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Thu, September 21, 2017 | 05:06

Opinion > Editorial >

U.S. President Donald Trump used fiery rhetoric in his first United Nations speech but hit an unexpected tone - authoritative and responsible, fitting for the leader of the free world. It was an above-average speech, indicating Trump has grown into the job that was feared to be too big for him at the start.

Editorial | 2017-09-20 17:00

Trump's speech no prelude to military action

For independent probes

The government announced Monday a plan to establish a ministry-level office to exclusively investigate crimes by high-ranking civil servants including the President, prime minister, ministers, lawmakers, judges, prosecutors and military generals. Under the plan, the office will have 122 investigators, including 30 to 50 prosecutors, with the authority to indict suspects independently from the state prosecution.

Editorial | 2017-09-20 16:56

Extra dementia care

A new government program will boost support for dementia patients and their families. The Ministry of Health and Welfare’s plan includes creating 205 new care centers across the country in the next five years and more clinics specializing in dementia as well as increasing insurance coverage for dementia patients. Currently, 10 percent of people aged 70 and over have dementia. More state care for dementia patients had been one of President Moon Jae-in’s campaign pledges as a way of preparing for a super-aged society.

Editorial | 2017-09-19 17:02

Two-faced giant

Chinese President Xi Jinping, with a gentle smile and welcoming presence, charmed foreign participants at the Davos forum in Switzerland this past January. “Please come to China, the guardian of free trade, and invest in our country,” Xi said. Last week, Lotte Mart decided to withdraw from China, as 87 of its 112 stores had their business suspended. Lotte’s losses from its Chinese operation are estimated to snowball to 1 trillion won ($882 million) by the end of this year. Hyundai-Kia Motors’ sales in the world’s No. 2 economy have halved, with other distribution and cosmetics companies also...

Editorial | 2017-09-19 16:48

Trump tweet fuss

Mistranslation could have set back Moon ties It was not a matter of gain or loss in translation but a total invention that almost sent the relationship between the leaders of South Korea and the United States to a new low. U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted after a telephone conversation with President Moon Jae-in Sunday, “Long gas lines forming in North Korea. Too bad.” A Korean news agency mistranslated it and reported that Trump expressed regret over Moon’s proposal for a trans-North Korea gas pipeline during his recent summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Rep....

Editorial | 2017-09-18 16:58

Cyber witch hunt

An anonymous woman’s post on social media about a Seoul bus driver a week ago shows how spreading unverified information about a specific person in cyberspace may destroy one’s whole life in a few hours.

Editorial | 2017-09-18 16:56

Moon's personnel disasters

Cheong Wa Dae should improve appointment system President Moon Jae-in has enjoyed soaring public support since the beginning of his term, but his popularity has been waning in recent weeks. A poll released on Sept. 15 showed that his job approval rating, which once surpassed 80 percent, had dropped to 69 percent. In the last month, various surveys showed that Moon’s rating has been on a consistent downward trend. Since he took office in a snap election in May, Moon has done some good work, but he has also underperformed in some key areas of state affairs. His weakest areas have been na...

Editorial | 2017-09-17 17:16

Lotte's pullout from China

China’s retaliation against Korean businesses over Seoul’s deployment of a U.S. missile defense system has been taking a toll on Lotte’s China operations. Lotte Mart has reportedly decided to withdraw from China due to snowballing losses. Lotte Group has been a primary target of China’s retaliation after the retail giant provided the government with the site for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, in a land swap deal.

Editorial | 2017-09-17 17:15

NK state of mind

North Korea launched another long-range missile across Japan Friday morning. The Friday shot flew 3,700 kilometers at the highest altitude of 770 kilometers before crashing into the Pacific. The previous shot on Aug. 29 flew 1,000 kilometers shorter with the altitude 220 kilometers lower. Both were believed to be Hwasong-12 type, intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM). Between the two missile launches, the North conducted what it claimed was a hydrogen bomb test Sept. 3. Why did the North fire a missile with an extended range that could reach Guam, the U.S. territory in the Pacific?

Editorial | 2017-09-15 16:33

Let young people work

As a candidate, Moon Jae-in vowed to become the “jobs president.” Upon election, President Moon checked the daily creation of jobs by hanging a digital board on the wall of his Cheong Wa Dae office. Last month, however, Korea added only 212,000 jobs, marking the lowest monthly gain since February 2013, when it hit 201,000. The nation’s jobless rate remained steady at 3.6 percent but the unemployment rate for young people, ages 15 to 29, was 9.4 percent, the highest among all August numbers since 1999, in the wake of Asian financial crisis.

Editorial | 2017-09-15 16:29

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