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Column
Sleepless Seoul
It is not a destined love between a man and woman as seen in a romantic comedy in Seattle. Insomnia here has increased due to the sweltering heat which lingers until past midnight. What has also prompted sleeplessness is the Olympic Games in London as many events take place late…
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Column
Wedding present for N. Korea’s first couple
LOS ANGELES ― I guess I am a sucker for old-fashioned romance. When I heard about the stunning marriage of Kim Jong-un, the young new leader of North Korea, to the lovely Ri Sol-ju, apparently a professional singer, I hurriedly buried the ideological hatchet and grabbed the latest Brides magazine…
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Drinking water safety
Urgent steps needed to solve algae problem The scorching heat wave these days is driving many people near crazy. It’s hard to consider not drinking tap water or take a shower because of a foul odor and health concerns. But that’s happening to an increasing number of people living along…
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Global warming is real
Policy needed to adapt to climate change The ongoing heat wave, which has blighted the nation for more than 10 days, killed people and animals, spoiled water reservoirs and caused power blackouts. Climate experts say that this year’s casualties will be the heaviest since the notorious summer of 1994, which…
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Column
China’s ‘negative news?’
Only four years ago, Beijing played host to the summer Olympics and amazed the world with its modernity and sophistication. The event was widely seen as China’s coming out party and signaled its readiness to become a major world power. Visitors were dazzled by the glittering capital and its high-rises.…
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Park Tae-hwan & Sun Yang
Olympic fans here and in China are showing much admiration for the friendship between the two swimming athletes _ South Korea’s Park Tae-hwan and China’s Sun Yang. The Internet is filled with photos of their friendly gestures in and outside of the Olympic pool. Net surfers in Korea have dubbed…
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Column
Why overseas Koreans don’t vote
NEW YORK ― The upcoming Korean presidential election is a big deal ― and an even bigger one for Koreans overseas, or so we’re told. As it will be the first-ever presidential election allowing Korean citizens living abroad to vote, the ballot ― to be held in December ― is…
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Column
Korea-Japan: time for outside mediation?
There is an old Russian proverb that applies to current Japan-South Korea (ROK) relations: “Forget the past and lose an eye; dwell on the past and lose both eyes!” The Japanese, it would appear, are eager to forget the past, while the Koreans seem unable to see beyond it. Isn’t…
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Column
Is authority must-have virtue for president?
The presidential election campaign has heated up by a TV appearance of nonpolitical potential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo. He has neither joined a party nor declared he will run. Yet he has been steering the race with Park Geun-hye, according to opinion polls. Ahn apparently hasn’t shown a clear will toward…
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Column
Love and hunger
With three gold medals, South Korea is off to a good start at the London Olympics, even after controversies have affected some of its strongest gold medal prospects ― swimmer Park Tae-hwan, judoka Cho Jun-ho and fencer Shin A-lam – in the first few days. But when on Monday, North…
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