It’s time to recall absurd, bizarre and downright stupid things said by politicians this past year.We’re ignoring Trumpisms because he said something ridiculous daily. There would be no room for anybody else.Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tennessee, topped all the profiles-in-courage lists for announcing he would not vote for the GOP tax bill because it adds $1.5 trillion to the national debt. Then an 11th-hour provision gave real estate moguls a huge benefit, such as about $11 million to Donald Trump and r

South Korea’s offer to the US for the postponement of their joint military exercises until after the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games -- on the condition of North Korea not conducting nuclear or missile tests during the games -- looks like a double-edged sword. The North might meet the condition, but the offer is more likely to boomerang by creating false perceptions of the exercises and causing concern about South Korea leaning to China, away from its US alliance.　In an interview with NBC News

For years, Iran has been accurately labeled as the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism. Now, quietly with little notice beyond the region, the militant regime in Iran has established a major land force in Syria effectively threatening the existence of Israel.　Using the cover of helping Syrian President Bashar Assad against domestic insurgents, Tehran now has stationed an estimated 125,000 troops in that country, outnumbering the Syrian army, and enhanced by Russian forces. This is in addi

Koreans are used to scenes of protesters staging sit-ins, whatever their causes and demands might be, but the latest one labor activists are holding in the ruling Democratic Party should raise some serious questions. First of all, it is a flagrant challenge to the rule of law. One of the four protesters who have been occupying an office of the ruling party in Seoul since Monday has been on a police wanted list for about two years. In other words, a person who had been sought by the police for tw

멕시코 수도 라파즈의 관광 밀집 단지에 시신 6구가 발견됐다는 21일 AFP 보도다. 　　범죄가 발생한 멕시코 바하 캘리포니아 지역은 청정한 해변으로 타지 관광객에게 각광 받는 휴양지다. 　　이렇듯 관광산업에 도움이 되는 지역에선 살인사건이 드물었지만, 최근 몇 해간 조직화된 범죄가 증가하는 추세라는 것이다. 　　멕시코에선 군부대가 마약 단속에 나선 2006년 이래로 최소 196,000명이 죽임당했다. 상황은 호전되고 있지 않다. 2017년 1월부터 10일 사이 총 409명의 피해자가 살해되었으며 이는 2016년 수치의 두 배라고 한다. 　　　이번에 발견된 시신들은 멕시코 수도인 라파즈의 국제공항에서부터 산호세델카보, 카보산루카스로 이어지는 고가도로에 매달려 있었다. 이 길은 거대한 리조트 단지로 향하는 길이며 미국인, 캐나다인, 유럽인이 자주 이용한다.　　시신들은 세 군데 고가도로에서 각각 2구씩 발견되었다. 피해자들의 신원은 아직 알려지지 않았다. 　　(khnews@heraldc

Speculation is growing about the purpose of presidential chief of staff Im Jong-seok’s recent visit to the United Arab Emirates. He visited the UAE and Lebanon from Dec. 9-12 as President Moon Jae-in’s special envoy.Rumors have swirled that he visited the Middle East “to resolve a diplomatic issue with the UAE over its nuclear reactor project awarded to South Korea.” However, the presidential office’s unconvincing explanations and rebuttals have fueled suspicions rather than cleared them. To cal

The US Congress is set this week to pass a horrendous tax bill that will give the rich and corporations hefty tax cuts, will increase the deficit by $1 trillion over 10 years, will leave 13 million people uninsured by eliminating the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate and will force cuts in federal programs as revenues dry up. In terms of unfairness and reckless economic policy, it will rank among the worst legislations ever passed.But this bill is a travesty not only for what’s in it, but