중앙데일리

[OUTLOOK]Attack insider trading at the root

The new president of Korea, Roh Moo-hyun, has pledged to continue with reform of the jaebol begun under the administration of Kim Dae-jung. But even before Mr. Roh was inaugurated, a new “toughness” towards the jaebol on the part of the Korean government was signaled. Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Corporation, was arrested days before Roh’s inauguration for alleged insider trading involving stocks of the Sheraton Walker Hill Hotel and SK Corporat…

Mar 07,2003
[READERS’ COMMENTARY]Strategic thinking and catch-up

Recent developments in relations between the United States and North Korea epitomize a security dilemma, where the defensive preparations argued for by one side are being taken as offensive intentions by the other. Transforming its strategic security concept from deterrence to defense, The United States has in recent decades pursued a plan to establish a missile defense system against attack by “rogue states.” North Korea demands a nonaggressio…

Mar 07,2003
[FOUNTAIN]An eye on the guards

The plot thickens in the television drama “Muin Sidae” (The Age of Warriors) as soldiers who took over the state in a coup d’etat now vie among themselves for power. Based on the history of the Goryeo dynasty in the 10th through 14th centuries, the power clash in the drama between the older generals led by Jeong Jung-bu and the younger Lee Ui-bang and Lee Go, the king’s escort warriors, resembles that between graduates of the fifth class and the…

Mar 07,2003
[INSIGHT]Roh appointments spark concerns

A change in power is a good thing. It allows fresh voices to be heard and eye-opening comments to be made. President Roh Moo-hyun has declared that his government will not rely on “power agencies,” as did governments in the past. As an example of how he intends to separate government agencies from politics, the president has declared through his senior secretary for civil affairs that he does not want the prosecutors office reporting to the Bl…

Mar 05,2003
[SCRIVENER]Wife, traffic, skiing, togetherness

Last weekend, I went to Muju, a simple proposition for some folks but not for this one. It was a weekend of facing fears. The first challenge was to build up the courage to drive out of Seoul. I’ve lived in the city for 20 years but have only on the rarest occasion wrenched myself from its bosom. Many years ago, without really thinking about it, I came to the conclusion that whatever green hills there are to be found without the city walls are n…

Mar 05,2003
[VIEWPOIINT]Inspire our dreamers

Special education for gifted children is booming in Korea. Teachers who instruct gifted children go through a few extra training courses each year because the skill of teachers is the most important factor in teaching gifted children. Alhough I am not a specialist in special education, I have had chances to teach brilliant secondary school students at an education center for the gifted at Seoul National University and through the Chemistry Olympi…

Mar 05,2003
[VIEWPOINT]GNP wild card in Roh’s success

Roh Moo-hyun’s success as president will depend as much on the opposition Grand National Party as on the president himself, his cabinet and the Millennium Democratic Party. The Grand Nationals are still the majority party of the National Assembly. It has passed an act to create a special prosecution team to investigate the furtive fund transfers to North Korea, despite avid protests from the Millennium Democrats. Politics is a game played betwe…

Mar 05,2003
[CULTURAL DIMENSIONS]Roh must be nimble on U.S. issue

March 1, the anniversary of nationwide demonstrations against Japanese colonial rule in 1919, has always brought its share of political demonstrations. This year, however, the demonstrations took an unusual turn as anti-American and pro-American gatherings took place within kilometers of each other in the center of Seoul. Together, the demonstrations show that views of the United States remain a potent force in political mobilization in Korea. …

Mar 05,2003
[FOUNTAIN]Understanding Islam

“AAA” is the operative abbreviation in understanding Southwest Asia and the greater Islamic world. In fact, underestimating or mislabeling any of the A’s can reap havoc, and sometimes even alter the destiny of a country or a regime. The first A stands for Allah. Allah is an object of absolute consideration in all stretches of the Islamic world, whether cultural, social or political. Iranian politicians invoking God during the 1980s in the af…

Mar 05,2003
[INSIGHT]‘Reform’ can be an empty slogan

Throughout Chinese history, utopias have been proposed many times. In these ideal scenarios, land is distributed equally and the people work the same number of hours and pay the same amount of taxes. But no dynasty in Chinese history achieved such an ideal. Later, the ideal of an egalitarian society became a slogan of revolution, but politicians had to give up the slogans because even under imperial rule they realized that an egalitarian society …

Mar 04,2003

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