[Kim Seong-kon] Those who don the mask of justice

We often confuse justice with revenge and punish someone we hate in the name of justice. Indeed, personal acts of vengeance and political vendettas tend to wear the mask of justice. That is why Michel Foucault warned us; “Justice must always question itself, just as society can exist only by means of the work it does on itself and on its institutions.” Indeed, we should cast doubt on the people who claim that they can bring justice to our society, because what is called “justic

ViewpointsJune 26, 2024

[Grace Kao] Six degrees of Astro's JinJin

Life is full of surprises, and you never know where it will take you. This was the theme of my recent meeting and dinner with JinJin of Astro. JinJin is the leader and main rapper of the boy group. Hit singles included their bubbly debut song, “Hide & Seek,” and later songs such as “Crazy Sexy Cool,” “Blue Flame,” “After Midnight,” and “Candy Sugar Pop.” Most recently, Astro released the single “Circles” to celebrate the eig

ViewpointsJune 25, 2024

[Yoo Choon-sik] What MSCI’s assessment means for South Korea

South Korea again failed to obtain the reclassification of its stock market as a developed market by global index provider MSCI after the country reimposed a full ban on stock short selling, which overshadowed positive assessment among foreign investors of the country’s efforts to lower the barrier for access to financial markets here. According to a statement released last week, Morgan Stanley Capital International recognized and welcomed some of the measures that South Korea has announce

ViewpointsJune 24, 2024

[Mary Rasenberger] Pay for art used to train AI

Amid the hype surrounding Apple’s new deal with OpenAI, one issue has been largely papered over: The AI company’s foundational models are, and have always been, built atop the theft of creative professionals’ work. The arrangement with Apple isn’t the only news from OpenAI. Among recent updates and controversies including high-level defections, last month the company quietly announced Media Manager, scheduled for release in 2025. A tool purportedly designed to allow creat

ViewpointsJune 24, 2024

[Serendipity] Lost in Yunchan Lim's universe

I almost did not make it to pianist Yunchan Lim’s recital at the Bucheon Art Center on Monday night. In my harried state after work, I got Bucheon and Bupyeong mixed up and called for a cab to the Bupyeong Art Center. Both Bucheon and Bupyeong are cities in Gyeonggi Province, about 30 minutes apart by car. Both have an art center. The 1,445-seat concert hall was packed, tickets for Lim’s recital having sold out in 50 seconds. Among those in the audience were 15 lucky Bucheon resident

ViewpointsJune 20, 2024

[F.D. Flam] Population decline vs hungry kids

Humanity is about to turn a major population corner, according to a new estimate. A recent article in the Lancet predicts that by 2030, we’ll no longer be reproducing fast enough to replace ourselves. We aren’t about to go extinct, but this is an unexpected trajectory. As recently as 2017, the United Nations predicted human numbers wouldn’t peak until 2100 when we’d reach more than 11 billion people. According to the new estimate, our numbers could rise from the curr

ViewpointsJune 20, 2024

[Wang Son-taek] Exploded mines and approaching crisis

Following the battle of balloons between South Korea and North Korea with leaflets and trash, ominous scuffles are continuing in the Demilitarized Zone on the Korean Peninsula. According to a briefing by the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff on Monday, dozens of North Korean soldiers were killed or injured when landmines exploded around the border. Separately, dozens of North Korean soldiers crossed the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) and retreated to the north of the line after receiving

ViewpointsJune 20, 2024

[Sławomir Sierakowski] Real winners of European election

The way to defeat the populist far right, it seems, is to oppose it tooth and nail. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk can attest to that. Since ousting Poland’s populist Law and Justice (PiS) party from power last fall, he has been uncompromising in opposing the anti-democratic illiberalism that it represents. And in the European Parliament election, his Civic Coalition (KO) had the best performance of all major mainstream parties in the EU, securing a surprising 37.1 percent of the vote

ViewpointsJune 19, 2024

[Kim Seong-kon] On the 74th anniversary of the Korean War

June 25 is the 74th anniversary of the Korean War. In 2050, The Korean War will be a century-old tragic disaster that devastated the Korean Peninsula in the mid-20th century. Sadly, it has already become “the forgotten war,” and by 2050, perhaps no one will remember it at all. Still, however, a question arises, “Will South Korea be safe and sound until 2050?” We certainly hope so. Yet, considering belligerent North Korea’s frequent provocations, we cannot ignore the

ViewpointsJune 18, 2024

[Lee Byung-jong] Trash balloons and psychological warfare

After the end of the Cold War, the first president of the Czech Republic, Vaclav Havel, confessed that his lifelong fight against Communism and for democracy was inspired by propaganda broadcasting from the US government. As a dissident, poet and playwright, he spent a few hours every night listening to the Voice of America or Radio Free Europe that broadcast news and pop culture from the US and the West. Through those programs, he began to yearn for freedom and democracy. In fact, many experts

ViewpointsJune 18, 2024

[Grace Kao] Trendz ‘glows’ toward global stage

I first saw Trendz -- Havit, Leon, Yoonwoo, Hankook, ra.L, Eunil, and Yechan -- outside of “Music Bank” and then “Show! Music Core” during their fan meetings in April 2023. I vividly remember their stage performances of “New Dayz.” They wore baseball uniforms at "Music Bank," so Yechan’s slide at the beginning of the song was especially cute. Besides, I loved the song. However, what was most remarkable was that all seven members not only spoke

ViewpointsJune 18, 2024

[Yoo Choon-sik] Labor market and domestic demand

Among numerous indicators used to measure a certain aspect or aspects of economic activities, labor market statistics are widely known for reflecting economic conditions belatedly compared to some other leading indicators such as sentiment indices. Moreover, labor data is one of the least dynamic indicators in South Korea due to the country’s rigid labor market structure. In contrast to countries with more flexible labor market structures, such as the United States, the unemployment rate i

ViewpointsJune 17, 2024