The Korea Herald

[David Ignatius] Syria’s restless neighbors

May 24, 2012

WASHINGTON ― The Middle East sometimes resembles a string of detonators wired to explode together ― and this seems especially true now of Syria and its neighbors. There is political instability nearby in Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon, as the Arab uprising moves through its second year. In each of these countries, the leadership maintains power in a balancing act. Only Turkey, with its triad of a strong economy, army and political leadership, seems genuinely stable. Fear of blowing up the region ― and
[Ban Ki-moon] Coping with the threat of resurgent polio

May 24, 2012

As the World Health Assembly convenes in Geneva this week, one item on the agenda will be polio, or more specifically, how to finally deliver on an epic promise made a quarter-century ago: to liberate humankind from one of the world’s most deadly and debilitating diseases.The world’s war on polio has been as ambitious an undertaking as the successful campaign to eradicate another great public health menace, smallpox. Slowly but surely we have advanced on that goal. Polio, a highly preventable di
Why KAIST students choose suicide

May 24, 2012

In the very early morning of April 17, a senior KAIST student committed suicide. Outside of KAIST, it was recognized simply as another suicide, because just last year, four students and one professor killed themselves. But it was a shock to the community of KAIST because it happened after the introduction of the so-called suicide mitigation plan.KAIST is well-known as a fully government-supported, privileged university. Not only was tuition free but living expenses were also supported during stu
A Greek exit could make the euro area stronger

May 24, 2012

A Greek exit from the euro area would inflict heavy damage in Greece and throughout Europe. It could also be one of the best things that ever happened to the currency union. Greece’s repeat parliamentary election next month will serve as a referendum on whether the country should end its 12-year membership in the common currency. An affirmative answer would trigger a cardiac arrest of the Greek economy, as the banking system collapsed and foreign suppliers refused payment in drachmas. The financ
[Eli Park Sorensen] Why keep returning to the mysterious crime scene?

May 24, 2012

In the winter of 1933, the Belgian detective and former police officer Hercule Poirot boards the Orient Express in Istanbul that will take him on a three-day train journey across the European continent. Somewhere in the Balkans, the train comes to an unexpected halt as large snowdrifts cover the tracks. The next morning, an American businessman who occupied the compartment next to Poirot is found murdered ― stabbed to death. Since there is no obvious suspect and furthermore since the clues are m
China’s chronic misrule of law

May 23, 2012

PHILADELPHIA ― A last-minute deal between the United States and China may afford human-rights lawyer and activist Chen Guangcheng the opportunity to enroll in law school in New York. But, even if a way out of the diplomatic debacle is at hand, much about the case remains troubling. In particular, despite more than three decades of legal reform in China, Chen had precious little recourse to fight harassment and house arrest at the hands of the Chinese authorities.Indeed, 23 years after dissident
Health care ruling a campaign bombshell

May 23, 2012

The U.S. Supreme Court is about to toss a judicial bomb into the middle of the presidential campaign, and nobody knows what impact it will have.The bomb, of course, is the court’s ruling on President Obama’s health-care law, which is expected next month.At first glance, the political implications might look simple. If the court upholds the law, Obama’s biggest legislative achievement, the president wins; if the court declares the law unconstitutional, he loses.But as with many things in politics
Obama given credit for the DIY generation

May 23, 2012

Barack Obama wanted to be a transformational president, and as we head into the general election, he may have gotten his wish ― just not the way he or his supporters might have thought.Obama seems to have transformed the cohort of 18- to 29-year-olds, a whopping 66 percent of whom preferred him over John McCain, from passionate voters who thought Obama really did offer change they could believe in, into people feeling, in the words of veteran political analyst Charlie Cook, “disappointment and d
Banking burnouts blow away myths of Wall Street glamor

May 23, 2012

Ever since March, when the New York Times decided to make a cause celebre out of the resignation of Greg Smith, a vice president at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS), a cottage industry of first-person Wall Street departure stories has sprung up across the print media and blogosphere. For instance, the Guardian in London has run a series of 60 columns ― titled “Voices of Finance” ― that give current and former Wall Street bankers and traders a chance to anonymously describe what their jobs are reall
[Joseph E. Stiglitz] A breakthrough opportunity for global health

May 23, 2012

NEW YORK ― Every year, millions of people die from preventable and treatable diseases, especially in poor countries. In many cases, lifesaving medicines can be cheaply mass-produced, but are sold at prices that block access to those who need them. And many die simply because there are no cures or vaccines, because so little of the world’s valuable research talent and limited resources is devoted to addressing the diseases of the poor.This state of affairs represents a failure of economics and la
U.S. can fix Egypt ties if military power eased

May 22, 2012

U.S.-Egypt ties have become snarled over the past year. Many Egyptians resent the U.S. because it supported the deposed regime of Hosni Mubarak. And the U.S. has struggled for a coherent response to the country’s back-and- forth dance with democracy under transitional military rule. The Egyptian presidential election May 23 and 24, with a runoff June 16 and 17 if necessary, offers a chance to revive the relationship. For the last few months, Egypt’s relationship with the U.S. has been stuck, ove
[Daniel Fiedler] Hiring foreign talent for Korea

May 22, 2012

Traveling through South Korea these days I am continually impressed by the high level of economic and infrastructure development. South Korea has high speed trains, seamless 3G phone and internet service, modern highways, a sophisticated financial system, and almost everyone effortlessly uses the latest cutting edge technology. South Koreans have pushed their country to the top tier in international rankings of gross domestic product, life expectancy, per capita income and worldwide brand recogn
How competition is killing higher education

May 22, 2012

Competition, we are constantly told, encourages individuals, institutions and companies to take the risks necessary for innovation and efficiency. But in higher education, competition often discourages risk taking, leads to overly cautious short-term decisions, produces a mediocre product for the price, and promotes excessive spending on physical plants and bureaucracies. The construction arms race on campus is the most visible example of competition run amok. To become more attractive to potent
European countries face time for true austerity

May 22, 2012

Talks to form a coalition government in Greece collapsed again as a result of the country’s belt-tightening backlash. The country now faces an unpleasant dilemma: agreed-upon austerity measures in exchange for bailout funds, or a messy default and exit from the eurozone. Greece’s deteriorating situation raises many questions about whether austerity is the right path for other struggling European nations trying to avoid this same fate.For several years now, European governments have tried version
[Kim Seong-kon] Is ‘To Sir, with Love’ possible in Korean society?

May 22, 2012

Despite its many inherent problems, Korea has (or had) two beautiful customs. One is “respecting elders” and the other “respecting teachers.” Unfortunately, the former no longer seems to exist and the latter seems to be on the verge of extinction. In the subway, for example, elderly people are hopelessly pushed over by aggressive, impertinent young people who seem to despise old people. At school, teachers are often verbally insulted or sometimes even physically assaulted by their students. Alas