As of this writing, polls are open in by-elections for mayor in Seoul and Busan. The election offers a chance to assess public opinion only 13 months before the next presidential election in May 2022. President Moon Jae-in’s approval ratings have dropped recently, suggesting that his ruling Democratic Party may face strong headwinds moving toward 2022. Since 1987, presidents in South Korea have been elected for a single five-year term. The term limit came from a desire to check the power

The “For the People Act” currently being proposed by House Democrats would transform the way the US runs federal elections. Known as HR 1, the bill would make it substantially easier to vote. It would also counteract restrictive legislation enacted by Republican state legislatures in recent years. One provision stands out from the rest: the one that would end state-level gerrymandering by requiring that all legislative districts be set by independent, nonpartisan commissions, rather

By the time this edition of The Korea Herald is delivered to readers, the winners of the April 7 mayoral by-elections in Seoul and Busan will have been decided. There was a weeklong blackout of opinion polls before the vote, but popularity figures of major contenders in the last surveys had been so lopsided that few had doubts about opposition victories in both the capital and the nation’s second-largest city. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea was fundamentally disadvantaged in these e

A few days ago, many people around the world witnessed a video of a Black American man brutally attacking a tiny Asian woman, stamping her face with his foot repeatedly in broad daylight on the streets of New York. Watching this graphic video, we were distressed and appalled at this outrageous event, which is a part of increasing violence against Asian Americans in the United States. These recent attacks have not only damaged the image of America throughout Asia, but have revived tensions betw

Joe Biden is racing against time. “We have to move now,” he said last week as he unveiled his giant $2 trillion-plus economic plan. “We can’t delay another minute.” Why is a 78-year-old president once considered a cautious moderate suddenly going for broke? Because he knows his time is short. Like most new presidents, Biden is enjoying a modest honeymoon in the eyes of the public, but he knows from experience it won’t last. His job approval rating has been

Myanmar is leading Southeast Asia’s race to the political bottom. Since overthrowing a civilian government on Feb. 1, the military has killed more than 530 unarmed civilian protesters and arrested thousands more. Now, the country is confronting a deepening humanitarian crisis and the growing possibility of a civil war -- developments that would have serious regional and even global consequences. Myanmar’s civilian government, led by Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democ

President Joe Biden’s multitrillion-dollar plans to revitalize the US economy are rightfully drawing comparisons to his predecessor Franklin Delano Roosevelt. But while it’s the same goal, the two have somewhat different approaches, reflecting both the distinctive circumstances and the better data available to Biden. Biden’s initiatives are a lot like a newer New Deal in some respects. The recently announced infrastructure spending plan includes money for roads, bridges, housi