Dec. 26 last year was a shameful day for the South Korean military. As five drones from North Korea infiltrated into the South Korean airspace for many hours, it failed to shoot them down and only watched as one returned to the North. Military authorities should not only reflect on the disappointment of the people, but also focus on establishing measures to prevent a recurrence. The task should be shared by the government and at national levels. However, looking at the recent discussions in Se

Metaphorically speaking, South Korea stands between the winds and the waves. That is to say, South Korea is located between continental and oceanic civilizations. According to the late cultural critic, Lee O-young, in the countries that belong to the continental civilization, people frequently use expressions with the word “wind” in it. For example, they say, “What wind brought you here?” Or “the coffee wind is blowing,” meaning: “Drinking coffee is fash

The television split screen told the story. On one side, Republicans in the House of Representatives labored through the fourth of the 15 ballots they needed during four days of gridlock to choose Rep. Kevin McCarthy as speaker. On the other side, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell stood beaming with President Joe Biden as they congratulated each other for a bipartisan success: a $1.6 billion deal to replace a crumbling highway bridge across the Ohio River. On one side, partisan dysfunctio

Last July, two activists from Just Stop Oil entered London’s National Gallery and made their way to John Constable’s “The Hay Wain,” an iconic painting of rural England as it was 200 years ago. After covering the painting with an image of environmental destruction, they glued their hands to the frame and awaited arrest. Three months later, another pair of activists went to the National Gallery and threw tomato soup at Vincent van Gogh’s “Sunflowers.” In

Starting the new year with legislation that prohibits anyone younger than 18 from having a social media account would benefit our youths. In Texas, that could become a reality. A state representative there has proposed legislation that would ban minors from having social media profiles. While it certainly will be met with some criticism, there is enough data to support this legislation. Consider the rising number of youths suffering from depression and anxiety. From 2005 to 2015, depression incr

For the past four days, Americans and others around the world have had their eyes glued to the spectacle of the US House of Representatives trying -- and failing, 14 times -- to elect a new Speaker. Now, by making even more concessions, Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California has finally grasped the gavel. McCarthy has won, but at an alarming cost for the country and his own party. Some features of the conflict in the Republican Party that we saw on display this week are nothing new. Every party has i

China’s recent decision to abandon its strict zero-COVID policy has led many to believe that its economy will bounce back. The Economist Intelligence Unit, for example, has revised its forecast for Chinese GDP growth in 2023 upward, to 5.2 percent. But growth recovery is not automatic, and China must contend with several challenges, including declining confidence among firms and households about their future incomes in the short run, insufficient productivity growth in the medium run, and

Ever true to its traditions, Official Washington has celebrated its holidays by toasting its successes, and then cruising comfortably into yet another new year. So this is the right time to remind our capital’s cognoscenti that some areas of Washington governance can and must do better in 2023. We can think of three: executive, legislative and judicial. Each of the three official branches of government has always provided us with insider wisdom on just what is wrong with the other two. And

For readers seeking a peaceful interlude at the start of the new year, I would suggest visiting the renovated celadon gallery at the National Museum of Korea. A moment of tranquility and self-reflection in aesthetic ambience may help reset and recharge for the challenging times ahead. The gallery has been carefully remodeled to emphasize the beauty of outstanding celadon objects from the Goryeo period (918-1392), the zenith of traditional Korean art. The centerpiece of the gallery is a room name

That turbulent Year of the Tiger, 2022, is finally over. As the Year of the Rabbit 2023 is looming, we hope serenity and tranquility are ahead of us after a hard year of domestic and international disruptions. The year 2022 began with the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February and President Yoon Suk-yeol’s inauguration in March. In September, Queen Elizabeth II passed away and in October, the tragic Itaewon crowd crush happened. Then the US mid-term election in November rounded out the Ye

Imagine you’re crammed into your middle seat -- behind a crying baby, of course -- and a wave of turbulence rocks the plane. Then another. Then that singular, ominous “ding” as the flight crew kindly urges -- demands, really -- that passengers return to their seat and buckle up. They’re sorry for the inconvenience, but it’s for your own safety. Imagine, then, that the turbulence doesn’t stop. It gets worse. People begin to panic. Somehow, though, miraculously,

Belarusian Ambassador to Korea Andrew Chernetsky urged Poland to resolve bilateral disputes over the Russia-Ukraine war and migration crisis on the Polish border through diplomacy and dialogue. Responding to Polish Ambassador to Korea Piotr Ostaszewski's comments in a previous interview with The Korea Herald, Chernetsky said his claims of Belarus' support of Russia in the war were "extremely belligerent" and that addressing such "accusations" via local media is not

There's been a lot of uplifting, we're-in-it-to-win-it language used about the Ukraine war recently. The message being sent is that the United States is committed for the long haul and won't abandon its friends to a brutal aggressor like Russian President Vladimir Putin. It's a moving display of solidarity, including last week's visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the White House -- especially since it comes against the backdrop of 100,000 Ukrainian sol

Are we truly heading for war? The Ukraine war is such a horrible disaster that we must think seriously about how to get back to peace and stability. Reading Roman history during the Christmas holidays, I was struck by how the Romans were driven by almost perpetual war. Rome first consolidated power during the Punic wars against Carthage, but the spoils of war in Gaul, Syria and Egypt, etc. became booty for aggressive consuls and generals like Julius Caesar to buy political votes in Rome. Ultimat

If there is one piece of legislation Congress prioritizes every year, it’s the annual government spending bill. After the usual last-minute hiccups over amendments, the Senate finally settled on an agreement to pass the $1.7 trillion bill and the House followed suit. Unsurprisingly, much of the debate over the spending package focused on the top-line numbers, particularly in the realm of defense. At $858 billion, the US defense budget got a boost of $76 billion, or about 10 percent, from