[Editorial] AI alliance

Collaboration with OpenAI, SoftBank could help grow Korea's tech ecosystem OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son both visited Seoul on Tuesday and had a three-way meeting with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong. They reportedly discussed collaboration on AI investments and future strategies. Their meeting is noteworthy, considering recent movements in the global AI industry. The United States and China are vying for leadership in the industry. Companies of the US and

Feb. 6, 2025

[Editorial] Ruling on Samsung chief

Lee Jae-yong acquitted by appellate court; Samsung needs fresh growth momentum Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong was cleared Monday of all charges linked to the controversial merger of two Samsung affiliates in 2015, paving the way for him to fully focus on the management of South Korea’s embattled tech giant. The Seoul High Court upheld the lower court’s verdict dismissing all charges against Lee, including stock manipulation, breach of trust, accounting fraud and other irregularities r

Feb. 5, 2025

[Editorial] Lee’s pragmatism

Opposition leader could drop local voucher pledge if needed for supplementary budget Rep. Lee Jae-myung, chair of the liberal main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, is emphasizing pragmatism and economic growth these days. Lee said last Friday that he would give up his signature campaign pledge to give every Korean 250,000 won ($171) in the form of vouchers to be used at local businesses -- which some describe as a de facto cash handout and others liken to a universal basic income -- out of

Feb. 4, 2025

[Editorial] Stormy outlook for exports

South Korea’s exports down 10.3% in January; Trump's tariffs raise possibility of global trade war South Korea’s exports tumbled in January, ending a 15-month growth streak that led to its first trade deficit in 20 months. The turnaround has come at a time when the export-dependent country is likely to confront a global tariff war signaled by the imposition of new tariffs by US President Donald Trump. On an on-year basis, Korea’s outbound shipments dropped 10.3 percent to $49.1 billion and impor

Feb. 3, 2025

[Editorial] DeepSeek upends AI

South Korea quickly needs vision to chart new course in AI battle led by US, Chinese rivals What some are calling “AI’s Sputnik moment” slammed the US tech sector this week, as a small Chinese firm demonstrated a dramatic breakthrough that raised questions about the need for massive amounts of investment in chatbots, data centers and specialized AI chips. On Monday, Nvidia, which rocketed to the lead in the global AI industry with its AI chips, saw its shares tumble by 17 percent, wiping $600 bi

Jan. 31, 2025

[Editorial] Trump-Kim bromance again?

Trump hints at talks with Kim Jong-un; Pyongyang test-fires strategic cruise missile As US President Donald Trump has hinted at attempting a fresh summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, South Korea is likely to confront more complicated diplomatic developments concerning US relations with North Korea. When asked during a Fox News interview that aired Thursday, Trump said he would reach out to Kim again in his second term. “He liked me and I got along with him,” Trump said. “He is not a rel

Jan. 27, 2025

[Editorial] Far-right YouTubers

Far-right YouTubers under criticism for fueling division, Seoul court attack YouTube has emerged as a political battleground in South Korea, in particular over the arrest of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, with some far-right video bloggers sending out inflammatory rhetoric, sensational content and conspiracy theories that incite violence and amplify divisions. There is no doubt that YouTube is a powerful digital platform offering a variety of useful information and content to audiences acros

Jan. 24, 2025

[Editorial] Checking suspicions

Yoon tells justices martial law declared to check election management system President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared before the Constitutional Court of Korea on Tuesday for his impeachment trial. Yoon told justices, “Before the martial law was declared, there were already doubts about the fairness of elections. (So sending troops to the National Election Commission on Dec. 3) was not to uncover election fraud itself, but we wanted to see if we could check what system was being operated.” This was a den

Jan. 23, 2025

[Editorial] Trump kicks off 2nd term

South Korea faces challenges from US President Trump on multiple fronts Donald Trump, who took office as the United States’ 47th president on Monday, declared that the “golden age of America begins,” while pledging to “put America first,” in a troubling signal that his policies will center upon maximizing US benefits with little regard for -- or at the expense of -- the interests of other countries, including close allies like South Korea. Trump, 78, also signaled that the US will refrain from m

Jan. 22, 2025

[Editorial] Same yardstick

Yoon's arrest, speedy trial contrast with writ denial for Lee amid delays A short sentence that the suspect is feared to tamper with evidence is all that a judge of the Seoul Western District Court cited as the reasoning for the issuance of an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol. The judge did not mention grounds for the judgment or guesses about whether the allegations may be true or not, which judges usually do in issuing or denying such a warrant. Considering that public opinion is spl

Jan. 21, 2025

[Editorial] Warning sign for opposition

Support rating for Democratic Party weakens amid moderates' discontent with political squabbling The unprecedented political turmoil sparked by impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol entered a new phase Sunday, as he was formally arrested over his Dec. 3 botched imposition of martial law. This first-ever formal arrest of a sitting president came after a Seoul court’s decision to issue a warrant to detain him for an extended period. Given the recent political developments involving Yoon, it is not a s

Jan. 20, 2025

[Editorial] Detained yet defiant

Arrest of impeached president illustrates Korea’s political division and social fractures President Yoon Suk Yeol, who attempted a failed self-coup last month, was taken into custody for questioning by investigators Wednesday, becoming the country’s first sitting president to be arrested. However, the arrest of Yoon is unlikely to resolve the deepening political turmoil and social division any time soon. He was impeached by opposition-led parliament on Dec. 14 for his short-lived imposition of m

Jan. 17, 2025

[Editorial] Fading policies

Measures missing or scaled down; opposition shelves economic bills Policies of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration are showing signs of fading, apparently under pressure from the main opposition party which led the impeachments of the president and then prime minister who acted for president. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport reported its New Year plans to acting President Choi Sang-mok on Monday. The plans did not deal with some major policies the ministry has pushed to deregulate

Jan. 16, 2025

[Editorial] Atrocities of war

South Korea must seek ways to ensure rights of North Korean soldiers in Russia-Ukraine war South Korea’s National Intelligence Service on Monday confirmed the shocking facts and atrocities involving North Korean soldiers who were dispatched to fight Ukraine. It is hard to fathom what those soldiers might have felt when they were ordered to fight on the battlefield. What’s certain is that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is playing a horribly dangerous game with North Korean people through the ong

Jan. 15, 2025

[Editorial] 'KakaoTalk censorship'

Opposition to demand investigation of posts that defend martial law decree The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea will demand the investigation of messenger users on charges of insurrection propaganda if their posts advocate for President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration, even if the posts are mere copies of others' comments. Jeon Yong-gi, the Democratic Party lawmaker who co-chairs the party's committee in charge of public communications, told a news conference Friday that spreadi

Jan. 14, 2025