I eagerly waited until midnight on August 20, 2020, for the debut of BTS’ “Dynamite” on YouTube. The music video was released at midnight in my time zone -- Eastern Standard Time -- on a Thursday night. Why didn’t it debut at midnight in Korea? The reason is very simple. New singles are released at 12 midnight Thursday night (or technically Friday morning) Eastern Standard Time because the weekly Billboard Hot 100 chart begins its count of weekly sales and streams startin

ViewpointsAug. 20, 2024

Do we need universal basic income? Some economists say we do. They claim that UBI -- a taxpayer-funded minimum monthly payment with no strings attached -- would reduce poverty and inequality; improve physical and mental health; and provide financial security so that recipients can earn a degree, launch a business, or care for family members. But we don’t have to take their word for it. A recent UBI experiment has given us some real-world results. Nineteen counties in Texas and Illinois tes

ViewpointsAug. 19, 2024

While South Korea's economy appears to sustain growth thanks to robust exports of a few big-ticket items, a slew of statistics released in recent weeks points to a deepening slump in domestic consumption. Against this backdrop, policy authorities seem to lack both the will and the tools to change course. Statistics Korea’s retail sales index fell 2.9 percent in volume terms during the second quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2023, marking the worst drop in 15 years s

ViewpointsAug. 19, 2024

Does anybody remember the mad cow disease scare that rocked all of South Korean society 16 years ago? According to the theory, people were supposed to have melted brains if they eat US beef. Massive anti-US beef protests paralyzed downtown Seoul for weeks, crippling the administration of President Lee Myung-bak that tried to assuage the concern with scientific evidence. Fortunately, nobody I know of has died of the disease and people around me very much enjoy US beef now that is cheaper than han

ViewpointsAug. 16, 2024

It’s a balmy afternoon sometime in 2010, and you and 40 co-workers are gathered at a scenic park on the eastern outskirts of Seoul getting ready to shoot Scene No. 45 of episode 12 of a highly-rated television drama. Despite the tranquil appearance, there is a small and pressing problem: Episode 12 is scheduled to air later tonight. The director of photography (DP) is desperately staring up at the sky; if they don’t finish shooting in the next 45 minutes, they will lose the sun to

ViewpointsAug. 15, 2024

As we commemorate the 77th anniversary of Independence Day for India, I extend my heartfelt greetings to all fellow citizens, the vibrant Indian diaspora in the Republic of Korea, and our esteemed Korean friends. This day also marks the 79th anniversary of Liberation Day for Korea, and I wish its people and government continued success, good health and prosperity. Over the years, the ROK has achieved impressive success across all fields of human endeavor, particularly advanced manufacturing, t

Foreign AffairsAug. 15, 2024

In my last essay for The Korea Herald, I introduced the idea of the "Paradox on the Han River." To understand South Korea today, one must squarely face two contradictory realities. One is of incredible success, a rag-to-riches story with global brands, an addictive K-culture and a rising power at the Olympics. Political progress followed this success. Korea is a rare nation in the modern era with a conviction around constitutional democracy. At the same time, Korea’s youth is cha

ViewpointsAug. 15, 2024

The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris wrapped up a 17-day run with a dazzling closing ceremony on Sunday. Although the South Korean team participated in the event with its smallest number of athletes since 1976, it exceeded expectations by winning 32 medals, including 13 gold medals. In the overall medal standings, South Korea ranked eighth, placing itself among the ranks of France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Italy and Germany as one of the top 10 sports powers. It may look natural now to

ViewpointsAug. 14, 2024

The way we perceive things is often provincial and parochial rather than global and universal. We assume that people in other countries think the same way as we do. In many cases, however, foreigners think differently due to cultural differences. Therefore, we need to think big and global, while embracing different opinions and perspectives. Our love of ivy and pine trees can be a good example. In Korea, we like ivy because it decorates a building beautifully by crawling all over it and giving i

ViewpointsAug. 14, 2024

Even if you didn’t care about or respect women’s choices when it comes to having children, the “childless cat ladies” comments from Donald Trump's running mate JD Vance are still deeply problematic because they suggest a misunderstanding of a vital policy issue: fertility. To the extent that this deeply personal choice can be aggregated and tracked, it is akin to a performance measure of the economy -- and the data is flashing red. The US fertility rate has been fall

ViewpointsAug. 14, 2024

Waymo One is the first “autonomous ride-hailing service” available to customers. It advertises itself as offering a safer ride and allowing the autonomy of “people who can’t drive -- whether elderly, blind, or disabled -- to get around and do the things they love.” While many of us are cautiously optimistic and sometimes fearful of technology, in this particular case, I couldn‘t agree more with Google, the parent company of Waymo One. Recently, I visited San F

ViewpointsAug. 13, 2024

The tumultuous history of the Korean Peninsula can be seen through a myriad of prisms. In some cases that defy conventional wisdom. Well-educated Koreans in the South moved willingly to the communist North before the Korean War and stayed. One exceptional case caught the attention of Ryuta Itagaki, a professor of historical anthropology, and the outcome is an illuminating saga of a prominent linguist. In 2010, Itagaki, then a visiting scholar at the Harvard-Yenching Institute, met Kim Hye-young,

ViewpointsAug. 12, 2024

Sheikh Hasina could have left gracefully. Instead, Bangladesh’s prime minister resigned and fled to neighboring India, ending her 15-year-long rule as chaos has engulfed the nation. The army wasted no time stepping in to form an interim government, although what shape that will take is still unclear. The military needs to find a swift path to a peaceful transfer of power. Any delay will risk damaging the country’s reputation with the international financial community even further --

ViewpointsAug. 12, 2024