[Bartosz M. Rydlinski] What Germany’s election means

Germany’s Social Democrats are one of the West’s oldest political parties, with a legacy of advocating parliamentary democracy, opposing Nazism, and leading the modernization of postwar Germany. In addition to the many notable labor, economic, and human rights reforms that the party has implemented over the years, former SPD leader and West German Chancellor Willy Brandt’s Ostpolitik in the 1970s laid the groundwork for Germany’s reunification in 1990. But today’s SPD is a shadow of its former s

Feb. 26, 2025

[Kim Seong-kon] Our future with AI and drones

Recently, DeepSeek, a one-year-old startup Chinese artificial intelligence company revealed a ChatGPT-like AI model called RI. CNN reported that DeepSeek “threatened the aura of invincibility surrounding America’s technology industry.” Due to the DeepSeek shock, the world suddenly seemed to jump into intense competition over AI technology, instead of conducting research into the problems AI may entail. Indeed, we are now living in an era of AI and drones. Chatbots have become our daily consultan

Feb. 26, 2025

[Editorial] Beyond rate cuts

Bank of Korea cuts key rate, but more steps are needed to prop up slowing economy The Bank of Korea on Tuesday cut its benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point to 2.7 percent to prop up the slowing economy saddled with sluggish domestic demand and a growing list of obstacles in exports due to new US tariff policies. The central bank’s move came after it froze the rate in January to gauge the impact of the two rate cuts made in October and November last year. The one-month pause also

Feb. 26, 2025

[Lim Woong] The way I feel about DeepSeek

Generative AI, first introduced to the public by models like OpenAI’s GPT series, has reshaped our understanding of artificial intelligence and its creative potential. Today’s AI landscape includes not only ChatGPT but also Claude, Gemini, LLaMA, BLOOM, and emerging platforms such as Grok by xAI. These systems can generate everything from nuanced prose and poetry to music and visual art, at times blurring the line between human ingenuity and machine efficiency. A new kid on the block is China’s

Feb. 25, 2025

[Editorial] Vanishing tech lead

Survey finds S. Korea overtaken by China in semiconductor technologies South Korea's semiconductor technology level was overtaken by China's in two years, a survey of experts has found. The results of the survey are contained in a report by the Korea Institute of S&T Evaluation and Planning, titled "an in-depth analysis of technology levels in three major fields." The state-run think tank on South Korea's science and technology capabilities is said to have surveyed 39 domestic semiconductor expe

Feb. 25, 2025

[Editorial] Crucial time for economy

With GDP growth revised down for 2025, Korea needs to speed up extra budget plan With South Korea’s economic growth forecast to weaken to as low as 1 percent, policymakers are urged to work on the extra budget proposal to boost the economy, while passing urgent business-related bills and setting up robust policy steps against a looming global trade war. Concerns about the country’s slowing growth are mounting. On Feb. 19, British research firm Capital Economics, for instance, projected that Kore

Feb. 24, 2025

[Juan Pablo Spinetto] Anti-Americanism in Latin America

With anti-US rallies on the streets and the star-spangled banner in flames, Panama hasn’t taken well to President Donald Trump’s vow to repossess its famous canal. Since Trump’s surprising proclamation, Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino has been doing a delicate balancing act, trying to appease the new US administration while containing domestic furor over its expansionist demands. Public disagreements on the canal transits of US government vessels are just one sign of how hard it is for Mul

Feb. 24, 2025

[Lee Kyong-hee] Suspend reality: Yoon’s last stand

Atop his desk, President Yoon Suk Yeol had a sign that read, “The buck stops here.” It is a replica of the desk sign used by Harry S. Truman, the US president during the Korean War. Yoon often was photographed explaining the sign to guests, but after his botched attempt to impose martial law and subsequent impeachment, he clearly did not adhere to those four words. The last Constitutional Court hearing on Yoon’s impeachment is scheduled for tomorrow. So far, the impeachment trial tracks the plot

Feb. 24, 2025

[Editorial] Concerted steps needed

Korea needs to refine strategy to handle US tariffs on cars, chips, pharmaceuticals As US President Donald Trump hints at heavy tariffs on South Korea’s key export items, government officials and business executives are scrambling to seek fresh opportunities and minimize the impact, a move in the right direction amid growing uncertainties. On Tuesday, Trump told reporters that auto tariffs would be “in the neighborhood of 25 percent,” and that duties on chips and pharmaceutical imports would sta

Feb. 21, 2025

[Robert J. Fouser] Trump’s psychological needs

In his first month back in the White House, Donald Trump has been a tempest of change and, in the eyes of many, destruction. On domestic policy, he has focused on the culture wars and remaking the federal government in his image. On foreign policy, he has imposed tariffs while positioning himself as a peacemaker and an imperialist. The storm has been filled with contradictory messages that have left many countries, including South Korea, scrambling. What is going on? To answer this question, it’

Feb. 21, 2025

[Ana Palacio] India has arrived

Last month, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the first official foreign visit of the commission in her second term would be to India. On the same day, Marco Rubio held his first bilateral meeting as US Secretary of State with India’s Minister of External Affairs, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to Washington last week confirmed his country’s rising international profile. The visit ended with the promise of what Modi ca

Feb. 20, 2025

[Wang Son-taek] Crisis in Korea-China relations

A Chinese newspaper published an expert commentary recently, pointing out that Korean far-right forces are spreading fake news about China's involvement in Korean elections and that such remarks have also led to violent behavior. The expert criticized threats and attacks on Chinese residents in Korea, stating that they violate the rule of law and the minimum moral limits of a civilized country. The commentator complained that the Korean government neglects false information. The commentary can b

Feb. 20, 2025

[Editorial] Back to square one

Semiconductor bill in crisis; Opposition leader changes stance A bill to strengthen the competitiveness of the nation's semiconductor industry is in crisis over a clause that exempts R&D workers in the industry from the 52-hour workweek. Lawmakers of the ruling and opposition parties discussed the clause in a subcommittee meeting of the National Assembly's Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee on Monday, but failed to agree on it. The ruling People Power Party is clinging to the p

Feb. 20, 2025

[Kim Jong-hoon] Nuclear power can reenergize US, Korea

The age of the AI transformation is upon us, driven by profound breakthroughs in AI technology. Entire industries and societies are poised for disruption by innovations such as ChatGPT, with the United States standing at the forefront of this transformation. Yet these extraordinary strides come with a formidable challenge: the explosive demand for energy to power the AI data centers that enable such growth. According to Reuters, energy consumption by AI data centers in the US is expected to trip

Feb. 19, 2025

[Kim Seong-kon] Why are Korean young men angry now?

The term “Angry Young Men” originally referred to a group of young British playwrights and novelists in the 1950s, who were disillusioned with their snobbish society and revolted against it. These days, Korean young men in their 20s and 30s are angry, too. What, then, makes them so angry in 2025? Recently, I watched a street interview with a renowned 30-year-old Korean YouTuber conducted by a TV reporter. During the whole interview, the young Youtuber was full of “the sound and the fury,” and di

Feb. 19, 2025