The Korea Herald

[Glyn Ford] EU’s food aid for North Koreans

ViewpointsJul 19, 2011

The European Union announced on the July 4 that it was to provide 10 million euros ($14.3 million) of emergency food aid to North Korea to be distributed through the World Food Program over the next three months ― until the end of September, just prior to the arrival of this year’s harvest. This aid represents a much delayed response to an initial request for humanitarian assistance sent by Foreig
[Simon Johnson] Contagion in three forms now has grip on Europe

ViewpointsJul 19, 2011

There are three types of contagion in a financial crisis, when the potential collapse of a firm, bank or country threatens to spiral out of control. The European Union today has all three. The first type is purely psychological ― the panic of herd behavior. The second comes from thinking through the real effects that a collapse would have, as the potential spillovers dawn on people. The third, and
[Editorial] Rival’s assessment

EditorialJul 19, 2011

It may be pleasing for our manufacturing giants to hear a major Japanese business newspaper admit Korea’s overtaking or close chase of Japanese rivals in the global market with such top-line products as cars, ships and appliances. But what is important is paying attention to how they assess the factors of success and failure in the intense rivalry between the two neighbors.In an article titled “So
[Editorial] Free lunch poll

EditorialJul 19, 2011

“Are you in favor of providing free school lunch ― by stages until 2014 ― for students from families in the lower 50 percent income level?”“Are you in favor of providing free school lunch for all students regardless of their families’ income level ― from this year at elementary schools and from next year at middle schools?”The above are the two questions that will be asked to Seoul citizens when a
[Kim Seong-kon] Unstoppable heart, soft generation

ViewpointsJul 19, 2011

The other day while walking on the campus of Seoul National University, I saw a big poster put up by the College of Humanities Student Association. The poster harshly criticized the incorporation plan of the university scheduled to be effective as of 2012, asserting that students do not want any radical change on campus.Then I found an amusingly contradictory signature at the bottom of the poster:
[Khaled Diab] Arab Spring stops short of gender revolution

ViewpointsJul 19, 2011

JERUSALEM ― In the early days of the Egyptian revolution, Tahrir Square provided a tantalizing glimpse of what the new Egypt might look like if differences of class, religion, gender and age melted into insignificance. Muslims and Christians mingled; the old followed the young’s lead; men and women became comrades.“The social problems that have plagued Egypt for years seem to have dissolved in the
[Olivia Hernndez] Let JYJ appear on TV

ViewpointsJul 19, 2011

JYJ became honorary ambassadors for Jeju Island as part of its bid to become one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. JYJ started activities to promote the island and encouraged us, the fans, to vote for Jeju.As we love JYJ so much, and we also like Korea from the bottom of our hearts, we started voting for Jeju Island in order to help Korea and make JYJ happy. We did this believing and trusting
[Casey Lartigue, Jr.] Park Chung-hee: Dictator or benevolent autocrat?

ViewpointsJul 19, 2011

Park Chung-heeIt ain’t necessarily so. That’s what New York University economics professor William Easterly essentially says about crediting “benevolent autocrats” like South Korea’s Park Chung-hee for high growth rates.In “Benevolent Autocrats,” a provocative working paper posted in May, Easterly 1) argues that economists should be skeptical of the “benevolent autocrat” theory; (2) questions whet
China’s military edge growing: Taiwan

World NewsJul 19, 2011

TAIPEI (AP) ― Taiwan’s Defense Ministry says China’s military advantage over the island is increasing, amid Beijing’s attempts to block foreign forces from intervening in a possible conflict.In its annual defense report, released Tuesday, the ministry says China’s declared 2010 defense expenditures of $77 billion dwarfed Taiwan’s $9 billion, but that the actual Chinese outlay may have exceeded $20
Iraq wants U.S. trainers, not troops, after 2011

World NewsJul 19, 2011
U.N. draws DMZ for Cambodian, Thai troops

World NewsJul 19, 2011

THE HAGUE (AP) ― The U.N.’s highest court Monday created a demilitarized zone around a 1,000-year-old temple on the disputed border between Cambodia and Thailand, and ordered the armed forces from both countries to withdraw.Both countries said they were satisfied with the ruling by the International Court of Justice, meant to end clashes that have claimed about 20 lives in the last three years and
Chavez will run in 2012 vote: aide

World NewsJul 19, 2011

CARACAS (AP) ― An aide to Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez said Monday that there is no doubt the president will run for re-election next year despite his struggle with cancer.The remark by Finance Minister Jorge Giordani came as Chavez was in Cuba undergoing cancer treatment.“There’s no doubt he’s going to be there in the 2012 elections, and afterward for many more years,” Giordani said in an interv
More attacks as Petraeus hands over command

World NewsJul 19, 2011
Secrets of Somali pirates revealed in new book

BooksJul 19, 2011

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) ― The pirates were nervous. A rookie author ― a white man from Canada ― had unexpectedly arrived in their cliff-top Somali village to ask about the captured ship anchored offshore.Locals fearing a showdown quietly melted away into a small collection of shacks.The encounter with the deadly gang forms the final chapter of “The Pirates of Somalia: Inside Their Hidden World,” a fir
‘Countries must talk to reclaim looted artifacts’

CultureJul 19, 2011

EU expert says international network can help return cultural properties to rightful homesOutside of a crime or conviction, the only way to prompt the return of cultural properties is to negotiate, said Manlio Frigo, professor of European Union and international law at Italy’s University of Milan. Frigo visited Seoul to participate in a forum on the return of cultural property with other world-lea