The Korea Herald

안녕하세요 Yu Kun-ha 기자입니다.

Articles by Yu Kun-ha

[David Ignatius] The shape of an Iran deal

ViewpointsNov 6, 2013

WASHINGTON ― As the Obama administration moves into a decisive stage of nuclear negotiations with Iran, officials are considering a two-step process that would begin with a freeze and modest rollback of Iranian enrichment of uranium, matched by a limited easing of U.S.-led economic sanctions on Tehran. Officials hope this first phase would be followed later by a comprehensive agreement that would lift all sanctions in return for a verifiable halt in Iranian nuclear weapons capability. This secon
In the real world, everyone spies on everyone else

ViewpointsNov 6, 2013

I guess it’s not surprising that nobody in Berlin got the joke Barack Obama told on his visit in 2008, when he pledged to a wildly cheering crowd that his election would mean a new era of “allies who will listen to each other.” True, the president’s sense of comic timing needs some fine-tuning: It took five years for him to deliver the punch line ― that he’d be doing his listening on an NSA tap of German Prime Minister Angela Merkel’s cell phone. But give him a break ― it took three seasons befo
[Andres Oppenheimer] Litigation imposes drag on growth

ViewpointsNov 6, 2013

There are many reasons why potentially-rich Latin American nations are growing at a slower pace than their Asian counterparts but one of the least noticed factors ― and one in need of urgent attention ― is that a Latin American may grow old before being able to enforce a business contract in many countries of the region.A new study by the World Bank and the International Financial Corporation, titled “Doing Business 2014,” provides a ranking of the world’s countries with the most cumbersome liti
Risk of reading Bible through modern diagnostics

ViewpointsNov 6, 2013

How did David defeat Goliath? According to the Bible, it was because God was on his side. But according to Malcolm Gladwell, it was largely because Goliath had a disorder known as acromegaly, a tumor on the pituitary gland.This disorder, identified in the late 19th century, manifests as gigantism, and it may affect vision. Gladwell lays out his case in his new book, “David and Goliath.” Acromegaly could account for Goliath’s unusual size, he writes, and the vision problems it can cause could exp
Primary care technician will see you now

ViewpointsNov 6, 2013

One obvious way to address the shortage of primary medical care in the U.S. is to train more people who can provide it. Even if this could somehow happen overnight, though, it wouldn’t necessarily solve the problem: Only 1 in 4 medical-school graduates goes into primary care (the least lucrative area of medicine), and no more than half of nurses and physician assistants do.Just as important, those who do practice general medicine are rarely drawn to work in the rural and inner-city areas where p
Change voting laws before Constitution

ViewpointsNov 6, 2013

In shutting down the government, Congress reached a new level of dysfunction. While many pundits castigated individuals and parties, others more insightfully focused on institutional rules, such as the role of gerrymandering, closed primaries and campaign spending.Others went further. Comparative politics scholar Juan Linz famously demonstrated that presidential democracies are prone to dysfunction, which the United States has largely avoided by having big tent parties that are “diffuse” and all
[Bennett Ramberg] Iran’s nuclear quandary

ViewpointsNov 5, 2013

LOS ANGELES ― When the United States and its allies resume talks over Iran’s nuclear program on Nov. 7-8, the vexing task of crafting Iran’s recent proposal into an enduring agreement will begin in earnest. There are many obstacles to an agreement, but among the least examined is the legacy of nuclear-disarmament efforts involving Libya and North Korea. Both cases raise issues that neither Iran nor the U.S. wants to see repeated ― but that both will have difficulty avoiding.For the U.S., North K
Internet adoptions should be shut down

ViewpointsNov 5, 2013

If you’re desperate for a child or desperate to be rid of one, the Internet is here to help. You can save time, avoid bureaucratic interference and escape the prying eyes of child welfare busybodies. Yes, it’s every bit as awful as it sounds. But it’s true.Illinois, we are told, has some of the strongest adoption laws in the nation. But those laws “are not enough to stem the horrible practice of ‘re-homing’ adopted children who are in perilous circumstances,” according to state Rep. Sara Feigenh
Signs of hope despite U.S. drag on economy

ViewpointsNov 5, 2013

It probably won’t surprise you to hear that Washington right now represents far and away the most significant drag on the economy’s growth. This seems obvious given Congress’ recent behavior, which produced to a 16-day government shutdown and threats to default on the nation’s debt.Yet it is also important to consider why Washington is such an impediment to growth. And if we think it through, the picture appears less bleak, and even surprisingly hopeful.Washington affects the economy most direct
India shouldn’t buy what Japan is selling

ViewpointsNov 5, 2013

An obsession with nuclear power makes many political elites secretive, ruthless and delusional, even as their cherished projects threaten millions of people with disaster. But the egregious examples I have in mind here aren’t Iran, Pakistan and North Korea. They are Japan and India, two countries with democratic institutions.Last week in the south Indian city of Pondicherry, I met a friend who had managed to penetrate the security lockdown around Kudankulam, the Russian-built nuclear power stati
[Editorial] IMF’s advice

EditorialNov 4, 2013

The top policy priority for the Korean economy, either in the short term or the long term, is to support domestic demand, notably household income. That’s the advice that the International Monetary Fund has given to the Korean government after concluding its annual consultation last week.Overall, the IMF has given a positive assessment of the Korean economy. It said Korea had fared well in the summer’s financial market turmoil, which was triggered by the U.S. Fed’s move to start tapering its sti
[Editorial] Nuclear waste panel

EditorialNov 4, 2013

The government has taken a first step toward tackling the thorny problem of dealing with spent nuclear fuel rods by launching a private commission tasked with raising awareness and understanding of the inflammatory issue.The 15-member panel will conduct a series of public forums to allow citizens to discuss how and where to store spent fuel rods. Based on the views expressed at these meetings, it will present policy recommendations to the government by the end of next year.Currently, spent fuel
[David Ignatius] More chatter than needed

ViewpointsNov 4, 2013

WASHINGTON ― Several years ago, the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, an in-house think tank for the intelligence community, launched what is known as the “Good Judgment Project.” The idea is to test through forecasting competitions the factors that lead analysts to make good predictions. One of the most interesting findings, according to a participant in the project, is that forecasting accuracy doesn’t necessarily improve when analysts have access to highly classified signals i
Military action needed to end Syrian horror

ViewpointsNov 4, 2013

RIYADH ― No issue in the world today is of greater immediate importance than the need to end the civil war in Syria. The past two and a half years have been a disaster for peace, stability, and our sense of common humanity. Gut-wrenching images of unspeakable, indiscriminate violence against civilians have shocked the world. According to the latest United Nations estimates, more than 100,000 Syrians, including many children, have lost their lives as a result of the criminal behavior of Bashar al
[Naomi Wolf] Fair Food Program changes lives of tomato pickers

ViewpointsNov 4, 2013

NEW YORK ― The last fast-food hamburger you ate may have cost you next to nothing. But what did the tomato slice on that burger cost the worker who got it there? Almost anywhere in the world ― including in the United States ― the cost can be shockingly high.Appalling wages are just the start. In Florida, tomato pickers earn an average of just $0.50 for every 32-pound (14.5-kilogram) bucket. A worker who picks all day ― backbreaking labor that starts before dawn ― is lucky to earn $10,500 a year,