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Fri, July 21, 2017 | 13:28

Opinion > Thoughts of the Times >

Diversity and horizontal culture

One of my favorite workshops is a training session for local employees and managers who work in foreign branches of Korean companies. Early this year, I delivered a global workshop in which about 50 managers of a conglomerate, who were from 20 different countries, participated. What we discussed included the cultural differences between local offices and the headquarters in K...

Thoughts of the Times | 2017-07-20 17:36

Blank page syndrome

“Writing about writer's block is better than not writing at all.” _ Charles Bukowski We have all looked at a blank piece of paper, or a blank computer screen, on various occasions. Some of us all the time, others, less frequently. This is known as writer's block. Or, more figuratively, blank page syndrome.

Thoughts of the Times | 2017-07-19 17:33

Flags of Korean War participants

By Kwon Yule-jung There is no other tragic event in the Korean history than the Korean War. The war did not come to an end with a peace treaty. It is still going on as technical war both in international law and in reality. Some war veterans apply for their entitlement benefits even in their 90s. In this national cemetery, about 10 war veterans are buried in digni...

Thoughts of the Times | 2017-07-18 17:44

Will Trumplandia 'wag the dog' in Korea?

“If I was living in Seoul right now, I’d be afraid,” a guest on a Deep State Radio podcast said in a recent show. When I heard this, my ears perked up because for the want of a nail, I’d be in Seoul right now, teaching English. While I don’t live in Seoul now, people I know and care about do, so I have an honest concern for their safety. Though I’m kind of burnt out when it c...

Thoughts of the Times | 2017-07-17 16:59

Strange things visitors feel in Korea

To foreign visitors staying in Korea for some period of time, a number of daily sights or occurrences might give them a strange feeling about the country, and an understanding of how strange of a place Korea can be. Here, our traditions, heritages, habits and even various lifestyles may leave tourists and visitors scratching their heads, but there are also elements of Korean ...

Thoughts of the Times | 2017-07-16 16:24

Learning history through K-dramas

All my Korean history lessons have come from my hours of studying. By this I obviously mean the hours I have dedicated to watching dramas. And over the past year of my drama-watching experience I believe I have become quite the expert on Korean history so I wrote up a small timeline outlining the five main periods in Korean history. 1. The Three Kingdoms, or, Hwarang: Gogurye...

Thoughts of the Times | 2017-07-14 17:37

Elite schools are indispensable

If Kim Sang-kon, the newly appointed education minister, goes ahead in converting elite high schools into regular schools, he will unwittingly undermine South Korea’s ability to compete in the global economy. Although it is politically incorrect to say so, elite schools are the breeding grounds for the nation’s future leaders. Democratization in education is a noble goal, but...

Thoughts of the Times | 2017-07-13 18:34

On July 6, The Korea Times published an article informing readers of the Korean government’s introduction of blind hiring for all public jobs. This is a step in the right direction. As taxpayers bank roll government employees, it is best practice to implement valid and reliable methods of assessment in order to select candidates best fit for their roles. Blind hiring is effec...

Thoughts of the Times | 2017-07-12 17:47

Dark Park vs. bright Moon

From late October last year, millions of Koreans joined candlelit rallies week after week, for several months, to protest against an unprecedented corruption scandal surrounding then President Park Geun-hye.

Thoughts of the Times | 2017-07-11 17:03

Life after retirement

“Age 70 has been a rarity since time immemorial.” This saying originated in one of the poems from Chinese poet Du Fu. I am well past the proverbial age of 70. Where did all those years go? Life is full of challenges, and having lived a long life is an achievement in itself. So every old man - or woman, for that matter - has a life story worth telling. Here is an old man’s tal...

Thoughts of the Times | 2017-07-10 18:16

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Park's impeachment