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[EDITORIALS]Zen and the Art of National Defense
The government's indecisive reaction to the repeated crossing of the Northern Limit Line by North Korean vessels is scorching the souls of the South Korean public, which has already been burnt by the worst drought in 90 years. The authorities' feeble and unprincipled reaction to the North Korean intrusions on Wednesday and Thursday makes us wonder whether our military has the mission of defending our nation. Reading the transcript of radio transm…
June 15,2001
[OUTLOOK]Reflections on the Year Since the Summit
A year after the historic June 15 Summit, South Koreans do not think there has been much development in inter-Korean relations. North Korea has provided part of the reason for the lack of progress. The latest example is the series of crossings of the Northern Limit Line by North Korean cargo ships, infringing on the spirit of reconciliation and cooperation embodied in the June 15 Joint Declaration. But part of the blame belongs to the Kim Dae-…
June 15,2001
[VIEWPOINT]World Cup Hopes Do Not Overfloweth
In the final of the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Confederations Cup, a competition co-hosted by Korea and Japan from May 30 to June 10, Japan took on France, the world champions. But watching that match made me feel depressed. The Confederations Cup was a chance to rehearse for the World Cup, to be hosted by Korea and Japan next year, and to examine the caliber of teams that will participate in it. I was disappoi…
June 15,2001
[REPORTER'S DIARY]Strike Turbulence for Pilots
When the in-flight intercom crackles and the captain comes on to say, "We want to do everything we can to ensure you have a safe and comfortable flight," it soothes and comforts those passengers who are known as "white knuckle fliers." Airline pilots are highly professional and technically skilled people, and at any one time hundreds of lives depend on them, and so it is also a profession that is respected and aspired to by many. The majori…
June 15,2001
[EDITORIALS]Good Riddance to Walkouts
After Korean Air's unionized pilots and management reached agreement late Wednesday, quickly sapping the momentum of a broader strike led by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the umbrella labor union seems embarrassed. Nurses and administrative staff at six hospitals are still off the job, but unions at 12 other hospitals have already ended their strikes. The number of affected job sites has been reduced by half since the start of the g…
June 14,2001
[EDITORIALS]To Revive the Joint Declaration
We have mixed feelings as we greet the first anniversary of the June 15 Joint Declaration. The joy and emotion we had when the North and South Korea promised to end the history of national division and cold war and open a new chapter of progress by opening channels of reconciliation and cooperation have vanished. Through the joint declaration, the North and the South agreed on five items that would break the ice between the two sides and build…
June 14,2001
[INSIGHT]Strikes Support Need for Clear Thinking
The journey back home from work was a nightmare Tuesday. I was prepared for the general strike launched by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, but frustrated when cars did not budge from Namdaemun where my office is located. I looked into different alternatives, but the result was the same. In the end, I spent one hour getting to Seoul station, a distance that usually takes two to three minutes. Traffic was paralyzed because some of the …
June 14,2001
[VIEWPOINT]Egalitarianism in a Capitalist Society
The inscription on the front gate of the Supreme Court in southern Seoul reads "Freedom, Equality, Justice." These three words sum up the mission of the court: to realize the spirit of the law - in other words, implement justice - to protect the freedom and equality of the people. Freedom is a very important value to us. We sacrificed many things to wrest it from the hands of the absolute monarchs of the past, Japanese colonizers and, more recent…
June 14,2001
[FOUNTAIN]A True Statesman Is Needed
Which country is the workers' paradise? Surely it must be the country where people work the least but are paid the most. That is a good definition of heaven. People often say Germany is the closest. In 1999, the average work week was 37.4 hours, the average monthly worker's wage was 6,772 marks ($3,093) and the average vacation was 29.5 days. This vacation period includes only working days, so by adding Saturdays and Sundays, the average v…
June 14,2001
[EDITORIALS]Union Is Ensuring Its Own Demise
The success of any labor movement depends on the support of the public. Labor activists know all too well that labor movements have never succeeded without this vital backing. But it seems the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions has fallen into its own trap by calling a general strike opposed by the people. Even President Kim Dae-jung who employed softer measures towards the labor movement, unlike the former U.K. Prime Minister Margaret T…
June 13,2001
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