Opinion - The Korea Times

ED Corporal Chae's case

A Marine's honor trumps a commander's careerPresident Yoon Suk Yeol highly values the military and those who serve their country. That's natural for a national leader and commander-in-chief. So, Yoon sincerely mourned the death of Corporal Chae Su-geun of the Marine Corps last month. Chae was swept away by a torrent at a stream in Yecheon, North Gyeongsang Province, while searching for victims of the flooding. But some presidential aides do not seem to share their boss' sentiments.After Chae's death, a Marine Corps investigation unit listed eight officers, including a major general and the commander of the 1st Marine Division, on suspicion of negligent homicide and other charges. However, the military relieved the probe team's leader, Colonel Park Jeong-hun, from his post, putting him under investigation for insubordination.According to Col. Park, he reported the probe result to Defense Minister Lee Jong-seop, won Lee's nod and sent it to the civilian police. Later, a defense ministry official phoned Park several times, proposing to delist officers above Chae's battalion commander fr

Aug 13, 2023

ED Finale of shameful Jamboree

Authorities must be held accountable for failed event The 25th World Scout Jamboree in Korea will end on Saturday. All Koreans wish for its smooth finale, hoping about 43,000 teenagers from over 150 countries return home safely.The 12-day event was a complete mess of natural and human disasters. No, it was just a human and governmental failure ― You could regret Mother Nature but never blame her.It's dumbfounding to hear the media's seemingly hasty post-mortems reveal the causes of this fiasco one after another. Its hosts brought the event to Korea from the start to turn the vast reclaimed mud flats into an industrial space rather than putting on the Jamboree for the Scouts. Nothing showed this better than the fact that the campsite was the most recently reclaimed space, still salty and undrained. According to reports, localities plan to build an airport there by 2029. In short, they provided young visitors with the least suitable lots for camping. Poor facilities, sanitation and food quickly became the talk of the global village.Many Koreans say they cannot hold their heads up beca

Aug 10, 2023

ED Business lobby reborn

FKI should take bold steps toward total innovation The Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) is poised to make a new start, having chosen Poongsan Corp. Chairman Ryu Jin as its new leader. Ryu will be officially tapped as the new leader during an extraordinary general meeting slated for Aug. 22. Announced in May as part of a reform package, the Korea Economic Research Institute (KERI), an FKI affiliate, will be merged into the nation's largest business lobby.Ryu had been widely regarded as the most suitable figure to lead the FKI. For starters, Ryu has served as vice chairman of the lobby for more than 20 years ― since 2001. He is currently a co-head of the Korea-U.S. Business Council, dedicated to promoting exchanges and cooperation between business leaders of the two countries. He is also serving as vice chairman of the Korea-Japan Economic Association. Ryu's stints also include being a board member of the Center for Strategy and International Studies (CSIS). All this demonstrates Ryu's international career and networking abilities. In recognition of his contribution to the develop

Aug 9, 2023

ED Rampant random attacks

Stop stabbing rampages, threats of copycat crimesKorea has long been one of the safest countries worldwide when it comes to public security. It was one of the few countries where a woman could walk alone at night.Reports on dozens of deaths due to terrorist attacks in the Middle East or daily gun violence in the U.S. were stories of faraway countries. That is changing.Two stabbing rampages in as many weeks, leaving two people dead and a few dozen wounded, might appear trivial to foreigners. However, Koreans are now in a state of collective panic as their long-held belief in safe public places, like plazas and subway stations, is shaken by the roots. Many people think they could be murdered or injured by total strangers on their way out or to work. Adding to their fear and anxiety are hundreds of online threats hinting at copycat crimes, although many of the ominous messages have proven to be pranks posted by teenagers. Random attacks by “lone wolves,” a common illness of modern society, have landed here.In response, President Yoon Suk Yeol instructed two things ― more vig

Aug 8, 2023

ED Specter of climate suicide

Time for Korea to become climate championBy Kim Won-soo Climate change is no longer the right nomenclature. Now a seemingly irreversible climate crisis is unfolding globally. Everywhere across the planet, we are witnessing increasingly ominous signs of the very crisis we created. On July 3, the daily global average temperature reached 17.1 degrees Celsius, making it the hottest day on Earth in about 125,000 years. This also means we passed the 1.5-degree threshold for the first time since the pre-industrial age. Scientists have long considered it the tipping point for the onset of irreversible climate catastrophes. Since July 3, the daily average temperature crossed the 1.5-degree threshold three times and the month of July was recorded as the hottest ever. Once El Nino arrives in the Pacific, the Earth will become even hotter in the months and years that follow. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently insisted the term “global warming” should now be replaced with “global boiling.” Global boiling will cause unpredictable ripple effects that will sprea

Aug 7, 2023

ED Jamboree fiasco

Hosts must go all out for safe finaleThe word “Jamboree” derives from the Native American word “shivaree,” meaning a joyous feast or merry play.And that's what some 43,000 teenagers from 158 countries had expected of the 25th World Scout Jamboree in Korea. With the first half of the 12-day event over, high anticipation turned into immense dismay.The reason: unprecedented hot weather and unbelievably poor preparations.Most Koreans still find it hard to understand why the central and provincial governments decided to hold it in a vast, flat, sunbaked land during the hottest part of the summer. If officials had agreed to take the risk, then they should have made various additional efforts to minimize the inconveniences that would likely unfold.However, their preparations remained subpar. In the first few days, shade and waterholes were insufficient, toilets were dirty, showers were shabby and insects were rampant. Nearly 1,500 young participants visited temporary hospitals within the site due to heat-related illnesses and bug bites. There were even some 70 new CO

Aug 6, 2023

ED Construction cartels

'Boneless apartments' resulted from total corruptionIf one could compare industries to characters, Korea's construction sector is like Jekyll & Hyde.The nation's building industry is among the top five worldwide in scale and skill. Korean contractors have built, entirely or partially, some of the global architectural landmarks, such as skyscrapers and bridges.At home, however, the story could hardly be more different.In 1970, a five-story hilltop apartment crumbled after just four months of completion, killing 33 people. In 1994, a part of a bridge across the Han River fell into the water, leaving 49 dead or injured. The following year, a luxury department store in Gangnam collapsed, causing a toll of 502. News media called it the “heaviest casualty since the Korean War.”The cause of the “three major collapses” was the same ― a shoddy job to save time and cost. Corruption and collusion prevailed from design to construction and supervision. The recent collapse of an underground car park ceiling in an apartment complex shows very little has changed.According

Aug 3, 2023

ED World Scout Jamboree

Global youth festival should be safe, memorable eventThe 25th World Scout Jamboree kicked off Tuesday for a 12-day run at Saemangeum, a huge area of reclaimed land on the southwest coast of Korea. The Scout Jamboree is the world's largest global youth event. More than an estimated 43,000 youngsters from 158 countries are expected to participate in the festival. Held every four years, it is called the cultural Olympics for young people. It attracts international youth and leaders to enhance the values of friendship and harmony. Jamboree has been dedicated to providing youth from around the world with precious opportunities to nurture their physical and mental strength, thus contributing to national development and world peace. For this, there cannot be racial and religious differences or discrimination among the participants. Even more meaningful, Korea is hosting the event once again after 32 years. It held the first one in 1991 in Goseong, Gangwon Province. Korea is now the sixth country to host the festival twice. The Organizing Committee for the 25th World Scout Jamboree and the N

Aug 2, 2023

ED Climate crisis

Future is too late to solve existential problemAt least 17 people died from heat-related illnesses last weekend. That occurred only a week after a heavy downpour left 50 dead or missing.The back-to-back tolls of extreme rain and heat show Korea is no longer safe from climate disasters. Worldwide, the phenomenon is no longer an exception but the norm. It is now a problem of today, not tomorrow.Korea is one of many countries experiencing the climate crisis on this boiling planet, as the U.N. chief described it. However, its casualties are disproportionately heavy. This country has had no major typhoons yet this summer. The temperatures in the western U.S. and southern Europe are 5 to 10 degrees Celsius higher than Korea's 35 degrees, a huge difference.Experts cite two reasons. First, Koreans have taken a mild climate for granted for too long. This peninsula is also relatively free from natural disasters, including earthquakes. Second, they are still too hungry for growth to mind the environment ― nationally, let alone globally. Considering the relative mildness of flooding and heat wav

Aug 1, 2023

ED Shifting security landscape

Alliance should be fortified via Camp David summit The security situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula has shown signs of rapid change. Vividly dramatizing this, North Korea recently hosted an event in Pyongyang on July 27, which it calls “Victory Day,” to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement that halted fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War. It also held a massive military parade displaying its nuclear-capable missiles with the attendance of delegates from China and Russia who sat beside North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The scene again illustrated that both China and Russia are patronizing the North despite its continued military provocations in violation of United Nations resolutions. It is deplorable for Beijing and Moscow to support Pyongyang notwithstanding its escalation of regional tensions. This is inappropriate given that the two nations are permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and thus the most responsible members of the international community. We express strong regret for such moves.North Korea has vowed to cope st

Jul 31, 2023

Editorial