[Editorial] Silicon chill

For much of South Korea’s modern history, the social bargain was clear. Education promised insulation. Master a profession, pass the right exams and stability would follow almost by default. The latest employment data suggests that promise has expired. Figures released for January show total employment rising by only 108,000 from a year earlier, the weakest gain in 13 months. This reflects a shift that cuts against long-held assumptions. According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics, employme

Feb. 20, 2026

[Man-Ki Kim] Data governance, not diplomacy

If millions of American consumers had been affected, US regulators would treat it as a governance failure requiring transparent accountability. A massive data breach affecting millions of users is not a diplomatic issue. It is a test of accountability, governance and consumer trust. How would American consumers react if a major e-commerce platform announced that “a former employee accessed basic user data from approximately 33 million customer accounts using a stolen security key”? In South Kore

Feb. 19, 2026

[Wang Son-taek] Olympic spirit in a disruptive world

The Olympic Games are a global gathering where humankind competes fiercely, yet also shares friendship and confirms that we are one. During the games, people experience moments of profound emotion and are reminded of our shared humanity. Last week at the Livigno Snow Park in Italy, we once again witnessed human drama that went far beyond a contest for medals. The women’s snowboard halfpipe final revealed courage, determination, maturity and grace. In three distinct scenes, it reminded us what th

Feb. 19, 2026

[Editorial] Reform for whom?

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea reportedly plans to push through what it calls “three judicial reform bills” during February’s provisional session of the National Assembly. On Wednesday, it moved ahead with one of the measures — a proposed revision to the Constitutional Court Act — at the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee. The bill would allow plaintiffs or defendants to challenge Supreme Court rulings by appealing to the Constitutional Court. While appeals serve to pr

Feb. 19, 2026

[Helena Oh] Stablecoins: Who are they really for?

Imagine next year’s Lunar New Year, when red envelopes are replaced by digital money. Only when a payment system can be used without explanation — by children and seniors, migrants and small merchants alike — does a stablecoin truly become everyday money. There is a familiar scene every Lunar New Year. Grandparents give cash to their grandchildren; some give it to nieces and nephews. The children receive money they can use immediately. But what about next year? Will those red envelopes be replac

Feb. 13, 2026

[Lee Byung-jong] Korea's Demilitarized Zone

Korea's Demilitarized Zone is supposed to be a point of confrontation between South Korea and North Korea. Increasingly, however, it is becoming a flash point between South Korea and the United States — the blood allies forged through the Korean War. South Korea wants a greater say in its management, while the US insists on maintaining full control of the border as mandated by the 1953 Armistice Agreement. For Seoul, the issue is one of national pride and state sovereignty; for Washington, it is

Feb. 13, 2026

[Editorial] Defying medical gravity

South Korean policy debates often collapse into arithmetic. Figures are announced, disputed and weaponized, as if precision alone could substitute for trust. This week’s move on medical school admissions follows that familiar script on the surface. Yet the more consequential question is not how many seats were added but whether the government has learned how fragile reform becomes when numbers race ahead of institutions. On Tuesday, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced a plan to expand m

Feb. 13, 2026

[Taniguchi Tomohiko] Takaichi’s bet on transformation

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has just scored an unprecedented victory in the country’s general election. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which she leads, won 316 seats in the 465-member House of Representatives (the Diet’s lower house), up sharply from 198. The combined strength of two parties that had merged hastily — despite their fundamentally opposing platforms — in an effort to bring Takaichi down fell from 167 seats to just 49. The LDP, which celebrated its 70th anniversary

Feb. 12, 2026

[Wang Son-taek] Strategic communication for a whole-of-nation diplomacy

South Korea is facing a moment that demands a fundamental rethinking of how diplomacy is conducted. The sweeping and aggressive external pressure generated by US President Donald Trump is not merely a series of bilateral trade disputes or security disagreements. It constitutes a multidimensional national challenge that simultaneously affects trade, industrial policy, fiscal stability, security and alliance management. The challenges South Korea faces, however, do not stem only from President Tru

Feb. 12, 2026

[Editorial] Privacy under siege

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea on Tuesday proposed a bill to establish a state regulator tasked with supervising the property market. Placed under the Prime Minister’s Office, the watchdog would be granted broad powers to plan, oversee, and coordinate the probing, investigative, and sanctioning functions of eight related ministries and agencies. Its staff would have special judicial police status and be fully in charge of examining suspicious real estate transactions. They would also be em

Feb. 12, 2026

[Benjamin A. Engel] Korea needs to reevaluate relationship with a changed US

To say that the America of today is not the America of the late 20th century is not a bold statement. The relative power decline of the US has been noted by many observers for several decades. But today’s America is not just relatively less powerful compared to other nations; the US today is on a course to politically implode. Since Korea’s democratization in 1987, the alliance between the US and South Korea has proudly been grounded in the shared values of democracy and market capitalism. Neith

Feb. 12, 2026

[Kim Seong-kon] Schadenfreude and comparison with others

They say everyone loves a bit of “schadenfreude.” According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, schadenfreude means “pleasure derived by someone from another person's misfortune.” Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary similarly defines the term as “a feeling of enjoyment that comes from seeing or hearing about the troubles of other people.” Since animals do not take pleasure in other animals’ misfortune, schadenfreude is a uniquely human trait. It is truly a shame that humans are inferior to a

Feb. 11, 2026

[Gianluca Benigno] The Digital yuan and the new geography of monetary power

For much of the past half-century, the logic of international money seemed straightforward. A currency could only play a global role if it was freely convertible -- easy to exchange across borders, usable for investment, and backed by deep, open financial markets. That is how the dollar became dominant and why its position has long appeared unassailable. China’s digital yuan might test that assumption. Beijing is not rushing to dismantle capital controls or to open its financial system on Wester

Feb. 11, 2026

[Editorial] Japan’s decisive turn

Japan’s voters have done something they rarely do. They have handed near-unchecked power to a single leader, not out of nostalgia for stability but from impatience with drift. The result is a Japan that looks more decisive and predictable, yet also more diplomatically challenging for its neighbors, including South Korea. On Sunday, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi led the Liberal Democratic Party to a decisive victory of 316 seats in the 465-member House of Representatives. No party in postwar Japa

Feb. 11, 2026

[Bae Su-kyeong] Wim Wenders’ cinema of being here

Dappled sunlight through the leaves. The texture of the newsprint against my fingers as I pick up the morning paper. Taking a seat at an empty cafe table, greeted with quiet warmth. The touch of the cup against my lips. Coffee, warm or cold, sliding down my throat. Late winter, camellia blossoms falling whole with a soft, heavy thud, as if the flower has decided, all at once, to return to the earth. Soil beneath my feet on a walk. The earthy scent rising from damp ground after an early summer ra

Feb. 10, 2026