[Editorial] Hope rekindled

South Korea’s annual exports topped $700 billion for the first time on Monday, making it the world’s sixth country to reach the milestone after the United States, Germany, China, Japan and the Netherlands. The achievement came seven years after the country became the world’s seventh to post annual exports of $600 billion in 2018. The outcome is encouraging, as it was achieved despite tariff pressure from the United States and the US-China trade conflict. Fueled by stronger-than-expected demand t

Jan. 1, 2026

[Wang Son-taek] Seoul needs strategy over toughness

North Korean state media have recently drawn attention by frequently reporting shows of force. On Dec. 25, the media released photographs of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visiting a shipyard where a nuclear-powered submarine is reportedly under construction. The submarine shown in the images was described as a large vessel of around 8,700 tons, an image sufficiently intimidating to amplify perceptions of threat. According to the reports, Kim emphasized that South Korea’s plan to build a nuclea

Jan. 1, 2026

[Kim Seong-kon] Adieu 2025 and welcome 2026!

The turbulent year 2025 fades away and the New Year 2026 is dawning now. In 2025, Korea experienced some good things, but also went through devastating wildfires, massive flooding and bombing accidents, in addition to the usual border tensions with the North and internal political turmoil caused by the arrest of ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol. In 2025, the world, too, experienced some good things. But it also witnessed international conflicts, such as the Iran-Israel war in June, in addition to the

Dec. 31, 2025

[Jodi Bondi Norgaard] Green light for normalizing cruelty

The reaction to US President Donald Trump’s recent social media post was immediate and telling. For many, the post was stunning in its cruelty, a line so clearly crossed that it demanded condemnation. For others, it was dismissed, defended or waved away as exaggeration, provocation or “just how he talks.” That divide is the story. Because when words that demean, dehumanize and even invoke death can shock some while being excused by others, we are no longer arguing about tone. We are confronting

Dec. 31, 2025

[Editorial] 2025: Year of recalibration

South Korea began 2025 amid constitutional rupture and ends it with renewed confidence in technocratic governance. The year’s most arresting moments were political. A presidential impeachment closed one era, and the rapid inauguration of the Lee Jae Myung administration opened another, compressing the institutional shock into the space of a few months. Yet the more consequential transformation unfolded away from the assembly hall. In 2025, Seoul stopped patching aging systems and began rewriting

Dec. 31, 2025

[Vitit Muntarbhorn] Re-energizing higher education in ASEAN

Higher education, implying the tertiary level associated with universities and parallel institutions, is at an inflection point in the region where the trajectory of sociopolitical, economic and cultural development is changing rapidly. Paradoxically, there is a tightrope to be walked between progressive advancement and dispiriting conflict, exemplified by stellar progress in some countries contrasting with disruptive armed conflict in other countries. There is also a marked divergence between t

Dec. 30, 2025

[Arvind Subramanian] Rogue hegemons sabotage global economy

Although 2025 will probably be remembered as the year that US President Donald Trump upended the global trading system, the truth is that both of the world’s hegemons, the United States and China, have gone rogue. Surging US protectionism and resurgent Chinese mercantilism are now twin scourges afflicting the rest of the world, especially developing countries. While some apply the label “G-Zero” to today’s leaderless world, it is more accurate to say that we are dealing with a “G-Negative-Two” w

Dec. 30, 2025

[Editorial] Still ambiguous

Last week, the Ministry of Employment and Labor released interpretive guidelines for the revised Trade Union and Labor Relations Act, commonly known as the Yellow Envelope Act. Although presented as a way to prevent confusion in workplaces, the guidelines are broad and vague, heightening concerns that disputes over key provisions will inevitably be litigated. Fundamentally, the guidelines contain inherent flaws. The Yellow Envelope Act itself ambiguously broadens the definition of “employer” to

Dec. 30, 2025

[Yanis Varoufakis] Shocks that shook world in 2025

This was the year that the remaining pillars of the late-20th-century order were shattered, exposing the hollow core of what passed for a global system. Three blows sufficed. The first was Russia’s impending victory in Ukraine over Europe’s combined leadership. For almost four years, the European Union and NATO engaged in a perilous double game. On one hand, they committed rhetorically to a Ukrainian victory they were unwilling to bankroll. On the other hand, they exploited this never-ending war

Dec. 29, 2025

[Lee Kyong-hee] Peace treaty should be the entry point

As 2025 draws to a close, South Korea finds itself gripped by a level of security anxiety rarely experienced in recent history. The year-end of 2024 was chaotic, triggered by former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s sudden declaration of martial law. In retrospect, that turmoil was largely internal and ultimately manageable. One year on, however, the nation faces mounting geopolitical dangers that threaten to spiral beyond control and engulf the entire Northeast Asian region. Recent news from North Kore

Dec. 29, 2025

[Editorial] Imported inflation

For years, Koreans were told that a weak won was tolerable, even useful. It boosted exports, padded earnings and bought time for growth. That paradigm has reached its limit. The brief surge toward 1,480 won per dollar last week did more than rattle markets; it signaled a fundamental erosion of the benefits once associated with a weak currency. On paper, the recent pullback looks reassuring. After forceful government action, the won retreated to the mid-1,440 range. Yet averages present a more au

Dec. 29, 2025

[Robert J. Fouser] 2025: A year of testing and triumph

For South Korea, one word sums up 2025: resilience. The year opened with an impeached president and prime minister, rising social anxiety and an economic slump. It ended with a new president, renewed confidence and a recovering economy. The positive turn of events over the past year prompted The Economist to list South Korea among the contenders for its annual “country of the year” designation for the country that has improved the most in 2025. How did South Korea do it? And what does it mean fo

Dec. 26, 2025

[Editorial] Seoul’s supply cliff

Seoul is approaching 2026 with an unsettling contradiction. Home prices in the capital are projected to rise 4.2 percent next year, while “jeonse” rents climb an even faster 4.7 percent. This is unfolding as the national economy is expected to grow at barely half that pace. The disconnect is already visible in the data. The Bank of Korea’s housing market risk index for Seoul has climbed to 0.90, the highest level since the index was introduced in 2018. When prices accelerate as growth slows, mar

Dec. 26, 2025

[Robert D. Atkinson] Korea’s $700b export record Is an achievement, not a growth strategy

South Korea is poised to surpass $700 billion in exports in 2025, marking the highest total in the nation’s history and a milestone for a trade-dependent economy. But let’s not be so fast with cheers. To be sure, these export figures reflect competitiveness in key global industries and resilience in the face of US tariffs, robust Chinese competition, supply chain fragmentation, and geopolitical uncertainty. Korea remains a world leader in semiconductors, automobiles, shipbuilding, and electronic

Dec. 25, 2025

[Wang Son-taek] New missions for Koreans in 2026

As 2025 draws to a close, it is natural to offer respect and comfort to the people of South Korea. Internally, the country overcame an unprecedented constitutional crisis triggered by an insurrection attempt involving a sitting president. Externally, it navigated the shockwaves of US President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff campaign with a degree of composure and strategic restraint. These outcomes were made possible not by chance, but by mature citizens and solid institutions. However, to des

Dec. 25, 2025