[Reed Galen] Why Trump can’t win

Donald Trump was the unlikeliest of American presidents. When he launched his campaign in 2016, the closest he had come to executive authority was pretending to fire contestants on a business-themed reality show. As ridiculous as it seemed, the image of Trump sitting behind a massive boardroom table uttering his imitable catchphrase -- “You’re fired” -- convinced millions of American voters, including many who hadn’t voted previously, that he was a man who knew how to get

March 12, 2024

[Grace Kao] What are American BTS Army events like?

“BTS finds you when you need them most.” Army, the name of BTS’ fandom, is likely the largest and most devoted fandom in K-pop. While non-K-pop fans may envision Army as primarily young women who scream and cheer at concerts, fans in fact come from many backgrounds. This is particularly true of American BTS fans, who also find comfort both through the community of fans and the content BTS provides. Earlier this year, I attended two BTS Army cup sleeve events in Connecticut, a s

March 12, 2024

[Jieun Kiaer] Could better English education boost Korea’s birth rate?

I read recently that the average birth rate per woman in South Korea has fallen to 0.72 despite $270 billion in government incentives. Although there are undoubtedly multiple reasons for this, as someone specializing in language education, I began to question whether English language teaching might be a contributing factor. The expression “English Fever,” has often been linked to the well-known phenomenon among South Korean parents who traditionally perceive education as the pathway

March 11, 2024

[Yoo Choon-sik] Worrying signals from 2023 GDP data

South Korea’s economy grew 2.2 percent in real terms during the final quarter of last year compared to the same period in 2022, marking an acceleration from a 1.4 percent rise in the third quarter and bringing growth for the entire of 2023 to 1.4 percent, according to revised data released by the country’s central bank last week. The headline figures looked fine overall, with growth accelerating in the October-December period compared to the preceding quarter, defying fears that Asia

March 11, 2024

[Robert J. Fouser] Conditions for dealing with South Korea’s baby bust

South Korea’s low fertility rate made the news again recently after a government report predicted that the rate would fall to a new low of 0.72 children per woman in 2023. The country’s fertility rate is already the lowest in the world, despite a spate of recent policy initiatives to address the issue. The rate is expected to fall below 0.70 in 2024, which is far below the replacement rate of 2.1 needed to maintain a stable population without any immigration. Though the lowest in the

March 8, 2024

[Wang Son-taek] Election schedules and provocations of North Korea

With April's general election about a month away, predictions of more provocations from North Korea have increased. They say that North Korea is carrying out armed provocations to cause social chaos in South Korea ahead of the general election. Although large-scale South Korea-US joint military drills in March or an annulment of military agreement between the South and the North in November last year are direct factors in heightening military tensions, interpretation using the possible conn

March 7, 2024

[Gernot Wagner] What does Trump mean for the climate?

It is easy to see how Donald Trump’s election to a second term would negatively affect the world’s climate -- and not just the political one. During his first term, more than 125 US environmental rules and policies were rolled back. Trump returning to the White House would be significantly worse for the environment and public health, and the damage would be harder to reverse. However, the technological revolution and fundamental market forces driving the low-carbon transition are too

March 7, 2024

[Kim Seong-kon] Are we on the brink of World War III?

Recently, authoritarian leaders from formerly imperialist countries are threatening the world that they will start World War III if their territorial expansion policy and dream of restoring their glorious past meet challenges from other countries. Accordingly, people are beginning to worry about the possibility of World War III, which could likely be a nuclear war resulting in global annihilation. In The Telegraph, Sherelle Jacobs recently wrote an intriguing article entitled: “World War T

March 6, 2024

[Noah Feldman] Supreme Court buries fantasy of keeping Trump off ballot

The Supreme Court has unanimously concluded that Colorado can’t keep Donald Trump off the ballot. Section 3 of the 14th amendment, which says that a former officeholder who becomes an insurrectionist can’t hold federal office, won’t save us from a potential second Trump presidency. The court correctly rejected what I would call the National Treasure theory of the US Constitution, according to which an obscure, almost discarded provision could have determined the outcome of a pr

March 6, 2024

[Cynthia M. Allen] Tech without morality and IVF ruling

I have spent several days reading coverage of the recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling that recognized extrauterine embryos as children. Then I read the court’s actual decision and found that the two -- the coverage and the ruling -- have almost nothing in common. Headlines decry how the court has effectively “ended in-vitro fertilization” in the state, with breathless reports of clinics closing. Panicked current and prospective IVF parents, even some in Texas are described as &

March 5, 2024

[Mariana Mazzucato, Ilan Strauss] The algorithm and its discontents

In a new lawsuit in the United States against Meta, 41 states and the District of Columbia argue that two of the company’s social-media products -- Instagram and Facebook -- are not just addictive but detrimental to children’s well-being. Meta is accused of engaging in a “scheme to exploit young users for profit,” including by showing harmful content that keeps them glued to their screens. According to one recent poll, 17-year-olds in the US spend 5.8 hours per day on s

March 5, 2024

[Yoo Choon-sik] Chip exports recovery masks deeper issues

South Korea announced robust export figures for February last week, instilling a glimmer of hope that the nation could see an uptick in economic growth this year after enduring one of its lowest rates in modern history. The government emphasized that the surge in semiconductor sales abroad drove the brisk exports in February. On the surface, February's exports grew by just 4.8 percent from a year ago, according to data from the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy. However, the average d

March 4, 2024

[Carl P. Leubsdorf] Ukraine’s battles drag on

Two years after Vladimir Putin sought to wipe it off the European map, Ukraine still stands. But its future remains in doubt. The resistance of House Republicans has stalled the provision of more vital US aid. And the past few months have not been kind to Ukrainian troops on the country’s hundreds of miles of battlefields. That the embattled country still stands is a surprise to both sides -- an unpleasant one to Putin, who was confident his mighty legions could score a quick success, and

March 1, 2024

[Room Tone] Perfect companion to 'honbap' -- 30-minute shows

As a producer in the Korean television industry, I recognize that my competitors are no longer confined to fellow producers within the industry but rather extend to creators in the domains of YouTube, TikTok and video games. As the founder of Netflix once said, his biggest competitors are video games and … sleep. In this age of on-demand everything, everywhere, all at once, the battle for audience engagement has never been more difficult. I will admit that I now find it difficult to compl

Feb. 29, 2024

[Chung Chan-seung] The collapse of trust: South Korea's true health care crisis

"Doctor, are you going on a strike too? Then how should I receive treatment from now on? I have respected doctors all this time, but I was so surprised and disappointed to see doctors leaving their patients behind to strike," a patient receiving treatment for panic disorder asked me. Up until now, the patient and I have had a solid mutual trust relationship. If the task were merely about fixing machines, knowledge and skills would suffice. However, the subject of medical art is not a m

Feb. 29, 2024

[Takatoshi Ito] Japan as No. 4: Wake-up call for Tokyo

Harvard Professor Ezra Vogel’s 1979 book, "Japan as Number One: Lessons for America," became an instant bestseller in Japan. The flattering title certainly helped sales, but it was the book’s central argument – that the Japanese approach to governance and business were superior to others – that really made a splash. At the time, Japan was riding high. Its GDP had grown by about 10 percent annually for most of the 1950s and 1960s, and 4-5 percent during the sec

Feb. 29, 2024

[Kim Seong-kon] Why is ‘The Birth of Korea’ in cinemas now?

A Korean documentary film entitled “The Birth of Korea,” directed by Kim Deog-young, has been the talk of the town lately. The film, which portrays our first president, Syngman Rhee, has reportedly been seen by about 1 million people so far. Especially considering the fact that it is a documentary, not a blockbuster Hollywood film, such a high number of viewers indicates that the film is indeed a huge success. Since Korea’s liberation from Japan in 1945, Korean left-wing poli

Feb. 28, 2024

[Natalie Dunleavy Campbell, Stan Adams] US jeopardizing the open internet

Last October, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) abandoned its longstanding demand for World Trade Organization provisions to protect cross-border data flows, prevent forced data localization, safeguard source codes, and prohibit countries from discriminating against digital products based on nationality. It was a shocking shift: one that jeopardizes the very survival of the open internet, with all the knowledge-sharing, global collaboration, and cross-border commerce that it enables.

Feb. 28, 2024

[Jeffrey Frankel] Americans' pessimism about a strong economy

The United States is in unusually good economic shape nowadays -- no recession in sight. But it seems to be enduring a “vibecession”: public-opinion surveys show broad dissatisfaction with the economy and US President Joe Biden’s stewardship. What explains this disconnect between performance and perception? At least six answers -- some far more credible than others -- have been advanced. The first is that there is no disconnect at all; the positive economic indicators are wro

Feb. 27, 2024

[Grace Kao] The manifold groups of 'Boys Planet'

Even in the world of K-pop, there are second chances. The Mnet idol audition show “Boys Planet” aired from Feb. 2 to April 20, 2023. It featured 98 male trainees (49 from Korea or the “K Group” and 49 non-Koreans/global trainees or the “G Group”) who would compete for praise from celebrity judges and votes from the viewers in Korea and abroad. The top-ranked nine contestants would debut in a new boy group. Audience members could vote for a limited number of

Feb. 27, 2024