The Korea Times

To aliens, human wisdom is unbelievable

By Tom Purcell Last week a whistleblower testified before Congress, alleging that federal officials have concealed evidence of unidentified flying objects from the public for decades.I'm not sure why advanced beings would want to talk to us, but if they came today, I imagine their visit might go something like this:“Take me to your leader!” the small, gray being with a large, light bulb-shaped head says to me.“He's taking a nap,” I say. “We're not sure he's really in charge, anyhow.”“Then take me to who is in charge,” says the alien.“Nobody's sure about that, either.”“But I have important questions about your government and your people,” says the alien. “I wish to gather any wisdom that your people can teach me.”After I stop laughing, I offer to do my best to help the creature understand human nature.“Explain to me how your government works,” says the alien.“I'm not sure anyone can fully explain that,” I say, “but I'll give it a go.”The alien nods, genuinely curious, and I continue.“My country's founders were very distrustful of government because they feared that some wicked humans

Aug 14, 2023By Shim Jae-yun

Travel & Food

Boracay offers optimum environment for wellness leave

White Beach on the Philippine resort island of Boracay provides a spectacular sunset. Korea Times photo by Shim Jae-yunBy Shim Jae-yunBORACAY, the Philippines ― Fatigued by stressful daily routines, we may feel tempted to take a cozy rest in a quiet and clean place. It would be better if such leaves with potentially tedious itineraries are occasionally sparked by dynamic outdoor activities. Boracay is renowned for its scenic beaches that attract tourists from around the globe. Enthralling sunsets, emerald-colored seawater, fine sand and hopping tours make Boracay a heaven for tourists. Boracay is the most frequented travel destination among more than 7,600 islands of the Philippines. It ranked ninth out of the top 20 islands in the world in the 29th in the World Travel Awards in 2022. Diverse convenience facilities, such as luxurious resorts and well-serviced hotels offering various cuisines, add to the pleasure of travelers.The island's residents who we encountered appeared happy with broad smiles. In the downtown area, many roads were under repair and maintenance with signs that re

Jun 29, 2023By Shim Jae-yun

Boracay offers optimum environment for wellness leave

Opinion

Time is not on China's side

By Shim Jae-yunAs a managing editor of The Korea Times (2018-2020), I met with Chinese Ambassador to Korea Xing Haiming many times during various events. At that time, in a very casual atmosphere, we had candid conversations on various topics. I felt a friendliness toward him as he was well-acquainted with Korean affairs and, among others, seemed to harbor deep affection toward Korea and its people. Xing studied at a university in North Korea.It was somewhat shocking to me when I heard Xing made a seemingly “reckless” remark that he should not have said during his meeting with main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung. First of all, Lee should not have taken such a humiliating low-key attitude of politicking to take advantage of Xing's status, regarding his attack against the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's move to approve Japan's bid to release contaminated water from Fukushima into the sea. Lee might have attempted to neutralize the ruling camp's offensives at his numerous apparent criminal acts surrounding land development and other corru

Jun 28, 2023By Shim Jae-yun

Editorial

ED Stern warning for Korea Inc.

Appalling future scenario due to rapid demographic decline Three major global credit ratings agencies have all come to the same appallingly dismal conclusion regarding the future of Korea Inc. They forecast that Korea will face its worst economic situation by 2050, as a result of its rapid demographic aging. They said that the looming crisis will result due to potentially weakened economic growth, paired with snowballing state debts, which are a consequence of a fast rise in fiscal spending on pensions and medical insurance coverage. They cautioned that the nation will be downgraded to junk status should it fail to press for reforms concerning aging-related policies as soon as possible.The ratings agencies have thus far regarded “aging” as a mid-to-long-term factor, not an immediate one. Yet aging has emerged as a key factor in determining the state's credit in light of the growing impact it has on state debt amid the continued hikes of interest rates. The agencies picked Korea as one of the most vulnerable countries among 81 major economies in the world, citing its unprecedented spe

May 22, 2023By Shim Jae-yun

Opinion

Let me tell a story about Tucker Carlson

By Dick Polman I want to tell you a story about Tucker Carlson, the serial liar and useful Putin idiot who has now pulled off the hat trick of being fired by three media outlets: CNN (in 2005), MSNBC (in 2008), and Fox News (this week, without warning).Since nobody with real knowledge has yet surfaced to explain why he was summarily yanked off his primetime perch, I'll content myself with this traipse down memory lane.Back in 2009, Tucker was feted as a guest speaker in the august quarters of St. Anthony Hall ― a University of Pennsylvania fraternity heavily populated by comely young preppies dressed in rep ties and blazers and beige chinos. They all looked like Tucker, albeit several decades younger; it was a veritable callback to a bygone era when WASP bros ruled the land. The frat brothers signaled their approval for Tucker not by clapping, but by snapping their fingers. Whenever he got off a good line, I felt like I was dwelling in a forest of crickets.This line was a finger-snapper: “I'm a radical small government guy.”Right, because it's “small government” to defend and celebra

May 4, 2023By Shim Jae-yun

Opinion

Elected leaders in Israel, Poland, and Hungary are following the 'autocrat's playbook'

By Trudy Rubin A couple of weeks ago, as I moderated a discussion at the University of Pennsylvania's Perry World House on the heated battle to control Israel's courts, the talk turned to “the elected autocrat's playbook.”That snappy political science term refers to steps taken by elected officials in ongoing democracies like Israel to undermine democracy by democratic means.Government efforts to politicize Israel's courts fit right into the so-called playbook. Israel is effectively imitating similar steps taken by elected autocrats in Poland and Hungary (whose antisemitic leader, Viktor Orban, is openly admired by Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump, and the Republican Party).The playbook also perfectly describes what Trump and his imitators tried to do when he was in office, and what they still advocate in pre-2024 campaign efforts. Mercifully, the complex U.S. political system has made the playbook harder to follow, but the efforts won't stop.So it's worthwhile to check out the playbook's rules, step by step.“There is a pretty standard elected autocrat's playbook,” explained

Apr 13, 2023By Shim Jae-yun

Elected leaders in Israel, Poland, and Hungary are following the 'autocrat's playbook'

Opinion

'Sugar-coated poison pill'

By Shim Jae-yunThe U.S. CHIPS and Science Act has triggered ferocious controversy here, placing major chip firms into a serious dilemma. The Biden administration cannot deflect criticism for demanding seemingly “unfeasible” requirements on the companies winning subsidies by investing in America. Media outlets in the U.S. and its allies such as South Korea and Taiwan are crying foul at the act.The U.S. has unveiled the act with which it aims to dominate the global semiconductor sector comprising all processes from design through to manufacturing. Yet the ambitious bid has faced a fierce backlash from the beginning. U.S. President Joe Biden is most accountable for triggering the dispute. The U.S. Department of Commerce announced conditions for subsidies for the $53 billion act late last month. Under the guidance, the grants should be offered first to firms helping the U.S. to develop state-of-the-art weapons. And the firms receiving more than $150 million will have to pay excess profits (up to 75 percent of the subsidy) to the U.S. administration and offer information regar

Mar 8, 2023By Shim Jae-yun

Opinion

Quantum mechanics, semiconductors and Buddhism

By Shim Jae-yunQuantum mechanics has emerged as a state-of-the-art trend in the scientific world. Thanks to steady yet brilliant developments in nanotechnology, this results in a phenomenal technology that can be directly applied to the real world. For starters, the technology encompasses the use of passwords, semiconductors, and sensors. It can be regarded as surpassing Einstein's theory of relativity. As a non-science major, simply out of curiosity, I browsed through a variety of data on this subject. Interestingly enough, beyond being a simple scientific theory, I came to realize that quantum mechanics contains a fundamental theory of physics that applies to both humans and the entire universe. More interesting to me, as a journalist, this theory contains principles that apply to various essential technologies that could enable the upward progress of civilization such as semiconductors, which some call the “rice or oil” of industry. The atom is the smallest unit of matter in the universe. In quantum mechanics, an atomic nucleus and electrons constitute an atom. For ex

Jan 18, 2023By Shim Jae-yun

Quantum mechanics, semiconductors and Buddhism

Opinion

Muddled politics of US inflation

By Kaushik BasuWASHINGTON, D.C. ― Rising inflation has put the United States on edge. While much of the focus so far has rightly been on the pain that price increases inflict on ordinary Americans, many are concerned about the long-term political effects. With polls suggesting that angry voters will likely hand Republicans control of one or both houses of Congress in the U.S. midterm elections, today's inflationary surge may affect U.S. politics long after price pressures ease.But popular anger reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the forces driving inflation in the U.S. and beyond. For starters, while the level varies from country to country, today's inflation is a global phenomenon. Annual consumer-price inflation is at 8.2 percent in the US, 10.1 percent in the United Kingdom, 10.4 percent in Germany, and 11.9 percent in Italy. Among emerging and developing economies in Asia, year-on-year inflation is at 5.7 percent in South Korea, 7.4 percent in India, and 85.5 percent (not a typo) in Turkey.While the current outlook for the world economy is undoubtedly grim, we must not lo

Nov 8, 2022By Shim Jae-yun

Opinion

NASA studying UFOs won't prove alien life exists. They should do it anyway

By Adam FrankThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced last month that its new panel to study Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) ― i.e. Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) ― was staffed up and ready to get working. The panel is impressive, including planetary scientists, astrophysicists, experts from the Federal Aviation Administration, data scientists and a celebrated astronaut. I have worked with a few of these scientists, and the group represents a stellar collection (pun intended) of smart, creative people with high scientific integrity. But what, exactly, are these scientists supposed to be doing in the contentious domain of UFOs? More importantly, is this really something that NASA should give time and money, potentially risking the agency's credibility?The truth is, this group's nine-month study is unlikely to determine conclusively what these phenomena are. But NASA's pursuit can provide a transparent case study of how science is done on a subject full of unknowns. And the discussion can highlight the remarkable progress being made in the scientific s

Nov 3, 2022By Shim Jae-yun

Shim Jae-yun

Read more

To aliens, human wisdom is unbelievable

Boracay offers optimum environment for wellness leave

Time is not on China's side

ED Stern warning for Korea Inc.

Let me tell a story about Tucker Carlson

Elected leaders in Israel, Poland, and Hungary are following the 'autocrat's playbook'

'Sugar-coated poison pill'

Quantum mechanics, semiconductors and Buddhism

Muddled politics of US inflation

NASA studying UFOs won't prove alien life exists. They should do it anyway

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