Most Popular
-
1
Russia sent more than 165,000 barrels of refined petroleum to N. Korea in March: White House
-
2
Key suspects grilled over alleged abuse of power in Marine death inquiry
-
3
S. Korean children, teens grow taller, mature faster than before: study
-
4
[Graphic News] Number of coffee franchises in S. Korea rises 13%
-
5
Some junior doctors are returning: Health Ministry
-
6
Army takes group action against Hybe for neglecting BTS
-
7
Marine Corps commander summoned by CIO for questioning on alleged influence-peddling case
-
8
[Robert J. Fouser] AI changes rationale for learning languages
-
9
Woman dangling from power lines rescued by residents holding blanket
-
10
Ador CEO's request for exclusive right to terminate NewJeans' contract with Hybe refused in February
-
[David Ignatius] Seeking to cool war fever
WASHINGTON ― As Israel and Iran entered this summer of confrontation over Tehran’s nuclear program, the Iranians were also conducting talks with the U.S. and other leading nations to seek a diplomatic alternative to war. Since then, the rumors of an impending Israeli military strike have grown almost daily, but whatever happened to the negotiations? The answer is that the “P5+1” talks have been in recess during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, but contact is expected to resume soon between the
Aug. 24, 2012
-
A 21st century test: What’s a ‘search’?
Even many who cherish the “original meaning” of the Constitution recognize that provisions drafted in the 18th century must be interpreted in light of changing technology. That is especially true of the 4th Amendment’s guarantee of the “right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures.”When the amendment was adopted, unreasonable searches involved physical trespass. But in 1967 the court ruled that the 4th Amendment was vi
Aug. 23, 2012
-
[Dominique Moisi] Eyesight for Israel’s blind
PARIS ― To find a glimmer of hope on the Israel-Palestine question has become difficult, if not impossible. Most Israelis now believe that a peaceful solution will not come in their generation. As for the Palestinians, the political stalemate, and ongoing Israeli occupation, has led to radicalization: if they cannot have “something,” they want it all.And many believe that whatever their weakness today, time is on the Palestinians’ side. Even the most moderate Palestinians now reject Israeli left
Aug. 23, 2012
-
Uruguay’s plan to sell pot may not be that crazy
Judging from what Uruguay’s President Jose Mujica recently told me in an extended interview, there is a real possibility that people in his country will soon be able to buy marijuana legally from a state-regulated company that will be in charge of marketing and selling the drug.Mujica, 78, earlier this month submitted a bill to congress that may be the boldest marijuana legalization proposal anywhere in the world. It calls for the state to “take over the control and regulation of activities rela
Aug. 23, 2012
-
Of bread and circuses
Renowned linguist and social critic Noam Chomsky once described sports as a contrived opiate for the people; a means of distracting us from important social matters. Well, I always took issue with Chomsky on that matter, considering his opinion a little too extreme and quite frankly, the assertion one who probably was picked last for every team in gym class. Then on Aug. 4, 2012 in a sweltering British pub in Thailand, sitting amongst 100 or so fervent and rather inebriated British football fans
Aug. 23, 2012
-
In Apple v. Samsung case, expect nobody to win
I remember a June evening when three complete strangers separately insisted on showing me their new mobile phones. It was 2007, I was on the subway in New York, and Apple Inc.’s iPhone had just been released. The slick design of Apple’s new device ― and, in particular, its ease of use ― was so compelling, these people could not help but share. Now the multibillion-dollar question confronting a jury in San Jose, California, is whether Samsung Electronics Co. found those elements of the iPhone so
Aug. 23, 2012
-
[Jeffrey Frankel] A flock of black swans
CAMBRIDGE, Massachussetts ― Throughout history, major political and economic shocks have often occurred in August, when leaders have gone on vacation believing that world affairs are quiet. Consider World War I’s outbreak in 1914, the Nazi-Soviet pact in 1939, the Sputnik launch in 1957, the Berlin Wall in 1961, and the failed coup in Moscow of 1991. Then there was the Nixon shock of 1971 (when the American president took the dollar off the gold standard and imposed wage, price, and trade contro
Aug. 23, 2012
-
A prayer to Putin: Liberalize before it’s too late
Just months ago, few people in or outside Russia had heard of Pussy Riot, a marginal group of feminist performance artists. The country’s opposition movement was a disorganized and apparently spent force. Foreign leaders and global pop stars such as Madonna and Paul McCartney had little to say on the independence of courts in Moscow. That all changed because of the trial that ended Friday with the conviction of three Pussy Riot members, on charges of hooliganism and inciting religious hatred. Th
Aug. 22, 2012
-
[Ma Jian] The show trial of the century
LONDON ― The trial, conviction, and suspended death sentence of Gu Kailai, the wife of purged Chinese leader Bo Xilai, has called into question not only China’s legal system, but the very unity of the Communist Party leadership.Let us begin with the many questions raised at the trial. For starters, Gu claimed that she killed the British businessman Neil Heywood only to protect her son. But, given Gu’s power as Bo’s wife, she could have had someone like Heywood jailed or expelled from China at th
Aug. 22, 2012
-
U.S. should support circumcision at home
The U.S. government is justifiably proud of its leadership abroad funding male circumcision as a way to prevent HIV infections. The president’s AIDS relief program boasts of having provided more than 1 million circumcisions in 14 African countries. The record of government support for male circumcision within the U.S., however, is nothing to crow about. More and more states (18 so far) are dropping Medicaid coverage for routine infant male circumcision, contributing to a decline in rates from 79
Aug. 22, 2012
-
[Heo Mane] Why is South Korea’s missile range limited?
Missile range limits to South Korea need to be revised as soon as possible. North Korea has constantly developed its missile capabilities by extending its range, while South Korea has been prevented from catching up with its rival. The Pyongyang regime launched a long-range missile, the Kwangmyongsong-3, in April, but failed as it crashed into the West Sea a few minutes after liftoff. Though Pyongyang said it meant to put a satellite into orbit, it broke the U.S-North Korea agreement that it wou
Aug. 22, 2012
-
[Kim Myong-sik] Examining Japan’s untenable ‘Takeshima’ claim
As a Korean, it may be hard to make an impartial comment on the escalating dispute between Korea and Japan over the territorial rights to Dokdo. Basically, we Koreans do not consider the Dokdo issue a symmetrical controversy because Korea has had “effective control” over the group of islets in the East Sea for more than six decades. No one believes that there can be any change to it.Yet, it should be worthwhile to examine what logic the Japanese have developed to support their claim on “Takeshim
Aug. 22, 2012
-
Is Israel’s rush to strike Iran based on U.S. politics?
Israeli officials are warning they might have to launch an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, perhaps even before the U.S. presidential election in November. Israel’s concerns about a nuclear-armed Iran are well-founded, but this speeding up the timeline on a potential strike is ill-judged. What is the sudden urgency? Nobody has been able to point to a recent game-changing event in Iran. Michael Oren, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., was asked Wednesday by Bloomberg News whether it was tied to
Aug. 21, 2012
-
[Lee Jae-min] Sign in the way you please?
Signatures on paper have almost disappeared in shops in Seoul, with digital signatures taking their place. Digital signing is convenient and quick. But one may have noticed a difference between the two: In the conventional paper format, the signer and sales clerk apparently take the procedure more seriously than when its digital. Oftentimes I have a sales clerk who hits the “ok” button on his or her cash register in the middle of my putting my signature on the pad, which basically terminates the
Aug. 21, 2012
-
For stability’s sake, reform money funds
The crisis in the euro area is a reminder that threats to financial stability are never far away. While progress has been made on financial reform over the past two years, more must be done to ensure that the financial system is robust enough to absorb shocks and still provide the credit needed for economic growth and job creation. A glaring vulnerability exists with money-market mutual funds. I believe changes along the lines proposed by Mary Schapiro, the chairman of the U.S. Securities and Ex
Aug. 21, 2012
-
Old wounds cripple new Korea-Japan ties
A few weeks ago, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak made a historic visit to the Dokdo islands, sparking howls of protests in Japan, which calls the islands Takeshima.The visit highlights one thing: A dispute has become really bad when those involved deny that there is a dispute in the first place.For its part, Seoul insists that the islands ― located 87km from the nearest South Korean territory and 158km from the nearest Japanese land ― is an “integral part of Korean territory”.Its Ministry o
Aug. 21, 2012
-
[Kim Seong-kon] Watch your language!
Language reflects the culture from which it is derived and developed. It mirrors the customs, emotions and psychology of the people who speak the tongue. English, for example, is known to be a highly rational language that does not allow logical fallacies, inconsistency or incoherency. If you write grammatically incorrect sentences or contradict yourself in the same paragraph, your writing will immediately lose its validity and credibility. British and American college students’ term papers, for
Aug. 21, 2012
-
[Yuriko Koike] Japan fiscal crisis comes of age
TOKYO ― Has Japan’s political paralysis finally lifted? The recent agreement, after a long debate, between the government and leading opposition parties to double the consumption tax ― from 5 percent to 8 percent in 2014, and then to 10 percent in 2015 ― suggests that it has. But there is a real risk that the government will mistake this measure for the end of the reform process. In fact, it is ― or should be ― only the beginning.By virtually any measure, official Japanese debt is the highest in
Aug. 20, 2012
-
Social security council must be launched soon
To ensure the long-term sustainability of the nation’s social security system, constructive discussions must be held on the matter.The Democratic Party of Japan, the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito have agreed on the establishment of a “national council to revamp the social security system.”Under the Social Security System Reform Promotion Law, which will go into force shortly, the council will not exist longer than one year from the date of the enforcement of the law.However, some LDP
Aug. 20, 2012
-
Afghan shake-up portends divided future
In a raucous session that brought lawmakers to blows this month, the Afghan parliament passed a no-confidence vote against the country’s top security officials: the ministers of defense and interior. With Afghanistan struggling to take on more challenging pieces of its own defense burden from international troops, the decision came as an ill-timed surprise. Just as surprising was President Hamid Karzai’s quick agreement that the two should go.It is always hazardous to claim to see through the co
Aug. 20, 2012