[Wang Son-taek] The difference between SSN and SSBN

The recent agreement between South Korea and the United States regarding the development of a nuclear-powered submarine has sparked intense debate at home and abroad. Some hail the decision as a long-awaited milestone, arguing that it strengthens South Korea’s deterrence posture against North Korea’s nuclear threat and signals that Seoul is finally acquiring the prestige of a major power. Others, however, warn that it may look like a step toward nuclear proliferation, undermining decades of Kore

Nov. 13, 2025

[Kim Seong-kon] What to learn from 'KPop Demon Hunters'

Sometimes, especially when it comes to politics, it is tempting to believe that the world is made of good and evil, and that, fundamentally, there are those who are on the side of the angels and then there are the demons. We might think that we are angels, and that others are demons who we would do well to hunt down and eliminate from society. In these moods, it seldom occurs to us that there may be bad humans and good demons — or beings who are half-human, half-demon. “KPop Demon Hunters” delve

Nov. 12, 2025

[Editorial] Patience pays off

South Korea’s population is aging at a pace its economy and laws have yet to match. The debate over raising the statutory retirement age to 65 has become a matter of national urgency. The country became a superaged society this year, and a widening “income void” now separates the retirement age of 60 from the national pension’s starting point of 65. For millions of second-generation baby boomers born between 1964 and 1973, that gap has become a financial chasm. The ruling bloc, led by the Democr

Nov. 12, 2025

[Christophe Andre] The rise in government debt in OECD countries must be contained

Government debt has risen markedly in most OECD countries over the past decades, reaching an average of more than 110 percent of GDP in 2024, nearly 40 percentage points above its 2007 level, prior to the global financial crisis (GFC). Within the seven major OECD economies, government debt ranged from 62 percent of GDP in Germany to 222 percent of GDP in Japan. In Korea, it slightly exceeded 50 percent of GDP. All big countries continue running budget deficits, from 2 percent of GDP in Japan to

Nov. 12, 2025

[Editorial] Tough on oneself

The government and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea on Sunday reached a consensus on setting the nation's 2035 goal for reducing greenhouse gas emissions at between 53 and 61 percent of 2018 levels. All countries that signed the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate are required to update their goals, called "Nationally Determined Contributions," every five years. The government plans to finalize the NDC proposal this week and submit it to the United Nations next week. Once submitted, the goal can

Nov. 11, 2025

[Andrew Sheng] China’s path to strong national finance

Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech at the Fourth Plenum in Beijing last month outlined the guidelines for the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030). There was a clear determination to focus on technological self-reliance, building a “high-quality productive forces” economic model based on innovation and a strong industrial base that would be resilient against external threats and headwinds. At the Beijing Finance Street Forum at the end of October, Vice Premier He Lifeng stressed the need

Nov. 11, 2025

[Lim Woong] When a robot becomes one of us

Not long ago, I watched a humanoid robot with AI chips inside hold a short conversation onstage. It blinked, smiled faintly, and nodded in just the right rhythm as the interviewer spoke. The audience laughed — some nervously, some in awe. When the robot hesitated for a fraction of a second before answering, a strange hush swept through the room. For that tiny moment, it felt as if the machine were thinking. We weren’t simply watching an object that could move and talk; we were in the company of

Nov. 11, 2025

Accelerating development of sensor-rich AI compute for smart industry

By Lee Hee-man, AMD AECG Korea sales lead Designing and scaling industrial computers is becoming tougher as the variety and number of sensors grow to fulfill the exploding appetite for manufacturing data. Furthermore, industrial and medical systems adopting automation are increasingly infused with AI, ML, data analytics software and intelligent displays. This drives the need for greater levels of diversified compute. Adaptive compute platforms designed for sensor-rich applications can accelerate

Nov. 10, 2025

[Alix Fraser, Liana Keesing] Quickest way to democratic demise

In 2016, Venezuela’s president, Nicolas Maduro, declared an economic emergency to confront the country’s spiraling financial crisis. What was billed as a temporary measure quickly expanded — and never truly ended. The “state of emergency” was renewed repeatedly, granting the president sweeping authority to rule by decree. Venezuela’s legislature was sidelined, dissent was criminalized and democratic institutions were hollowed out under the guise of crisis management. That story may feel distant,

Nov. 10, 2025

[Editorial] Free speech on trial

Few laws reveal a nation’s political temperament more clearly than those governing speech. South Korea’s latest proposal to punish insults or defamation directed at foreign countries, nationals or races claims to promote tolerance. Yet its scope and severity suggest something less virtuous: a readiness to silence, not civilize, public discourse. Ten lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and allied minor parties have sponsored an amendment to the Criminal Act that would impose up to

Nov. 10, 2025

[Yoo Choon-sik] Wings of AI ambition, shadows of dependence

South Korea stands again at an inflection point as technology, ambition and geopolitics intertwine with the dawn of the “age of physical AI,” when artificial intelligence leaps out of servers and screens into robots, vehicles and factory floors. The timing could hardly be more symbolic for a nation that, built on manufacturing prowess, now attempts to merge its industrial DNA with the algorithms shaping the 21st-century economy. The headlines, filled with meetings and handshakes between Presiden

Nov. 10, 2025

[Editorial] Fiscal fault line

South Korea’s 2026 budget has been sold as the blueprint for an AI-powered future. In his budget speech Tuesday, President Lee Jae Myung called it “the nation’s first budget of the AI era,” a financial map to transform the economy through computing power, digital infrastructure and human capital. Yet the same map also exposes a growing fault line in Korea’s public finances. For all the rhetoric about innovation, the deeper question is whether the government can afford its ambition. The proposed

Nov. 7, 2025

[Lee Byung-jong] APEC summit and free trade

The APEC summit held last week in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, brought South Korea several diplomatic gifts. Through his summit with US President Donald Trump, President Lee Jae-myung secured concessions regarding US tariffs and investment issues, while his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping resulted in what both sides called a “full restoration of bilateral relations.” Lee also met Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, reaffirming their commitment to maintaining friendly tie

Nov. 7, 2025

[Wang Son-taek] 5 moments in Gyeongju that may change the world

The recently concluded APEC summit in Gyeongju, Korea, offered more than a ceremonial diplomatic gathering. It delivered scenes so symbolic and revealing that they may well be remembered as inflection points when the world caught a glimpse of future directions. Among countless interactions and formal declarations, five moments stood out for their power to reframe thinking and reshape global dynamics. First, it was a tech titan who stole the show: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. In Seoul, Huang sat shou

Nov. 6, 2025

[Robin Berjon] Europe needs fewer cloud scares

We tend to take for granted the infrastructure on which our economies and societies run — until something goes wrong. Just ask residents of Spain and Portugal, who were suddenly faced with a total blackout last April, when a series of cascading voltage surges shut down their electricity grids. Both Spain and Portugal are now pursuing massive investments in strengthening their grids’ resilience. But citizens should not have to wait until after disaster strikes for their leaders to commit to inves

Nov. 6, 2025