KoreaTimes - Columnists

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

Opinion

Columnists

Jason Lim

Colorblind Constitution

It is only appropriate to quote from the American Declaration of Independence for a column published on July 4: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

2023-07-03 16:35

Mad cows swimming in Fukushima discharge

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) notes in a recent report on the progress of the IAEA Review of Safety Related Aspects of Handling ALPS (Advanced Liquid Processing System) Treated Water at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) that “these findings provide confidence in TEPCO's capability for undertaking accurate and precise measurements related to the discharge of ALPS treated water. Furthermore, based on the observations of the IAEA, TEPCO has demonstrated that they have a sustainable and robust analytical system in place to support the ongoing technical needs...

2023-06-20 16:35

Technological gaze of the Hermit Kingdom

Elise Hu, who served as the inaugural bureau chief for NPR in Seoul from 2015-2018, recently published a book titled, “Flawless: Lessons In Looks And Culture From The K-beauty Capital,” about her thoughts on the beauty culture in South Korea.

2023-06-04 17:03

The precious mundane

My wife and I just listened to a Zoom call for the parents of kids who have entered into a national chess tournament that's happening in a few weeks. There are over 1,600 kids coming to this tournament, many flying in from all over the country. The organizers were explaining everything from how the ratings are calculated to where to go and sit in the conference hall while your kids are playing a game. In a word, they were explaining all the critical, mundane details that make a huge conference tick.

2023-05-16 16:47

The unbearable lightness of secrets

The recent U.S. intelligence leak that triggered tortured handwringing in Korea over “Should we get angry at the U.S. or not for spying on us?” is as immature as it is irrelevant to the real significance of the incident. The case of Jack Teixeira, the 21-year-old Air National Guardsman accused of leaking classified documents to friends on a gaming server, represents two new phenomena in the old world of cloak and dagger.

2023-04-20 16:45

Like deer in AI headlights

Two weeks ago, there was a photo of the pope wearing a thick, luxurious-looking goose-down puffer coat that had many folks fooled into thinking that he had somehow changed his traditional style. As for me, I was more impressed by his seemingly buff physique underneath all that puff, thinking that he underwent the same type of bodily transformation that Jeff Bezos went through during his ascent to becoming the richest person in the world. I was slightly disappointed when it turned out to be fake.

2023-04-06 16:50

Coffee and sex in De Wallen

“If you want coffee,” my fellow traveler warned me with a twinkle in his eyes, “don't go into a coffee shop.” This was my first day in Amsterdam, and I was now armed with the first bit of wisdom in navigating the gorgeous city that looked like NYC's SoHo and Italy's Venice spread out all across the whole metropolis. In Amsterdam, don't go to a coffee shop if you want coffee.

2023-03-23 17:05

Mothers need a wife

It's no longer big news that Korea suffers from the lowest birth rate in the world at just 0.78 children per woman in 2022 - down from 0.81 the previous year. In the absence of a population inflow through immigration, a country needs an average of 2.1 children per woman to maintain the population at the existing level.

2023-03-07 16:50

Automating inspiration

David Brooks, in his recent New Times Column titled, “In the Age of A.I., Major in Being Human,” writes, “This is what many of us notice about art or prose generated by AI. It's often bland and vague. It's missing a humanistic core. It's missing an individual person's passion, pain, longings and a life of deeply felt personal experiences. It does not spring from a person's imagination, bursts of insight, anxiety and joy that underlie any profound work of human creativity.”

2023-02-20 16:40

Of course Gwen Stefani can be Japanese

Gwen Stefani caused a minor ruckus recently when she proclaimed in an interview that she identifies as Japanese. She was referring to the time in her childhood when she lived in Japan due to her father's work with Yamaha. “That was my Japanese influence and that was a culture that was so rich with tradition, yet so futuristic [with] so much attention to art and detail and discipline and it was fascinating to me,” Stefani said.

2023-01-29 16:50

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Top 10 Stories

1	Korea could disappear from map if it doesn't welcome more immigrants: justice minister

2	YG Entertainment's stock price soars over renewed contract with BLACKPINK

3	Yoon expected to replace foreign minister soon

4	INTERVIEWKorea has great opportunity to lead green transition

5	Rising Thai politician seeks to tackle growing challenges between Seoul, Bangkok

6	INTERVIEWNamseoul University leads adoption of innovative IB education programs

7	KAI boosts partnerships with Egypt at defense fair

8	Real estate project financing poses biggest risk to Korean economy in 2024: S&P, NICE

9	Genesis BBQ fosters Vietnam as Southeast Asia hub

10	Is career diplomat suitable to lead SMEs ministry?

DARKROOM