The Korea Herald

Clinton deserves credit for Libya

ViewpointsSept 13, 2011

The unsung hero of the Libya drama in the U.S. is Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Clinton’s actions were critical for several reasons. Most important, she overcame Defense Secretary Robert Gates’s caution about using military force in Libya and his reluctance to support an operation led by Franc
[Trudy Rubin] Stop Syria? It’s not as easy as Libyan intervention

ViewpointsSept 13, 2011

Now that NATO has helped to overthrow Moammar Gadhafi, some pundits are calling for similar action against Syria.So far the chorus is muted, composed mainly of op-eds by neoconservatives who promoted the Iraq war. Back then they were certain that regime change in Baghdad would undercut Iran and make
[Kim Seong-kon] They try to tell us we’re too old

ViewpointsSept 13, 2011

Humans are mortals. And all mortals are doomed to grow old; as time goes by, their skin becomes wrinkled and saggy, their internal organs deteriorate, and their physical strength declines. That is why King Solomon metaphorically advised us to remember our Creator before we get too old: “before the s
[Editorial] Chuseok for lawmakers

EditorialSept 9, 2011

Prices have gone up. Jobs are hard to find. It is not easy to rent a home at a reasonable price. But these and other concerns of ordinary people are put to rest for a while, as the four-day Chuseok holiday has just started.For tens of millions of people joining the annual holiday migration, Chuseok
[Editorial] Botched battle on prices

EditorialSept 9, 2011

It would be humiliating for a man in public office to acknowledge that he has failed in his mission. But Kim Choong-soo, governor of the Bank of Korea, virtually did so when he was briefing on its monetary policy to the press on Thursday.On its homepage, the central bank has a statement in bold lett
[William Pesek] China in time of millionaires snubs neighbor

ViewpointsSept 9, 2011

Asia’s biggest rivalry is looking more and more one-sided. There’s no competing with China’s 9.5 percent growth as the U.S. sheds jobs, Europe unravels and Japan’s deflation deepens. Even though Asia’s other rising superpower, India, is zooming along at 7.7 percent, try getting anyone to pay much at
[David Ignatius] A 9/11 Commission report card

ViewpointsSept 9, 2011

WASHINGTON ― As America takes stock of counterterrorism policies this week, it’s useful to review two major recommendations in the 9/11 Commission Report. The first, which called for creation of a new director of national intelligence to “connect the dots,” is finally making some progress in coordin
[Robert Karniol] China’s fourth fleet

ViewpointsSept 9, 2011

With a low-key remark in the state-run People’s Daily, China effectively signaled its intention to establish a fourth fleet for the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). However, this may yet prove temporary.The PLAN is currently structured around three fleets, each with a geographic focus: the Nort
China needs to learn a lesson from oil spills

ViewpointsSept 9, 2011

The order by China’s State Oceanic Administration (SOA) to ConocoPhillips China that it must stop all production operations in Bohai Bay is long overdue given the two-month long oil leaks and extensive contamination of large areas of Bohai Bay. An investigation conducted jointly by seven central gov
[Dr. John Lee] Beijing’s impotence in Libya

ViewpointsSept 9, 2011

In a recent article published by China’s official Xinhua news agency, the Paris Conference on Libya’s political transition and future without Muammar Gaddafi was decried as a “West-dominated meeting” seeking to entrench American and European interests by maintaining a pre-eminent role for NATO. Alth
[Editorial] From growth to welfare

EditorialSept 8, 2011

Under pressure from the ruling Grand National Party, the government has finally agreed to pull back on the planned tax cuts for large corporations and high-income individuals. Finance Minister Bahk Jae-wan, emerging from a meeting with top GNP officials on Wednesday, said the government would not pu
[Editorial] Specter of currency war

EditorialSept 8, 2011

The specter of a global currency war is looming large following Switzerland’s surprise decision to peg the Swiss franc to the euro in a bid to hold back a runaway appreciation of its safe-haven currency. The Swiss National Bank shocked global markets Tuesday by declaring that it would cap the franc’
For economy, real slam dunk is debt forgiveness

ViewpointsSept 8, 2011

U.S. homeowners don’t need another reduction in their mortgage payments. What they need is a break on their debts. As President Barack Obama prepares to present his job-creation plans to Congress this week, his advisers are studying what some economists have called a “slam-dunk stimulus.” The idea:
[Michael Mandelbaum] Recapturing spirit of Sept. 12

ViewpointsSept 8, 2011

WASHINGTON, D.C. ― The terrorist attacks on the United States 10 years ago provoked a powerful reaction: the dispatch of American troops, first to Afghanistan and then to Iraq, and the creation of a sprawling new federal agency, the Department of Homeland Security, to coordinate and supervise measur
[Woo Jung-yeop] Public understanding of Nuclear Security Summit

ViewpointsSept 8, 2011

The Nuclear Security Summit, scheduled for March 2012, will bring approximately 50 heads of state to Seoul. It will be the single largest gathering of world leaders in South Korea in the nation’s history. While the G20 aided Korea’s recognition as a developed country, the NSS will propel the country