[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

[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

[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

[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

[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

[Dale Garratt] What’s right and wrong with US foreign aid

US President Donald Trump’s cancellation of foreign aid has caused intense debate in America and around the world. In the US it has largely come down, as usual, to a conflict between the right-wing and left-wing. We need to be smart, using a “head-wing” approach, if you will. By recognizing the good points on both sides and incorporating them into one national strategy, everyone will benefit. First, let’s look at a wrong use of foreign aid. It is not right to use aid as a way to coerce other cou

Feb. 19, 2025

[Grace Kao] US blocks words, targets sociology, society

Politically. Historical. Gender. Female. Women. Race and Ethnicity. Barriers. Cultural Differences. Equality. Inequality. Socio-Economic Status. LGBT. These are words that appear regularly in sociological articles, books and classes. They are basic concepts that describe features of modern societies. Since sociology is the study of society, we cannot avoid these words and basic concepts. They are also on the list of over 100 words and phrases that have been given to staff at the National Science

Feb. 18, 2025

[Lee Jae-min] Korea strolls as others sprint in tech race

It all boils down to technology. At the end of the day, the question is who has the technological edge? Navigating the uncharted terrain of US-China confrontation, supply chain reformulation and economic security, a new chapter of which has just begun with Trump 2.0, we in Korea somehow tend to forget this cardinal rule. Instead, the key question for the past several years has been framed as what Korea should do to position itself in the new geopolitical and geoeconomic landscape. This tendency

Feb. 18, 2025

[Andreas Kluth] America becoming alone under Trump

"America First," as practiced by President Donald Trump in his second term, will instead -- and probably sooner rather than later -- amount to "America Isolated" or even "America Hated." With respect to foreign policy, Trump campaigned on the promise that he would, through sheer “strength,” be a peacemaker, settling wars such as Russia’s against Ukraine within 24 hours and preventing new ones from breaking out. But since his reelection, and especially since his inauguration, Trump has adopted a

Feb. 17, 2025

[Yoo Choon-sik] South Korea could have done better in Paris

One of the world’s largest and most influential annual AI summit events has just ended in Paris, with top officials from major countries, global artificial intelligence companies, academic organizations and civil society groups attending to share their insights and make their arguments on key issues. Participants included such global leaders in politics, diplomacy and technology innovation as French President Emmanuel Macron, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US Vice President JD Vance, Chine

Feb. 17, 2025

[Lee Byung-jong] Ishiba’s flattery diplomacy

Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba may be struggling with rock-bottom approval ratings at home, but abroad, he has become an overnight sensation -- one that world leaders are eager to emulate. His summit with the unpredictable and impulsive new US president, Donald Trump, demonstrated a masterclass in diplomacy, showcasing how to manage Trump’s erratic leadership style. Analysts believe Ishiba secured most of Japan’s key objectives through a strategy of “flattery diplomacy,” using warm praise

Feb. 13, 2025