The Korea Herald

[Adam Minter] In ‘Star Wars’ economy, one thing doesn’t pay

Dec 25, 2019

Junk is surprisingly pervasive in “Star Wars,” playing an understated role in nearly every film in the series. In “The Phantom Menace,” we meet young Anakin Skywalker, the future Darth Vader, workin...
[Conor Sen] Soccer is the future of sports in America

Dec 24, 2019

If you’re in the business of professional sports right now, the fundamentals are cause for concern. Attendance is falling, even in the midst of a strong economy. Perhaps some of that decline can be a...
[Kim Seong-kon] Dreaming of a white Christmas in Spain

Dec 24, 2019

When I was a little boy right after the 1950-53 Korean War, I received a Christmas present from Santa Claus. On that Christmas Eve, I woke up in the middle of the night and found the gift next to my ...
[Noah Smith] High-speed rail is going nowhere fast in US

Dec 23, 2019

Some leaders in the US are intent on reviving the old dream of high-speed rail. Sen. Bernie Sanders is proposing $607 billion for a new high-speed train network as part of his Green New Deal. Represe...
[Leonid Bershidsky] Airbnb is a tech company, but Uber is a taxi firm

Dec 23, 2019

Plenty of companies have raised billions of dollars by selling themselves as tech unicorns rather than firms in traditional businesses -- for example, taxi services or office rentals. Regulators have...
[Justin Fendos] Palm oil catastrophe

Dec 23, 2019

South Korea experiences frequent shifts in culinary trends. One year there was a focus on the health benefits of yams, another there was a rush to flavor everything with the Chinese “mara” spice. Ove...
[James Gibney] An impeached Trump can’t be trusted on NK

Dec 22, 2019

President Donald Trump’s all-but-certain acquittal in his impending Senate impeachment trial will likely embolden him in all sorts of ways, some more frightening than others. One deal he will be sore...
[Jeffrey Frankel] Six tax-based ways to tackle US inequality

Dec 22, 2019

Three years ago, Donald Trump’s victory in the United States’ presidential election triggered a search for explanations of what is still a shocking outcome. One immediately came to dominate: His Demo...
[Josep Borrell] Time for real Europe-Asia partnership

Dec 19, 2019

A few days ago, I chaired the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). What might seem to be a rather bureaucratic acronym, actually is a politically highly relevant event for our continents. I had offered to hos...
[Jeffrey D. Sachs] The UK’s electoral system failed

Dec 19, 2019

On the most important issue in the United Kingdom’s modern history -- whether to leave the European Union or remain -- the UK’s electoral system produced an absurd result. A majority of the UK public...
[Kim Myong-sik] Awaiting young leaders who reject left, right extremism

Dec 18, 2019

South Korea’s political leaders are neither too old nor too young. Out of some 18 people so far mentioned in the media as presidential aspirants, 10 are in their 60s, seven are in the 50s and the old...
[Mohamed A. El-Erian] US-China deal a short-term truce

Dec 18, 2019

There are times, including in armed conflict, when adversaries see it in their own interests to opt for a truce and sell it to the outside world as a steppingstone to a comprehensive peace. But both ...
[Kim Seong-kon] ‘A Lone Lighthouse Keeper’ of Korea

Dec 17, 2019

Recently I came across a book of memoirs by Kim Yong-chol, professor emeritus of Sungkyunkwan University. The book, “A Lone Lighthouse Keeper: Memoirs of Kim Yong-chol,” is the author’s reminiscence ...
[Robert J. Fouser] Looking back at the 2010s in South Korea

Dec 17, 2019

In a couple of weeks, we will enter the third decade of the 21st century. For South Korea, the 2010s saw continued progress amid anxiety over the future. The decade began with solid, though not spect...
[Zev Chafets] Israel will not be third time lucky

Dec 16, 2019

Against all expectations, political logic and basic commonsense, Israel’s major parties have refused to form a unity government, and are dragging an irate public back for a third national election in...