Opinion - The Korea Times

ED Seoul’s push on tariffs

President Lee Jae Myung has been active during his first U.N. General Assembly. He presented the “END” (exchange, normalization and denuclearization) approach to North Korea in his keynote speech, then presided over the U.N. Security Council debate Wednesday (local time), where he referenced artificial intelligence pioneer Geoffrey Hinton’s quote that AI is like a "tiger cub,” adding that it could become either a beast or a companion akin to Derpy from “KPop Demon Hunters.” The president did not have an opportunity for a sit-down with U.S. President Donald Trump. Nevertheless, Lee did meet with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, where he drove home the point that Korea’s trade agreement with the United States should be “commercially rational” and must meet the interests of both countries. It’s a message the president previously conveyed in pre-U.N. visit interviews conducted in Seoul. It should be noted that a meeting between a president and a treasury secretary does not align with diplomatic protocol, per se. Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol later sat down separa

Sep 25, 2025

ED Inconsistent messaging risks security

President Lee Jae Myung has vowed to end military confrontation between the two Koreas and bring lasting peace to the Korean Peninsula. In a keynote address to the 80th U.N. General Assembly in New York on Tuesday (local time), Lee unveiled a peace initiative dubbed “END,” an acronym for exchange, normalization and denuclearization. “Peace will come if all involved parties stop fighting,” Lee said. “I will end the days of hatred and confrontation.” To achieve this goal, he pledged to promote inter-Korean exchanges, support steps to normalize North Korea’s relations with the international community and encourage the North to pursue denuclearization. He emphasized that South Korea would back international efforts — especially those involving the United States — to normalize diplomatic ties with North Korea. Though indirectly, Lee acknowledged the critical role of the U.S. in establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula. The role of the U.S. is essential — perhaps more important than many realize — for peace between the two Koreas. His statement reaffirmed that the South

Sep 24, 2025

[ED] Inconsistent messaging risks security

ED Global reach of K-universities

Struggling with the nation's total fertility rate — one of the world's lowest at 0.72 as of 2023 — and financial constraints, Korean universities face the stark reality of having to find ways to produce future workers, both domestically and globally. As the Korean economy still scours future markets for export-led growth, its higher education institutions should double up in their globalization outreach and attract students who are eager to pursue their academic studies here. Fast-changing technology demands that the universities take corresponding action. It aligns with President Lee Jae Myung's vision to have Korea join the global artificial intelligence top three, and the administration's focus on creating 10 universities that can match the prestige of Seoul National University. Regarding globalization, the administration is striving to make Korea one of the top 10 destinations for foreign students. Education Minister Cho Kyo-jin recently said that the government wants to create a "virtuous cycle" for foreign students, so they can study in college and build stable lives in Korea

Sep 24, 2025

ED Drastic US visa fee hike

The United States, long considered a land of opportunity, is now erecting new barriers in the name of national interest. The latest blow comes in the form of an unprecedented increase in the H-1B visa application fee, from $1,000 to an eye-watering $100,000 per applicant. This 100-fold jump, enacted by the Trump administration, is not a minor adjustment but a calculated move to deter foreign professionals from entering the U.S. job market, particularly in the high-demand fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The H-1B program, which allocates 85,000 visas annually, has long served as a critical pathway for American companies — especially tech giants like Amazon, Google and Microsoft — to recruit highly skilled workers from around the world. For decades, this system has been a cornerstone of U.S. innovation and competitiveness. The new fee structure, however, effectively slams the door shut on thousands of engineers, scientists and researchers who once viewed the U.S. as a desirable destination. While framed as a policy to protect American workers, the me

Sep 22, 2025

ED APEC in Gyeongju

The upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting in Gyeongju on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 is shaping up to be one of the most significant diplomatic events in recent Korean history. With U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping expected to attend, Korea finds itself at the heart of a rare geopolitical moment: hosting the first U.S.-China summit since the start of Trump’s second term and the first dual visit by the two leaders in 13 years. As global power dynamics continue to shift, this summit offers Korea both a diplomatic test and an extraordinary opportunity to elevate its international role. The Gyeongju APEC meeting comes at a pivotal time. The U.S.-China trade war, which reignited following Trump’s return to office, stands at a crossroads. The summit opens just 10 days before a key tariff suspension between the two nations is set to expire. A potential agreement between Trump and Xi could reshape global trade norms. Korea has much at stake, as it is heavily reliant on exports and caught between its security alliance with the U.S. an

Sep 21, 2025

ED Executive order for visa solution

The recent mass detention of more than 300 Korean workers at the construction site of a Hyundai Motor-LG Energy Solution joint battery plant in Georgia has revealed a critical vulnerability in the Korea-U.S. economic partnership. These workers, most of them highly skilled technicians sent from Korea to support the final stages of construction at the nearly completed facility, were detained by U.S. immigration authorities due to alleged visa irregularities. Although the workers have since returned to Korea, construction at the plant remains effectively frozen, highlighting the urgent need for policy intervention. While LG Energy Solution has expressed its commitment to resuming work and minimizing disruption, the broader implications of this crisis cannot be ignored. At its core lies the chronic dysfunction of the U.S. visa system, which has increasingly obstructed Korean firms from mobilizing technical experts essential for U.S.-based manufacturing operations. This is not an isolated administrative failure; it is a structural flaw that threatens the future of joint industrial projects

Sep 18, 2025

ED Pressure piles on chief justice

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) call for Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae to step down is triggering controversy. Since Cho said on Sept. 12 that judicial independence should be upheld, the DPK and larger ruling bloc has aggressively asked him to account for the suspected biases of the judiciary. A few hardliners have even called for his impeachment. DPK chief Jung Chung-rae referred to Cho as "the vanguard of anti-Lee Jae Myung political struggle" and said he should step down. DPK Rep. Choo Mi-ae, who chairs the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, accused Cho of "protecting the insurrectionists by delaying their trials." The DPK officials not only interpreted Cho's verbal call for judicial independence as a veiled opposition to the Lee administration's planned judiciary reform but also questioned his impartiality regarding insurrection cases in particular. In a public statement Wednesday, Cho rebutted claims made by DPK Rep. Boo Seung-chan that the chief justice had met with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo or other outside figures after the

Sep 17, 2025

ED Mr. Trump, apologize and the problem is solved

There is no easy solution to tariff negotiations between Korea and the United States. The demands from the U.S. Donald Trump administration regarding Korea's pledged $350 billion investment in the United States are resulting in one senior Seoul official after another visiting for negotiations. Also thrust into this roiling cauldron was the abrupt raid, the largest on a single site by U.S. immigration officials, at the construction site of a battery plant jointly operated by Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution in Georgia. In the days since the raid on Sept. 4 (local time), in which nearly 500 workers were arrested and detained, including more than 300 Korean nationals, both nations are grappling with its ramifications. Put plainly, nations other than Korea that have pledged to invest in the U.S. are questioning whether they will also be subject to such treatment. For the U.S., the dilemma is how to align and harmonize its goal of revitalizing its manufacturing sector while also satisfying supporters who applaud the Trump administration's intensified immigration crackdowns. For th

Sep 16, 2025

[ED] Mr. Trump, apologize and the problem is solved

ED Hard-won lesson from Hyundai factory raid

U.S. President Donald Trump has shown a subtle yet clear shift in rhetoric following a large-scale immigration raid on Sept. 4 (local time), in which 475 workers — including more than 300 Koreans — were arrested and detained while working at a Hyundai Motor-LG Energy Solution battery plant under construction in Georgia. Initially, Trump downplayed the incident, referring to the detainees as “illegal aliens” and stating that Department of Homeland Security officials were simply “doing their job.” However, amid growing backlash in both Korea and the United States, Trump softened his stance, stating that he would “look at the whole situation.” On Sunday (local time), Trump expressed hope that foreign experts could continue to work in the U.S. to transfer their skills to American workers. "When Foreign Companies who are building extremely complex products, machines, and various other 'things,' come into the United States with massive Investments, I want them to bring their people of expertise for a period of time to teach and train our people how to make these very unique an

Sep 15, 2025

[ED] Hard-won lesson from Hyundai factory raid

ED Unjust arrests, nonsensical demands

A Korean Air charter flight landed on Sept. 12 at Incheon International Airport carrying 330 individuals, including 316 Korean nationals who had been detained by U.S. immigration authorities. These workers were arrested during a sweeping operation at the construction site of Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution's joint battery plant in Ellabell, Georgia. This project is not only a symbol of bilateral industrial cooperation but also a cornerstone of the United States’ strategy to reindustrialize its economy, especially in the rapidly growing electric vehicle sector. Yet, the very workers dispatched to support this vision found themselves handcuffed, shackled and subjected to a military-style raid that reportedly involved armored vehicles and helicopters. In Korea, the images of Korean nationals being treated like criminals shocked and angered the public. These were skilled technicians and engineers sent to transfer knowledge, oversee construction and mentor American workers ahead of the plant’s operational launch. That they were arrested so publicly and harshly, despite their

Sep 14, 2025

Editorial