[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

[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

[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

[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

[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

[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

[Robert J. Fouser] South Korea’s deep political divide

Lee Jae-myung of the slightly center-left Democratic Party of Korea began his presidency with a whirlwind of activity after winning a decisive victory in the recent presidential election. Though only ten days have passed, the election seems like a distant event. As with other elections, the results offer insight into the current state and future direction of South Korean politics. This was the ninth election held since the 1987 democratic reforms that permitted the direct election of the preside

June 13, 2025

[Wang Son-taek] Keys to success for the Lee administration

President Lee Jae-myung, who took office on June 4, has been busy. He is working to resolve the six-month national crisis that left the country without a president because of the martial law declaration by former President Yoon Suk Yeol. It is also urgent for Lee to appoint high-ranking officials to help him run the government over the next five years. Though he is very busy right now, he might hope to see his administration succeed -- in other words, to reestablish governance. Since the democra

June 12, 2025

[Kim Seong-kon] Is South Korea declining?

Recently, I came across an intriguing newspaper article titled “Has the Republic of Korea entered the path of decline?” In this insightful article, professor emeritus Choi Jin-seok diagnosed the social and political maladies of South Korea, which he argues might have caused the country's decline. Choi came up with four factors that eventually make a country fall: extreme political conflict, extreme social disintegration, extreme populism and extreme corruption. Choi also argues that a country is

June 11, 2025

[Lim Woong] Teaching digital natives

When Marc Prensky, an American writer, introduced the term "digital natives" in a 2001 article, he proposed a clear distinction between those born into the digital age and those who had to learn and adapt to digital technologies. Since then, the terminology has expanded: we now hear of digital immigrants, nomads and tribes — each reflecting different relationships with our rapidly evolving technological world. At first glance, today’s young generations seem to fit the mold. Instagram stories fla

June 10, 2025

[Grace Kao] Astro’s ‘Call Out’ at 'Astroad Stargraphy' 2025

Because I live in the US, attending a K-pop concert in Korea is a very special treat for me. This past weekend, with my fellow Arohas, I experienced Astro’s 2025 “The Astroad Stargraphy” concert on June 7 at the Inspire Arena in Incheon. There was a full band at the left and right ends of the front stage. Astro’s members are MJ, Jinjin, Cha Eunwoo, Moon Bin, Rocky and Sanha. It was a sold-out show, and bittersweet for several reasons. First, there were many reminders of Moon Bin’s absence due to

June 10, 2025

[Yoo Choon-sik] President Lee should look beyond market cheers

The South Korean stock market soared on each of the first two trading days following President Lee Jae-myung’s official inauguration after securing a decisive victory in the early election held on June 3, winning by a substantial margin over his opponents. The peaceful transition of power and the political clarity it brings have been met with visible enthusiasm. Undoubtedly, Lee and his party, together with the people of South Korea, have every reason to relish the celebratory honeymoon phase of

June 9, 2025