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bernard Rowan

Workweek Reforms Half-Baked

Among OECD countries, South Korea's workers toil more hours but currently aren't as productive. Surely, part of the South's ascent came from the zillions of hours Korean men and women toiled on production floors, in government offices, and other places of work. Progress doesn't happen on one's laurels!

2018-01-02 16:39

Thaw the Freeze for Freeze

China's proposal of a “freeze for freeze” deserves some comment. I'll eventually say it needs a thaw. China claims to want a nonnuclear peninsula. Never mind her nukes or those of America and other players. China proposes the North halt her nuclear tests (freeze) in exchange for the U.S. and South Korea ending their military exercises (for freeze). Trump claims Xi knows it's a nonstarter. The Chinese government continues to state it as a serious proposal. The North needs to agree but has already shown its contempt for the idea.

Park Yoon-bae | 2017-12-18 16:27

A Trump retrospective

Should I write a Trump retrospective, even a limited one? I'm talking about a retrospective of his recent swing through Asia. I think what we've seen with Trump's Asia Tour is just about all we're going to get. It's a Duke's mixture at best.

2017-12-05 16:17

Future of Korea and orphans

The future of Korea rests with the future of her orphans. That's not a typical byline for a column or expert statement. However, I'd argue it's the truth. The greatness of a culture this century depends on advancement of society's most vulnerable social groups. Orphans depend on others. Korea's orphans are people and have rights in need of greater care and support. So do their moms.

2017-11-21 17:39

Ginkgos of Sungkyunkwan

Many people know about Samsung, the Korean chaebol of technological renown, global success, and economic might that is “everywhere.” Some people know Samsung is a major partner with Sungkyunkwan University, Asia’s oldest institute of higher education. But too few people know about Sungkyunkwan’s ginkgo trees. The ginkgos symbolize Korea’s endurance and vitality. My column concerns the nearly 500-year-old ginkgo trees, Natural Monument No. 59. We can find them in the beautiful complex of Confucian buildings also called Sungkyunkwan at the foot of the Seoul campus next to Daehangno. They crown...

2017-11-07 17:43

Trump won't attack

As if the Kim Jong-un era didn’t seem bad enough, now we have the era of Donald Trump as American president. These two chief executives have treated the public to an exchange of insults, taunts, and threats that leave many struggling to understand the prospect of war on the peninsula. Some see the American president as poised to attack the North. Many worry about the North’s response to any pre-emptive strike.

2017-10-24 17:10

Joseonjok and reunification

Have we thought about the Joseonjok lately? This term refers to the people living in Northeast China who are of Korean ethnicity and ancestry. The Joseonjok live in the provinces of Liaoning, Heilongjiang, and Jilin. The Yanbian autonomous prefecture in Jilin is a famous area. The Chinese government recognizes them as a minority nationality, part of the Zhonghua minzu. There are around 2 million Joseonjok. Many Joseonjok come to South Korea and may toil as seasonal workers. I’ve read that marriages between South Korean men and Joseonjok are now popular. I think the Joseonjok suffer discrimin...

2017-10-10 18:10

Moon and local autonomy

President Moon Jae-in has said Korea must do more to develop local governments. By that I hope he means more than just tourism and economic development, and he will further the basis for and culture of local autonomy in South Korea. What is local autonomy? Do Koreans need it today? There are three basic forms of national government: unitary, confederal and federal. Most countries have a unitary form of government. The central or national government exercises all powers except those delegated by the central government to states, provinces, cities, and other units of more local authority. Conf...

2017-09-26 16:58

Mara Island or Marado marks the southernmost point of South Korea, roughly 11 kilometers from the popular Jeju Island. Mara Island is popular, as a place of natural beauty, solitude for walking and reflection, and as a place of the famous haenyeo or diving grandmas. We need to think about Mara Island and cultivate its natural beauty and potential. Mara Island’s population is small, in part because the island is so small, less than a quarter square mile. One can reach Mara by ferry from Jeju. There’s plenty to see and do there. I enjoy walking around the island. It doesn’t take that long to c...

2017-09-12 17:31

Up from the DMZ!

These days I think of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) as a negative symbol and don’t like it. Oh, I don’t mean any disrespect to the lives of soldiers and civilians past and present or to the significant investments of South Korea and the United States. So many men and women support the presence. Many provide layers of support surrounding the DMZ. The Zone remains a buffer between North and South Korea. It’s part of the armistice that ended open hostilities of the Korean War. This bloody chapter in modern history continues nonetheless. It continues because the war hasn’t ended. There’s no peace...

2017-08-15 17:50

North Korea backs off Guam threat

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