US partisan politics and the South Korean #MeToo movement shouldn’t have much in common. But if Koreans aren’t careful, the two are in danger of becoming similar, devoured by the pitfalls of tribalism. In many ways, the #MeToo discourse in Korea is in danger of devolving into a contest of whether you are against men or against women, with little ground in between.The dangers of bipolarization have been on full display in the US for a few decades now. In the recent midterm election, urban America

Viewpoints Dec. 28, 2018

For those who have not noticed, Russia has steadily been increasing its cooperation with North Korea. The first major event happened in 2014, when Moscow moved to forgive about $11 billion worth of Soviet-era debt. Trade between the two nations has been on the rise and this month, a new ferry service began from Vladivostok, providing a cargo capacity of 6,000 tons each month. In April, it was even reported that Russian military equipment was being transported into North Korea. No matter how one

Viewpoints May 24, 2017

Dear Presidential Candidates,You need to get this right: it’s the economy. I get why you need to sound presidential and make big promises. I really do. I even understand why you ask each other cryptic questions during debates to bait gaffes. I really do. But please, please. The Korean economy is in trouble and whoever wins this election needs to get it right.It’s no secret Korea’s largest industries -- electronics, automobiles, and maritime shipping -- are in trouble. A slew of competitors, most

Viewpoints April 28, 2017

Most media pundits largely agree that Trump has a lot to learn. When he says, “no one knew how complicated health care could be,” we somehow forgive him and understand he meant, “I didn’t know.” When he starts talking about the dangers of uranium in a press conference, as if it’s the latest scientific discovery, we forgive him, sigh in relief, and mutter, “Thank goodness he finally gets it.” Hopefully, the next thing Trump will learn is diplomacy. If Trump needs inspiration, he need only look to

Viewpoints March 27, 2017