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Mon, June 18, 2018 | 14:20

Opinion > Columnists > Park Moo-jong >

It's the education ministry, stupid!

When it comes to education, Korean mothers deserve to be called “experts” as men are for soccer. As a result, almost all the parents have their own say about the college entrance examination formula.

Park Moo-jong | 2018-04-05 16:03

Is spring coming?

Spring has come as proved by the thermometer in the government's weather office. But spring is not around the Korean Peninsula yet in the hearts of the people.

Park Moo-jong | 2018-03-29 17:10

Too young to retire

The Republic of Korea is an aged society and will become the world's fourth super-aged nation by 2030, in 12 years time. The country officially became an aged society seven months ago, last September, 17 years after it began to be an aging one in 2000.

Park Moo-jong | 2018-03-22 16:45

Cowardly 'Pence Rule'

A Korean proverb says, “Are you going to avoid making soybean paste for fear of maggots?” This familiar adage is based on a traditional Korean recipe when making soybean paste (“doenjang”): To keep the lid off the jar to help its contents ferment well in the sun. Alas, flies lay eggs there and maggots, sometimes, result.

Park Moo-jong | 2018-03-15 16:28

An underdeveloped country

Last week, I read a contribution by a man to a leading Korean newspaper about the deteriorating traffic disorder caused by what we call “autobi,” a Konglish word coined from “auto” from automobile and “bi” from bicycle, meaning motorcycle.

Park Moo-jong | 2018-03-08 16:13

The tip of the iceberg

Last November, I wrote a column titled, “Me too, me three!,” noting that “the #MeToo movement has yet to kick off in South Korea, but the issue is no different with more victims of sexual assault and harassment, mostly by acquaintances such as relatives, friends, superiors at workplaces and seniors at school, coming out to identify themselves …”

Park Moo-jong | 2018-03-01 16:09

Kudos to Team Kim!

The ongoing PyeongChang Winter Olympics are undisputedly featuring, among others, the five “Kims,” the ladies curling team of the Republic of Korea, who share the same surname (金).

Park Moo-jong | 2018-02-22 16:43

This is the season of going home for family reunions, particularly between children working in big cities and their parents living in rural villages.

Park Moo-jong | 2018-02-14 16:18

Plastic-free campaign

Just 19 years ago in 1999, there was a unique government-led campaign to put a stop to the then unchecked use of plastic bags and other one-time-use items such as disposal cups, dishes and wooden chopsticks. The then Kim Dae-jung administration (1998-2003) rolled up its sleeves to help prevent our national soil from being contaminated by these objects that do not decay for centuries. In some aspects, the Republic of Korea was somewhat of a leader in the world at that time in discouraging the use of such items that do not decompose for a long, long time.

Park Moo-jong | 2018-02-08 15:38

'Syndrome Syndrome'

An English medical word, “syndrome,” is enjoying a heyday in explosive popularity in Korea today far away from its home. It is a piece of cake to find the word “신드롬” in Korean (pronounced sindrom) in newspapers and on the tube of late. They are “Chung Hyeon Sydrome,” “Park Hang-seo Syndrome,” and “Hyon Song-wol Syndrome,” to name a few. And the title of this column, “Syndrome Syndrome,” means a “syndrome to call any social phenomenon or fever, even bright and desirable, a syndrome.”

Park Moo-jong | 2018-02-01 16:58

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Summit of the century