The Korea Herald

Taking Korean global: start with dictionaries

Nov 25, 2012

One needs to look no further than the Korean-English and English-Korean dictionary to see where we must start if we want to truly internationalize the teaching of Korean language. Most English-Korean and Korean-English dictionaries (all dictionaries that I have ever seen) are written in a manner that discourages foreigners from learning Korean. I think that it would be easy to create truly foreigner-friendly dictionaries and the investment could revolutionize the status of Korean language around
Weeding out system-wrecking psychopaths

Nov 23, 2012

PARIS ― A colleague mentioned earlier this week how thankful he is that he can tell anyone who deserves it to go take a flying leap. (Actually, his precise words are unprintable, but you get the idea.) At first glance, such uninhibited opinion-sharing might seem rude and unacceptable, but upon further reflection, it becomes clear how individuals rising up and courageously telling off the creeps who deserve it would benefit society as a whole, and how capitalism in particular is the perfect vehic
[David Ignatius] Never-ending war in Mideast

Nov 23, 2012

WASHINGTON ― An Israeli official was listening a few days ago to the familiar critique that Israel doesn’t have any strategy in Gaza, just periodic tactical assaults on Hamas. The official finally exploded: “That is our strategy. Don’t you understand? We don’t have any other choice except to punch our adversary in the face every few years.” The most depressing aspect about the latest Gaza war is that it dramatizes this “no exit” aspect of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Wars recur every four o
Gaza clash reveals Morsi’s true colors

Nov 22, 2012

The chameleon is finally showing his true colors.Since taking office in June, Mohamed Morsi, Egypt’s not-so-new president, has been equivocating, trying to balance Egypt’s longstanding diplomatic and financial relationship with the West with his true self: a Muslim Brotherhood fundamentalist who is contemptuous of the West, hates Israel and wants to turn Egypt into a fully Islamic state.“He speaks of moderation for the West,” Perihan Abou-Zeid, a 28-year-old Egyptian officer for a media-producti
[Han Seung-soo] Heeding history in East Asia

Nov 22, 2012

SEOUL ― Chinese, South Korean, and Japanese diplomats recently took to the podium of the United Nations General Assembly to reassert their countries’ positions on the territorial issues surrounding several small islands in the seas of East Asia. But the composed manner in which they delivered their remarks belied their countries’ long-simmering tensions over the islands, which have come to a near boil in the last few months.At the center of one heated dispute, between China and Japan, are the Se
Japan’s parties must spell out their visions

Nov 22, 2012

Japan stands at a crossroads. The direction it takes will be critical to determining whether Japan can remain one of the world’s leading nations.As political gridlock continues and the economy staggers along, the people’s sense that the country is stagnating has been growing. How can the nation overcome this situation?During the upcoming House of Representatives election campaign, we urge each party to present the course they want Japan to pursue and a new “vision” for this nation. Each party th
Obama’s trip to Myanmar a long-term move

Nov 22, 2012

Even though the reelected U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to Myanmar this week will be brief, it will have a series of significant outcomes for Myanmar and the region. Make no mistake, his visit is part of a long-term strategic plan by U.S. decision-makers, who view the once most condemned nation in the world as a key future ally.The U.S. knows this is the best time to approach Myanmar because the Thein Sein government has demonstrated its willingness to engage with the West, especially the
[Michael Boskin] Watching China’s new leaders

Nov 22, 2012

STANFORD ― Political leadership transitions typically signal either a change in direction or continuity. But the mere prospect of such a transition usually postpones some important political decisions and freezes some economic activity, pending the resolution of the accompanying uncertainty.China’s decennial leadership transition, culminating at the Chinese Communist Party’s 18th Congress, is a case in point. And, while many will remember when a Chinese leadership transition was a political and
Good use of ‘Big Data’ can change the world

Nov 21, 2012

The Israeli company Seculert offers a service that identifies malware-infected computers without requiring its customers to install any new equipment or software. According to Aviv Raff, the company’s co-founder, Seculert deliberately exposes its own computers to malware in order to become part of the chain of virus-infected computers that cyber criminals are assembling around the Internet. By analyzing the communications on these “botnets,” Seculert can identify computers on its customers’ netw
[Dominique Moisi] China and the American dream

Nov 21, 2012

PARIS ― China may be just a few years away from becoming the world’s leading economic power, and America’s strategic centrality may be on the wane (certainly, no one speaks of the United States today as the world’s “hyperpower”). But America still makes people dream, and its emotional hold on the world remains unique.In this sense, last week brought two victories: not just Barack Obama’s over Republican challenger Mitt Romney in the presidential election, but also the victory of America’s democr
Korea must act to stop parental kidnapping

Nov 21, 2012

A week ago Saturday I traveled to my former residence in Namwon to pick up my two children, Richard and Andrew. As usual the children were not waiting for me and I knew that once again my ex-wife was violating the court agreement. This two week pattern of violation has been an unfortunate part of my life since the divorce became final in May of 2011. In that time I have grown very accustomed to her repeated violations of the court agreement on visitation and custody. I had also grown very used t
Attacks on reporters show need to improve journalists’ safety

Nov 21, 2012

Well over 100 journalists have been killed so far this year ― the highest number since the International Press Institute began keeping count of journalists’ deaths in 1997. All across the world ― from Africa, Asia and Europe, to the Middle East and Latin America ― journalists continue to be systematically and brutally targeted because of their work. Some are caught in the crossfire while reporting on conflict, but most are targeted by criminal groups and individuals who want to prevent informati
[Shashi Tharoor] The emerging world’s education imperative

Nov 21, 2012

NEW DELHI ― Official delegations from the world’s nine most populous developing countries just met in New Delhi to discuss a subject vital for their countries’ futures: education. The meeting of ministers and others from Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria and Pakistan, known as the E-9, is the latest in a series of encounters held every two years to fulfill the pledge of “education for all” by 2015.The E-9 account for 54 percent of the world’s population, 42.3 pe
[Harold Brown] America’s trouble with China

Nov 20, 2012

WASHINGTON ― Xi Jinping, China’s newly anointed president, made his first visit to the United States in May 1980. He was a 27-year-old junior officer accompanying Geng Biao, then a vice premier and China’s leading military official. Geng had been my host the previous January, when I was the first U.S. defense secretary to visit China, acting as an interlocutor for President Jimmy Carter’s administration.Americans had little reason to notice Xi back then, but his superiors clearly saw his potenti
Housing agency woes offer chance to fix market

Nov 20, 2012

For the first time in its 78-year history, the U.S. Federal Housing Administration might need a government bailout. The agency’s most recent audit, released last week, reveals it is burdened by a $16.3 billion deficit in the value of its insurance fund, primarily on loans it backed ahead of the housing market’s collapse. The audit also reveals ― or should remind us ― that the federal government’s role in the mortgage market is outsized and should be reduced. The FHA’s troubles are largely a resu