[Kim Seong-kon] The image of South Korea overseas

I recently came across an intriguing article on alot.com by Ron Winkler, entitled, “AI shows what people actually look like in these 30 countries.” The writer asked an artificial intelligence system what the average person would look like in the 30 included countries, and the article features 30 images of people presented by AI for each country, followed by the writer’s brief comments on them. AI personifies South Korea as a charming K-pop girl with the background of “the

July 3, 2024

[Christine Ledbetter] Ethics crisis at US Supreme Court

A photo of Ruth Bader Ginsburg is pinned by a magnet to my refrigerator door, nestled among pictures of my grandchildren. With her head bowed, she is reading briefs during intermission at Arena Stage’s 2018 production of August Wilson’s “Two Trains Running” in Washington. I saw her numerous times at cultural events in DC during my eight years there. But I never introduced myself or told her she was my hero. I feared being embarrassingly inarticulate. Imagine having a he

July 3, 2024

[Contribution] Scientific policing's role in S. Korea's public safety

By Kang Sang-gil In an unprecedentedly short period, South Korea achieved remarkable economic development, often referred to as the "Miracle on the Han River." Since the 2000s, international organizations such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the Development Assistance Committee and the Paris Club have acknowledged South Korea's status as an advanced nation. In 2010, Seoul hosted the G20 Summit. In July

July 2, 2024

[Grace Kao] BTS Jin’s hugs and idols’ 'fan service'

Immediately following BTS member Jin’s completion of his military service, he hosted an event where he hugged 1,000 fans. Apparently, he wanted to hug even more people than that, but HYBE had to talk him down. Still, the event was not without incident -- there are videos of multiple women taking the opportunity afforded by a hug to kiss him. I find this behavior disgusting and I’m glad that the suspects have been charged with sexual assault. Still, this event was one where hugs wer

July 2, 2024

[Lee Kyong-hee] Don’t write off unification

I have a sister who lives -- or lived -- in North Korea. The Korean War separated my family and she ended up in the North. We met once since then, at Mount Kumgang across the DMZ, before inter-Korean family reunion events were suspended. We had only hours to bridge six decades of separation. Yet, the opportunity of the 2009 reunion was a godsend for my family, especially for my mother, who turned 100 that year. She lived 10 more years, probably waiting for another chance to see her daughter but

July 1, 2024

[Robert Fouser] Trump on course to win

Thursday’s presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump marked the beginning of the final stretch of the race for the White House. Next up are the Republican convention in July, the Democratic convention in August and another debate on Sept. 10. Traditionally, the final stretch of the campaign begins after Labor Day in early September, but the early debate has lengthened the campaign season. Where does the race stand now and what does it mean for South Korea? According to the New

June 28, 2024

[Wang Son-taek] New strategy after the treaty in Pyongyang

On June 19, North Korea and Russia signed a historic partnership treaty in Pyongyang. The strategic and comprehensive treaty exceeded general predictions and was evaluated as restoring the military alliance. The restoration of the alliances drew keen attention from major media worldwide as it shook the strategic balance around the Korean Peninsula. A controversial topic of South Korea's nuclear armament has been revived in Seoul and Washington. The South Korean government also strongly cond

June 27, 2024

[Ana Palacio] Putin-Kim pact offers opportunity

June has been a busy month for Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a speech at Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he outlined his terms for peace negotiations with Ukraine and proposed establishing an alternative international security system in collaboration with China. A week later, during a two-day visit to Pyongyang, he signed a strategic defense pact with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. Russia and North Korea pledged to provide each other with immediate military assistance in t

June 27, 2024

[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

June 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

June 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

June 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

June 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

June 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

June 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

June 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

June 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

June 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

June 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

June 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

June 17, 2024