[Eric Posner] Trump’s pro-corporate populism

The outpouring of joy on social media after the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson suggests that America’s populist moment is evolving into something larger and more significant than just a backlash against the political establishment. If so, it is also becoming something Americans have seen before. In the late 19th century, the People’s Party, also known as the Populists, targeted big business as well as establishment politicians, blaming large enterprises for both dest

Dec. 18, 2024

[Contribution] Leadership vacuum exposes vulnerability to Trump

By Kim Heung-kyu Director of the US-China Policy Institute at Ajou University, President of the Plaza Project President Yoon Suk Yeol’s failed attempt at martial law poses a colossal challenge to Korea-US relations. The Yoon government has most actively accepted the dichotomous foreign policies of democracy versus authoritarianism that the Biden administration proposed in its early period. President Yoon has emphasized freedom and democracy in his speeches whenever he had the opportunity.

Dec. 17, 2024

[Simon Hutagalung] Post-impeachment impact and implications

The impeachment of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol signifies a major shift in both domestic and international contexts. This event has disrupted South Korea’s political landscape and has implications for global geopolitical dynamics. Domestically, it has raised concerns over confidence in democratic institutions and intensified political polarization. Internationally, South Korea’s alliances and strategic partnerships may need reevaluation. Yoon’s removal underscores the

Dec. 17, 2024

[Lee Kyong-hee] Martial law and human acts, Seoul 2024

It is remarkable how historic events converge at times into a deep sense of irony. President Yoon Suk Yeol’s self-coup via martial law order was not only ill-conceived, it eclipsed what should have been a week of joyous national celebration of Han Kang, the first Korean to receive the Nobel Prize in literature. Yoon’s rash gambit on Dec. 3 echoed the strong-arming of democracy on another December night 45 years ago when Gen. Chun Doo-hwan and his Army cohorts staged a coup d’et

Dec. 16, 2024

Celebrating Kenya's Independence Day, Korea-Kenya ties

This year, Kenya celebrated two special milestones: 61 years of independence and 60 years of Kenya-Korea diplomatic relations. Kenya attained its independence on the Dec. 12, 1963, and weeks later, Kenya and the Republic of Korea established diplomatic relations on Feb. 7, 1964. With Korea having opened a resident mission in Nairobi, Kenya opened its embassy in Seoul in May 2007. Since then, Seoul has been host to four Kenyan ambassadors. I am honored to be the fourth ambassador, having presente

Dec. 15, 2024

[Robert J. Fouser] Moving toward a Post-Yoon future

December 3, 2024, in South Korea “will live in infamy” as the nation endured the trauma of martial law on the order of President Yoon Suk Yeol. Without offering evidence, Yoon stated the measure was necessary to root out “anti-state” and “pro-North Korean” forces in the government. He failed to notify the National Assembly, as the Constitution requires, and instead sent special forces into the National Assembly building to arrest leading lawmakers. Eventuall

Dec. 13, 2024

[Wang Son-taek] How the dead save the living?

Han Kang, one of the renowned Korean writers, finally received the 2024 Nobel Prize in literature medal. Not only the writer herself but also all Koreans welcome and honor her. In her special lecture to commemorate the award, she shared some essential questions that left strong impressions on us. Why is the world so violent and painful? At the same time, why is the world so beautiful? If nothing had happened, the story about the Nobel Prize would have been the top news in Korea for over a week.

Dec. 12, 2024

[Kim Seong-kon] How foreigners see Korea’s martial law incident

These days, those of us old enough to remember our history might be forgiven for having a terrible feeling of deja vu. The last time martial law terrified the South Korean people was in 1980, when General Chun Doo-hwan seized power through Korea’s second military coup and crushed the resisting people ruthlessly. Those of us who are over 50 now vividly remember those nightmare days when curfew was imposed, people were arrested without warrant and military tanks and armored vehicles were lou

Dec. 12, 2024

[Eric Planey] Turning point: a people-driven democracy in action

Last Monday night, with a blanket, popcorn and old throw pillows on our laps, my wife Jakyung and I settled into our shared evening couch routine of getting work done on the laptops while re-binging “Emily in Paris” on Netflix for fun and mindless background diversion. My task for that evening was to begin something I hadn’t done since 2018 -- write an op-ed for The Korea Herald. I have been intimately re-studying the economy in Korea for several months -- partially because my

Dec. 12, 2024

[Shang-Jin Wei] Institutional reforms China needs

The Chinese stock market has rallied recently in anticipation of another round of government stimulus. This is understandable, as the authorities have rolled out multiple monetary and fiscal stimulus packages to stave off deflation and boost GDP growth. But with public debt already well above historical norms, there is limited room for further fiscal intervention without risking a future debt crisis. Given this constraint, China should focus on policies that stimulate entrepreneurship, investmen

Dec. 11, 2024

[Lim Woong] The allure of the past vs. AI anxiety

With the relentless rise of AI-powered digital technology, we're seeing growing concerns about our students. These include their declining literacy as well as the ills of digital dependence, disinformation and deepfakes. When I ask my grad students about some toxic social scenes of digital addiction, their responses are pretty familiar: their own endless scrolling through short videos and social media, and the daily sight of everyone glued to their phones on buses and subways. These respons

Dec. 10, 2024

[Grace Kao] Legacies of ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’

December 2024 marks the 40th Anniversary of the charity single, “Do They Know It’s Christmas,” a well-known Christmas song written by Sir Bob Geldof (Boomtown Rats) and Midge Ure (Ultravox). To celebrate it, its producers have recorded a new version of the single. Along with it has come renewed critiques of this song. The 1984 single prominently featured a who’s who of famous (mostly) British New Wave musicians of that era during the height of MTV. I remember anxiously wa

Dec. 10, 2024

[Robin Abcarian] Biden's Hunter pardon unforgivable

It came as a surprise that President Joe Biden unconditionally pardoned his son Hunter, a convicted felon, after repeatedly vowing that he would not. For the past few months, each time Biden or his press secretary was asked whether a pardon was in the cards, they both emphatically said no. So much for one of the president's favorite lines, "I give you my word as a Biden." Hunter, who was facing a potential sentence of years in prison for tax evasion and lying on a federal firearms

Dec. 9, 2024

[Yoo Choon-sik] Unintended signals from untimely policy action

I don't like to look back on decisions I made in the past and think about how different things might be now if I had taken another path. For instance, I see little point in wondering how my life would have changed if I had attended a different university or not become a journalist. The same applies to economic policies. However, the timing of economic policy, as opposed to its content, is a different matter. In economic policies, timing is as important as, if not more important than, the co

Dec. 9, 2024

[Lee Byung-jong] Time to Join the G9

Amid the earth-shattering geopolitical changes of today, what should be South Korea’s new foreign policy objective in the coming new year? I would like to propose a membership of the G9 (Group of Nine). Together with Australia, Korea could try to become a new member of the rich countries’ club, currently limited to the G7 (the US, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Japan). By joining the club, Korea can transform itself from a rule-follower to a rule-setter of global governan

Dec. 6, 2024