중앙데일리

[NOTEBOOK]Give up Wido, start from scratch

Another fiasco is in the queue. After rejections at Anmyeon and Guleop islands, the nuclear waste treatment plant project is about to meet yet another failure at Wido. The government’s hands have been tied for the last 45 days, faced with a fierce “uprising” of Buan county residents. It’s deja vu, bringing back memories of Anmyeon island in the fall of 1990. Locals staged violent demonstrations, crying “anti-nuclear” and “preservation of …

Sept 29,2003
[FOUNTAIN]Sunglasses and technology

Sunglasses were first developed for American military pilots in the 1920s by an American optical goods maker, Bausch & Lomb. At that time, pilots are said to have suffered greatly because they could not block the strong sunlight during their high-altitude flights. After research, the company succeeded in manufacturing sunglasses for pilots under the brand name “Ray-Ban.” Since the mid-1930s, the firm has produced sunglasses for the public. As t…

Sept 29,2003
[OUTLOOK]Don’t use a poll to decide

Korean society is divided in a heated debate over whether to send troops to Iraq at the request of the United States. It has asked other countries for troop help as well. The government has avoided any action so far, only promising to “collect public opinion.” Of course, as President Roh Moo-hyun has pointed out, there are many things to consider in this decision to deploy Korean troops to Iraq. It is not a decision to be made hurriedly. The…

Sept 27,2003
[VIEWPOINT]Re-evaluating Australia’s role

When I was in Malaysia for an international conference in August, I had a chance to have a conversation with a local businessman. I asked him if he had ever been to Korea, and he said he had visited Seoul six times. Pleasantly surprised, I asked him what kind of business he did in Korea, and he responded, with a clearly apologetic face, that he no longer intended to invest in the Korean market. He listed three factors that had affected the dec…

Sept 27,2003
[FOUNTAIN]Rulers and natural disasters

In the age of myths and legends, natural disasters were sufficient justification for a change in power. Ancient people believed that worldly authority was granted by Heaven. Natural disasters such as a drought or flood could bring down one ruler and give power to another. In the 10th century B.C., Moses exercised divine leadership over his Israelite tribesmen, who were the subjects of Egypt. According to the Bible, Moses invoked 10 plagues …

Sept 27,2003
[TODAY]There is no free lunch for Korea

Too much success can sometimes be the seed of misfortune. For the United States, the war in Iraq could be called such a case. There have been more American casualties in Iraq since President George W. Bush announced the end of the war in May than during the conflict. Saddam Hussein, who should either be dead or politically and militarily incapable by now, has become a faceless voice encouraging the Iraqis to resist the American occupation. For…

Sept 26,2003
[VIEWPOINT]A lot of waste in typhoon relief

The Roh Moo-hyun administration is rushing to designate damaged areas as “special disaster relief zones” as a leading measure in the aftermath of Typhoon Maemi. The storm caused about 120 casualties and 5 trillion won ($4.3 billion) in property damage. But the designation is like locking the barn door after the horse was stolen. When areas are designated as special disaster zones, extra help is available for rebuilding, including the payment of…

Sept 26,2003
[VIEWPOINT]The ills of corporal punishment

A while ago, it was reported that the case of some policemen who beat a citizen in a fit of anger would be handled in the courts. While drunk, the citizen had assaulted a policeman and caused a commotion. But even a lawbreaker who challenged public authority should not be informally, physically punished. Even the military has said that any sort of violence should be banned, and if that rule is violated the perpetrator would face criminal charges…

Sept 26,2003
[OUTLOOK]The limits of public participation

Another tempest is about to overtake our country, and more rough sailing is at hand with the heated public debate over whether to send additional troops to Iraq. While there is a great deal of disagreement on the matter, everyone probably hopes that the issue will be solved somewhat more quietly this time. How much noise have we had to go through since this administration came into office? Our society has not seen a single quiet day with the…

Sept 25,2003
[VIEWPOINT]The move to “special city” status

Recently, six big cities, including Gyeonggi province’s capital Suwon, Seongnam, Goyang and Bucheon, declared that they want to be designated as “special cities.” The proposal has become a controversial subject among residents as well as local governments. Taking as their model Japan’s ordinance-designated cities, the six cities wish to be upgraded to a level between a regular municipality and a metropolitan government. The cities would rema…

Sept 25,2003

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