[Yoo Choon-sik] How to turn political tragedy into national blessing

There’s a saying: “If you can’t avoid it, enjoy it.” I find myself preferring this phrase over the oft-repeated notion that South Koreans possess some innate ability — “a crisis-overcoming DNA,” as it's sometimes phrased. That idea, while flattering on the surface, risks normalizing the presence of crises themselves, as if enduring and overcoming them is something we should accept as our national identity, rather than striving to prevent them in the first place. These two contrasting phrases hav

April 14, 2025

[Lee Byung-jong] President Yoon’s diplomatic legacy

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will likely be remembered for a troubled legacy marked by domestic controversies, unpopular policies, and his shocking and ill-fated declaration of martial law. However, amid the many missteps and political scandals that defined his presidency, there remains one domain in which Yoon made tangible progress: diplomacy. Though much of his foreign policy agenda may be rolled back or abandoned in the wake of his premature departure, he nonetheless achieved

April 11, 2025

[Tae H. Park] Seeking genuine innovation in AI era

You’ve probably seen headlines like this recently: “XXX corporation appoints its group AI officer” It seems like large corporations are jumping on the artificial intelligence bandwagon, either to transform their business or, more often, to convince customers and shareholders that they’re doing something about AI. This trend reminds me of the “ESG” -- environmental, social and governance -- movement from just a few years ago. Back then, companies rushed to incorporate ESG initiatives, not necessa

April 10, 2025

[Wang Son-taek] Evildoers inevitably destroy themselves

Everyone knows that this world is not inhabited solely by good people. We must live alongside those who act selfishly, exploit others and abuse their power. That’s the unfortunate reality of human society. But knowing this doesn’t make it any easier to accept. We feel uneasy whenever we see such individuals thrive — living comfortably with money, influence and status despite their misdeeds. We may grow irritated, angry or even disheartened. They seem to operate with impunity, harassing innocent

April 10, 2025

[Kim Seong-kon] South Korea, where to now?

At last, the Constitutional Court’s verdict on the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol has been released. Now, Yoon is impeached, thus removed from office and deprived of all presidential privileges. Before the Court’s ruling, many Koreans were against the impeachment. To our relief, however, they seem to have decided to completely go along with the result. Now we should put an end to the rambunctious socio-political mayhem that has disrupted and divided our country for the past four months a

April 9, 2025

[Grace Kao] Seventeen cinema tour in the US

Can concert films serve as a proxy for an actual concert? Seventeen is one of the most popular K-pop groups today. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry identified Seventeen as the third biggest-selling global artists of 2024, just behind Taylor Swift and Drake. The group's most recent tour began on Oct. 12, 2024 in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, and concluded on Feb. 16 in Bangkok. For those of us who couldn’t make it to the live shows, or if one wanted to relive the experience,

April 8, 2025

[Ahmet Davutoglu] Trump aims to dismantle postwar US-led order

At the beginning of Donald Trump’s first term in the White House, I argued that this would be no ordinary US presidency. The international order, already beset by fundamental weaknesses and disputes over its core values and institutions, was now facing a seismic shift. With the beginning of Trump’s second term marked by even greater chaos, what once seemed like an isolated shock has evolved into a full-blown “systemic earthquake.” Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric, often unhinged executive orders, a

April 8, 2025

[Lee Kyong-hee] Right the ship and reboot democracy

The Constitutional Court ended a long nightmare on Friday while the nation delivered a triumph of peaceful civic activism. Yet it is too early to fully celebrate the resilience of Korea’s democracy. The unanimous court decision to uphold the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol only marks the first step toward repairing the country’s wounded democracy and healing the scars from his audacious declaration of martial law last December. The president who embraced extreme right-wing conspiracy theories has l

April 7, 2025

[Robert J. Fouser] Benefits of 'Seoul Future Heritage'

In mid-March, I went to Washington for the first time since the pandemic. On one of the days, I went to the Renwick Gallery near the White House, and as I walked past the White House, I remembered that the large yellow letters saying “Black Lives Matter” nearby were going to be erased. After Donald Trump became president again, Republican lawmakers threatened to cut the city’s federal funding over the letters and the mayor decided to erase them. When I got to the site, I felt saddened to see tha

April 4, 2025

[Wang Son-taek] Six points to remember before impeachment verdict

The Constitutional Court of Korea is set to deliver its historic verdict on the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday. Citizens on both sides — those who support the impeachment and those who oppose it — are holding their breath. The outcome is about more than just Yoon's removal or reinstatement; it will define the future of South Korean democracy and the everyday life of people in Korea. Regardless of the verdict, in the short term, the Republic of Korea will likely experience more

April 3, 2025

[Antara Haldar] How Aristotle can save us

In a 1995 speech outlining his “Visions for the 21st Century,” the renowned astrophysicist Carl Sagan called attention to the fragility of human civilization, given our infinitesimally small presence within the cosmos. Our future, he warned, depends entirely on our learning to live wisely and humbly together. Clearly, we didn’t get the message. Three decades on, our “pale blue dot” is riven by geopolitical turmoil, and the late 20th-century hope for an ascendant global liberalism has faded. Face

April 2, 2025

[Kim Seong-kon] Watching Korea’s early education fever

South Korea is a country well known for cutthroat children’s competitions and surprisingly early education. Indeed, many Korean parents send their children to a private English academy when they are as young as 4. When the child turns 5 or 6, the parents want him or her to enter an advanced-level private English academy that requires an entrance exam. Young Korean kids are therefore obliged to take the notoriously difficult exam for private education. The difficulty of the entrance exam for 5 or

April 2, 2025

[Tae H. Park] Korea still needs to reform its national pension system

The funding shortfall of South Korea’s national pension is a growing concern. According to the latest estimates, the fund is projected to run out by the mid-2050s unless additional contributions or funding are secured. With South Korea’s population declining and fewer workers entering the job market, the number of retirees is increasing, putting pressure on the pension system. This issue is one of the most urgent challenges the country must address to avoid future financial instability. Historic

April 1, 2025

[Vitit Muntarbhorn] Women’s rights and their role as bridge-builders

How is the situation of women’s rights and their role as bridge-builders today, connecting between the multilateral and local settings? A recent seminar at the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, hosted by its International Studies Center, elaborated upon the situation in a world witnessing tumultuous changes. Notably, there has never been a woman UN secretary-general, nor, for Thailand, a woman minister of foreign affairs. Less than 20 percent of key politicians at the national and local levels i

April 1, 2025

[Yoo Choon-sik] Why it’s the right time to introduce extra budget

It was an immense relief to hear that South Korea’s worst wildfires in modern history were finally largely contained after raging across the country’s southeastern regions for more than a week. This devastating disaster left nearly 30 people dead, more injured and far more displaced or grappling with property damage, leaving the entire nation in mourning and shock. Now is the time for everyone in South Korea to come together to grieve the loss of loved ones, offer comfort to those affected, care

March 31, 2025