Households must have felt relieved when Statistics Korea announced on Aug. 1 that the July consumer price index marked a 1.5 percent increase ― the lowest since July 2009. But the euphoria was short lived, as the prices of perishables, such as spinach and lettuce, shot up with the heat wave gripping the nation.It is not just perishables whose prices have been climbing rapidly. High global crop prices are being transferred to those of processed food items, such as instant noodles. The Korea Rural

As described in Japan’s postwar constitution, the Japanese emperor is the “symbol of the state and of the unity of the people.” To many Japanese, however, he is more than an earthly symbol. He has the aura of a deity, given that he is called the “tenno” in Japanese, or “heavenly sovereign.”At the center of the current diplomatic dispute between Korea and Japan are the Japanese emperor and the Korean leader’s call for him to apologize. President Lee Myung-bak said recently that Emperor Akihito wo

Rep. Park Geun-hye was nominated as presidential candidate of the ruling Saenuri Party at its national convention Monday, entering the main stretch of her second, and probably last, bid for the post held by her father for 18 years until his assassination in 1979. If she wins the election on Dec. 19, she will become the nation’s first female president.Park beat her four rival contenders by a wide margin in the nomination vote, which combined ballots cast by party members and selected citizens wit

The Ministry of Land, Transportation and Maritime Affairs last week affirmed that it was preparing to conduct a feasibility study on the construction of new airports in the southeast and on Jeju Island. Ministry officials said the study is part of the work to draw up a five-year airports development plan for 2016-2020 and has nothing to do with recent voices raised by politicians in support of new airports.The public, however, seems hardly persuaded by their explanation, which marked a sharp tur

The financial regulator has eased the debt-to-income rule in its latest bid to revitalize the housing market. The step, announced on Friday, seeks to boost demand for homes by allowing young workers and older citizens to take out more loans when they purchase houses. Currently, when a person takes out a mortgage, the maximum loan amount is determined by his debt-servicing ability. For a resident in Seoul, principal and interest payments on a mortgage should not exceed 50 percent of his present a

Was it the court’s signal that it would no longer exercise leniency toward criminall tycoons? A Seoul district court caused consternation among Korean business leaders Thursday by putting Hanwha Group chairman Kim Seung-youn into prison right after handing down a guilty verdict.Kim was indicted in January 2011 without detention on charges of embezzling 320 billion won from group subsidiaries and thereby inflicting damage amounting to 480 billion won on them. The court sentenced him to four years

Renewed disputes over historical and territorial issues between South Korea and Japan have brought ties to their lowest ebb since the two countries normalized relations in 1965.President Lee Myung-bak’s visit to South Korea’s easternmost islets of Dokdo last Friday sparked a chain of tit-for-tat accusations and actions that showed how deep antipathy stemming from their unfortunate history runs between the neighbors.Brushing aside protests from Tokyo, which has also laid claim to the islets, Lee

With South Korea seeing its ties with China and Japan sour recently, North Korea is actively reaching out to the two neighboring powers. The North has also been responding to moves made by Russia since Vladimir Putin returned to the Kremlin in May. It is also seen to be trying to activate contacts with the U.S. mainly through a dialogue channel in New York.Pyongyang’s moves to improve relationships with the four major powers come amid signs of the impoverished regime taking a course toward econo

North Korea has renewed efforts to attract Chinese investment to jump-start its moribund economy. Jang Song-thaek, the powerful uncle and guardian of the North’s young leader, Kim Jong-un, is visiting Beijing cap in hand. He is expected to meet Chinese President Hu Jintao and other leaders today before returning to Pyongyang.One main purpose of Jang’s visit is to press China to invest in the North’s two special economic zones ― Raseon City on the North’s northeastern tip, and Hwanggeumpyeong and

As expected, the Korea Confederation of Trade Unions has withdrawn its support for the embattled Unified Progressive Party, accelerating its split into two political groups.In May, the militant umbrella labor group threatened to stop backing the party should it fail to expel Reps. Lee Seok-ki and Kim Jae-yeon, who have been found to have become the party’s proportional representation candidates for the April parliamentary election through a rigged primary.Yet the party failed last month to pass

The Constitutional Court has been one justice short for more than a year, leaving its already crowded docket more crowded. The blame should be laid on the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition Democratic United Party, which have held the selection process hostage for their partisan interests.But an opportunity to put the court’s operation back to normal is coming soon, with the National Assembly set to hold confirmation hearings on nominees to replace four retiring justices and another to

It was more saddening than angering to see President Lee Myung-bak go ahead with his earlier decision to appoint one of the least suitable people possible as chairman of the National Human Rights Commission chairman. Which was it that was at work ― Lee’s foibles or tantrums?Persons of integrity with a track record of promoting human rights are eligible for the coveted post. But Lee’s choice was far from known for his integrity or human rights promotion. Instead, his career has been tainted by al

The performance of young South Korean athletes in the 2012 London Olympics, which put the country fifth in the gold medal standings, added to South Koreans’ sense of pride about what they have achieved since liberation from Japan’s colonial rule 67 years ago today.Looking at the area surrounding the nation, however, it hardly seems within our reach to fulfill what Koreans dreamed of when they gained independence ― a prosperous united country at peace with its neighbors.In fact, a longstanding te

Many Koreans think themselves accustomed to all sorts of corrupt practices plaguing society, but they have still been stunned by recent corruption allegations against a mayor and his family.Kim Hak-kyu, the mayor of Yongin in Gyeonggi Province, allegedly had his associates pay for his rent and back taxes worth about 150 million won ($132,000) before he ran in the 2010 local elections. His wife is suspected of receiving 160 million won from seven businessmen to help finance her husband’s campaign

President Lee Myung-bak’s visit to Dokdo on Friday was a surprise in light of his consistent efforts since inauguration to build future-oriented ties with Japan. The unexpected visit ― the first ever by a Korean president ― is certain to throw the bilateral relationship into a tailspin as Tokyo views it as a breach of an unwritten understanding between the two nations. Yet it is fully understandable given Tokyo’s repeated sovereignty claims to South Korea’s easternmost territory. During Lee’s te