Hopes for Inter-Korean Summit to Ease Seven-decade Pain of Division In a nationally televised New Year`s address, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called for a “big shift” in relations between North and South Korea “through stepped-up dialogue, negotiations and exchanges,” proposing the resumption of high-level government talks and contacts in other sectors. Since taking control of the North three years ago Kim had never before expressed such willingness toward an inter-Korean summit.

An Observation of Progressives over Six Decades When I was a student at Seoul National University, there were progressive student organizations called the Sinjinhoe (“Newcomers Society”) in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the Sinjohoe (“New Trends Society”) in... On Debt Amid the severe downturn that followed the 2008 global financial crisis, Paul Krugman, a recipient of the Nobel Prize in economics, called on the U.S. government to spend more, instead of making much ado about consequential fiscal... Singles Tax, Homes for Newlyweds ― Would Babies Be Born? The Ministry of Health and Welfare recently became the source of speculation about a tax on single people. This began when a high-ranking official at the ministry said, “If the current low...

Seosomun: History Park or Catholic Sanctuary? The project that is turning the historic site outside Seosomun into a tourist attraction is stoking tensions among different religious groups. A misunderstanding kindled because the Catholic Church showed excessive enthusiasm and... Impact of the Korea-China FTA on the Korean Economy The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, held in Beijing on November 10, provided the spark to conclude the Korea-China free trade agreement. Considering the rapidly expanding Chinese market and the increased... Foreign Professionals in Korea: Survey on their Life and Work Korea is increasingly aware of the need to attract foreign professionals to replenish intellectual capital and to better cope with a shrinking working population caused by the nation’s low birthrate and rapidly aging so...

Booming Seochon Drives Out Old Residents Capital inflows have crowded out longtime inhabitants from a traditional residential area in Seoul, and the peculiar charm of their neighborhood is increasingly tarnished. This is the transformation that is occurring west of Gyeon... Tracing the Footsteps of Joseon Diplomatic Missions to China Approximately 600 records by Korean envoys of the Joseon Dynasty to China remain to this day. The envoys walked 2,000 kilometers, starting out from the border city of Euiju, in... Kim Chang-il, Art Collector in the Spotlight He has a sixth sense. The stocks he buys skyrockets. The ailing companies he takes over become a golden goose. He is Kim Chang-il, 63, chairman of Arario Group, which he has single-handedly built into a mid-size conglomerate...