Opinion - The Korea Times

ED Escalating Trump risk

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has stolen the limelight with his recent seemingly “hostile” remarks on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Trump said he would “encourage” Russia to “do what the hell they want to delinquent NATO members if they fail to meet their commitments for defense spending.”

Feb 15, 2024

ED Polar bears can’t vote but we can

We live in a climate crisis. Climate change will be the most dominant factor in our lives if it already has not been. Polar bears can't do much to stop further climate change, but we, humans, can do a lot.

Feb 14, 2024By Jang Daul

ED Third party steps in

A new political party has been established through the merger of four minor parties, ahead of the April 10 general elections.

Feb 13, 2024

ED Booming 'K-defense'

Buoyed by the recent flurry of contract signings for exports of major weapons systems, expectations are growing for South Korea to emerge as a powerhouse of the global defense industry. According to defense authorities and industry sources on Monday, the nation’s exports of defense systems amounted to $14 billion (approximately 18.6 trillion won) last year, making it part of the top 10 defense exporters for the second consecutive year.

Feb 12, 2024

ED 'A bit regrettable'

President Yoon Suk Yeol discussed upcoming state policies for the new year during an interview with broadcaster KBS on Wednesday. In the prerecorded talk show, Yoon provided details on various state matters, including foreign relations, national security, economy, and social and political issues. However, the public's attention was particularly drawn to the controversy surrounding allegations that his wife, first lady Kim Keon Hee, received a Christian Dior luxury bag from a Korean American pastor in 2022.

Feb 8, 2024

ED Focus on North Korea’s economy and Russia

In recent weeks, there has been significant discussion of whether North Korea has made the fundamental decision to go to war with South Korea. But focusing exclusively on whether Pyongyang has made a strategic decision to go to war in the absence of evidence of an imminent attack takes the focus off other important developments, especially North Korea’s economy and its growing ties to Russia.

Feb 7, 2024By Troy Stangarone

[ED] Focus on North Korea’s economy and Russia

ED Samsung chief acquitted

Samsung Electronics and other Samsung affiliates are widely anticipated to resume full-scale business activities, prompted by the recent court acquittal of Samsung Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong of all charges related to accounting fraud and other allegations in the 2015 merger of two affiliates. "The long-protracted judiciary risk involving Chairman Lee has begun to mitigate," Kim Dong-won, a researcher at KB Securities, said in a report released on Tuesday.

Feb 6, 2024

ED Disastrous populist pledges

As the crucial general elections approach, rival political parties are taking flak for coming up with seemingly populist pledges designed to woo voters without genuinely considering how to finance them. Their move is all the more serious, stoking concerns of snowballing tax revenue shortfalls.

Feb 5, 2024

ED Firefighters at risk

Two lives were lost in a fire at a meat processing factory in Mungyeong City, North Gyeongsang Province, on Feb. 1. Security camera footage showed that two firefighters, Kim Soo-kwang and Park Soo-hoon, headed to the third floor of the building after arriving on the scene, while several other firefighters were extinguishing flames outside. Soon after, a big explosion occurred on the third floor and flames quickly spread across the entire building.

Feb 4, 2024

ED 90 seconds to midnight

Last week, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (BAS) reset the Doomsday Clock to 90 seconds before midnight. This is the closest the clock has ever been to midnight since 1974 and for the second year in a row. This is yet another wake-up call for humanity demonstrating that a business-as-usual approach will no longer work.

Feb 1, 2024By Kim Won-soo

Editorial