Korea is a country that knows what it needs to do
Published: 30 Apr. 2025, 00:05
I always get a kick out of reading about Korean “problems” — they’re so different from what we face in Canada. I really enjoyed the recent pieces by Prof. Nam and Mr. Ryu, but most of all, I enjoyed Suh Kyong-ho's well-reasoned piece on political transitions.
Given it's election day in Canada, Mr. Suh's piece struck a chord. It reminded me how, at times, Koreans are a reasonable, cautious people who sweat the details so the main event goes to plan.
That's the way a country should be. God bless Korea!
Right now, Canada isn't as it should be and Canadians are reeling over how woefully underfunded and unready our military is after years of neglect — with U.S. President Donald Trump asking us to pay up and be a “real country” that can actually defend its land.
We're also drowning in a drug epidemic unseen since the Opium Wars and China's devastating struggle with the effects of forced drug legalization. But most significantly, Canada is struggling with “cognitive dissonance” surrounding our own importance versus our “hand of cards” that President Trump likes to talk about.
So, I agree with Mr. Suh.
Korea needs an eloquent transition and it needs to be well planned. I'm also happy Korea is a country that knows what it needs to do, knows who it is, and doesn't have its head in the sand about its challenges.
Canada's situation makes me want to jump on a plane and have cocktails with Mr. Suh to discuss the very manageable problems Korea has.
I wouldn't be confronted with the horrors of another mass casualty event or stranger attacks by the homeless, drug addicted or mentally ill. I also wouldn't have to deal with a society where car theft, property crimes, shortages of every professional worker we need are the norm, and almost every “service” we pay for with high taxes are being rationed and triaged because they're overwhelmed. How long do Koreans need to wait for a surgery?
Can't wait to book my flight and enjoy a country that faces its problems and has excellent journalists and writers like Mr. Suh! Thank you for your ray of sunshine!
Mike Sluchinski
Given it's election day in Canada, Mr. Suh's piece struck a chord. It reminded me how, at times, Koreans are a reasonable, cautious people who sweat the details so the main event goes to plan.
That's the way a country should be. God bless Korea!
Right now, Canada isn't as it should be and Canadians are reeling over how woefully underfunded and unready our military is after years of neglect — with U.S. President Donald Trump asking us to pay up and be a “real country” that can actually defend its land.
We're also drowning in a drug epidemic unseen since the Opium Wars and China's devastating struggle with the effects of forced drug legalization. But most significantly, Canada is struggling with “cognitive dissonance” surrounding our own importance versus our “hand of cards” that President Trump likes to talk about.
So, I agree with Mr. Suh.
Korea needs an eloquent transition and it needs to be well planned. I'm also happy Korea is a country that knows what it needs to do, knows who it is, and doesn't have its head in the sand about its challenges.
Canada's situation makes me want to jump on a plane and have cocktails with Mr. Suh to discuss the very manageable problems Korea has.
I wouldn't be confronted with the horrors of another mass casualty event or stranger attacks by the homeless, drug addicted or mentally ill. I also wouldn't have to deal with a society where car theft, property crimes, shortages of every professional worker we need are the norm, and almost every “service” we pay for with high taxes are being rationed and triaged because they're overwhelmed. How long do Koreans need to wait for a surgery?
Can't wait to book my flight and enjoy a country that faces its problems and has excellent journalists and writers like Mr. Suh! Thank you for your ray of sunshine!
Mike Sluchinski
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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