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South Korea and US Must Re-evaluate Russia

Sub-surface maneuvers are bustling within the international community regarding how the Ukraine War will end. While the United States applies pressure for a swift ceasefire based on “America First” policies, Europe is accelerating “Trump-Proofing”—preemptive defensive measures designed to shield government institutions, allies, and specific policies from the impacts of Trump’s decisions—to prepare for a so-called “security without America.”

Choi Soo-jungColumnist

Choi Soo-jung · Columnist

NATO is Needed to Keep Japan in Check

Today, the Indo-Pacific waters have emerged as the most intense battlefield for global hegemonic competition and a geopolitical fault line. The “OCEAN Framework,” recently conceived under U.S. and Japanese leadership, is a massive attempt to fundamentally reshape the regional security environment. (Related Column: Strengthening ROK-U.S.-Japan Intelligence Cooperation: Why We Should Be Vigilant)

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Choi Soo-jung · Columnist

ROK-U.S.-Japan Intelligence: A Strategic Dilemma

In June 2026, the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee made visible its move to strengthen Indo-Pacific intelligence cooperation through Section 691 of the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027. This bill directs the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and other agencies to significantly deepen intelligence cooperation with key allies in the Indo-Pacific region. Specified target countries for cooperation include South Korea and Japan, along with Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Thailand.

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Choi Soo-jung · Columnist

Korea-EU: A Strategic Pivot

An analysis of the official reports regarding President Lee Jae-myung’s visit to the EU in Brussels on June 10 reveals that this bilateral cooperation extends far beyond mere diplomatic rhetoric. In particular, the agreements concerning Indo-Pacific security strategies and AI-digital cooperation carry profound implications for the future trajectory of South Korea’s foreign and defense policies.

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Moon Ju-yong · Journalist

The Leader KNB Needs Now

Controversy continues to brew over the appointment of the next artistic director for the Korea National Ballet (KNB). Seeing such intense public interest makes one realize how deeply people care about the nation’s premier ballet company. Because it is funded by taxpayers’ money, it is impossible not to view this leadership crisis with a mixture of affection and concern.

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Cho Sun-gyu · IT Columnist

Korean Youth Have Unmasked the Incompetence of Established Politics

The June 3rd national concurrent local elections have come to a close. Alongside the final tallies, a single data point from the big three broadcasters’ exit polls has reignited a fierce debate. Among voters in their 20s, 55.8% of men backed the conservative People Power Party (PPP) candidates, while 66.4% of women supported the progressive Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) candidates. This identical schism manifested among voters in their 30s: 48.6% of men voted PPP versus 42.1% DPK, while 63.5% of women voted DPK versus 32.5% PPP.

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Park Chan-un · Professor at Hanyang University

Can Putin Be Arrested Too? The Dilemma of Selective Justice

Editor’s Note: After publishing a legal analysis yesterday regarding the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, criticisms of “selective justice” immediately began pouring in from various quarters. In the international community, selective justice is an inescapable reality.

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Park Mi-sook · Scholar of Popular Culture

Progressive Slogans, Militaristic Memes: The Two Faces of Starbucks

The recent controversy surrounding Starbucks Korea is not merely a matter of an isolated, inappropriate marketing event. It is a symbolic case study showing a glaring contradiction: how a brand that built its empire on progressive, inclusive slogans in the West can so easily compromise with toxic, militaristic memes in the Korean market. This incident lays bare how a global brand becomes politicized, and how a corporate tycoon’s personal worldview can destabilize an entire culture of consumption.

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Choi Yong-ju

The Transnational Solidarity Network That Helped Gwangju in 1980

The tragedy of Gwangju in May 1980 stemmed fundamentally from its “isolation.” As Gwangju citizens were killed, injured, and dragged away by the martial law forces, the government’s absolute censorship of the press left the vast majority of South Koreans completely unaware of the reality. Cut off from the outside world, the citizens’ ten-day campaign of non-violent civil disobedience was distorted and vilified as a riot instigated by communists and rebel elements.

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Jung Tai-sik · Kyungpook National University

‘A True Ally’ Forged by Sharing Meals in Exile

I watched the film The King and the Man Who Lived With Him( note- The film reimagines the exile of King Danjong (15th century Joseon dynasty), a boy-king deposed by his uncle. While rooted in Korean history, the film is not a documentary but a work of ethical and political reflection.). Director Jang Hang-jun’s rich imagination is striking, but the performances—Yoo Hae-jin(as Eom Hong-do), Park Ji-hoon(as Prince Nosan, King Danjong), Yoo Ji-tae(as Han Myeong-hoe), and Jeon Mi-do(as the court maid Maehwa)—expand the work beyond a simple historical drama into a space for reflection on relationships and ethics. The characters move beyond schematic divisions of good and evil, loyalty and betrayal, continually questioning how authority operates and how relationships acquire meaning.

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Jung Dae-sung

How a “Hegemonic” China Seeks to Enfold Korea

The Korea-China summit was superficially amicable, emphasizing the restoration of bilateral relations. In substance, however, the meeting was marked by chilling rhetoric regarding the international landscape. Chinese President Xi Jinping stated that “ice three feet thick is not frozen by a single day’s cold,” adding that Korea must “stand firmly on the right side of history and make the correct strategic choice.” Some in Korea interpreted these remarks as a move to pressure the nation to “depart from the U.S.-led order,” disguised as a gesture of friendship. They pointed out that while China employs amicable diplomatic rhetoric and expresses an intent to recover relations, it is essentially imposing a China-centric international order. Yet, such interpretations highlighting China’s “duplicitous attitude” are hardly surprising.

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Hong Jung-min · Former Member of the National Assembly

0%PGR, Breaking Down the ‘Asset Cliff’ for Korea’s Youth

In 2026, the specter of a 0% potential growth rate for South Korea is shifting from a distant fear to a looming reality. While export indicators suggest a technical recovery, the economic sentiment felt by ordinary citizens remains in sub-zero territory. The “2026 World Inequality Report” by Professor Thomas Piketty points a painful finger at extreme polarization as the fundamental cause of our chronic low growth. We are at a critical juncture where policy alternatives must urgently break the vicious cycle of “human capital depletion” and “declining potential growth.”

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Park Seung-ryong · Freelance Writer

The Six Reasoning Strategies of Sherlock Holmes

(Following Part 1) Sherlock Holmes has transcended the image of a mere detective. He has become a symbol of logical and scientific thinking—and a subject of study for many. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has drawn inspiration from Holmes’s techniques in developing profiling methods.

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Park Seung-ryong · Freelance Writer

If Sherlock Holmes Were Born in the AI Era of the 21st Century

Many people were deeply immersed in mystery novels when they were young. Together with the protagonists, they searched for clues in intricately entangled cases and took steps toward the truth, experiencing a sense of achievement and thrilling tension as if they were real detectives. I also liked Hercule Poirot and Arsène Lupin, but Shirlock Holmes fascinated me the most. It was because of his ability to meticulously observe everything from cigarette ashes to footprints to tiny fingerprints, and uncover the truth through logical reasoning.

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Choi Yong-ju · Columnist

Korea:We Must Invest More in Democracy

By Choi Yong-Ju Former Director, Investigation Division 1, the 5.18 Truth Investigation Commission Yoon Suk-yeol has been impeached. It took a full 110 days to obtain this rightful ruling. During that time, our country paid an enormous price—economically, politically, and socially—and suffered deep wounds that will not easily heal.

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the columnist

[Dismissal of Yoon Suk-yeol] Full Text of Constitutional Court’s Impeachment Ruling Summary

The following is the summary of the impeachment ruling of President Yoon Suk-yeol of the Republic of Korea, read by Acting Chief Justice Moon Hyeong-bae of the Constitutional Court.

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Im Bang-jin · Accountant

“Too Obvious a Trick” – Hanwha Aerospace

Recently, discussions about revising the Inheritance and Gift Tax Act—let’s just call it “IGT” for short—have been actively taking place. As we enter a super-aging society, intergenerational transfers of wealth are increasing, and for younger generations, opportunities to acquire a significant sum of money outside of inheritance or gifts are dwindling. From a tax practitioner’s perspective, the current IGT Act has far more complex and extensive regulations regarding gift tax than inheritance tax. Regulations such as “insider transactions” and “unfair advantage transfers” fall under this category.

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Chang Eun-joo · Professor

Korea: Fascism is Coming

By Chang Eun-joo, Professor at Youngsan University The current developments are almost unbelievable. Numerous polls indicate that nearly 40% of the public supports Yoon Suk-yeol’s declaration of martial law, despite its blatant unconstitutionality and illegality. Similarly, a significant portion of the population believes that Yoon’s impeachment should be overturned, or even subscribes to conspiracy theories about election fraud. In some polls, support for the People Power Party(PPP), which has defended the coup, even surpasses that for the Democratic Party.

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Choi Yong-ju · Columnist

Korea: The Politics of Liquidation and Severance Are Necessary

By Choi Yong-ju, Former Head of Investigation Division 1, 5.18 Truth and Reconciliation Commission Unless another decisive variable emerges, President Yoon Suk-yeol will be removed from office, sentenced as the leader of a coup d’état, and serve a prison term. Those who conspired, executed, aided, abetted, or followed orders related to the coup will also be punished according to the severity of their crimes. A new government will be elected and inaugurated. Does that mean everything will be resolved? Absolutely not.

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Kim Hee-eun · Director of Gallery Kartina

Russian Genre Painting: Into the Lives and Pain of the People

Paintings that resonate with the times, telling stories of people and their lives. Russian artists of the 19th century proclaimed, “Art that doesn’t reflect reality is worthless,” and became the eyes and ears of the people, capturing the grim realities of their era on canvas.

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