중앙데일리

[EDITORIALS]Debate, Please, Not Caterwauling

While Korea's political culture has never been known for its ability to hold constructive debates, criticizing opponents by playing with their words has intensified lately. After Kim Mahn-je, chief policymaker of the opposition Grand National Party, criticized the Kim Dae-jung administration for espousing "decadent socialism and populist policies," the ruling Millennium Democrats retorted that the Grand National Party was a party of the upper cla…

Aug 01,2001
[INSIGHT]Conflict and Democracy Are Inseparable

Some critics say that the patterns of conflict and confrontation all across the spectrum of our society resemble the political confusion which was rampant right after Korea was liberated from Japanese colonial rule in 1945. Many people voice concerns that Korean society will be divided into two extremes. One thing is certain: The recent pattern of conflict is a problem. The quality of debate is low because people refuse to recognize opi…

Aug 01,2001
[VIEWPOINT]Preserve the Masterful Poet's Dwelling

Suh Jhung-joo, a great Korean poet known by his pen name, Midang, passed away in December last year. The house in which he lived for 30 years, in Namhyeon-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, is about to be sold. After the house is sold, it will more than likely, as is usual these days, be demolished by profit-hungry property developers and "one room" bachelor flats or low-rise apartments will spring up on the site. The house was the first-built in the "ar…

Aug 01,2001
[FOUNTAIN]Loony for Lotto

One in five American adults buys a lottery ticket every week. Half of all Americans will nod yes if asked the question, "Have you bought a lottery ticket in the last 12 months?" Pick-6 Lotto, a lottery game in which each player selects six numbers, is the most popular among Americans. The jackpot of last spring's Big Game Lotto, organized collectively by seven U.S. states, grew to $363 million over eight weeks because there had been no winner. Ev…

Aug 01,2001
[EDITORIALS]Better Management, Please

The lax management of state-run corporations is nothing new. The problem is that despite frequent warnings, the sloppy management shows no signs of improving. Against this backdrop, a Monday report by the Federation of Korean Industries, an association of leading business concerns, delivers important messages by pinpointing problems plaguing those organizations and calling once again for reforms. State-run corporations and state-funded organiz…

July 31,2001
[EDITORIALS]Spy-vs.-Spy Has Serious Implications

An unprecedented controversy over the leaking of government secrets has erupted with the abrupt firing of a director, identified only as Mr. Ahn, who was a North Korea expert at the National Intelligence Service. His job entailed the collection of information on the North, devising strategies and managing official and unofficial contacts with the North. He is suspected of having handed over secret and highly sensitive information on North Korea…

July 31,2001
[OUTLOOK]How to Channel Our Zeal for Education

Toward the end of President Park Chung Hee's rule, the government barred the nation's middle and high school students from attending cram schools. But the move backfired, as families took to secret and highly expensive private tutoring. The government, then was forced to crack down on illegal private tutoring. In foreigners' eyes, this was totally incomprehensible, but the core idea of the policy moves was to cool down the fervent educational…

July 31,2001
[VIEWPOINT]Bad Economic Weather? It Will Pass

There is a dark cloud hanging over the U.S. economy. The $10 trillion economy, which was blessed by a 10-year boom, saw the most prosperous period in its economic history turned into one suddenly shrouded by unfamiliar uncertainty. The Federal Reserve Bank has lowered interest rates every month for the last six months in an aggressive move to boost the economy, but there is still no sign that the economy will bounce back any time soon. T…

July 31,2001
[FOUNTAIN]Love for Art Has No Borders

In the 1920s, a significant number of Koreans moved to Gando (the Korean name for northeastern Manchuria). The immigrants took the train from Seoul to Wonsan in northern Korea. According to the author Takumi Asakawa, among the small family heirlooms and sentimental objects the families managed to carry with them were small, portable tables, shiny with wear. It is in Mr. Asakawa's 1929 book that these small tables － soban － are first mentioned in …

July 31,2001
[EDITORIALS]Time to Approve Morning-After Pill

After an unidentified pharmaceutical company's recent application to import and sell the so-called morning-after birth control pill, Korean society has found itself engaged in heated debate. The Ministry of Gender Equality and religious groups, including the Catholic and Protestant communities, oppose the move to import the pill. They argue that the pill could cause young people to regard human life lightly and encourage casual sex. The Ministry…

July 30,2001

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