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Wed, July 18, 2018 | 13:59

Opinion > Columnists > Andrew Salmon >

Why 'Choi gate' doesn't matter

They came by the thousands, then by the millions. They occupied central Seoul to give voice to righteous indignation. They did it with a remarkable display of peaceful and orderly civic disobedience that has few precedents anywhere, ever. Their thunderous demand was simple: “Down with Park Geun-hye!”

Andrew Salmon | 2016-12-05 16:08

'Choi gate' furies, institutional failures

Korea is fuming. In fact, the country is hopping mad.

Andrew Salmon | 2016-11-07 16:30

Theseus in the shopping mall

It is the most nightmarish of the Greek myths. Theseus travels to Crete, where, for years, male and female youths have been sacrificed to a fearsome beast: the half-man, half-bull Minotaur. The Minotaur resides in a labyrinth - a dark, dank, subterranean maze through which the creature stalks, kills and consumes his victims. Nobody who enters returns alive.

Andrew Salmon | 2016-10-24 16:58

Anti-America, anti-Japan, anti-China?

The waters of the West Sea/Yellow Sea are dangerous - and I am not talking about North Korean gunboats. A South Korea Coast Guard vessel was just sunk after being rammed by Chinese fishing boats. This alarming news follows fatal clashes in 2011 and 2014.

Andrew Salmon | 2016-10-10 16:03

Corporate brainwashing

At the conclusion of the Korean War, 21 Americans and one Briton, all prisoners of war, or POWs, defected to communist China. The free world was shocked. Had Beijing “brainwashed” these young men? Alarm bells rang across America. The CIA instituted a research program blending Nazi and communist psychological torture, hallucinogenic drugs, hypnotism and even, allegedly, such sinister practices as demonology. A popular novel and film, “The Manchurian Candidate,” portrayed a former Korean War POW who is programmed to assassinate the U.S. president.

Andrew Salmon | 2016-09-26 15:59

Taekwondo's triumph in Rio

On Aug. 18, in Rio de Janeiro’s Carioca Arena 3, Ahmad Abughaush made sportive history. After a sizzling final bout against Russia's Alexey Denisenko, the fighter became the first Jordanian athlete to win an Olympic medal, in any discipline, at any Olympics, ever. The same evening, Iranian Kimia Alizadeh Zenoorin became the first female Iranian athlete to achieve that same feat.

Andrew Salmon | 2016-08-29 16:28

Immigration hordes

It had been a tremendous vacation: A relaxed week in France with family, then another week in the UK with friends. The weather has been fine, the food excellent, the company convivial - just the kind of thing to loosen the body, relax the mind and fortify the soul.

Andrew Salmon | 2016-08-15 17:06

Time to sex up Hanbok

Taiwan, 1959. A reporter for “The Korea Republic” (the predecessor of an English language publication that exists today) visited a museum in Taipei.

Andrew Salmon | 2016-08-01 16:46

Pigs, dogs and journalists

It's big news. A senior education ministry official, Na Hyang-wook, speaking pompously in a boozy meeting with journalists, likened the public to “pigs and dogs.” Several reporters were present, but only one, from a leftist newspaper, dared report Na's comments. A public uproar resulted and Na was flagellated and fired.

Andrew Salmon | 2016-07-18 16:53

Inaccurate slogan, uncreative officials

Yet again, Korea is being rebranded. We have the brilliant minds at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to thank for - fanfare, please - the new national slogan “Creative Korea.” This initiative raises several questions. Firstly: Do we really need a rebrand, given that the old (though underused) international brand, “Dynamic Korea,” still remains so relevant for most sectors of economy and society?

Andrew Salmon | 2016-07-11 16:08

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