[Editorial] Jamboree woes

The 2023 World Scout Jamboree in Saemangeum, North Jeolla Province, is regaining its footing after a crisis in which it faced the threat of an early closure when some countries withdrew from the campsite. Concerns about the event ending early mounted as contingents from the UK and the US decided to leave the Saemangeum site. However, the other countries chose to remain, supporting the host country's efforts to improve conditions on the campsite. Operation and facilities seem to be getting b

Aug. 7, 2023

[Editorial] Upward risks

South Korea’s consumer prices slowed to 2.3 percent in July from a year earlier -- the lowest level in 25 months -- but concerns linger about a possible spike in the coming months due to volatile domestic and international factors. Statistics Korea on Wednesday announced that the country’s consumer prices, a key gauge of inflation, rose 2.3 percent last month, compared with the 2.7 percent in June, thanks largely to lower oil prices. For economic policymakers, the latest figures are

Aug. 4, 2023

[Editorial] Critical faults

Underground car park ceilings at many apartment complexes for which construction contracts were awarded by a state enterprise were found to be supported by columns without reinforcement bars, known as rebar. An underground parking lot of an apartment complex under construction in Geomdan, Seo-gu, Incheon collapsed in April, and an investigation found rebar missing in 19 of its 32 parking lot columns. The missing reinforcing steel was blamed as the main cause of the accident. The construction con

Aug. 3, 2023

[Editorial] Stay vigilant

The South Korean government has taken steps to lift the last of its COVID-19 restrictions, but concerns about a possible resurgence remain as the number of new coronavirus cases has been on the rise for the fifth consecutive week. On Tuesday, the government publicly released a revision to the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, which is designed to lower COVID-19’s infectious disease rating from level 2 to level 4 and fully lift the mask mandate even in medical institutions and

Aug. 2, 2023

[Editorial] NK-China-Russia intimacy

Confrontation between the free world and authoritarian dictatorships seems to be growing acute on the Korean Peninsula as North Korea, China and Russia are revealing their solidarity plainly. North Korea's "Victory Day" event affirmed this. On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice signed on July 27, 1953, China and Russia sent large delegations to Pyongyang for the event. North Korea has denied the historical fact that it invaded South Korea, arguing to

Aug. 1, 2023

[Editorial] Dispute over Kentech

It is rare for a single university to generate a slew of critical talking points. But the Korea Institute of Energy Technology, known as Kentech, is not a normal university that can bypass relentless media spotlight. Kentech, established in March last year in the southwestern city of Naju, South Jeolla Province, as part of the energy policy pushed by the former Moon Jae-in administration, is now in hot water over alleged irregularities regarding administrative expenses and other regulations, acc

July 31, 2023

[Editorial] Revitalize economy

South Korea's gross domestic product increased 0.6 percent in the second quarter from the previous quarter. It is fortunate that it increased two straight quarters after seeing negative growth in the fourth quarter last year due to a slump in exports. But Korea's GDP grew in the second quarter because imports decreased more than exports did. Exports shrank by 1.8 percent and imports by 4.2 percent. It is worrying that exports, which have propelled South Korea‘s economic growth, a

July 28, 2023

[Editorial] Crypto dispute deepens

In mid-May, Rep. Kim Nam-kuk left the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea after revelations that he had been engaged in suspicious cryptocurrency transactions. But the dispute over the crypto investment is still playing out at the National Assembly -- in an ugly way. There are two interconnected developments that can significantly affect public opinion. First, 11 lawmakers were found to have held virtual assets amid mounting speculation that some of their trades might have caused a conflic

July 27, 2023

[Editorial] Recurrent random attacks

Few situations would cause more anxiety to the general public than one in which anyone can be attacked suddenly in a defenseless state by a total stranger -- for no reason and regardless of time and place. Such a horrible crime recently occurred on a Seoul street in broad daylight. A 33-year-old man surnamed Cho stabbed one pedestrian to death and injured three others in an alley in a shopping district near Sillim Station in Seoul at around 2 p.m. on July 21. The rampage happened for three or fo

July 26, 2023

[Editorial] Protect teachers' rights

South Korean teachers have been confronting a growing number of unruly students and overprotective parents resorting to frivolous lawsuits over legitimate classroom interactions. No wonder, then, many teachers feel overstressed and under extreme pressure, some even reconsidering their choice of profession. Against this backdrop, some 5,000 teachers and education university students took to the streets Saturday, calling for a set of measures to guarantee teachers’ rights and protect them fr

July 25, 2023

[Editorial] Foregone conclusion

The state audit agency announced inspection results last week showing that the previous Moon Jae-in administration's decision to dismantle three weirs and keep two open indefinitely on the Geum and Yeongsan rivers was made in an irrational and biased fashion following a foregone conclusion. From the beginning, there was no room for the possibility of weir management or maintenance. In May 2017, the Environment Ministry formed a four-river project evaluation group under the pretext of restor

July 24, 2023

[Editorial] Seek a new option

A tripartite commission representing labor, business and the general public finally set the hourly minimum wage for next year at 9,860 won ($7.8) Wednesday, up 2.5 percent from this year. It is equivalent to a monthly wage of nearly 2.07 million won. The process for determining the minimum wage is always a painful process, but this year proved to be extremely tough. From the outset, representatives from labor and the general public clashed with each other, resulting in the cancellation of the fi

July 21, 2023

[Editorial] Don't pass the buck

The causes and background of the Osong underpass flooding accident in North Chungcheong Province are coming to light in dribs and drabs. Further details will emerge now that the government has launched its inspection, but facts revealed so far show that the anti-disaster response system was not working properly due to insensitivity to safety and complacency. The flooding of the Gungpyeong-2 underpass tunnel in Osong-eup in the Heungdeok district of Cheongju was a fatal accident that could have b

July 20, 2023

[Editorial] Household debt issue

South Korea’s household debt is growing at an alarming pace amid lingering concerns about financial risks that might shoot up depending on a combination of internal and external factors. The debt service ratio, or DSR, for households in Korea stood at 13.6 percent last year, the second-highest among 17 major countries, the Bank of International Settlements said in a report. Australia ranked first with 14.7 percent DSR. The DSR is used as a metric by lenders and borrowers to measure the pro

July 19, 2023

[Editorial] Quick fix won't work

The damage from the weekend's torrential rain is enormous across the country. A dayslong downpour brought mountain slopes crashing down on houses. Swollen rivers burst their banks, inundating villages and farmland. A multipurpose dam overflowed. Regular train services were interrupted. There has been huge property damage, but above all, many people lost their lives. According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, 41 peopl

July 18, 2023

[Editorial] Medical workers’ strike

Unionized medical workers ended their two-day strike Friday, a relatively brief walkout. However, it caused operational disruption at hospitals and much inconvenience to patients across the nation, showing how much damage such a strike could generate -- even in a short period of time. After all, hospitals play crucial roles of treating and saving people in their local communities. Massive disruptions started by a walkout could delay surgical operations and emergency treatment, putting innocent p

July 17, 2023

[Editorial] Boost nuclear energy

The government expressed its intention to construct new nuclear power plants. Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Lee Chang-yang said in the 29th meeting of the Energy Committee on Monday that it is necessary to consider expanding capacity to supply nuclear energy and hydrogen to meet the increasing demand for electric power. The Yoon Suk Yeol administration scrapped the previous Moon Jae-in administration's policy, which was to phase out nuclear energy in favor of transitioning more rap

July 14, 2023

[Editorial] Absence of oversight

The National Election Commission, whose reputation suffered a serious setback over a nepotism dispute in recent months, is now in hot water again as a new inspection has revealed different types of irregularities. The Board of Audit and Inspection conducted a regular inspection and announced Monday that 128 employees of the election watchdog violated the country’s anti-graft law by misusing taxpayer money. The audit shows that some NEC committees did not pay the non-permanent commissioners

July 13, 2023

[Editorial] Signs of insolvency

Jitters over a run on the Korean Federation of Community Credit Cooperatives, also known as MG Community Credit Cooperatives, are showing signs of calming down. Withdrawals subsided and many of those who rushed to withdraw savings are redepositing them. According to an inter-agency response team, deposit withdrawals from KFCC turned to a downward trend on July 7. They shrank about 1 trillion won ($765 million) from a day earlier. Demand for deposit withdrawal came to a lull about 10 days after i

July 12, 2023

[Editorial] Flawed telecom policy

The Ministry of Science and ICT on Thursday unveiled a set of plans aimed at lowering mobile subscription fees and increasing competition in the telecom market. One key measure is to allow a fourth carrier to enter the mobile telecom market dominated by three players -- SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus. With a new player in the fray, the government hopes competition among the carriers will intensify in a way that will lead to more affordable monthly subscription plans. The new plan of the ICT Ministr

July 11, 2023