“Yes, she was a little different from the rest of us. I think she was kind of magnanimous for a kid at our age, and was quite cheerful, positive and smart. I can see she hasn’t changed since.” That’s how my friend recalls Youn Yuh-jung, who won the Academy Award for best supporting actress. My friend, a retiree in the US state of Maryland, was one of Youn’s classmates toward the end of the 1950s. The scars of the Korean War at the onset of the decade were still de

The standard “Stories to Watch in the Year Ahead” feature typically arrives in early January, or even late December, but this year has been special. It was obvious that the first few months of 2021 would be dominated by COVID, the aftermath of the US presidential election and President Joe Biden’s first 100 days. With those issues now largely in the rearview mirror, if not completely gone, early May seems like a good time for my own version of which stories will matter most in

Recently, a few racially biased Americans reportedly yelled at people of Asian origin, “Go back to your country!” and “You don’t belong here,” while violently attacking them. Some of the assailants were homeless and others lived in their cars. Presumably, some of them were angry because they had lost their jobs due to the pandemic. Nonetheless, their ignorant and hateful acts cannot be excused. Beyond the physical violence, phrases like “Go back to your coun

Is democracy in decline, retreat or under siege? This is a soul-searching question by many who agonize over a lost golden age of democracy, freedom and rule-based world order. Notice that democracy was rarely granted by the British Empire, which never granted democracy to her colonies (other than white Canada or Australia) until forced to give independence after she became exhausted by two World Wars. Democracy was adopted as part of American tool-box to be pushed so that more people would be l

While many central banks are still investigating the possibility of issuing a digital currency, China has rolled out a digital currency via a series of pilot programs since last year. The eRMB (my term as opposed to the more awkward official DC/EP) by itself will not help the renminbi to challenge the US dollar’s global dominance. Its true significance instead lies in its potential to alter the balance between China’s technology giants and traditional majority state-owned banks, thus

As America beats back COVID-19 with vaccines, the catastrophe in India reminds us that much of the world’s population has yet to receive a shot. Coping with a virulent second wave of the virus, desperate Indians plead for oxygen tanks for their loved ones. Mass cremations of victims barely cope with more than 300,000 new cases daily, but less than 4 percent of nearly 1.4 billion people have gotten their first jab. India has rightly become a tragic reminder that the United States and the

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose/ By any other name would smell as sweet.” So spoke Juliet Capulet to Romeo Montague in Shakespearean tragedy “Romeo and Juliet.” But, of course, there is a lot in a name. It is by which you are called your whole life, it is your identity. In Korea, where names take on a great significance, a lot of thought and care are taken in naming a new born. Often, one character of the two-character name is used by everyone in a

At the end of April, Seoul’s new mayor Oh Se-hoon announced that remodeling work on Gwanghamun Plaza would continue, but with several modifications. The plaza took its present form in 2009 toward the end of Oh’s first term as mayor. Plans to remodel the plaza again moved forward in the late 2010s under former Mayor Park Won-soon and construction began in the fall of 2020. Oh’s victory in the April 7 by-election raised speculation that he might stop the remodeling, as some cit

The 2 1/2 year prison sentence given to Lee Jae-yong, leader of the Samsung business group convicted of bribery, is to end in July next year. Speculations are rising over whether President Moon Jae-in will keep the richest man in South Korea in jail as long as he remains in the Blue House, or give the 51-year-old a special pardon using his prerogative. Calls for Lee’s early release are coming from individuals and organizations that cite the need for his role in helping revive the national

The big story on Fox News recently was Joe Biden’s purported “war on meat” -- a breathless disclosure that the president plans to limit every American to 4 pounds (1,800 grams) of steak a year. Republican politicians jumped on the issue, defiantly promising to defend your right to consume hamburgers. “Not gonna happen in Texas,” Gov. Greg Abbott declared. There was only one problem: The story was nonsense, a work of imagination concocted by a British newspaper afte

There are three types of fluids we emit when we are troubled or in trouble, whether physically or psychologically: Blood, sweat, and tears. When we have our body parts cut or wounded, we bleed. When we are under stress or work hard, we perspire, and when we are sad or joyful, we shed tears. In his recent interview with the Chosun Ilbo, Lee O-young, a renowned cultural critic and former Minister of Culture, aptly pointed out the core problem we are now facing in Korean society. He said, “W

Donald Trump’s presidency was bookended by the White House pushing “alternative facts” about the size of the crowd at Trump’s inauguration at the US Capitol and his violent supporters scrawling “Murder the Media” on the Capitol’s doors. While Trump is gone (for now), professional media remain at risk – and not just in the United States. The watchdog group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) considers the state of press freedom “good” in a m

Two books recently appeared that shed light on highly important aspects of US politics. Both offer views of the Republican Party’s decline from relative unity under Ronald Reagan -- first as reflected in Karen Tumulty’s astonishing biography of Nancy Reagan; and then as portrayed by a recent Republican Speaker of the House, John Boehner. Boehner’s departure from politics in 2015 can be seen as an omen of what was about to become of his party. Caught between traditional politi

The governments of South Africa, India, and dozens of other developing countries are calling for the rights on intellectual property (IP), including vaccine patents, to be waived to accelerate the worldwide production of supplies to fight COVID-19. They are absolutely correct. IP for fighting COVID-19 should be waived, and indeed actively shared among scientists, companies, and nations. The pharmaceutical industry and the governments of several vaccine-producing countries, including the United

Last week, the European Union’s foreign ministers approved -- with little fanfare or consultation -- the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. It is a timely step, which reflects an awareness of the Indo-Pacific region’s growing strategic importance. But, as is so often the case with EU frameworks, it offers a lot of vague plans, broad principles and bureaucratic jargon -- and not much strategic clarity. The world’s geostrategic focus on the Indo-Pacific region is a