[Lim Woong] Watching Korea’s education go off track

The rapid rise of artificial intelligence and digital technology is forcing countries everywhere to rethink how we educate. South Korea, with a new president at the helm, sits at a moment when major education reforms could actually happen. But instead of looking forward, most conversations still revolve around the same old issues — brutal competition for top university spots, higher education as a credentialing system for the job market, and the endless obsession with medicine and law. Is Korea’

June 24, 2025

[Editorial] Conspicuous absence

President Lee Jae Myung will not attend the NATO summit scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday in The Hague, Netherlands. The presidential office cited domestic priorities and growing uncertainty in the Middle East. Lee had considered participating in the summit with hopes of meeting US President Donald Trump, but changed his position after the US strikes on nuclear sites in Iran. It is true that uncertainty has increased in the international situation as the US attacked Iran and Iran vowed to reta

June 24, 2025

[Yoo Choon-sik] Power grid bottlenecks could stall Lee’s AI ambitions

President Lee Jae Myung’s trip to Ulsan late last week drew attention from around the world as an event that clearly demonstrated his government’s pledge to place top policy priority on fostering the AI industry as a means to help South Korea overcome economic challenges and discover a new engine of growth. While attending a ceremony to mark the start of a massive project to establish a high-performance artificial intelligence data center in the southeastern industrial city of Ulsan, he expresse

June 23, 2025

[Editorial] Beyond Kospi rally

On Friday, South Korea’s stock market crossed a threshold it had not seen in more than three years. The main bourse, Kospi, a barometer of investor sentiment as much as economic health, closed at 3,021.84, reclaiming the 3,000 mark for the first time since December 2021. For investors long resigned to an index drifting between 2,200 and 2,800, this was no ordinary trading session. Once the psychological barrier gave way mid-morning, market euphoria carried the index higher, ending a symbolic dro

June 23, 2025

[Lee Byung-jong] President Lee’s pragmatic diplomacy

Less than two weeks into office, President Lee Jae Myung is already busy shaping a new course for South Korea’s foreign policy — one he describes as “pragmatic diplomacy.” His packed diplomatic calendar signals both urgency and ambition. Earlier this week, he attended the G7 summit in Canada at the invitation of the host, marking South Korea’s return to global diplomacy after six months of absence during the country's turbulent leadership transition. Later this month, he is scheduled to travel t

June 20, 2025

[Editorial] Brains before algorithms

South Korea has declared its ambition to become one of the world’s top three powers in artificial intelligence. The goal is bold, the funding substantial: President Lee Jae Myung has pledged 100 trillion won ($72.5 billion) to the sector. Earlier this week, Lee appointed Ha Jung-woo, a respected AI researcher formerly at Naver, as the country’s first senior presidential secretary for AI policy. A sweeping initiative, backed by public and private investment, is beginning to take shape. Alongside

June 20, 2025

[Lee Jae-min] Trade policy in the new administration

It now feels like ages ago, but during the recent presidential election, there were stark differences in many of the two political camps' national policies. Interestingly, one area where the two showed little difference — in fact almost the same in substance — was trade policy. In other words, at a time when the country becomes deeply fractured along the political, regional and generational lines, it somehow managed to maintain one voice when it comes to trade. For trade, it’s a good sign. Trade

June 19, 2025

[Wang Son-taek] Do something great, Mr. Trump!

Another tragic war is unfolding in the Middle East — this time between Israel and Iran. Images of bombed buildings, burning infrastructure and grieving families are once again filling TV screens. Civilians are paying the highest price. Lives are lost. Homes destroyed. Futures shattered. Survivors are left not only with physical wounds but with deep psychological scars that may never heal. War is evil. It must be resisted, restrained and ultimately abolished. As the violence escalates, the world

June 19, 2025

[Editorial] Raise competitiveness

South Korea's global competitiveness ranking dropped seven notches in 2025. According to the Finance Ministry on Tuesday, the latest report from the International Institute for Management Development showed South Korea ranked 27th among 69 countries surveyed. It was the largest decline since the institute announced South Korea's ranking for the first time in 1997. Last year, South Korea rose eight notches from 28th to a record high of 20th, but in a year, it returned to the level of two years ag

June 19, 2025

[Editorial] Israel-Iran conflict

With the fiercest confrontation yet between Israel and Iran underway — and early signs of a shift from escalation to diplomacy — South Korea must remain vigilant to the fast-moving dynamics of the Middle East and their far-reaching impact on the global economy. What began on June 13 as targeted Israeli airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure has quickly escalated into a conflict of unprecedented intensity. “Operation Rising Lion,” as Israeli officials call it, has struck ke

June 18, 2025

[Kim Seong-kon] Toward an orchestra-oriented society

It is well known that Korean parents who can afford it send their young children to private extracurricular classes, often competitively and fashionably. They are not alone. American parents, too, often send 3 or 4-year-old children to private classes after preschool, such as art class, dance class, violin class or gym class. But there are some crucial differences. In Korea, extracurricular classes typically focus on developing and cultivating individual children’s aptitudes and abilities. In Am

June 18, 2025

[Grace Kao] Fans swarm Hybe as four BTS members return

The world, but Army in particular, welcomed BTS members RM, V, Jimin and Jungkook back to civilian life last week. Members Jin and J-Hope returned earlier in 2024, and Suga is due to complete his military service on June 21, 2025. Nowhere was the excitement more physically palpable than in Seoul at the Hybe Headquarters in Yongsan-gu. Starting on June 10, crowds of Army waited for RM and V to return following their discharge from the military. On June 11, Army gathered to wait for Jimin and Jung

June 17, 2025

[Editorial] Expand supply

The Korean housing market is showing signs of heating up. Last week, Seoul apartment sale prices rose 0.26 percent from the previous week, according to data from the Korea Real Estate Board. It was the highest weekly increase since August last year. Seoul apartment sale prices have moved up for 19 consecutive weeks. The upward trend of apartment prices in parts of Seoul is threatening to spread to areas of nearby Gyeonggi Province with large populations, such as Gwacheon and Bundang. The governm

June 17, 2025

[Carla Norrlof] Lessons from Trump-Musk feud

Earlier this month, after completing his stint as a “special government employee,” Elon Musk wasted no time criticizing US President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The deficit-heavy spending and tax-cut package will bankrupt America, Musk warned, before calling on senators and congressmen to “kill the bill.” Musk’s comments triggered an escalating exchange of threats and recriminations between him and Trump (each relying on his own social media platform).

June 17, 2025

[Lee Kyong-hee] Restart dialogue toward detente and peace

Some 10 days into the Lee Jae-myung administration, clear signs of a thaw are emerging along the border dividing the two Koreas. Amid a flurry of activities largely focused on economic stimulus, President Lee also instructed South Korean civic groups and the military to suspend cross-border propaganda using balloons and loudspeakers. The next day, North Korea halted its broadcasts of eerie noises to the South, giving border residents their first quiet in about a year. It would be premature to de

June 16, 2025