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[Simon Hutagalung] Can Korea’s democracy survive Yoon's shadow?

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[Lee Kyong-hee] Grass roots turn the wheel of history

In “Harbin,” a new thriller based on true events, Japanese official Ito Hirobumi is told that he is targeted for assassination. But the four-time prime minister and first resident-general in Korea refuses to alter his travel plans to Harbin, China, for negotiations. Dismissing the threat, he mutters, “Korea is a country that has been ruled by foolish kings and corrupt Confucian scholars for hundreds of years, but the people of that country are the greatest annoyance for me. Though having receive
Jan. 13, 2025
[Editorial] Yoon’s legal tactics

President Yoon must cooperate with probe to resolve growing political uncertainty The ongoing political turmoil shows no sign of abating, with President Yoon Suk Yeol still unwilling to cooperate with the investigation into his short-lived imposition of martial law that plunged the nation into chaos last month. A lawyer for Yoon said Wednesday that the impeached president would stand trial if he is formally indicted or an arrest warrant is issued by a court. The move came as the Corruption Inves
Jan. 10, 2025
[Robert J. Fouser] Benefits of a two-round voting system

In the days after President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived martial law declaration, discussions on the problems with the current presidential system began to appear frequently in the media. The discussions are not new, but the shock of martial law followed by another presidential impeachment has given them new urgency. What are the complaints? The current presidential system dates from 1987, when the Constitution was amended extensively to allow for the direct election of the president while streng
Jan. 10, 2025
[Wang Son-taek] ‘Kisses democracy’ will prevail

The "Kisses Squad" has come to South Korea. The term refers to young people who have joined rallies in the street to demand the carrying out of the warrant to arrest suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol. Draped in emergency silver foil blankets and resembling a bunch of Hershey's Kisses chocolates, they huddled together in the street in front of the presidential residence for several subzero, snowy nights at the beginning of the new year. They are the protagonists of what are being called the "ligh
Jan. 9, 2025
[Editorial] Pressure on Choi

Opposition asks police to investigate acting president over failure to arrest Yoon The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Tuesday filed a criminal complaint with police against acting President Choi Sang-mok. It accused him of dereliction of duty for doing nothing to handle matters with the Presidential Security Service, which blocked the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials from executing a warrant to arrest President Yoon Suk Yeol. Party leader Lee Jae-myung sai
Jan. 9, 2025
[Kim Seong-kon] We should start ‘a new beginning every day’

Today, I believe we are living in an extremely polarized world divided by two mutually antagonizing groups, such as the left and the right, the rich and the poor, or the young and the old. Like a chronic disease, I argue the enmity between each of these contrasting groups plagues our society that seems to edge towards civil war as a result. Although polarization has become a global phenomenon these days, it seems to be especially persistent and acute in the Korean political climate. Recently, I
Jan. 8, 2025
[Peter Singer] Australia’s social-media experiment

Late last year, Australia’s parliament, reacting to concerns about the effect of social media on children’s mental health, amended the Online Safety Act to require users to be at least 16 years old to open an account on social media platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram and X. The amendment is expected to come into effect by the end of 2025. The law received widespread support in Australia, both in parliament and among the public, but it has also been criticized. Some dispute the link be
Jan. 8, 2025
[Editorial] Race against 'China tech'

South Korea confronts slow AI advance; China continues to achieve rapid progress China stands as one of South Korea’s most significant trading partners while also emerging as a formidable rival in domains where Korean firms have traditionally excelled in technological prowess and market competitiveness. This rivalry is vividly on display at this year's CES technology trade show, running from Tuesday to Friday in Las Vegas, where Chinese companies are showcasing their rapid strides in the global
Jan. 8, 2025
[Joseph Yi, Wondong Lee] Korea’s crisis: Sacrificing for the greater good

The current political climate in South Korea is increasingly defined by a politics of elimination -- the idea that democratic enemies must be sacrificed for the greater good. However, this approach is neither grounded in empirical reality nor conducive to a stable and functioning government capable of addressing crises at home and abroad. In the second season of Netflix's hit series “Squid Game” (spoiler alert), the protagonist sacrifices innocent players to eliminate the true enemy. A similar d
Jan. 7, 2025
[Editorial] Procedural fairness

Impeachment committee withdraws insurrection charge to quicken trial The National Assembly’s impeachment investigation committee, which acts as prosecutors in the Constitutional Court impeachment trial of President Yoon Suk Yeol, effectively withdrew the insurrection charge from the motion on Friday. The article of impeachment written by the committee is composed of two parts -- criminal charges related to insurrection and constitutional law violations related to the martial law declaration. Ins
Jan. 7, 2025
[Grace Kao] Talk of death motivates living life to its fullest

As many of my friends and family members know, I talk a lot about death. Sometimes about my own, but I also remind others of their mortality. I even work it into my classes when I talk about life tables and life expectancies. This topic is not welcome by anyone I know, but I can’t help myself. Still, I believe that thinking about our individual mortality can be useful to our lives, even if it is morbid. During the past week, there has been so much news of death, so this topic is on my mind even
Jan. 7, 2025

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