The Korea Herald

[Yuriko Koike] The young N.K. general’s old tricks

ViewpointsApr 2, 2012

TOKYO ―- Brinkmanship seems to be congenital in North Korea. Under the late Kim Jong-il’s pudgy young successor -― his third son, Kim Jong-un, dubbed “the Young General” -― threats and mendacity still mark the Hermit Kingdom’s diplomacy.With North Korea’s announcement of plans to use an Unha-3 rocket to launch its Bright Star-3 satellite into earth orbit in mid-April, the newest threat is a continuation of an old one. Indeed, it signals a quick demise for the agreement reached with the United St
A second chance to get health reform right?

Apr 2, 2012

Editorial, Chicago Tribune For three days last week, the U.S. Supreme Court has slapped on the table a serious possibility that defenders of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act never envisioned: A ruling that the heart of the law ― a mandate that all Americans buy health coverage ― is flatly unconstitutional.Judging from the line of skeptical questions fired by the justices, we can count as many as six potential votes to kill the mandate.The court may go much further. On Wednesday, se
Blues over the delta of the Colorado River

ViewpointsApr 2, 2012

River deltas are among the most biologically productive ecosystems on Earth, and for millions of years the delta of the Colorado River was no exception. After a 1,450-mile journey from its headwaters in the Rocky Mountains south into Mexico, the Colorado sustained verdant marshes teeming with life before emptying into the aquatic Eden of the upper Gulf of California.In 1922, the great naturalist Aldo Leopold canoed through the delta, which he described as “a milk and honey wilderness” and a land
[Editorial] ‘Red complex’

EditorialApr 2, 2012

Most South Koreans believe the North Korean regime is evil, and their antagonism toward the North grew further when Pyongyang announced a purported satellite launch plan, which the world condemned as cover for its long-range missile project. Therefore, whichever political groups or individuals determined to be sympathetic with the North Korean communists are sure to lose votes even if they could expect support from a small pocket in the extreme left.Thus, in the final week of the National Assemb
[Editorial] Military adventurism

EditorialApr 1, 2012

The window of diplomacy toward North Korea is closing as the date for its long-range missile launch is fast approaching. Defying international pressure against its plan, the communist state is proceeding with preparations for what it claims to be a satellite launch, scheduled for any time between April 12 and 16. What will follow is nothing but international sanctions. The United States, which vows to overhaul its approach toward North Korea if it pushes ahead with its plan, has already taken pu
[Editorial] Massive surveillance

EditorialApr 1, 2012

A businessman who put a video clip lampooning President Lee Myung-bak in his blog was not the only civilian placed under illegal surveillance. Instead, President Lee Myung-bak’s administration is found to have conducted surveillance on numerous civilians with no authorization from the court. The prime minister’s office has a section authorized to monitor high-level officials ― either in government departments or firms and organizations funded or invested in by the government ― if they are suspec
The threat of drone attacks ― in the United States

ViewpointsApr 1, 2012

President Obama signed a sweeping aviation bill in February that will open American airspace to “unmanned aircraft systems,” more commonly known as drones. Much of the recent discussion about the coming era of domestic drones, which will include those operated by companies and individuals, has been focused on privacy questions. However, drone proliferation also raises another issue that has received far less attention: the threat that they could be used to carry out terrorist attacks.The technol
[Dominique Moisi] Attacks reveal French division

ViewpointsApr 1, 2012

PARIS ― “One must fight both terrorists and the causes of terrorism with the same determination.” That formula, coined 10 years ago in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, by leaders as diverse as Javier Solana, then secretary general of NATO, and U.S. President George W. Bush, is as valid as ever in the aftermath of the recent killing spree in France.The French state managed to identify and “neutralize” the terrorist in short order, though two key questions linger: Should h
No affiliation doesn’t mean no religion

ViewpointsApr 1, 2012

“The Rise of the Nones” is one of 10 trends changing American life, according to Time magazine’s March 12 cover story. That’s because the “nones” ― those who mark “none” on surveys that ask them to identify their religious affiliation ― are the fastest-growing religious group in the United States.Not surprisingly, the increase in the unaffiliated comes at the expense of America’s mainstream religions, which means that Christianity is taking the biggest hit. Mainstream Protestant churches have lo
High stakes in education: A public policy failure

ViewpointsApr 1, 2012

Korea is sometimes called a one-shot society. More correctly, it is a “high-stakes” society. Korean youth face a colossal tournament consisting of three rounds: advancement to a rigorous high school, a top college and then one of a few renowned corporations. Winners take it all ― enjoying generous compensation and perks including public respect, a five-day workweek, paid holidays, free medical check-ups and maternity leave. The rest of society, notably the “office workers,” must put up with poor
[Michael Boskin] Europe still has difficult decisions ahead of it

ViewpointsApr 1, 2012

BEIJING ― With the likelihood of a contagious sovereign-debt implosion and European bank failures greatly reduced by the Greek debt deal and the European Central Bank’s lending program, it is time to look ahead. Where do the European Union, the eurozone, and the EU’s highly indebted countries go from here? Will Europe be able to roll back its welfare states’ biggest excesses without economic distress and social unrest toppling governments and, in the peripheral countries, undermining already-ten
[David Ignatius] The appeal of a soft landing

ViewpointsMar 30, 2012

WASHINGTON ― Maybe it’s time for Syrian revolutionaries to take “yes” for an answer from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and back a U.N.-sponsored “managed transition” of power there, rather than rolling on toward a civil war that will bring more death and destruction for the region. Syria announced Tuesday that it was ready to accept a peace plan proposed by U.N. special envoy Kofi Annan. The Syrian announcement in Beijing followed endorsement of the plan by China and Russia. The proposal has
Japan needs to tap its hidden strengths ― women

ViewpointsMar 30, 2012

In the year since Japan’s devastating earthquake and tsunami, the nation’s many deficits have been cast in stark relief. The budget deficit is widening as the cost of rebuilding the northeast mounts. The growth shortfall is worrying politicians more than ever and making it hard for Yoshihiko Noda, the sixth prime minister in five years, to keep his job. Deflation is a chronic downer. News that the trade gap disappeared last month was, for now at least, a rare hint that better days may lie ahead.
Administrative certainty is Hong Kong’s best bet

ViewpointsMar 30, 2012

The election of Hong Kong’s third chief executive under Chinese sovereignty followed a well-worn pattern. The candidate favored by Beijing won. Earlier, however, there were some twists to the script. Just when the race appeared to be on auto-pilot, there surfaced revelations one would associate with boisterous democratic contests elsewhere. This will boost the expectations of Hong Kongers to directly elect their leader one day. But the overriding concern now is for administrative certainty so th
World leaders must stop N.K. missile launch

ViewpointsMar 30, 2012

The second Nuclear Security Summit, which is being held in Seoul, is aimed at preventing nuclear terrorism.Top leaders and Cabinet members from 53 countries are participating in the summit, along with representatives from the United Nations and three other international organizations.The summit is considering what specific measures must be taken to prevent potential nuclear menaces from threatening world security.The leaders taking part in the summit must press North Korea, a country with a nucl