The next big K-culture export

The 2026 K-Culture Starter Pack is remarkably predictable: K-Pop, K-Drama, and the inevitable, “K-Han.” Mention Korea in any international setting and it is only a matter of time before someone drops the H-word with a knowing nod. It has become the ultimate shibboleth for those to prove they have done the requisite cultural homework. Korea, they will helpfully explain, is powered by this ancient and "untranslatable" melancholy, an endless reservoir of longing that supposedly animates everything

March 13, 2026

[Lee Byung-jong] BTS and K-pop concerts

While artificial intelligence and other digital technologies are eliminating jobs and disrupting businesses, one industry remains firmly intact and is even thriving. Pop concerts and other live performance markets are booming and are expected to grow further, as they provide audiences with real-life experiences of excitement and ecstasy through physical presence — something computer-mediated virtual realities can never fully offer. Just next week, an army of fans from around the world will desce

March 13, 2026

[Sara Albrecht] Refund tariffs the right way

When the US Supreme Court ruled that the administration’s tariffs were unlawful, it resolved a constitutional question. What it did not resolve is how to unwind the economic damage. Gov. JB Pritzker has called for roughly $1,700 per Illinois household — about $8.7 billion total — arguing that families effectively paid an illegal tax through higher prices and deserve direct reimbursement. It may be appealing math. But it is not how tariffs work — and it is not how refunds should work. Tariffs are

March 12, 2026

[Wang Son-taek] The hidden cost of war: Public diplomacy

Military power often produces a moment of triumph. Precision strikes dominate headlines, targets are destroyed and political leaders present the operation as evidence of resolve and strength. In the short term, such actions can create the appearance of decisive leadership. Yet the longer-term perspective often tells a very different story. History repeatedly shows that military success does not necessarily translate into strategic success. When a war is launched without plausible cause or clear

March 12, 2026

[Moon Yewon] Delays at Incheon Airport immigration

If you visited Incheon Airport after Jan. 14, you may have noticed that the airport feels noticeably more crowded than before. While the steady growth of international travel naturally fills terminals, the most visible congestion now appears at immigration checkpoints. In the past, it typically took less than 30 minutes to process about 100 arriving passengers. Recently, however, the same number of passengers can take close to an hour to clear immigration — sometimes even longer during peak peri

March 12, 2026

[Kim Seong-kon] Living in 'Jurassic World' in 2026

Recently, Netflix added the Jurassic World collection to its film repository. We all remember the worldwide excitement when the epoch-making film “Jurassic Park” was released in 1993. Directed by legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg and based on Michael Crichton’s bestselling novel, the movie led to two sequels: “The Lost World: Jurassic Park” and “Jurassic Park III.” In 2015, “Jurassic World,” directed by Colin Trevorrow, reignited nostalgic feelings of "Jurassic Park" fans. “Jurassic World” ha

March 11, 2026

[Allison Schrager] US human capital is eroding

America is having a collective freakout about jobs — specifically, that soon AI will do everything and leave everyone unemployable. This concern is not necessarily misplaced, but it is better understood as part of a larger worry: that one of the country’s most critical resources, human capital, is eroding. A large, diverse and highly skilled labor force is what made the US an economic powerhouse. Now, both the stock and value of its human capital are degrading, and almost no one is doing anythin

March 11, 2026

[Mariana Mazzucato] Reimagining the economics of culture

Brazil’s Carnival, the greatest party on earth, ended last month. For those who have never been, no description does it justice. The blocos playing in the streets, the samba schools parading through Rio de Janeiro’s Sambadrome, the drumlines, the costumes, and the collective joy of millions of people constitute a spectacle unto itself. In dark and divided times, Carnival reminds us that participation, creativity and shared celebration are not peripheral to economic life. They are part of what ec

March 10, 2026

[Lim Woong] Becoming ‘New Lee Jae Myung’

Modern Korean presidential history often reads like a long-running case study in leadership types. Over the decades, the office has been occupied by a variety of figures in style and ambition, yet many shared an implicit premise: The president stands apart from the public, legitimized not so much by higher statesmanship as by extreme ideology, elite credentials, regional identity and ties to wealth and status. President Lee Jae Myung appears, at least so far, to break with that pattern. He proje

March 10, 2026

[Javier Blas] Iran war's strategic commodity

The CIA calls it the “strategic commodity” of the Middle East. But it’s not referring to oil or natural gas. What the American spy agency has in mind is far more prosaic: drinking water. Don’t underestimate it, though, because if military hostilities continue to escalate, water could become the geopolitical commodity that decides the war between the US and Iran. The Persian Gulf is gifted with a fabulous hydrocarbon endowment, worth trillions of dollars. What its desertic countries don’t have is

March 9, 2026

[Lee Kyong-hee] ‘Arirang’ to celebrate Korea’s global moment

“On March 21, the world’s biggest band is back!” Netflix’s teaser announces BTS’ upcoming live event at Gwanghwamun Square. The concert will follow the release of the group’s first studio album in more than three years, which drops a day earlier. The 14-track album — as well as the comeback show — is titled “Arirang.” The concert is expected to be viewed worldwide through Netflix’s exclusive live streaming to more than 190 countries. Hundreds of thousands of Armys, as BTS fans are known, from ar

March 9, 2026

[Robert J. Fouser] The deal behind the war

The US and Israel’s attack on Iran on Feb. 28 shocked the world. Within hours, Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, was dead, along with a slew of high-ranking government and military officials. Iran retaliated for the attacks by launching strikes at US interests and other high-profile targets in the region. The war quickly spread with Israel launching attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon. The price of oil spiked and financial markets saw a surge in volatility. The prospect of a long war has rai

March 6, 2026

[Adrian Wooldridge] AI proves 100-year prediction

Great minds go off on odd tangents. In 1930, John Maynard Keynes took time out from thinking about the Great Depression, which was throwing millions out of work, to write a charming essay about the “economic possibilities for our grandchildren.” What would life be like a hundred years hence, he asked. His answer: The depression would prove to be no more than a temporary blip, economic progress would resume its benevolent course, but then the real problems would start. The combination of innovati

March 5, 2026

[Wang Son-taek] Conflicting currents in stormy waters

Last week, the world was reminded that history often moves in two directions at once. The US and Israel carried out military strikes against Iran, followed by Iranian retaliation. At nearly the same time, President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea met President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil to deepen bilateral cooperation. Some weeks earlier, South American nations and the European Union moved forward with a long-negotiated agreement on economic cooperation. One set of events was marked by for

March 5, 2026

[Kim Seong-kon] Jobs not to be replaced by AI

According to the Oxford World Economic Forum's Jobs Report 2025, future jobs will heavily depend on AI. The report says, “technological literacy, particularly AI and big data, alongside cognitive skills like creative thinking, flexibility, and resilience, are critical” from now on. Consequently, there will be significant changes in the job market, as AI will take over many jobs, replacing human workers who do not cope well with radical changes. The report states, “Technology, AI, and automation

March 4, 2026