[Career Compass] Fun, fascinating and frustrating!

Nicola is an environmental, social and governance, or ESG, expert whose career and adventurous spirit have taken her across the globe. Having lived in the UK, Indonesia, Singapore, Tanzania, Mozambique, Nepal and now in South Korea, she brings a wealth of experience to her role as a partner at Deloitte Korea. A people person with a warm laugh and a big smile, Nicola is known for her vibrant personality, passion for her work, and a strong network of friends and connections. I first met her last y

Dec. 5, 2024

[Vitit Muntarbhorn] Labor rights and risks

The world of work is undergoing significant changes amid risks in a precarious setting. The polycrisis surrounding the workplace ranges from health risks from global warming and climate change, to political constraints and demographic changes with an aging population in several parts of the world. The challenge is thus to respond with more preparedness in the life cycle of existence, where work is a major contribution to not only human livelihood but also self-esteem with a sense of purpose and

Dec. 5, 2024

[Wang Son-taek] Why is democracy of South Korea so strong?

I was a 14-year-old boy when former President Park Chung-hee was assassinated in October 1979, and emergency martial law was issued. The martial law was imprinted on me as a fear that I could be shot dead if I left the house. I saw soldiers on TV equipped with guns deployed on the streets of Gwanghwamun, Seoul. I'm sure all Koreans my age have kept similar uncomfortable fears in their memories. When I heard the martial law news about 11 p.m. on Tuesday, I felt a chill flowing throughout my

Dec. 5, 2024

[Wang Son-taek] Why is democracy of South Korea so strong?

I was a 14-year-old boy when former President Park Chung-hee was assassinated in October 1979, and emergency martial law was issued. The martial law was imprinted on me as a fear that I could be shot dead if I left the house. I saw soldiers on TV equipped with guns deployed on the streets of Gwanghwamun, Seoul. I'm sure all Koreans my age have kept similar uncomfortable fears in their memories. When I heard the martial law news about 11 p.m. on Tuesday, I felt a chill flowing throughout m

Dec. 4, 2024

[Catherine Thorbecke] US should not restart the China Initiative

Donald Trump’s return to the White House is stoking fears that he could reinstate a failed program launched during his first term that aimed to crack down on Chinese espionage, but ended up becoming more of a witch-hunt. Doing so would not only be destructive to American innovation, but give China an upper-hand in the tech race. The China Initiative, launched in 2018, was an extensive national security effort intended to prevent intellectual property theft and the transfer of US technologi

Dec. 4, 2024

[Joseph E. Stiglitz] The Democrats’ only option

As the shock of Donald Trump’s victory sinks in, pundits and politicians are mulling what it means for the future of the United States and global politics. Understanding why such a divisive, unqualified figure won again is crucial for the Democrats. Did they go too far left and lose the moderate Americans who make up a majority? Or did centrist neoliberalism -- pursued by Democratic presidents since Bill Clinton -- fail to deliver, thus creating a demand for change? To me, the answer is cl

Dec. 3, 2024

[Sławomir Sierakowski] Has Angela Merkel no shame?

When Angela Merkel left the German chancellorship in December 2021, after 16 years in power, she had a credible claim to being one of the greatest politicians of the 21st century (so far). Now, after three years of deafening silence, and with her legacy in shambles, she is promoting her forthcoming political memoir. Her silence was more persuasive. She gave her first interview to the German weekly Der Spiegel, defending major policies that helped to shape Germany and Europe as we know them today

Dec. 3, 2024

[Lee Kyong-hee] Rudderless Yoon sails toward headwinds

South Korea has had 13 presidents since 1948. Those in the first decades tried to lift the nation out of war-torn rubble and perpetuate economic momentum, though they left a legacy of political repression. Their successors shared the overarching goal of strengthening the nation. And, despite their respective flaws and failings, they all strove to parry a nuclear-armed North Korea and global upheavals effectively. Today, we have a president who does not display any cogent vision or resolute purpo

Dec. 2, 2024

[Robert J. Fouser] Presidents and their ability to communicate

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is ending this year badly. His approval ratings have been low throughout his term, but now stand at a paltry 26 percent, up only slightly from recent lows. Calls for him to step down or face impeachment and removal have spread. His wife is facing accusations of corruption and calls for her prosecution. Coming at the mid-point in his term, citizens are worried about a lack of leadership during the rest of his term. What went wrong? And what, if anything, can t

Nov. 29, 2024

[Wang Son-taek] What went wrong at the Sado mines

The Sado Mines Memorial Ceremony stands as a stark reminder of the unresolved historical tensions and diplomatic missteps between Korea and Japan. What could have been a meaningful step toward reconciliation instead became a diplomatic failure, highlighting the challenges both countries face in addressing their shared past. Understanding what went wrong is crucial for avoiding similar setbacks in the future and ensuring that historical grievances do not continue to hinder diplomatic progress. In

Nov. 28, 2024

[Howard Davies] Global banking rules finished?

Is it all over for Basel 3.1 (or what is known in the United States as the “Basel Endgame”)? Should we kiss goodbye the Basel Committee and the very idea of global banking-supervision accords that establish minimum capital requirements? Many informed people think so. The committee’s recommendations have long been assailed from all sides, especially the western shores of the Atlantic. In 2023, emboldened -- or perhaps stung -- by the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and a few oth

Nov. 27, 2024

[Kim Seong-kon] Why Spain, now?: 'A furnace of different cultures'

As a professor, translator and self-appointed cultural ambassador, I have traveled to many countries in my life. One of the best places I have ever visited is Malaga in Spain. Thanks to the generous invitation of Vice Chancellor Victor Munoz and Professor Antonio Domenech, I had a chance to be affiliated with the University of Malaga as a visiting professor for a semester. Thanks to the warm hospitality of Gonzalo Ortiz, the former Spanish Ambassador to South Korea, I also had a chance to visit

Nov. 27, 2024

[Catherine Thorbecke] Hanoi follows Beijing in cyber rules

Vietnam has positioned itself in recent years as an attractive destination for Big Tech companies looking to move away from China. But Hanoi’s policies regarding social media have increasingly been following Beijing’s lead. The Southeast Asian nation is now ramping up already tight controls over online platforms with new rules that will require companies to verify the identities of users and share this information with authorities when asked. If these sorts of digital regulations sou

Nov. 27, 2024

[Lim Woong] AI digital textbook: promise or peril?

South Korea’s plan to roll out the AI Digital Textbook system in 2025 has sparked some controversy. It is an ambitious project, and there’s nothing quite like it anywhere else in the world. But the boldness of the idea is matched by the intensity of the concerns it raises. The sheer cost, the way it is being implemented as a national policy and whether AI will truly help or hurt education have left people divided and questioning its viability. The AIDT is not just another digital tex

Nov. 26, 2024

[Grace Kao] K-pop arrives at the Ivory Tower

I have worked as a professor for almost 30 years at two Ivy League institutions -- the University of Pennsylvania and Yale University. Ivy League institutions epitomize the Ivory Tower. We imagine that professors and students discuss rarefied subjects while being disconnected to the reality on the ground. However, I wholeheartedly reject this version of academia. Two weeks ago, I had the immense pleasure of organizing a K-pop conference at Yale University titled "K-pop Production and Consum

Nov. 26, 2024

[Andrei Hagiu] Which products will benefit and which will be disrupted by generative AI

Generative AI’s ability to create or improve products and services means it has to potential to commoditize some businesses, while greatly enhancing the competitive advantage of others. In what follows I will discuss the characteristics that make products or services susceptible to disruption by generative AI, and those that make them more resilient. To illustrate, I will then compare Chegg and Duolingo, two businesses which have been impacted very differently by the emergence of generativ

Nov. 25, 2024

[Yoo Choon-sik] What changing US AI policy means to South Korea

Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election earlier this month, securing another four-year term as the leader of the world’s most powerful country, has sent shockwaves across the globe and through various sectors on a magnitude and scope not seen in many years. Not only experts and scholars but also the general public, including small retail investors and office workers, have actively debated the changes Trump is likely to bring about when he takes office in two months and

Nov. 25, 2024

[Solomon D. Stevens] Male insecurity and US election

Donald Trump recently said he would protect women, whether they like it or not. What did he mean by this? What is implied by this? It is an important statement and, unfortunately, tells us a great deal about why Trump won the election and his priorities as president. For the last several years, leading Republicans have warned that there is a war on masculinity in America. Indeed, manly men are being replaced, they say, by effeminate men or gay men or -- even worse -- by men who want to become wo

Nov. 25, 2024

[Lee Byung-jong] Bromance with President Trump?

Now that former President Donald Trump has won the US presidential election, should President Yoon Suk Yeol practice golf and get used to hamburgers? By indulging in Trump’s favorites, can President Yoon win the US leader's heart and build a bromance with him for the sake of South Korea’s national interests? Unfortunately, these seemingly playful questions have become a serious topic lately in Seoul’s political and diplomatic circles. That is because as the most powerful l

Nov. 22, 2024