[Editorial] Misguided response

The emergency martial law declared by President Yoon Suk Yeol was lifted just six hours after it was announced. Martial law ended as a mere incident, but the nation is in shock. It is hard to gauge how far its consequences will go. Yoon proclaimed martial law Tuesday night, saying that it was aimed at eradicating pro-North Korean forces and protecting the constitutional order of freedom. The martial law command issued a decree banning all political activities. People were perplexed at the sudden

Dec. 5, 2024

[Wang Son-taek] Why is democracy of South Korea so strong?

I was a 14-year-old boy when former President Park Chung-hee was assassinated in October 1979, and emergency martial law was issued. The martial law was imprinted on me as a fear that I could be shot dead if I left the house. I saw soldiers on TV equipped with guns deployed on the streets of Gwanghwamun, Seoul. I'm sure all Koreans my age have kept similar uncomfortable fears in their memories. When I heard the martial law news about 11 p.m. on Tuesday, I felt a chill flowing throughout m

Dec. 4, 2024

South Korean Cabinet votes to end martial law

President Yoon Suk Yeol convened a Cabinet meeting early Wednesday and formally approved the lifting of the martial law he declared just hours earlier, following the National Assembly’s vote. This put an end to the six-hour chaos that erupted after President Yoon declared martial law on Tuesday night against "anti-state forces" within the country, imposing a nationwide ban on assembly and political activities among others. The Prime Minister’s Office said the Cabinet voted

Dec. 4, 2024

[Catherine Thorbecke] US should not restart the China Initiative

Donald Trump’s return to the White House is stoking fears that he could reinstate a failed program launched during his first term that aimed to crack down on Chinese espionage, but ended up becoming more of a witch-hunt. Doing so would not only be destructive to American innovation, but give China an upper-hand in the tech race. The China Initiative, launched in 2018, was an extensive national security effort intended to prevent intellectual property theft and the transfer of US technologi

Dec. 4, 2024

[Editorial] Corporate belt-tightening

South Korea’s stock market index has declined for five straight months since July, marking the unusually long downward streak that reminds investors of major market upheavals in the past. Problems are not limited to the stock market. Korean companies are trying to grapple with the looming challenges in trade and business environments by tightening their belts or delaying their investment plans in the face of growing uncertainties. Two surveys released recently reflect the deepening worry a

Dec. 4, 2024

Full text of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol agreeing to lift martial law

Below is a full, unofficial translation of President Yoon Suk Yeol's statement issued on Wednesday, announcing that the declaration of emergency martial law is lifted. Last night at 11 p.m., I declared a state of emergency martial law with a determined will to save the nation, in response to anti-state forces that were paralyzing the essential functions of the state and undermining the liberal democratic constitutional order. However, just a moment ago, the National Assembly requested t

Dec. 4, 2024

[Photo News] 10 years of Shinhan Future's Lab

Shinhan Financial Group marked the 10th anniversary of its tech startup support program, Shinhan Future's Lab, with a gathering in Seoul on Monday. Chairman Jin Ok-dong hosted an alumni meeting of the decade-long program, under the theme "Run To:gather." Participants shared their experiences and celebrated companies that have successfully partnered with the group and its subsidiaries on Shinhan's digital initiatives through an awards ceremony. Since its launch in 2015, the Fu

Dec. 3, 2024

[해커스 TEPS] 텝스 시험대비 단기간 고득점 단어 & 문법 5문제

2) 해커스 텝스 문법 Part Ⅰ Choose the best answer for the blank. 1. A: Why did the boss call you in? B: He asked __________ the new timetable. (a) how I am to deal with us (b) me with how we are dealing (c) me we are dealing with how (d) me how we are dealing with 해석 A: 상사가 당신을 왜 불러냈던 거에요? B: 그는 저에게 우리가 새 일정표를 어떻게 다루고 있는지 물어봤어요. 해설 간접 의문문 어순 채우기 ‘ask + 간접목적어(me) + 직접목적어(~에게 –을 물어보다)’의 구조로 직접목적어는 의문사절이다. 의문사절은 간접의문문의 구조가 되어야 하므로 ‘간접 목적어(me) + 의문사(how) + 주어(we) + 동사(are

Dec. 3, 2024

[Sławomir Sierakowski] Has Angela Merkel no shame?

When Angela Merkel left the German chancellorship in December 2021, after 16 years in power, she had a credible claim to being one of the greatest politicians of the 21st century (so far). Now, after three years of deafening silence, and with her legacy in shambles, she is promoting her forthcoming political memoir. Her silence was more persuasive. She gave her first interview to the German weekly Der Spiegel, defending major policies that helped to shape Germany and Europe as we know them today

Dec. 3, 2024

[Joseph E. Stiglitz] The Democrats’ only option

As the shock of Donald Trump’s victory sinks in, pundits and politicians are mulling what it means for the future of the United States and global politics. Understanding why such a divisive, unqualified figure won again is crucial for the Democrats. Did they go too far left and lose the moderate Americans who make up a majority? Or did centrist neoliberalism -- pursued by Democratic presidents since Bill Clinton -- fail to deliver, thus creating a demand for change? To me, the answer is cl

Dec. 3, 2024