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Jensen Huang’s 2025 CES Keynote Was a ‘Flop’

At CES 2025, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang delivered a keynote address. While it was met with applause from the audience, criticism from experts followed soon after. Some experts and investors voiced that the presentation failed to meet expectations. NVIDIA’s stock dropped more than 6% immediately after the keynote, reflecting the harsh market reaction.

Yoon Suk Yeol’s Failed Self-Coup and the Evolution of Korean Constitutional Democracy

President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has become a “notorious” figure in South Korea’s 21st century history, has made another record. He became the first sitting president in the country’s history to have an arrest warrant and detention warrant executed against him, and the first to be indicted.

Korea: the First Natives of the Democratic Republic!

January 4, 2025, 4 p.m. Just four days into the new year, a “Yoon Suk-yeol Impeachment Rally” was held in front of Gyeongbokgung Station in Seoul. This was my first time attending a protest in eight years, since the “Park Geun-hye Scandal” protests near Gwanghwamun Square in December 2016.

Establish a ‘Korean-style Economic Security Policy’

Even though South Korea’s presidential diplomatic attempts have stalled, the next Trump administration is anticipated to propose many bills against Korea in a hub-spoke fashion. Let us carefully investigate bills that may be raised against other countries before Korea to prepare for what is to come. Protectionism is nothing new, but Trump-style protectionism is different.

Trump’s Return, South Korea Crisis: two world-historical events linked

We are today facing two world-historical transitions. Donald Trump is back as the 47th President of the United States. The other is the problem of democracy in South Korea, which is going through a political impeachment crisis. As global democracy is in decline, South Korea needs to understand the significant geopolitical implications of whether it can recover its democracy, which is a remarkable achievement in the history of democracy.

Korea: “Yoon Suk-yeol Swift Punishment”...AKS Declaration

On January 23, professors from the Academy of Korean Studies(AKS), a government public research institution leading global Korean studies, issued a declaration on the situation calling for “swift punishment for Yoon Suk-yeol, who attacked the Republic of Korea.” The professors particularly appealed to the domestic and international Korean studies communities, urging them to “unite in actions to defend the democracy of the Republic of Korea.”

Outlook on Trump’s Energy Policy: Part 2

President-elect Donald Trump, set to be inaugurated on January 20, has continued to make bold statements about the climate crisis and renewable energy even after the election. Known for using slogans that simplify complex issues for public understanding, Trump labels climate action and renewable energy policies as a “Green Scam.” He argues that the climate crisis lacks a scientific foundation, claims that investments in renewable energy are expensive, asserts that job creation is minimal, and states that there is no impact on price reduction. Instead, he advocates for maximizing fossil fuel production within the U.S. to lower prices and create jobs, also proposing a 60% tariff on Chinese-made renewable energy equipment.

“The Breath of a Thousand Years”: On Russian Art

By Kim Hee-Eun, Director of Gallery Kartina Russia Cannot Be Understood Through Reason Alone It Cannot Be Measured by Universal Standards There is Something Special in Russia That Can Only Be Believed with the Heart.

Korea: Addiction to YouTube, Cultural “Bullfrog”

By Kang Ung-Gu, Professor, Seoul National University College of Medicine An ecosystem is defined as the interaction between organisms and their surrounding abiotic environment, where they influence one another[ Wikipedia ]. Not only biological organisms but also human-created systems can interact with their surroundings, forming metaphorical ecosystems. For instance, corporations create ecosystems, and so do cultural contents.

Germany to Overcome Political Crisis on February 23

While South Korea was mired in political chaos due to an illegal martial law declaration, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz failed to regain parliamentary confidence on December 16. The no-confidence vote result was 394 votes against him, 207 in support, and 116 abstentions, ultimately withdrawing parliamentary trust from Scholz. Including the 394 votes against and 116 abstentions, 71% of the Bundestag did not support Scholz’s continuation as chancellor. Most votes, excluding those from the Social Democratic Party (SPD), viewed Scholz as unfit to continue leading the government. Scholz subsequently visited Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to request the dissolution of parliament. Consequently, Germany is set to hold early general elections on February 23.

“Squid Game Democracy” is Unacceptable

By Professor Eun-joo Chang, Youngsan University, South Korea The December 3 rebellion incident, which could have led to a horrifying outcome if it had succeeded, also carried a grotesque and tragically ironic element. It justified an outright destruction of liberal democracy in the name of protecting it. From early on, I pointed out that Yoon Suk-yeol misunderstood the concept of liberal democracy and was never truly a liberal democrat (see my column: “Yoon Suk-yeol is Not a Liberal Democrat!”). However, I did not anticipate that his understanding of liberal democracy resembled something like Park Chung-hee’s Yushin system and that his convictions could lead to staging a loyalist coup.

Korea: Initial Analysis, Why Did the Plane Crash?

By Choi Keeyoung, Professor at Inha University The memory of the tragic incident that occurred on the morning of December 29 last year remains vivid, and media attention is still intense. Since that morning, interview requests have poured in, creating a burden for many individuals in the field, including myself. Speculating in various directions without accurate information only serves to satisfy momentary curiosity with a few drops of water—it hardly offers any substantial help. There’s a complex mix of fear that any conclusions drawn from the currently available data might later prove to be incorrect or that statements might be misinterpreted or misused out of context.

Korea: 12.3 Rebellion and a Critical Moment for Democracy

By Woojin Kang, Professor of Political Science at Kyungpook National University The 12.3 coup attempt by President Yoon Suk-yeol was thwarted by civilian resistance, the National Assembly’s resolution to lift martial law, and the impeachment of the President by the legislature. Although the first attempt at rebellion was blocked, the confrontation between the forces of rebellion, their allies, and those defending democracy continues. An unprecedented situation has unfolded, with Acting President Han Duck-Soo impeached for rejecting the National Assembly’s recommendation to appoint constitutional court justices. If the Constitutional Court cannot reach a verdict on the impeachment trial before the retirement of two justices on April 18, 2025, Korea could face severe turmoil.

Korea: “Holding: Yoon Suk Yeol is removed from office”

“The respondent’s acts of violating the Constitution and law are a betrayal of the people’s confidence, and should be deemed as grave violations of the law that are unpardonable from the perspective of protecting the Constitution. Since the negative impact and influence on the constitutional order brought about by the respondent’s violations of the law are serious, we believe that the benefits of protecting the Constitution by removing the respondent from office, who has been directly vested with democratic legitimacy by the people, overwhelmingly outweigh the national loss that would be incurred by the removal of the President.”

Korea: Those Who Uphold Truth Also Protect the Nation

Since the French Revolution in 1789, France has not always maintained the same system of governance. There were periods of monarchy and empire. However, the France of today is a republic, self-defined in its constitution as a nation inheriting the Declaration of the Rights of Man (1789) and the preamble of the 1946 Constitution. The republic’s foundation rests upon the proud legacy of the Revolution. Yet, preserving the spirit of the republic has not been easy. The Catholic Church, opposing the Revolution’s legacy, and elites like the military and bureaucrats, prioritized their own interests at critical moments under the guise of “national interest.” When they ignored truth for selfish gain, the French Republic was imperiled. It was citizens who believed that upholding truth and justice aligned with France’s best interests who ultimately safeguarded the republic.

Korea: If Yoon Suk-yeol Returns

On the day Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment motion was passed, tens of thousands of people held a rally against the impeachment at Gwanghwamun Square. The following weekend, they staged another large-scale protest demanding the nullification of the impeachment and calling for a “second martial law.” Wreaths expressing wishes for the impeachment to be overturned were lined up in front of the Constitutional Court. According to Gallup, 21% of the public opposes the impeachment.

Korea: Official Position of the Constitutional Scholars Council

PRESS RELEASE Released: Dec 27, 2024 Constitutional Scholars Council for Enhancement of Korean Constitutionalism (CSCEKC) Official Position of the Constitutional Scholars Council for Enhancement of Korean Constitutionalism (CSCEKC) on the Quorum for Impeachment of the Acting President

Korea: Parliamentary Justices quotas appointments are mandatory

Acting President Han Deok-soo is playing a dangerous game. His vow to end his last public life well, his determination to achieve the “Beauty of Good End” is far from fulfilled. The glamor of his 40 years in office has already been tarnished by the fact that he flattered Yoon as a “great man” and “the most reformed president” in the first place. Moreover, his unconstitutional and illegal declaration of emergency martial law, which made him a suspect in the insurrection, will go down in history as a stigma regardless of his criminal responsibility.

Korea: The ‘NK Threat’ Build-Up Used in the Coup Crisis

This text is a translation of a column( 내란 사태에 이용된 ‘북한 위협’ Build-Up ) originally published on December 22. The sudden coup crisis left everyone in a state of shock. Now, with a brief moment to catch our breath, we can reflect on this dramatic event, which was far more intense than any film. Let’s analyze the flow of the crisis by drawing parallels to two films starring Woo-sung Jung that once dominated the news: 12.12: THE DAY (2023) and Hunt (2022) .

Korea: Finding “Hope of the Era” at the Namtaeryeong Protest

This text is a translation of a column( 남태령 시위에서 ‘시대 희망’을 쏘다 ) originally published on December 24. “Mom, are you going to another protest?” “Yes, I have to go. The farmers must have driven their precious tractors all the way here, shivering in the cold for days. Last night, they were blocked by police barricades and couldn’t move, stuck on the streets. I heard citizens stood by them, shivering through the night to protect them. I’m worried they might get frostbite. Someone has to step in so those who stayed up all night can rest.”