The Korea Herald

[Editorial] Abrupt about-face

EditorialMar 5, 2021

In a move to perplex his supporters and critics alike, President Moon Jae-in has recently made an abrupt about-face in his stance on South Korea’s strained ties with Japan. He said Monday that his g...
[Nicholas Goldberg] World of vaccination haves and have-nots

ViewpointsMar 4, 2021

In my house, we have a problem. My wife has been vaccinated; I haven’t. Am I envious? Of course I am. Resentful? Yeah, some of that too. When she came home all cheerful after her second COVID-19 vac...
[Lee Kyong-hee] Patriot returns home in a special memorial

ViewpointsMar 4, 2021

There can be various ways to love one’s country. And there may also be many ways to memorialize heroic deeds of a great individual. Lee Seok-young (1855-1934) gave away his vast wealth to help resurr...
[Editorial] Let prosecution probe

EditorialMar 4, 2021

From this year, the range of investigation by the prosecution was reduced to six categories of serious crimes under related laws revised early last year to reset the relationship between the prosecut...
[K. Ward Cummings] Why traumatized people run for office

ViewpointsMar 3, 2021

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, in emotional testimony delivered during a congressional hearing last month, bravely revealed that she was once the victim of a sexual assault. As a historia...
[Editorial] Joint posture

EditorialMar 3, 2021

South Korea and the US have not yet announced exactly when and how they would be conducting their joint military exercise planned for this month. The allies’ combined springtime drill is expected to...
[Carl P. Leubsdorf] Biden takes first steps towards return to normalcy abroad

ViewpointsMar 2, 2021

Two years ago, even before launching his presidential bid, Joe Biden told Western European leaders that Donald Trump’s America First foreign policy was a momentary blip in US global leadership. “I p...
[Editorial] Bad precedent

EditorialMar 2, 2021

The National Assembly passed a secial law last Friday for the construction of a new airport on Gadeokdo, an island under the jurisdiction of Busan. The point of the special law is to waive a prelimi...
[Shang-Jin Wei] Can US escape stimulus trap?

ViewpointsMar 1, 2021

As US President Joe Biden’s proposed $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package works its way through Congress, former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers (a Democrat) and many Republicans argue that th...
[Jean Pisani-Ferry] Central bankers keen to take on new responsibilities

ViewpointsMar 1, 2021

Twenty years ago, central bankers were proudly narrow-minded and conservative. They made a virtue of caring more about inflation than about the average citizen, and took great pains to be obsessively...
[Editorial] Tax populism

EditorialMar 1, 2021

A senior lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea said during a parliamentary session last month that the issue of tax hikes should now be put to public debate. Following the suggestion, othe...
[Editorial] Obvious statement

EditorialFeb 26, 2021

Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choe Jae-hyeong said public officials must observe legal procedures, even when carrying out a presidential election pledge. He stated the obvious, but his word...
YMCA hosts 2nd International School Ski Racing Competition

PeopleFeb 25, 2021

It was a tough season for skiers this winter with many events canceled or scaled down to meet the COVID-19 safety requirements. However, Seoul YMCA managed to go ahead with its series of competition...
[Doyle McManus] How to end a very long war

ViewpointsFeb 25, 2021

On paper, the United States is committed to withdrawing its last 2,500 troops from Afghanistan less than 10 weeks from now, on May 1. That’s under a deal the Trump administration made last year with ...
[Editorial] Duty posture

EditorialFeb 25, 2021

The results of a probe into the military’s latest failure to promptly spot a North Korean defector have once again revealed lax discipline in South Korea’s armed forces. The defector, a civilian in ...