[Editorial] Security worries over AI

Korean government, firms block access to DeepSeek amid lack of effective regulations The Jan. 20 release of DeepSeek, an innovative Chinese AI chatbot, upended global markets, prompting tech companies to scrutinize how an obscure Chinese startup seemingly developed such a competitive artificial intelligence model so suddenly. But the initial surprise seems to be shifting toward caution, doubt and, in some cases, outright phobia against the new Chinese AI technology on the assumption that it pote

Feb. 12, 2025

[Antara Haldar] What is MAGAnomics?

While the end of World War II 80 years ago ushered in an age of reason, Donald Trump’s return to the White House has ushered it out. His MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement promises to take a wrecking ball to the postwar global economic order, raising the question of what will replace it. “America First” seems to appeal to a wide spectrum of constituents, from blue-collar workers in the heartland to Big Tech “broligarchs.” But what does it mean in practice? At his second inauguration, Trump

Feb. 12, 2025

[Kim Seong-kon] What kind of leader does Korea need now?

Watching the large crowds gathering in Busan and Daegu to protest the current political disruptions, foreign observers agree that the Korean people seem to have finally realized the unprecedented crisis they are now facing. According to the demonstrators, the current problem of South Korea is not simply about a conflict between the Left and the Right, or Progressivism and Conservatism. Rather, South Korea is now at a crossroads where the people must decide which path to choose: “a Free World cou

Feb. 12, 2025

[Daron Acemoglu] A Sputnik moment for AI?

After the release of DeepSeek-R1 on Jan. 20 triggered a massive drop in chipmaker Nvidia’s share price and sharp declines in various other tech companies’ valuations, some declared this a “Sputnik moment” in the Sino-American race for supremacy in artificial intelligence. While America’s AI industry arguably needed shaking up, the episode raises some difficult questions. The US tech industry’s investments in AI have been massive, with Goldman Sachs estimating that “mega tech firms, corporations

Feb. 11, 2025

[Editorial] Seize the day

Parties should strike deal first on pension contribution, income replacement rates The ruling and opposition parties are waging a war of nerves over reforming South Korea's national pension system after sharing the view to deal first with contribution and income replacement rates. Rep. Kwon Young-se, interim leader of the ruling People Power Party, proposed last week to determine these rates as soon as possible. Rep. Lee Jae-myung, chair of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, had inst

Feb. 11, 2025

[Kaushik Basu] The Asian responsibility

As 2025 dawns, the world seems to be entering an age of anxiety, reminiscent of one hundred years ago, the period between the two World Wars. That period saw the German hyper-inflation of 1923, the rise of Hitler, and the Great Depression that caused jobs to vanish and incomes to plunge. As I write my first column for Herald Business, the world’s politics is polarized, democracy is witnessing a setback in many places, the share of income of workers in the GDP of most countries is falling, and ec

Feb. 10, 2025

[Lee Kyong-hee] A possible scenario for Trump-Kim bromance Act II

Speculation abounds over US President Donald Trump’s signaling that he hopes to restart talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. From a South Korean point of view, the unpredictability of Trump’s policies combines with the extreme volatility of domestic politics to cast an unsettling shadow over the future of the divided peninsula. The complete rupture in inter-Korean dialogue over the past few years under now-impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol adds to the concern that Seoul may be sidelined i

Feb. 10, 2025

[Editorial] Korea’s elusive oil dream

Yoon’s much-ballyhooed oil, gas project falters as it lacks economic feasibility In past decades, South Korea launched deep-sea exploration projects to discover oil and gas reserves, only to get poor results. Last Thursday, the government put out a similarly disappointing result: The first exploratory drilling under the “Blue Whale” project showed that one of the prospective oil and gas sites in the East Sea lacks economic feasibility. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced that wh

Feb. 10, 2025

[Robert J Fouser] GTX takes the stage

Last year marked a major turning point in the history of public transit in Seoul. The GTX-A high-speed regional transit line opened, connecting Seoul’s historic city center and Gangnam to an apartment-dense area in Gyeonggi Province. Travel time from Unjeong in Paju to Seoul Station and from Dongtan to Suseo takes about 20 minutes. The final section of Line A, which runs from Seoul Station to Suseo, will open in 2028, bringing Seoul’s two largest central business districts even closer together.

Feb. 7, 2025

[Editorial] Trump’s disruptive tactics

South Korea, with impeached leader, must prepare for Trump’s strategy of chaos, fear US President Donald Trump has long been notorious for his bizarre, irrational and fact-distorting assertions. He is now trying to top such expectations since returning to the White House. Just look at what he said about Gaza on Tuesday. He proposed that the US take over the Gaza Strip, displace more than 2 million Palestinians and turn the territory into “the Riviera of the Middle East” in what is seen as a horr

Feb. 7, 2025

[Ambrose Seo] A tale of two national flags

The Star-Spangled Banner, the flag of the United States, has become a frequent sight at far-right rallies in South Korea, flown alongside South Korea's Taegeukgi. These rallies support President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is currently under investigation for a self-coup attempt following his unconstitutional and illegal declaration of emergency martial law on Dec. 3. This move has not only triggered impeachment proceedings but also raised serious concerns about his alleged attempt to undermine democracy

Feb. 6, 2025

[Editorial] AI alliance

Collaboration with OpenAI, SoftBank could help grow Korea's tech ecosystem OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son both visited Seoul on Tuesday and had a three-way meeting with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong. They reportedly discussed collaboration on AI investments and future strategies. Their meeting is noteworthy, considering recent movements in the global AI industry. The United States and China are vying for leadership in the industry. Companies of the US and

Feb. 6, 2025

[Wang Son-taek] The anachronism of two outsiders

People worldwide were shocked by the recent tariff announcements by US President Donald Trump. He had declared that the US would impose a 25 percent tariff on Canada and Mexico and a 10 percent tariff on China. Later Trump agreed to a 30-day pause on tariff threats against Canada and Mexico. The measure alarmed not only the three nations but also other countries. South Koreans, in particular, had another reason to be stunned. Just two months ago, South Korea experienced an absurd incident when P

Feb. 6, 2025

[Francis D. Kim] New admissions game and competitive advantage

The admissions game for college, particularly in the United States and elite international programs in Asia, is undergoing a swift transformation. Even though the COVID-19 pandemic has largely receded and students are back on campus, shifting social and technological forces -- such as global job market uncertainties and the rise of generative AI -- are reshaping how students pursue higher education. Many students and parents find themselves wondering whether conventional admission strategies and

Feb. 6, 2025

[Song Jong-hwan] How to deal with Pyongyang’s nuclear threat

When US President Donald Trump took office as the 47th president on Jan. 20, he declared he would “make America great again," and started executing his “America First” priorities. He also mentioned North Korea as nuclear power on the same day. In an interview with Fox News three days later, he said he would talk to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. However, North Korea said it would continue to strengthen its nuclear response stance on Jan. 29. The current South Korean government has announced th

Feb. 6, 2025