[Editorial] Taiwan tops Korea

Economic rankings rarely change without fanfare. Yet this year, for the first time in 22 years, Taiwan’s per capita income will edge past South Korea’s. The symbolism is rich: A supposed imitator has overtaken its former model. For Koreans, long used to viewing themselves as the exemplar among Asia’s “tiger” economies, the reversal is jarring. The numbers are unambiguous. Taiwan’s per capita GDP is set to reach about $38,000 in 2025, with South Korea nearer $37,400. Taipei should join the $40,00

Sept. 17, 2025

[Editorial] Respect court’s opinion

Regarding some ruling party lawmakers' demand for Supreme Court Chief Justice Jo Hee-de's resignation, the presidential office said Monday that the reasons for making such a demand should be considered and that elected officials (like the legislature) should be given top priority. This is understood to mean that if the National Assembly demands Jo resign, he should consider the background of that demand. A day earlier, Choo Mi-ae, chair of the National Assembly judiciary committee, said on socia

Sept. 16, 2025

[Grace Kao] Sparks profess their love of J-Hope and G-Dragon

Legendary group Sparks (brothers Ronald and Russell Mael, ages 80 and 77, respectively) may be the most important pop music group you’ve never heard of. In a documentary, Taylor Swift producer Jack Antonoff said, “All pop music is rearranged Sparks.” I also recently learned that Russell Mael, lead singer of the group, has professed a love of K-pop, especially J-Hope and G-Dragon. This group of two brothers may be one of the few who have gotten along for more than the 54 years they’ve played toge

Sept. 16, 2025

[Lee Jae-min] Regulations threaten economic security deal

Foreign direct investment requires not just the cross-border transfer of money. It also requires a move of personnel and equipment to manage and supervise the investment. This is particularly the case for "greenfield" investment where a foreign investor builds manufacturing facilities in another country. When there is discord or disconnect between the flow of investment and that of personnel and equipment, investors find themselves on the horns of a dilemma. That’s probably what went through the

Sept. 16, 2025

[Contribution] Why scientific earthquake information matters more than ever

By Lee Mi-seon Administrator of the Korea Meteorological Administration Sparked by a Japanese manga, a rumor predicting a massive earthquake in Japan captured public attention not only in Japan but also in surrounding countries in July. Frequent tremors since June on the Tokara Islands, located south of Kyushu, heightened these concerns. Although the mega earthquake never happened, anxiety remained, leading to reduced inbound flights and a drop in tourists. This vague fear of earthquakes had a t

Sept. 15, 2025

[Yoo Choon-sik] AI fund needs more than hope and hype

The past week may well go down as one of the most consequential moments in South Korea’s artificial intelligence policy landscape since the inauguration of the Lee Jae Myung administration. In rapid succession, the newly reorganized presidential committee on AI held its founding meeting, the government unveiled a plan to expand the National Growth Fund, and President Lee himself hosted a press conference to outline his vision. Yet, despite the flurry of announcements, conventional media outlets

Sept. 15, 2025

[Koichi Hamada] The twilight of Pax Americana

US President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs amount to a unilateral, self-destructive and entirely unwarranted challenge to the international order -- one with no economic justification whatsoever. As Willem H. Buiter demonstrated in 1981, the kinds of trade imbalances Trump blindly decries are a useful mechanism for enabling economies with different time preferences to benefit from trade by transferring resources across periods. Trump’s commitment to ignoring economic reality and squeezing

Sept. 15, 2025

[Editorial] Unequal terms

South Korea finds itself in the awkward position of being treated less like a treaty ally than a cash dispenser. Washington’s message has been blunt: Accept the terms of a $350 billion investment package or face a 25 percent tariff wall. That ultimatum, delivered by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, is not the language of partnership but of coercion — and it is straining the credibility of an alliance that has long been framed as mutually beneficial. The backdrop is the July agreement betwee

Sept. 15, 2025

[Lee Byung-jong] What happened to the US I knew?

The recent scenes of US government officials rounding up and chaining South Korean workers en masse at Korean factories in Georgia were shocking enough to raise the question: “What happened to the US I knew?” The Land of Opportunity, where generosity and warmth once welcomed foreigners as part of the community, feels like a distant memory. The Land of Dreams, where millions aspired to emigrate and build a better life, is no longer the same. Instead, foreigners — whether workers, students or even

Sept. 12, 2025

[Editorial] Unseen threat

South Korea’s telecom companies have long boasted of running the world’s fastest, most sophisticated mobile networks. That distinction now carries a paradoxical risk: The density and ubiquity of the system have turned it into a hacker’s playground. The latest breach at KT, the country’s second-largest mobile carrier, underscores the fragility of digital security in a hyper-connected society. It also exposes a startling new vector of cybercrime. What corrodes public trust most, however, is the co

Sept. 12, 2025

[Wang Son-taek] Shackles and trust: The Korea-US alliance tested again

On Sept. 4, the mass arrest of around 300 Korean workers at the Hyundai-LG joint venture in the US state of Georgia jolted Koreans — an unexpected image of compatriots in shackles that many read as an affront to dignity and a breach of trust at the alliance’s core. The pictures of workers in chains quickly reopened older wounds. The Korea-US alliance has survived war, coups and market shocks, yet it has also known moments when Koreans felt their faith was traded away to larger designs. Those mem

Sept. 11, 2025

[Erin Lockwood] Why are markets ignoring America?

US President Donald Trump’s persistent harassment of the Federal Reserve came to a head recently with his attempt to fire Lisa Cook, the first Black woman member of the Fed’s Board of Governors. Since attacks on Fed independence strike fear into the hearts of economists, one might expect them to rattle markets, too. After all, financial returns generally benefit from a widely shared perception of a stable, credible monetary policy, which itself depends on monetary authorities’ institutional sepa

Sept. 11, 2025

[Editorial] Heed dissenting views

Jung Chung-rae, chair of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, emphasized the eradication of forces behind the alleged insurrection on Dec. 3, 2024, in about half of his National Assembly speech Tuesday. The word "insurrection" was mentioned 26 times. He warned the main opposition People Power Party that "if it fails to sever ties with the insurrection forces, it could be the target for the Constitutional Court's judgment on whether it is an unconstitutional party to be disbanded." Cooperation w

Sept. 11, 2025

[Editorial] Blueprint gamble

When governments redraw their wiring diagrams, citizens should pay attention. Boxes and arrows on a chart often reveal more about power than efficiency. South Korea’s reorganization plan, unveiled on Sunday, promises streamlined governance and a sharper focus on future challenges. In practice, it risks concentrating authority, eroding fiscal discipline and sowing confusion where clarity is needed. With the National Assembly set to vote on Sept. 25, the country deserves more than a hurried experi

Sept. 10, 2025

[Kim Seong-kon] When we can truly be proud of our country

Whether it's because they have high standards or they're overly modest, some Koreans do not seem to think that Korea is a fully advanced country yet. As a result, they're not a hundred percent proud of their country. There are generational reasons for this pessimism. For many members of the older generation who can still vividly remember the nation’s postwar poverty and adversity, the image of Korea as an advanced country may not have fully sunk in. For young Koreans, the cutthroat competition p

Sept. 10, 2025