The Korea Herald

[Max Boot] Confirm Robert Ford as Syrian ambassador

ViewpointsSept 27, 2011

Our embattled man in Damascus, Ambassador Robert Ford, is threatened not only by the Syrian regime but by Republican senators who are dragging their feet on confirming his appointment. Their opposition, which is founded on the premise that we should not dignify Bashar Assad’s regime with an ambassad
[Daniel Fiedler] KORUS FTA agreement, again

ViewpointsSept 27, 2011

Four years ago South Korea and the United States first signed a free trade agreement. At that time many Koreans and foreigners rejoiced in anticipation of lower priced foods, cars and other staples from the United States. However, due to special interest groups in both countries, the agreement was n
Direct talks needed for Palestinian statehood

ViewpointsSept 27, 2011

When I was 1 year old, my parents and their neighbors had occasion to be glued to their radio sets to listen to a very special broadcast. It was Nov. 29, 1947, when the General Assembly of the United Nations voted on the Partition Plan of then British-ruled Palestine between Arabs and Jews.One by on
[Pankaj Mishra] The socialist push behind India’s capitalist rise

ViewpointsSept 27, 2011

Twenty years ago, India faced a fiscal crisis caused by profligate public spending and rising oil prices after the first Persian Gulf War. There was a risk it would default on its international payments. The finance minister, an English-educated Sikh economist named Manmohan Singh, responded to an a
[Kim Seong-kon] Politics in the age of pop idols

ViewpointsSept 27, 2011

We now live in the age of pop idols and cultural icons. Ever since the popular American television show “American Idol” was launched in 2002, the term “idol” has been widely used to refer to pop heroes who immediately turn into cultural icons. “American Idol,” a spin-off from the British show, “Pop
Readers’ VOICE

Sept 26, 2011

On naming suspects ...Trial by press is unacceptable for people who are just suspects. It could be argued that the West is wrong, as we have a duty to protect the identities of people ― there is a right to privacy in many countries, even if only in common law.As well, it is a moral problem; we could
Should criminal suspects be named?

Sept 26, 2011

With many of those arrested remaining anonymous ...Should criminal suspects be named?A balance of rightsUnlike in jurisdictions such as the U.S., South Korean law and media convention in many cases protect the identities of criminal suspects. In accordance with the criminal code and Korean National
[Editorial] Putin-Medvedev pact

EditorialSept 26, 2011

We can hardly make an in-depth comment on the Putin-Medvedev contract to keep themselves as the masters of the Kremlin until 2024 or possibly thereafter. But remembering the outcome of an earlier such agreement between the two Russian leaders, under which Dmitry Medvedev was elected President in 200
[Editorial] Seoul mayoral race

ViewpointsSept 26, 2011

The main opposition Democratic Party has nominated Rep. Park Young-sun, a former TV anchorwoman, as its candidate for the Oct. 26 Seoul mayoral by-election. She will face yet another contest in a week to select a unified candidate representing the liberal opposition forces.Her contender Park Won-soo
[Daoud Kuttab] Palestine’s switch to different tactics is wise move

ViewpointsSept 26, 2011

RAMALLAH ― The idea of Palestine becoming a permanent member of the United Nations originated, say Palestinians, with none other than U.S. President Barack Obama. Speaking at the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 23, 2010, Obama said that he hoped that “when we come back here next year, we can have an
[David Ignatius] Remedies for drone addiction

ViewpointsSept 26, 2011

WASHINGTON ― What “rules of war” should apply to Predator drones, the eerily efficient weapons that cruise the skies and target adversaries with the precision of a sharpshooter’s bullet? It’s an urgent question ― not simply for the United States, which is expanding its use of drones, but for dozens
[Andrew Wolman] The environmental case for nuclear energy

ViewpointsSept 26, 2011

Six months after the Fukushima disaster, the repercussions of history’s second-largest nuclear meltdown are still being felt, not only in Japan but around the world. Predictably, people are rethinking the wisdom of relying on nuclear power. The German and Swiss governments have pledged to phase out
[Albert R. Hunt] Independents still seek their 2012 anointed one

ViewpointsSept 26, 2011

Political independents, who account for more than one-quarter of the U.S. electorate and are probably the key to the 2012 presidential election, are voicing strong reservations about Barack Obama as well as the Republican brand. As the national election goes into high gear with more than 13 months t
The G20 must get serious about reforming the IMF

ViewpointsSept 26, 2011

The summer jitters, which brought memories from the panicky fall of 2008, have left little doubt about how fragile the recovery from the great crisis has been and how rocky the road ahead will continue to be. This should not be entirely surprising given the magnitude of the shock endured in 2008-09.
[Editorial] Trade currency settlement

EditorialSept 25, 2011

In May, the finance ministers of Korea, China and Japan agreed to study the feasibility of using their own currencies to settle transactions among the three countries. The agreement, reached on the sidelines of the Asian Development Bank’s annual conference in Hanoi, drew attention as using local cu