Most Popular
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Korea’s homegrown nanosatellite successfully launches into space
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[Herald Interview] 'Amid aging population, Korea to invite more young professionals from overseas'
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Nicaragua shuts down Seoul embassy
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Ador CEO denies allegations, accuses Hybe of mistreating NewJeans
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Hybe's multilabel system tested amid conflict with Ador
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Rocket engine expert, ex-NASA exec to lead Korea's new space agency
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SNU profs to suspend treatment for one day
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SK hynix pledges W20tr to ramp up DRAM production at home
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Over-50s, men, single-person households take up majority of those filing for bankruptcy
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Pianist Cho Seong-Jin named Berlin Philharmonic's artist-in-residence
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[Kim Seong-kon] When ‘love’ becomes the L-word
In the eyes of foreigners, Americans look like very affectionate people who are not reluctant to express their affection freely. Indeed, Americans do not seem to refrain from hugging and kissing in public or habitually whispering “I love you” in their spouse’s ears. These days, many Koreans, too, have become Americanized and thus tend to say “I love you” to their loved ones frequently. In the past, however, most Koreans could not pronounce the phrase without blushing, even to thier husbands and
May 20, 2014
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Hungary’s fight against political radicalism
I am writing in reference to the opinion piece “In parts of Europe, the far right rises again” by Sonni Efron published in The Korea Herald on May 12, 2014. Taking the example of two European countries, Hungary and Greece, the author raises concerns over the rise of far-right parties in Europe.Shortly after his reelection in a fair and democratic process in April, in which the governing center-right party’s previous two-thirds majority had been preserved, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban pa
May 20, 2014
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[Robert J. Shiller] Preventing inequality disaster
NEW HAVEN, Connecticut ― Thomas Piketty’s impressive and much-discussed book “Capital in the Twenty-First Century” has brought considerable attention to the problem of rising economic inequality. But it is not strong on solutions. As Piketty admits, his proposal ― a progressive global tax on capital (or wealth) ― “would require a very high and no doubt unrealistic level of international cooperation.”We should not be focusing on quick solutions. The really important concern for policymakers every
May 19, 2014
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[Ian Bremmer] Ukraine crisis: Cold war or cool calculation?
NEW YORK ― With escalating violence in southern and eastern Ukraine and no solution in sight, the Ukraine crisis has become the world’s most turbulent geopolitical conflict since that triggered by the terrorist attacks against the United States in 2001. The U.S.-led sanctions strategy will neither deescalate the tensions between the West and Russia nor bolster the imperiled pro-Western Ukrainian government. But, even with tightening sanctions against Russia and growing violence in Ukraine, there
May 19, 2014
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China follows Japan’s prewar blueprint
For all China’s stern injunctions to Japan to remember wartime history, its bumbling aggression in Southeast Asia suggests it also could use a refresher course.The arrival of a Chinese oil rig in waters claimed by both China and Vietnam is a case in point. Demonstrations in Vietnam over China’s bullying deteriorated into a series of attacks by Vietnamese on foreign businesses, many run by Taiwanese with Chinese workers, that resulted in two dead and scores injured.China, of all countries, should
May 19, 2014
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Is fired NYT editor new Lilly Ledbetter?
Is Jill Abramson, the first female executive editor of the New York Times, who was unceremoniously dumped from her job Wednesday, the professional-class equivalent of equal pay heroine Lilly Ledbetter?Much is still unknown about the circumstances leading up to Abramson’s termination by New York Times Publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr.But at least two well-sourced media reporters, Ken Auletta of the New Yorker, and David Folkenflik of NPR, confirmed that Abramson, 60, who was less than three years i
May 19, 2014
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Should Boston bombing confession stand?
Outside of “24,” the Federal Bureau of Investigation doesn’t usually interrogate a suspect who’s just been shot in the head, pumped full of opioids and shackled to his hospital bed.But that’s what happened to Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on April 20 ― and the questioning, by the FBI’s high-value interrogation group, went on with breaks all night and again the following night. Tsarnaev’s jaw was wired shut, one of his eyes was sutured closed, but he communicated via notepad and repeatedly asked for a lawyer
May 19, 2014
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[Robert Reich] Six principles of new populism
We’re five years into a so-called recovery that’s been a bonanza for the rich but a bust for the middle class, which is fueling a new populism. “The game is rigged and the American people know that. They get it right down to their toes,” says Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.Left- and right-wing populists remain deeply divided over the role of government. Even so, the major fault line in American politics seems to be shifting, from Democrat vs. Republican to populist vs. establishment ― those
May 18, 2014
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[Yu Kun-ha] Korea needs thorough reform to shake off gloom
More than one month has passed since the Sewol ferry capsized off the southwestern island of Jindo. At the site of the tragedy, divers are still struggling against strong underwater currents and low visibility to retrieve the bodies of the deceased. Among an estimated 476 passengers on board, only 172 have been rescued, with 286 confirmed dead and 18 still missing. It is difficult to tell when the search and rescue operations will be completed as the Coast Guard intends to keep working until the
May 18, 2014
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Heroic women of Nigeria standing up to Boko Haram
Weeks after the abduction of more than 300 Nigerian schoolgirls taken in a case of mass sex trafficking, the global media finally took note of the crime.Why the shift? Because of the bravery of Nigerian women, who took to the streets to demand that the world pay attention. African women tend to be portrayed as victims ― the raped, the suffering, the poor mothers of the poor girls. But across Africa, women are ending conflicts, reshaping governments and bringing attention to crucial issues. In th
May 18, 2014
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How Obama can justify his Peace Prize
When Nouriel Roubini ranks the geopolitical flashpoints that could rock global markets, Russia’s Ukraine adventure doesn’t top the list. Nor do the nuclear programs of Iran and North Korea, nor the “arc of instability” from the Maghreb to the Hindu Kush.Dr. Doom’s No. 1 worry? China, which is more than confirming his fears as it bullies smaller Vietnam and the Philippines over disputed territories in the South China Sea. Bloody riots have erupted across southern and central Vietnam after China d
May 18, 2014
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New Indian P.M. Modi’s mandate for growth
WASHINGTON, DC ― In an impressive exercise in democracy, 800 million eligible voters participated in India’s 16th general election. The new prime minister will be Narendra Modi of the conservative Bharatiya Janata Party, who presided over rapid economic growth in his 13 years as chief minister of the state of Gujarat, on India’s northwest coast. Modi won because most Indians believe that he can deliver more rapid growth in the country as a whole.The election once again demonstrated how different
May 18, 2014
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[David Ignatius] A nightmare group in Syria
WASHINGTON ― The chamber of horrors of the Syrian civil war has spawned a terrorist group so extreme that it has been rejected even by al-Qaida ― and this toxic group is now establishing a safe haven in the city of Raqqah in northern Syria that could soon be used to attack foreign targets. The hyper-militant terrorist group is known in the West as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS. Its efforts to establish a Muslim caliphate that spans the two countries, and to absorb another al-Qaida
May 16, 2014
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U.S. immigration reform in need of reforming
PARIS ― As a chronic immigrant, I’m loath to support immigration policies that might make life difficult for anyone seeking to legitimately integrate into and contribute to an adoptive nation. Nonetheless, as the Obama administration attempts to reform U.S. immigration policies, there needs to be some standard of selection for immigrants. That standard should be nothing more or less than meritocracy.The common argument against meritocracy is the well-worn image of the hard-working illegal immigr
May 16, 2014
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[Cass R. Sunstein] Why worry about inequality?
What, exactly, is wrong with economic inequality?Thomas Piketty’s improbable best-seller, “Capital in the Twenty-First Century,” has put that question in sharp relief. As just about everyone now knows, Piketty contends that over the next century, inequality is likely to grow. In response, he outlines a series of policies designed to reduce wealth at the very top of society, including a progressive income tax and a global wealth tax.But Piketty says surprisingly little about why economic inequali
May 15, 2014
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Boko Haram chose its victims for a reason
Millions of people around the world have tweeted in recent weeks using the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls. That’s an important sentiment, and not just as it relates to the kidnapping of 276 female students by Boko Haram in northern Nigeria.The region in which the abductions took place is reaching an ecological and social tipping point, and in the years to come, much will depend on its girls.In a video released on May 4, Boko Haram’s despicable leader, Abubakar Shekau, says: “Girls must give their ha
May 15, 2014
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[Amando Doronilla] ASEAN waffles on oil rig row
Vietnam and the Philippines called on the other member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations at their summit in Burma (Myanmar) on Sunday to take stronger action to confront China over its provocative actions in the South China Sea. But their call fell on deaf ears.Vietnam led the denunciation, accusing China of “brazenly” triggering the confrontation between Vietnamese and Chinese flotillas last week over the installation by Beijing of a giant oil rig at the Paracel Islands in
May 15, 2014
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Setting up unelected Thai government not possible
The idea of using the Constitution’s Article 7 to set up an unelected government to help pull the country out of the current political crisis is impossible both legally and practically.The anti-government protesters and some senators have been working hard to twist the Constitution so they can topple the government. In fact, some senators are even trying to get their newly appointed Speaker to call on His Majesty to appoint a new premier. They believe they can apply Article 7 to give their actio
May 15, 2014
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Is $2 per day right measure for defining poverty?
Governments world over take measures to lessen poverty and develop such policies which ensure sustainable supply of necessary food and other livelihood goods to the vulnerable.However, the main problem in the eradication of poverty is the definition of poverty. Many governments measure poverty by just setting a poverty line in terms of number of dollars earned by a person. For example, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar recently declared a person will be poor who earns less than $2 per day. He said the
May 15, 2014
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Limits of dynastic politics seen in Indian elections
India’s just-concluded parliamentary elections have shown up the limits of dynastic politics to the country’s ruling Congress party, dominated by the Gandhi family that has produced three prime ministers.The party’s likely response to the crisis: More of the same.“We do not place much trust in the exit polls since they have been pretty wrong in the past,” said a serving Cabinet minister and senior Congress party source.“But if there is going to be a debacle, it will be the responsibility of the
May 15, 2014