-
Column
Is N. Korea really intervening in elections here?
This year, North Korea celebrates the centennial of Kim Il-sung’s birth. For this reason, North Korea declared 2012 as the first year of building a “strong and prosperous nation,” and it has been carrying out propaganda on a massive scale. For North Korea, a “strong and prosperous nation” means a…
Read More » -
Column
Missing of oppostion leader sparks general strike
Bangladesh economy held hostage Opposition warns of accelerating anti-government movement Bangladesh economy is being held hostage with the country’s politics getting volatile amidst street agitation spearheaded against the government by the opposition alliance led by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The opposition alliance enforced two days’ of general strike on Sunday…
Read More » -
Asia’s demographic woes
Asia is aging. Current projections indicate that the working population in most Asian countries will decline over the coming years, if they haven’t started already. In response, calls for greater investment became louder so greater efficiency can compensate for the reduction in raw labour inputs. This is certainly an ideal…
Read More » -
Jasmine Revolution, Korean style
Korea has come of age, of sorts. Jasmine Lee, a naturalized Korean citizen originally from the Philippines, became the first foreign-born lawmaker. Granted, she didn’t run for a seat herself, but became a member of the National Assembly as a proportional representation candidate when the Saenuri Party won a majority…
Read More » -
Korean church and repatriation issue
Recently, there have been vigorous protests led by right wing evangelical churches against the Chinese government for its repatriation of North Korean refugees. In the United States, it is led by a consortium of conservative churches called the Korean Church Coalition. Let us examine how the problem of repatriation started,…
Read More » -
FTA opportunity for Korean logistics providers
On March 15, 2012, Korea’s free trade agreement (FTA) with the U.S. took effect. However, public opinion in Korea on the benefits of this agreement is still not settled. Nevertheless Korean industries such as electronics, pharmaceuticals and automakers look forward to benefit from the agreement as they expect an increase…
Read More » -
Will Ahn Cheol-soo throw hat in the ring?
Fresh from the hectic April 11 parliamentary elections, the political sphere has turned into another battleground. This time, it is all about who will become the nation’s next head of state. Attention is now turning to software mogul-turned professor Ahn Cheol-soo. He has long been regarded as one of the…
Read More » -
Column
Bangladesh railway minister resigns for bribetaking
DHAKA, Bangladesh– Railway Minister Suranjit Sengupta, who stirred wide controversy in connection with the recovery of huge amount of bribe money, has finally stepped down taking ‘full responsibility’ for the recent cash scandal involving his personal staff. Suranjit, a high profile political leader of ruling Awami League , who…
Read More » -
Column
Morning glory in Korean garden
Our multicultural society is often compared to a summer garden that comprises various kinds of flowers. For example, morning glory has geographical origins in India, and garden balsam, in Southeast Asia. Rose moss came from South America long, long ago. Although their origins are different they have long assimilated to…
Read More » -
Column
Bengali New Year’s Day celebrated
DHAKA, Bangladesh— The Bengali nation celebrated the Pahela Baishakh (New Year’s day) on April 14 amidst festivity and much fanfare throughout the country to welcome the Bengali year 1419. The Bangla calendar was first introduced by the Mughal Emperor Akbar ( 1556-1605AD) to keep tract of the tax collection time in…
Read More »