Opinion - The Korea Times

Snow and calcium chloride

This winter has been pretty cold. In addition, it snowed quite a bit from time to time. The sight of snow blanketing the streets and rooftops is undeniably picturesque. But the reality beneath that beauty is far less romantic. Snow and ice bring dangers such as slippery roads, treacherous sidewalks and the constant risk of accidents. For decades, the solution has been straightforward: spread calcium chloride. It is cheap, effective and fast. Yet the more we rely on this chemical, the more we must confront the hidden costs we incur. Calcium chloride works by lowering the freezing point of water, melting ice even in subzero conditions. This makes it far more effective than simple shoveling or sand. Municipal governments, apartment complexes and businesses all use it liberally, often without much thought. I myself was fooled one morning, stepping out of my apartment and thinking the night had brought another slight snowfall, only to realize it was calcium chloride spread by the management office. The problem is not its effectiveness but its overuse. Statistics have shown that Korea spreads

Feb 9, 2026By Sho Chang-young

ED Proxy adviser or de facto rule-setter?

A planned seminar in Seoul by Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) has exposed an uncomfortable truth about modern capital markets: The distance between advice and authority has become dangerously thin. Although ISS portrays the event as a technical briefing on its publicly available voting policies, the setting, timing and sponsorship highlight how proxy advisers increasingly operate as de facto rule-setters, without the obligations that normally accompany such power. ISS will hold its first Korea-focused seminar on Feb. 12 at IFC Seoul, just as listed companies and investors are preparing for their annual general meetings. These meetings determine the fate of board members, executive pay packages, restructuring plans and shareholder proposals. Hosting a policy seminar at precisely this moment is not neutral in effect, regardless of intent. It places ISS at the center of decision-making during the most consequential period of the corporate calendar. The event is being organized by Bside Korea, a shareholder engagement platform that has become closely associated with Korea’s acti

Feb 8, 2026By Shim Jae-yun

[ED] Proxy adviser or de facto rule-setter?

It will take more than bombs and missiles to fix Iran

It’s impossible to know whether the U.S. president will carry out his threats to strike Iran, how the regime might retaliate or what the long-term fallout would be. What’s surer is that neutering the threat posed by Iran and encouraging a better future for its people will take more than bombs and missiles. With possible talks in flux, worries about a U.S. attack are rising. Early last month, the president warned the Iranian government not to repress protesters flooding the streets of Tehran and other cities, then failed to respond when security forces slaughtered thousands of them. With a carrier strike group now in the region and assets being moved into place to defend U.S. bases and allies against Iranian missiles, his options have increased. The goal of any action, however, remains something of a mystery. Would it be to topple the regime? To degrade what’s left of Iran’s nuclear program and missile-making capacity? To punish the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its street paramilitaries, who led the recent crackdown? To prove that White House threats aren’t empty? Whi

Feb 8, 2026

ED Synergy between gov't, biz should extend to National Assembly

This week, President Lee Jae Myung and CEOs of the nation's top 10 conglomerates met yet again, leading to a pledge to create an estimated 51,600 jobs, of which 34,200 will be entry-level positions this year. The conglomerate leaders responded positively to the president's request that they play a role in expanding the employment of young adults in Korea. The CEOs also vowed to invest up to 300 trillion won ($206 billion) for regional development, answering the president's call to increase spending in areas beyond the Seoul metropolitan area. The CEOs present included Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong; Hyundai Motor Executive Chair Chung Euisun; LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo; Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin; and Poongsan Group Chairman Ryu Jin, who also serves as chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries. They are on the front line of the Korean economy, which is currently fueled by strong exports of semiconductors and automobiles. The Lee administration has worked closely with the CEOs to hammer out the bilateral tariff deal with the United States last year,

Feb 6, 2026

[ED] Synergy between gov't, biz should extend to National Assembly

ED Tariff brinkmanship harms alliance

The recent tariff threat issued by U.S. President Donald Trump is shifting rapidly from rhetoric to reality. Despite a series of urgent visits to Washington by Korea’s top foreign affairs and trade officials, Seoul has failed to secure assurances that the threatened tariff hike, raising duties on Korean vehicles and other imports from 15 percent back to 25 percent, will be withdrawn. Reports that the U.S. administration is proceeding with internal steps to formalize the increase through official gazette publication underscore the gravity of the situation. Korea’s diplomatic efforts have been extensive but ineffective. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun conveyed Seoul’s commitment to implementing the bilateral tariff agreement during his meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, yet received no firm response. Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo was unable even to meet his U.S. counterpart at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative during his visit to Washington. Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan, rerouting a trip from Canada for urgent talks with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, likewise re

Feb 5, 2026

ED Wealth exodus risk grows

A recent report by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has sounded the alarm over a growing outflow of wealth linked to inheritance taxes. The report says Korea has the highest effective inheritance tax rate among OECD member countries, prompting wealthy individuals to relocate their legal residence or even change citizenship. The report suggests that the so-called “wealth flight” is no longer anecdotal but a real and accelerating phenomenon. In 2024, about 1,200 people reportedly left Korea due to inheritance tax burdens, a figure that doubled to roughly 2,400 in 2025. Under Korea’s current system, people who inherit assets worth 3 billion won ($2.2 million) or more are subject to a base inheritance tax rate of 50 percent. When an inheritance involves a controlling stakes in a company, an additional premium surcharge can push the effective tax rate as high as 60 percent. The KCCI warned that Korea’s top-tier effective tax rate is a key driver of wealth outflows. The country now ranks among those seeing the largest number of departures linked to inheritance taxes,

Feb 4, 2026

ED What comes next after 'Golden' Grammy?

Korean popular music has reached a decisive turning point. “Golden,” the breakout hit song from the Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” has won Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 68th Grammy Awards. The achievement, credited to songwriters and producers EJAE, Teddy, 24 and IDO, marks the first Grammy win for a work linked to the K-pop genre. It is more than a trophy. It is a declaration that K-pop has secured a place at the very center of the global music industry. The Grammys have long been regarded as the most conservative and insular of the world’s major music awards. Even BTS, whose global impact reshaped pop culture and commerce alike, walked away empty-handed despite multiple nominations. Against that backdrop, the selection of a song from an animated film featuring both English and Korean is striking. It signals not a token acknowledgment, but a fundamental shift in how K-pop is perceived, no longer as a regional phenomenon with global fans, but a mainstream genre judged by the industry’s highest standards. The nature of the award itself makes the vict

Feb 3, 2026

[ED] What comes next after 'Golden' Grammy?

ED Unwilling to tolerate criticism

What if political leaders are impatient with criticism of themselves or the policies their administration is pursuing? What if they take criticism personally and react emotionally? There is little doubt that such reactions do not help political leaders. On the contrary, such attitudes undermine leadership. Unlike his predecessors, President Lee Jae Myung has actively pursued direct communication with the Korean public. He has made frequent use of television and livestreaming platforms to explain his administration’s policy positions and governing philosophy. His most recent press conference was on Jan. 20. It was his seventh since taking office in June last year, following his decisive victory in a snap election. He has met with journalists almost every month since his inauguration. Throughout these appearances, Lee has displayed a distinctive communication style. Rather than responding directly to questions, he tends to explain his position at length before outlining the rationale behind his administration’s policy direction. As a result, his press conferences often run longer than

Feb 2, 2026

ED Korea on US currency monitoring list

Amid the reignited concerns of a possible hike in U.S. tariffs on Korean imports, the U.S. Department of the Treasury placed Korea on its currency monitoring list along with nine other nations, including China, Japan and Thailand. This marks the third consecutive time Korea has found itself on the list. The updated semiannual "Report to Congress on Macroeconomic and Foreign Exchange Policies of Major Trading Partners of the United States" pinned the decision on Korea's $52 billion trade surplus with the U.S. and its current account surplus accounting for 5.9 percent of its GDP. The U.S. Treasury traditionally uses three criteria to assess foreign exchange and the possibility of manipulation — a trade surplus with the U.S. of at least $15 billion, a global current account surplus of 3 percent of GDP and one-way net foreign exchange purchase amounting to 2 percent of GDP. None of the 10 countries on the list were determined to have manipulative foreign exchange policies. However, the report noted that the recent depreciation of the Korean won does not correspond to Korea's economic fund

Feb 1, 2026

[ED] Korea on US currency monitoring list

ED Law enforcement is not trade discrimination

Reports that U.S. Vice President JD Vance warned the Korean government to ease or halt investigations into Coupang and other U.S. tech firms mark a troubling escalation in U.S. policy toward a close ally. Framed publicly as a call to avoid “discriminatory” treatment of U.S. companies, the intervention appears, upon closer inspection, to be a blunt attempt to shield a powerful corporation from legitimate law enforcement. Such conduct goes beyond normal diplomatic advocacy and risks crossing into interference in Korea’s sovereign legal authority. According to The Wall Street Journal, Vance conveyed to Prime Minister Kim Min-seok that Washington expects Korea’s regulatory response toward U.S. tech firms, including Coupang, to be “meaningfully softened.” While no explicit threat was issued, the vice president reportedly implied that continued enforcement actions could jeopardize the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) and lead to renewed tariff pressure on Korean exports. Even when couched in diplomatic language, such suggestions amount to coercive leverage rather than

Jan 29, 2026

Editorial