The Korea Herald

[Liam Denning] Decadent energy system needs renewal

ViewpointsFeb 13, 2020

Like many of you, I’m sure, I read Ross Douthat’s essay on “The Age of Decadence” in Sunday’s New York Times while sprawled on a chaise, picking at my smashed avo and laudanum. Stirring from the lang...
[Noah Smith] 'Parasite' Oscars say a lot about South Korea

ViewpointsFeb 13, 2020

On Sunday night, there was widespread rejoicing when the South Korean film “Parasite” received the Academy Award for best picture along with several other awards. Not only was this the first such win...
[Lionel Laurent] Ireland brings new twist to populism

ViewpointsFeb 12, 2020

Sinn Fein’s electoral smash in Ireland is a historic moment for a party that has long had difficulty shaking off its past ties to the sectarian violence of the “troubles.” It’s clear that the party’s...
[Anjani Trivedi] Virus forces the China car shutdown Beijing couldn’t

ViewpointsFeb 5, 2020

Fears that the coronavirus will ravage global supply chains rooted in China are spreading fast. For automakers, a hiatus from production in the world’s largest car market may force them to take some ...
[Lionel Laurent] The more Macron accomplishes, the more unpopular he becomes

ViewpointsFeb 5, 2020

“Remember when we all believed in Emmanuel Macron?” The question comes not from an angry trade unionist but a stand-up comedian in central Paris, facing a crowd of 30-something urbanites cut from the...
[Andrew Gilmour] Preventing climate change is a human rights issue

ViewpointsFeb 4, 2020

Every society in the world is going to pay a price for global warming. But it’s the poorest countries and communities who will suffer the most from rising seas and burning lands -- and likely also fr...
[Clara Ferreira Marques] Thailand’s economy was already sickening

ViewpointsFeb 3, 2020

Outside China, Thailand has the largest number of patients infected by the novel coronavirus. Unfortunately, the export-reliant $500 billion economy, Southeast Asia’s second-largest, was sickly even ...
[David Fickling] Airlines aren’t about to succumb to coronavirus

ViewpointsFeb 3, 2020

Airlines are perpetually on the alert against crashes. That doesn’t mean the coronavirus epidemic will lead to any corporate disasters. The outbreak that originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan coul...
[David Fickling] Small weapons are the most potent in virus fight

ViewpointsJan 30, 2020

How do you turn a disease outbreak into an epidemic? The best way might be to mix infected people with the healthy for long periods in crowded conditions, and then move them around to new locations. ...
Samsung may see passive funds cut exposure sooner than expected

MoneyJan 23, 2020

A cap on Samsung Electronics’s weight in a Korean equity index could kick in earlier than planned, triggering fears that billions of dollars will exit the stock. Instead of the bi-annual adjustment,...
Furlough threat hangs over US military bases in S. Korea

DefenseJan 23, 2020

The US is warning it will send furlough notices within weeks to almost 9,000 South Korean workers at US bases if the two countries don’t reach agreement on President Donald Trump’s demand for Seoul t...
[Leonid Bershidsky] Making babies to grow economies won’t work

ViewpointsJan 22, 2020

In his recent state of the nation address, Russian President Vladimir Putin spent about 20 minutes on a sweeping constitutional reform proposal designed to keep him in power indefinitely -- and about...
[Anjani Trivedi] China spins a trade-deal trap in bad debt market

ViewpointsJan 20, 2020

China is opening the deepest, darkest corner of its strained financial system to American financial institutions. It’s not clear why investors would want to go there, even with their eyes wide open. ...
[Leonid Bershidsky] Libya’s endless war is what happens if US won’t lead

ViewpointsJan 16, 2020

A solution to the civil conflict in Libya is the ultimate hot potato. A series of global and regional powers have tried to bring the warring sides together; Turkey and Russia were the latest to try a...
[David Fickling] HK could be a loser from trade deal

ViewpointsJan 16, 2020

As the gateway for China’s trade with the world for more than 70 years, Hong Kong might be expected to benefit from the phase one deal that Beijing will sign with Washington on Wednesday. Chances are...