KoreaTimes - Columnists

The Korea Times

Entertainment & Arts

SCMP
Asia

The Korea Times

Entertainment & Arts

SCMP
Asia

The Korea Times

Opinion

Columnists

2. John Burton

Yoon's economic challenge

Is Korea heading for an economic and financial crisis? There are some disturbing signs. The KOSPI stock index has been among the worst-performing in the world this year. Inflation was up 5.4 percent in May, the highest since 2008, and could reach 6 percent in the next few months due to soaring energy prices. The value of the won against the U.S. dollar has fallen to its lowest level since September 2009.

2022-07-11 16:53

North Korea stands to benefit from the war in Ukraine. Why? Because Russia may be more willing to ignore international sanctions and provide Pyongyang with what it needs: oil, grain and fertilizer among other crucial products.

2022-06-27 16:32

Korea's dead-end birthrate

Probably the biggest challenge that Korea will face over the coming decades will be its demographic crisis, with a super-low birthrate and rapidly aging population. Analysts warn that Korea's shrinking population could have serious implications for the economy and national security.

2022-06-13 16:16

Pyongyang's COVID gamble

North Korea has played the role of mini-me to China when it comes to COVID. Both countries have pursued a zero-COVID strategy over the past two years and both now are facing the disastrous results of that decision.

2022-05-30 16:15

Yoon's uncertain path

U.S. President Joe Biden's upcoming meeting with President Yoon Suk-yeol, scheduled for May 21, will test the hopes of the foreign policy establishment in Washington that Korea's new president is willing to align his country more closely with America.

2022-05-16 16:18

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's decision to revive Korea's nuclear power program is a pragmatic one and reverses what some argue was an unrealistic policy by the Moon Jae-in administration to phase out nuclear energy.

2022-04-18 16:15

Even before he is inaugurated on May 10, Yoon Suk-yeol already has the appearance of a lame-duck president. Several factors are against him. First of all, he won by a razor-thin margin of 0.8 percent after a bitter presidential campaign that reflected the increased polarization of the Korean electorate.

2022-04-04 16:45

Korea and Ukraine

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is likely to have a major impact on Korea, aside from the sanctions that Seoul has already imposed on Moscow.

2022-03-07 17:09

Democratic decay

Fareed Zakaria's Global Public Square show on CNN is one of the few American television programs devoted to international issues. So it grabbed my attention when Zakaria, a respected foreign affairs analyst, took the time recently to comment on Korea's anti-feminist movement.

2022-02-07 16:35

As he marks his first year in office, President Joe Biden's North Korea policy is failing for a number of reasons. His administration, after conducting a policy review on North Korea, had promised a “careful, calibrated approach” toward persuading Pyongyang ultimately to give up its nuclear program.

2022-01-24 16:43

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Top 10 Stories

1	Korean firms balk at donating to fund compensating victims of Japan's forced labor

2	Sexual assaults by Korean diplomats continue despite zero-tolerance policy

3	Main opposition leader indicted, faces calls to resign

4	Consumers choose to travel abroad over purchasing luxury goods

5	World water day

6	Outback Steakhouse sees sales soar as it opens stores in large shopping malls

7	Korean pension fund hit by overseas banking crisis

8	Samsung, SK avoid worst-case scenario as US 'guardrails' are less stringent than feared

9	INTERVIEWRetired FSC chief finds inspiration exploring Koreans' ancestral roots

10	Campaign launched to promote equal treatment for multicultural families

DARKROOM