagined, say, six months ago. President Lee is scheduled to […]
Media in Tie-up with The AsiaN 
Trump, Kim, and the Three P’s of Summit Diplomacy: 
