The Korea Herald

[Kim Seong-kon] “Freedom is not free.” Neither is peace or prosperity

Jun 26, 2018

In June every year, we commemorate the anniversary of the Korean War. During the war that devastated the peninsula, South Korea received priceless assistance from foreign countries, both military and financial. Today’s South Korea would not have existed had it not been for the valiant UN soldiers who came to rescue us in difficult times. The Korean War Veterans memorial in Washington displays the touching inscription, “Our nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a co
[Mac Margolis] Social change comes to conservative Chile

Jun 26, 2018

When Chilean screen actress Daniela Vega flew to Los Angeles for the Academy Awards ceremony last March, Hollywood glory wasn’t the only thing on her mind. In a matter of days, Vega would become an international celebrity for her role in the Oscar-winning “A Fantastic Woman” (best foreign picture), a fraught love story about a transgender singer and the social barriers and obscurantism she confronts. But first she had to face a little obscurantism herself.　“I have a passport with a name that has
[Jay Ambrose] Another issue of separating children from parents

Jun 26, 2018

The deservedly big news splashing us all in the face lately has been about the children being ripped away from their illegal-immigrant parents at the US-Mexico border. Many Americans are horrified, which is far from what seems the mostly lackadaisical, yawning reaction to a similar, far more terrifying issue, one in which tens of millions of children live without their father. There are horrible consequences, one of which is too often suicide.　Killing ourselves has been another big news story la
[Lee Jae-min] How many hours do you work?

Jun 26, 2018

What is work and what is leisure? This longstanding philosophical question has suddenly become a legal question as a new labor law (Labor Standards Act) is entering into force on July 1 to cap the maximum weekly working hours at 52, together with a penalty provision for non-complying employers. Having realized the unclear dividing line between work and non-work and the fear of imminent confusion on the field, the Ministry of Employment and Labor announced at the last minute a six-month grace per
[Justin Fendos] NK’s denuclearization public relations

Jun 26, 2018

Let’s play a game by pretending we are North Koreans. Let’s pretend that we are really serious about complete denuclearization. I know no one believes the idea but let’s give it a run anyway. Who knows? We might learn something from the exercise.Let’s say our ultimate goal as North Koreans is to be relieved of crippling sanctions that prevent us from developing our country economically. The bulk of these sanctions are, of course, imposed or led by the United States. Former President Barack Obama
[Christopher Balding] Tax cuts feed China’s consuming passion

Jun 25, 2018

It’s tempting to view China’s changes to the personal and corporate tax code in the context of US trade tensions. The reforms are really aimed more at Beijing’s concerns about competitiveness and economic rebalancing, and ultimately the creation of a “moderately prosperous society.”　China has many problems with tax policy. Start with the labyrinth of (mostly very high) fees and levies on individuals and corporations. According to the World Bank, China has the 12th-highest official total corporat
[Trudy Rubin] US withdrawal from UN Human Rights Council reflects Trump hypocrisy

Jun 25, 2018

How ironic that the White House chose to withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council on June 19 just as President Trump was manipulating the suffering of migrant children for his own political ends.　The Trump team quit the council on account of that body’s fixation with Israel and inclusion of member states with wretched human rights records. Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, called the council a “hypocritical and self-serving organization that makes a mockery of human rights.”
[Pankaj Mishra] Don’t fantasize about world before Trump

Jun 25, 2018

President Donald Trump, it is clear, presides over a regime of untruth and personally inhabits a realm of fantasy. But some of his critics have fallen prey to illusions of their own about the US and the world before Trump.　Take, for instance, Trump’s cruel disregard for the suffering of children caught up in his crackdown on immigration. It provoked many to charge him with violating “American values.” Such condemnation obscures the fact that the US was, from the late 19th century onwards, the in
[Tyler Cowen] Bilateral trade deals can work, if your name isn’t Trump

Jun 25, 2018

One of the most fascinating moments in recent negotiations came when US President Donald Trump offered complete free trade to his European partners at the Group of Seven meetings. Trump may have viewed this as a public relations ploy, but the response was still striking: No major European political leader embraced the idea. Nor did China.　So how to make further progress on trade? Well, Trump on Monday threatened China with an extra $200 billion in tariffs, thereby moving back to bilateral pressu
[Zev Chafets] Israel’s spy thriller puts old assumptions to the test

Jun 25, 2018

Israeli security services engage in a form of profiling that rests on a basic assumption: Jewish Israelis are on Israel’s side. They are not likely to be terrorists bent on blowing up the airport, or spies working for the enemy.　This form of profiling almost always works. But it is not foolproof. In mid-June, a Jerusalem court indicted Gonen Segev on charges of “assisting the enemy in wartime and espionage.” In a statement issued on June 15, the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service, alle
[David Ignatius] Trump is hurling a wrecking ball toward the trans-Atlantic alliance

Jun 24, 2018

A bright banner at NATO’s lavish new headquarters here proclaims the core conviction of the trans-Atlantic alliance: “We are together. We are strong.” But the words seem a bit hollow these days, as US President Trump escalates his attacks on America’s traditional European partners.Trump’s “America First” policies have shaken many of the nations that looked to Washington as their ally and protector. He has imposed steep tariffs on European steel and aluminum imports and is said to be preparing si
[Carl P. Leubsdorf] Trump’s pattern of cozying up to Russia is unmistakable ? and decades old

Jun 24, 2018

Vladimir Putin’s decision to back Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign increasingly looks like one of his smartest investments. Soon, Putin may join North Korea’s Kim Jong-un in getting the cachet of a summit with the American president.　But what’s good for the Russian autocrat and his willing American enabler will almost certainly be bad for the United States.　In recent weeks, Putin has seen Trump take significant steps to rupture the Atlantic alliance that has been the main Western bulwar
[Leonid Bershidsky] Video replay for refs makes World Cup better

Jun 24, 2018

Soccer can be annoying, especially to those who watch only the big tournaments. There are too many fouls, baffling referee errors and players without a scratch on them rolling in the grass as if in unbearable pain -- and too few goals. But the 2018 World Cup has been surprisingly different (with a few exceptions). The improvement probably comes down to a single rule change: Referees now have access to video replays.　 A little more than a week into the monthlong competition, it’s too early to kno
[Adam Minter] China’s epic film bubble is about to pop

Jun 24, 2018

Four of China’s leading film executives recently gathered on a Shanghai stage with a bleak message. “There are 20,000 film and television companies” in China, said Wang Changtian, president of Beijing Enlight Media. “Many aren’t making money at the moment, so why are they still here?” He predicted that thousands will go bankrupt over the next year -- a full-on bubble in movie-making, ready to pop.　It’s a classic Chinese tale. Bureaucrats in Beijing decide a favored industry must become globally
[Noah Smith] Domino’s Pizza fixing potholes is an ominous sign

Jun 24, 2018

I recently noticed a string of interesting news stories, all with the same theme. Domino’s Pizza is donating money to 20 US cities, to be used for fixing potholes and cracked roads. Salesforce has donated $1.5 million to reduce homelessness in San Francisco, and its CEO, Marc Benioff, has spoken of grander schemes to end homelessness in the city entirely. And Facebook is talking about renovating a defunct bridge that runs across the San Francisco Bay near its offices.　All of these initiatives, i