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Narrow social differences, promote integration The deaths of two public figures, leaders in their time and of our time, have opened a gaping divide in Korean society. A schism along fault lines has surfaced over the deaths of former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon and Korean War hero Paik Sun-yup, forcing us into soul searching. Park Won-soon's funeral was held Monday amid controversy about the city g..

North Korea calls for US to drop 'hostility policy' It is still premature to expect North Korea to return to nuclear talks with the U.S. anytime soon. Pyongyang, however, appears to be cautious in not totally ruling out any possibility of resuming dialogue with Washington before the November U.S. presidential election. Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said Friday that ..

Increase home supply to curb speculation The Moon Jae-in administration announced its 22nd set of anti-speculative housing measures Friday to put the brakes on ever-rising home prices. The move came less than a month after the government's June 17 package failed to produce the desired results. The new steps are focused on imposing steeper taxes on owners of two or more homes. Policymakers stress..

Foreign friends doing business in Korea often ask me “Can I trust Korean Courts?” When we go to a foreign country for the first time and wonder whether we can drink tap water, the best answer is to see whether the local people drink tap water. Then, let's see how trustworthy the Koreans find the courts here. Last year, the OECD surveyed 37 member countries by asking how many of every 1,000 peopl..

It is time to find ways to end tragic choices Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon was found dead in the Mount Bugak area near his official residence more than seven hours after his daughter reported him missing. His sudden death has shocked the nation because of its possible links to allegations of sexual harassment. Police are looking into the death of the mayor; but at the same time acknowledged that a ..

Expectations rise for EV biz partnership among Korean giants The industrial alliance between Hyundai Motor and the nation's three battery makers is taking shape, after Group Executive Vice Chairman Chung Euisun and SK Group Chey Tae-won discussed cooperation in the electric vehicle (EV) business Tuesday. The heir apparent of the giant automotive group had similar meetings with Samsung Electronic..

Surge in chip demand helped to turn crisis into opportunity Samsung Electronics showed a stronger-than-expected performance in the second quarter, getting over unfavorable factors caused by the coronavirus pandemic. In a preliminary earnings report released Tuesday, the global tech giant projected its second-quarter operating profit would exceed 8 trillion won ($6.7 billion). This is a 25-percen..

Toughen sentencing guidelines for digital sex crimes quickly The Seoul High Court rejected an extradition request from the United States, Monday, for Son Jong-woo, the convicted operator of the world's largest child porn site. Son, 24, was released after the decision that generated intense public outrage. He had served his entire 18-month sentence as of April but remained in custody pending a de..

Violence in sports must not be condoned under any circumstances A young triathlete took her own life June 26 after enduring years of abuse by her coach, physiotherapist and teammates. Right before her death, Choi Sook-hyun, 22, sent a message to her mother expressing her love and saying, “Please reveal their sins.” Her final words seemed to illustrate a frustration at the lack of action after sh..

Talks with N. Korea will require acute coordination President Moon Jae-in's bigger-than-expected reshuffle of his security team sends the clearest message yet that he will restart the endangered Korea peace process and mediate U.S.-North Korean talks. His choice of Park Jie-won as National Intelligence Service (NIS) director-nominee was the big giveaway. Park was instrumental in bringing about t..