[Robert J. Fouser] A 'welcomeness consensus' for migrants

Earlier this week, the “Dong-A Ilbo” ran a story on how local governments in South Korea are repurposing abandoned public facilities to revive local economies. The article mentioned that Yeongyang-gun in North Gyeongsang Province, in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is planning to accept 40 refugees from Myanmar later this year. The county plans to repurpose an abandoned school to create a resettlement facility. Across the country, other local governmen

March 21, 2025

[Frank Pasquale] Accelerationism in America

In 2008, Chris Anderson published “The End of Theory: The Data Deluge Makes the Scientific Method Obsolete.” Prophesying our current age of AI, it was one of those rare magazine articles that launched serious scholarly debates. Anderson’s thesis was straightforward: in an era of “big data,” scientific quests to find the ultimate causes of things were outdated. Instead, we can throw data at our problems, training machines to gradually discern what courses of action lead to better outcomes. Whethe

March 20, 2025

[Wang Son-taek] South Korea as a ‘sensitive country’

In an unexpected move, the US Department of Energy recently designated South Korea as a “sensitive country,” placing it alongside adversaries such as China, Russia and North Korea. This decision not only damages South Korea's international reputation but also raises serious questions about the state of diplomatic coordination between Seoul and Washington. How did one of America's closest allies end up on this list, and what should be done to reverse this designation? For years, South Korea culti

March 20, 2025

[Florian Juergens-Grant, Luca Pellerano] Future-proofing social protection

Since their inception in late-19th-century Europe, social protection programs have been financed primarily through payroll contributions by workers and employers. These schemes maintain people’s standard of living when old age, illness, child-rearing or unemployment affect their capacity to earn an income. The recent confluence of global crises — from the COVID-19 pandemic and the skyrocketing cost of living to the climate emergency and wars in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa — has highlight

March 19, 2025

[Kim Seong-kon] Standing between paper and electronic books

No one would deny that books are one of the great inventions of human civilization. From books, we learn about other people and other cultures, and we can indirectly experience a world we have never seen. By reading books, we can obtain invaluable information and knowledge, experience epiphanies and profound realizations. Books also broaden the horizon of our minds and quench our thirst for the unknown. In that sense, “A book is a gift you can open again and again,” as Garrison Keillor put it. S

March 19, 2025

[Lee Jae-min] Everything everywhere all at once

Let’s look at the Earth from afar. As of now, the global community consists of 197 sovereign states. They cooperate. They trade. Sometimes they fight. These 197 states exercise their sovereign authority within their respective territories — called the “territoriality” principle in legal jargon. And there are two ways this principle manifests itself. The first is an easy one: someone or something is within the territory of a country and the country can exercise its sovereign jurisdiction over the

March 18, 2025

[Chung Chan-seung] Answer to South Korea’s crisis lies in social stress

"I’ve decided not to have children. I love children, but I can’t bear the thought of bringing one into a world where they would have to endure the same relentless struggles I have faced. The pressure, the competition, the exhaustion — it’s too much." This was the confession of a female patient, a marketing executive, who had recently married. She had worked diligently after graduating from college, earning recognition in her workplace. Yet, having grown up in an environment of relentless competi

March 18, 2025

[Grace Kao] BTS J-Hope’s New York concert

As our civil liberties dissipate in the US, music has continued to lift my spirits. On March 13, I attended BTS’ J-Hope’s concert “Hope on the Stage” in Brooklyn, New York, at the Barclays Center. He had two sold-out dates at this venue, which seats about 17,000. J-Hope was perfection personified, and I wanted to share my experience attending this concert. As all the members have completed or are in the midst of their mandatory military service, fans have been desperate to see them live. Of cour

March 18, 2025

[Antara Haldar] Why global governance is failing

The United Nations was established in 1945, succeeding the failed League of Nations, to pull humanity back from the brink of self-destruction. It was a bold experiment in collective security, designed to prevent another world war and manage conflicts through diplomacy rather than violence. Yet, 80 years later, we find ourselves back on the precipice of disaster. Global temperatures have breached the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold that scientists see as a Rubicon for reining in climate change over

March 17, 2025

[Yoo Choon-sik] Don’t complain, this is your ability!

It appears that the entire country has stood still these days as the Constitutional Court’s ruling on the fate of suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol is widely expected to be made soon. In reality, however, the people of South Korea have never done so or cannot afford to do so because they have to work hard to make a living. There are exceptions, though. Politicians from all sides are behaving as if they have come from outer space to enjoy some sporting events without worrying much about the daily

March 17, 2025

[Lee Byung-jong] Is public diplomacy still needed?

Since Harvard professor Joseph Nye introduced the concept of soft power in the early 1990s, public diplomacy has become a key tool in global diplomacy. Governments — both democratic and autocratic — have embraced it to win the hearts and minds of foreign publics through direct communication and engagement. Soft power, bolstered by public diplomacy, was once considered as crucial as, if not more than, traditional hard power like military strength and economic influence. However, this idealistic n

March 14, 2025

[Sheldon H. Jacobson] Focus on increasing buying power

The recent Consumer Price Index report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that prices have risen by three percent from one year ago. This is one percent above the Federal Reserve’s two percent inflation target, which they base on the Personal Consumption Expenditure Price Index. No matter what these indexes say, people are paying more today for what they purchase. Egg prices have been in the news, as one dozen eggs now costs over $5. Some restaurants have even added an egg surcharge. Man

March 13, 2025

[Wang Son-taek] Impending eighth challenge to democracy

Political tensions are rising in Seoul, as the Constitutional Court will soon announce its decision on whether to fire the current president of South Korea or not. The court has finished deliberations and is discussing the final judgment. Considering previous cases, the court is seen as likely to make its announcement this week or the next. Around 60 percent of Korean people strongly want to see the president fired, while another 40 percent oppose such a move. While awaiting the announcement, we

March 13, 2025

[Kim Seong-kon] Where is South Korea headed?

These days, the world is concerned about the dubious future of South Korea. People anxiously look on at the unprecedented sociopolitical upheaval since the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. Depending on the decision of the Constitutional Court, Yoon may return to office or fade away. Either way, conflict seems inevitable in Korea because the country is sharply divided by two mutually antagonizing groups that either support or denounce Yoon, or subscribe to the right-wing doctrine or the le

March 12, 2025

[Daniel Moss] Adapt to declining birthrates

After years of grinding lower, a widely watched measure of fertility in a country battling significant demographic headwinds notched a small increase. While welcome, there’s little chance South Korea’s popular narrative of a nation blighted by empty schools and a deserted countryside will be put aside. Smaller families are here to stay. Nobody is popping the champagne. Few experts consider that a trickle of decent numbers represents a change in the long-term trend of slowing population growth. N

March 12, 2025