The Korea Herald

[Harold Brown] Syria’s turmoil poses toughest challenge yet

ViewpointsOct 10, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC ― More than any of the previous events in the Arab Spring, Syria’s turmoil has presented serious difficulties for Western policymakers. Just as Syria comprises a more complex society than the other Arab countries currently in the throes of political transition, so, too, are its external relations more complex. As a result, any attempt at decisive military intervention would be not only difficult, but also extremely risky.Syria’s leading role in Lebanon, even after withdrawing its
[Editorial] Leadership test for Park

EditorialOct 9, 2012

Where is the ruling Saenuri Party headed? Looking at the suicidal in-party fighting, many supporters of the conservative party must be feeling that it is on the path to defeat in the December presidential election. One factor fueling the worsening conflicts is resentment among the party’s lawmakers who are not included in the campaign team for its presidential candidate, Park Geun-hye.The recent drop in Park’s approval ratings led a group of young lawmakers to demand an overhaul of the party’s l
[Editorial] Refocus on growth

EditorialOct 9, 2012

As it is increasingly becoming clear that the Korean economy is headed for a prolonged period of slow growth due to the global economic slump, the nation should refocus on economic growth and make concerted efforts to keep the economy running. The nation’s economy is already under the influence of the sputtering global economy. In the World Economic Outlook released Tuesday, the International Monetary Fund cut its growth estimate for Korea this year to 2.7 percent. Its previous forecast, announc
Romney’s debate win doesn’t make it 1980 again

ViewpointsOct 9, 2012

Mitt Romney’s winning performance in last week’s presidential debate has reinforced his campaign’s belief that this election parallels the one in 1980: In troubled times, Republicans inevitably defeat an unpopular Democratic president. While Romney gets to hit the reset button after President Barack Obama’s desultory display, he’d better not count on the 1980 analogy. Ronald Reagan’s victory over Jimmy Carter wasn’t inevitable; it was earned, with some help from outsiders. The environment was fa
[Daniel Fiedler] Suicide for justice

ViewpointsOct 9, 2012

Last week a 61-year-old woman jumped from her fifth floor apartment to her death. Her act was, once again, the last desperate attempt by a crime victim in South Korea to obtain justice. Her sad tale started when she checked into a hospital last year and was raped by a 27-year-old man who worked at the hospital. After she reported the rape to the police the young man failed a lie detector test and the case proceeded to court. However, last month the court released the accused, reasoning that as t
Turning Iran’s currency crisis into a revolution

ViewpointsOct 9, 2012

Amid the usual hyperbolic conspiracy theories, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said something incisive in a televised address last week: that the West is waging economic “war” against Iran. He’s right, and the Iranian rial’s death spiral is the first clear sign that we’re on a path to victory. The 40 percent drop by the rial against the dollar since late September is a symptom of larger woes: oil exports are at 1 million barrels a day, down from 2.2 million last year; quarterly oil revenue
From bitterness to grace: Comfort women and the Korean ‘han’

ViewpointsOct 9, 2012

Koreans have many things to be proud of. South Korea rose from the ashes of civil war to become an economically advanced democracy. Its companies (e.g., Hyundai, Samsung) and celebrities (e.g., Psy) stride on the world’s stage. However, outside observers are less enamored with a widespread cultural trait, termed “han,” which describes a keen sense of sadness, victimhood and injustice. As described by Korean-American sociologist Jon Huer, han can “be inflicted on the Korean people by a foreign po
[Kim Seong-kon] Funny English signs worldwide

ViewpointsOct 9, 2012

As English has become a major international language, English signboards and directions are everywhere these days. Sometimes due to the difficulty of English usages and other times due to cultural differences, however, mistakes in English signs and directions can be found all over the world. Recently, Theresa Oh, who speaks fluent English, showed me a list of funny English signs and directions that can be found worldwide. All of them were quite amusing and hilarious, exhibiting language barriers
[Voice] What can boost the economy?

Oct 8, 2012

With demands on public finances rising and growth flagging ...What can boost the economy?If all three main presidential candidates share a common campaign theme, it’s their focus on greater economic equality and fairness. Social welfare and “economic democratization” have dominated the rhetoric of Ahn Cheol-soo, Moon Jae-in and Park Geun-hye alike, pushing the issue of economic growth, a major plank of the platform of then-candidate Lee Myung-bak, onto the backburner. Yet, the recent news on the
[Editorial] No platforms yet

EditorialOct 8, 2012

Slightly more than two months are left until the Dec. 19 presidential election. But none of the leading presidential candidates has produced a comprehensive platform ― a wide-ranging public statement of principles in policy on which he or she takes a stand in appealing to the electorate.This is not to say they make few policy statements in their campaigns. They do make election promises on welfare, mention their ideas about future relations with North Korea and refer to other issues of concern t
[Editorial] Nothing to brag about

EditorialOct 8, 2012

Top South Korean negotiators, who have recently concluded a renewed accord on ballistic missiles with their U.S. counterparts, are patting themselves on the back over what they regard as a major breakthrough after 11 years of bargaining. They also attribute part of the success to the friendship President Lee Myung-bak has cultivated with U.S. President Barack Obama.“This is the outcome that resulted from the combination of the best South Korea-U.S. relationship, personal friendship between their
Strong offense and weak defense in debate

ViewpointsOct 8, 2012

This was a debate for the green-eyeshade crowd. If you tuned in Wednesday night to see President Barack Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney offer inspiring visions for the future, you heard more numbers than you did paeans to America.The bottom line on engagement with an American public not five weeks from Election Day: Romney was alert, energized and confident. Obama slumped his shoulders, smiled mostly to himself, and for some reason kept staring down. He was that guy at the meeting who’s surreptitious
[Robert B. Reich] Mitt Romney and his own party

ViewpointsOct 8, 2012

There are two major theories about why Mitt Romney is dropping in the polls. One is that Romney is a lousy candidate, unable to connect with people or make his case. The other is that Americans are finally beginning to see how radical the GOP has become and are repudiating it.Most Republicans hold to the first view, for obvious reasons. And their long knives are already out.Conservative columnist Peggy Noonan called the Romney campaign “incompetent” and “a rolling calamity.” Republican guru Will
The delusion of limited intervention in Syria

ViewpointsOct 8, 2012

With Turkey’s decision to shell targets in Syria in retaliation for a mortar attack that killed five civilians inside the Turkish border, there are new signs that Syria’s civil war could escalate into a broader conflict. As the stalemate continues on the ground, the cross-border clashes may put added pressure on the West to heed the calls of Syrian rebels and their international backers, including NATO ally Turkey, for a partial no-fly zone. While the desire to act to prevent Syria’s conflict fr
The ‘Vagina’ chronicles

ViewpointsOct 8, 2012

NEW YORK ― Has there really been a sexual revolution? One of the themes that I explore in my new book, “Vagina: A New Biography,” is that the West’s supposedly sexually liberated societies, in which sexual images and content are available everywhere, have not really been all that liberating for women. Many of the reactions to my book tend to confirm that belief.Many responses were positive: the book is Publishers Weekly’s top science book of the fall. But the tone of some of the criticism ― from