The opposition Democratic Party occupied the parliamentary culture committee hall on Tuesday ― an attempt to forcibly block the process of raising the license fee the state broadcaster KBS charges each household. By doing so, it turned itself into a target of public criticism.The opposition party’s reversal of an earlier accord on raising the TV license fee from 2,500 won to 3,500 won drew denunci

Reciprocity, with which homo sapiens survived as a hunter-gather, is an unmistakable human trait, if not a manifestation of human nature. The urge for reciprocity compels people to return favors and repay kindness with kindness. Of course, retaliation is another form of reciprocity ― an eye for an eye.What drives people to reciprocate has long been a subject of scholarly research among anthropolog

There rarely are second acts, to borrow a phrase from F. Scott Fitzgerald, in American politics. Larry Summers, lauded as President Bill Clinton’s Treasury secretary, made a comeback to government two and half years ago as President Barack Obama’s chief economic adviser with expectations he would become the next chairman of the Federal Reserve. Instead, he returned to Harvard University, his reput

Nearly every day for three years, Josue Melquisedec Diaz reported to work by going to a New Orleans street corner where contractors, subcontractors and people fixing up their places went to hire day laborers. It was there, one day in 2008, that a contractor picked him up and took him to Beaumont, Texas, just across the Louisiana line, to work on the cleanup, demolition and reconstruction projects

The surge in Afghanistan was supposed to change the incentives of the Taliban so that they would choose to join the government rather than fight it. That was how the Iraq surge of 2007 worked to end the civil war there, and that was the main objective in Afghanistan. But it didn’t succeed. The great bulk of the Taliban are still in fighting mode, and negotiations with the insurgents are nascent at

Musically-minded volunteers are being sought to help teach orphans how to play a variety of instruments.The Camarata Music Company Outreach Volunteers is looking for more participants to help in its program to teach orphanage children how to play music, and about music in general. Helpers do not need to be an expert in an instrument, just able to play it and commit to teaching once or twice a week

Voluntary participants are being sought for Korea’s only International Youth Festival. The 11th Yeosu International Youth Festival is to be held from July 25-31. The five day cultural exchange will see 350 youths from here and abroad join under the theme of “Youths Moving Islands Towards the Future.” Participants must be aged between 15 and 24. The event is being organized by the Seoul Youth Facto