Opinion & Editorials

Editorials, columns, and expert opinions on South Korea's economy, politics, and society.

Korea Has 3 to 5 Years to Lock In SMR Supply Chain, Professor Warns

Kyung Hee University professor Kim Hyung-dae says Korea has only three to five years to secure an irreplaceable role in the global SMR supply chain....

Published 2026.09.19. 08:00:05 |

Paris Bookstores Pose a Question About AI's Future

Paris keeps its kiosks and neighborhood bookstores alive through policy, raising a question about who will keep creating the content AI learns from....

Published 2026.09.19. 05:00:05 |

Higher M&A Hurdles Risk Stalling Korea's Industrial Restructuring

Korea's revived mandatory tender offer rule and slower merger reviews could raise deal costs and delay industrial restructuring....

Published 2026.09.19. 24:01:05 |

Korea Extends Fuel Price Caps Again, Needs Exit Plan

Korea extended its petroleum price ceiling for a seventh month and its fuel tax cut through November, with subsidies set to reach 5.6 trillion won thi...

Published 2026.09.19. 24:01:05 |

Lee Vows to Heed Public Will, but Policy Shift Must Follow

President Lee Jae-myung pledged to heed public sentiment but offered no decisions on indictments, the cabinet reshuffle or housing as his approval hit...

Published 2026.09.19. 24:01:05 |

Time to Rethink Lawmakers Serving as Cabinet Ministers

Korean lawmakers serving as cabinet ministers is legal but clashes with constitutional intent and weakens the separation of powers....

Published 2026.09.18. 06:00:05 |

U.S. Midterms Will Change Who Signs Korea's Factory Deals

U.S. midterms on Nov. 3 will replace many of the governors, attorneys general and utility commissioners who decide incentives and power rates for Kore...

Published 2026.09.18. 05:00:05 | Updated 2026.09.18. 07:54:16 |

Why Americans Should Be Wary of the 'Trump Dividend'

Trump's promised $5,000 dividend would fuel inflation and add over $1 trillion to U.S. debt without fixing household budget pressures....

Published 2026.09.18. 05:00:05 |

Ruling Party Forces Through Justice Minister Nominee's Report

The Democratic Party forced through the confirmation report for Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won despite 52.1% public opposition....

Published 2026.09.18. 24:03:05 |

Korea Must Not Waste Its Window in U.S.-China Tech Race

Speakers at Future Conference 2026 said Korea must use the U.S.-China tech rivalry and its $350 billion U.S. investment as an opportunity....

Published 2026.09.18. 24:02:05 |

Fed's First Rate Hike in Three Years Tests Korea's Debt Defenses

The Fed raised rates 0.25 point on the 16th, its first hike in three years, leaving Korea exposed with household debt above 2,000 trillion won....

Published 2026.09.18. 24:01:05 |

The Real Price of One Mile

Korean Air and Asiana finalized their mileage merger on the 15th, with Asiana miles keeping current terms for 10 years....

Published 2026.09.17. 17:17:47 |

Ruling Party Urges Safeguards as Farmland Audit Sows Panic

Korea's ruling party urges safeguards in a farmland audit, while the health minister says doctors won't be punished for prescribing the abortion pill…...

Published 2026.09.17. 17:17:25 |

Korea's Precariat: Why Young Adults Are Turning on the Government

Korea's young adults face a 46-month drop in employment and a 27.7% homeownership rate, fueling anger at the government....

Published 2026.09.17. 06:00:05 |

Preventing Wildfires Matters More Than Fighting Them

Europe's megafires show wildfire policy must shift from suppression to prevention, with forest fuel management cutting both damage and firefighting co...

Published 2026.09.17. 05:00:05 |

Crypto Tax in January? Fix the Rules First

Korea plans to tax cryptocurrency gains from January, but rules on acquisition cost, lending income and loss carryforward remain unsettled....

Published 2026.09.17. 24:02:05 |

Seoul Should Overhaul Its Bus Subsidy System

Seoul's bus strike was averted, but the ordinary wage dispute remains — it is time to redesign the semi-public bus subsidy system....

Published 2026.09.17. 24:01:05 |

Both Parties Push Tax Credit for EVs; Swift Legislation Is Key

Lawmakers from both Korean parties want electric vehicles added to the domestic production tax credit as Chinese EVs take 39% of the local market....

Published 2026.09.17. 24:00:05 |

Korea Builds Data Highways So AI Does Not Lose Its Way

Korea's National Data Agency is building AI-friendly metadata and ontology so AI can draw on official statistics instead of inaccurate internet data....

Published 2026.09.16. 18:10:14 |

Mozart's Ninth Piano Concerto and a Nickname That Was Never Real

Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 9, K. 271, broke concerto convention in 1776 — and its "Jeunehomme" nickname came from a 1912 guess later proven wrong....

Published 2026.09.16. 18:09:43 |