[Kishore Mahbubani] Trump vs. a United ASEAN

US President Donald Trump’s tariffs -- especially the ultra-high “reciprocal" tariffs that he says will be reintroduced on July 9 for any country that has not struck a trade deal with his administration -- have sent countries around the world scrambling to respond, adapt, and limit the fallout. ASEAN’s ten members -- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- have been among the most proactive. Their leaders quickly recognized that,

June 9, 2025

[Lee Byung-jong] Danger of too much power?

After six months of excruciating political uncertainty and public anxiety, South Korea has ushered in a new era with the election of President Lee Jae-myung on Wednesday. The initial response has been broadly positive: The stock market surged, and allies such as Japan and the US offered swift messages of support and continued cooperation. Lee’s decisive victory — garnering over 17 million votes, the most for any Korean president — gives him a strong and clear mandate to pursue his policy agenda.

June 6, 2025

[Wang Son-taek] Who is Lee Jae-myung?

On Tuesday, the people of South Korea elected Lee Jae-myung, the former chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, as their new president. His election marks not only a dramatic political moment for the country but also signals the rise of a global political figure whose personal journey, political convictions and foreign policy stance are likely to attract worldwide attention. At first glance, Lee Jae-myung appears to be the ultimate political success story. His resume includes key leadership p

June 5, 2025

[Kim Seong-kon] What we expect from our new president

The 2025 presidential election day is over now. Whoever may be inaugurated as our next president, he will be heavily burdened with so many urgent tasks because the country’s situation is unprecedentedly dire. Among others, our new leader must put an end to the chronic sickness of political revenge that has plagued our country for the past two decades. In the eyes of foreigners, South Korea may look like a politically underdeveloped country because no president has been safe since 2009: one died

June 4, 2025

[Patricia Murphy] 'Big beautiful bill' a boondoggle

Days before the US House of Representatives passed President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill,” Moody’s Ratings agency had an ominous warning about the US economy. Because of America’s recent history of running up huge debts and deficits, and no change in sight, “the United States’ fiscal performance is likely to deteriorate” relative to similar countries. As a part of that warning, Moody’s downgraded the country’s credit rating from its Aaa score to Aa1. Despite that red flag, House leaders f

June 4, 2025

[Grace Kao] Don't be fooled by celebrity romance scams

The Federal Trade Commission of the US reported that in 2023, consumers lost $1.14 billion to romance scams. This is a substantial increase from $547 million in losses in 2021, and $304 million in 2020. What exactly are romance scams and why are people susceptible to them? Scammers pose as someone who has fallen in love with the victim and is desperately trying to travel to the victim so they can meet. However, one tragedy after another ensues. The scammers work in teams and are grooming multipl

June 3, 2025

[Karishma Vaswani] America cold to foreign students

An Ivy League degree has long been central to the Asian Dream -- a ticket to success and status. But President Donald Trump’s message to international students is clear: Far fewer of you are welcome. The blunt statement and growing chaos across the university sector has left families wondering if sending their children to America is still worth it. The White House’s immediate target is Chinese students allegedly connected to the Communist Party. On Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said

June 2, 2025

[Lee Kyong-hee] Pressure mounts for inter-Korean detente

When the new president takes office in two days, he will face a host of pressing tasks. Among the main challenges will be the division of the Korean Peninsula, which still festers more than 70 years after fighting ended. As we have seen more than a few times, the North-South divide is often used for political gain. Ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol was the latest high official to employ a “Red Scare” strategy to stifle political opponents. In his declaration of martial law, Yoon said he would elimi

June 2, 2025

[Robert J. Fouser] Rise of the 'neo-globalists'

Way back in the late 2010s, I remember Democratic political pundit Donna Brazile describing then-US President President Donald Trump as a “tree shaker.” That was during his first term when traditional guardrails on presidential power were still in place. In his second term, those guardrails have disappeared, and he has become a forest fire, wreaking havoc in all directions. But four months in the era of Trump chaos is a long time and the tenor of criticism has begun to change. At first, criticis

May 30, 2025

[Jeffrey Frankel] Foreign aid, now missed

“Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.” When Joni Mitchell sang that line in 1970, she was lamenting the destruction of the environment, but the sentiment applies to many issues. Today, we can add official development assistance to the list. For some 80 years, the United States spent more on humanitarian assistance, economic development programs and other types of foreign aid than any other government. In the 2023 fiscal year, the US government disbursed

May 29, 2025

[Wang Son-taek] Strategic flaws in presidential election

With just a few days left before the presidential election, the race favors Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea's candidate. Most public opinion polls consistently show Lee holding a significant lead over his conservative rivals. Lee is now widely seen as the likely next president — a prospect that would have seemed distant just six months ago. To understand what has made the difference, and what it might mean for the future of South Korea, it is essential to examine the strategic decis

May 29, 2025

[Ana Palacio] Trump’s newspeak threatens us all

Some 2,500 years ago, Confucius was reportedly asked what he would do first if granted absolute power. “I would rectify the names of things,” he replied. Changing the language used, he suggested, would enable him to guide “affairs” and ensure that “punishments and rewards” were “appropriate.” Confucius understood that language is not merely descriptive, but prescriptive: by shaping thought and discourse, it determines actions and outcomes. Now, US President Donald Trump is attempting to leverage

May 28, 2025

[Kim Seong-kon] We keep waiting for 'another world'

Everybody fantasizes about another world. We do so especially when we are disillusioned with our present reality. It is no wonder that amusement parks have places like Fantasyland, Dreamland or Tomorrowland. In his stunning 1962 novel, “Another Country,” African American writer James Baldwin dreamed about another world where the taboos of contemporary society were absent, such as those prohibiting or condemning interracial marriage, homosexuality or bisexuality. He envisioned a country where rac

May 28, 2025

[Vitit Muntarbhorn] Sex and gender rights in a plural world

On the occasion of the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (May 17), UN human rights experts recently called for countries to work with LGBTI communities and not to police them. This was an apt message which has to resonate at the national and local levels, especially when the world is witnessing regression in regard to policies on diversity, equity and inclusion. Thailand can be proud of the fact that the country is generally liberal on these issues, although there is

May 27, 2025

[Lim Woong] Teaching is more than discipline and control

“Gyogwon” has become a fiercely contested idea in Korea. In English, this term is often glossed away simply as “teacher authority,” yet such shorthand conceals a dense conceptual history. Since the 1970s, the term has oscillated between three poles: an expectation of quasi-Confucian reverence, a claim to classroom command and control and alternately an autonomous exercise of professional rights. Today’s debate is dominated by the second pole — headlines filled with images of unruly students, out

May 27, 2025