South Korea Needs More Immigrants
South Korea has long exploited migrant workers under its so-called Employment Permit System. It's time to give them the rights they deserve.
Opinion
Revisiting: My Political Coming of Age
Young people have been leading a lethargic existence removed from politics. But no more. The Park Geun-hye scandal woke us to our potential.
Tyranny of South Korea’s Majority Against Refugees
When a self-righteous majority levels undiluted hatred at a small group of refugees, and thinks itself ordinary, it's downright chilling.
동아시아에서 일어나는 모든 현상을 ‘유교 때문’이라 결론짓지 말자
외신을 보면 ‘유교’는 ‘동아시아’와 같은 의미를 가지고 있다는 주장이 종종 나타난다. 하지만 아시아 국가들 사이에도 상당한 차이가 존재한다. 그 차이를 무시하고 그들의 총체적인 성공과 문제점을 단순히 유교를 통해 설명하는 건 매우 서구적인 관점에서 동양을 대상화하는 오리엔탈리즘이라 할 수 있다.
The Singapore Summit Gives Hope that Peace Is Still Possible
The Singapore summit did not quite live up to the hype, but it is certainly preferable to last year’s tensions, and there are enough reasons to be still hopeful that negotiations can work this time.
내가 ‘탈북자 인터뷰’ 요청을 거부하는 이유
난 미래를 설계하고 싶지 과거를 다시 경험하고 싶지 않다. 영원히 ‘탈북자’ 꼬리표를 달고 싶지 않고 북한이라는 부담을 계속 짊어지고 살고 싶지도 않다.
Remembering Gwangju
After reading a novel about the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement, the writer sets off to the city where it all unfolded in order to discover the event's meaning for himself.
Why I Decline ‘North Korean Defector’ Interview Requests
Media outlets constantly make use of the 'miserable North Korean defector' narrative. The current media frenzy surrounding the inter-Korean summit is no different. But journalists should exercise more sensitivity and respect, writes one defector.
A Small Scandal, A Big Blow to Moon Jae-in’s Credibility
What seems like a fight over minor failings of Kim Ki-sik, South Korea's new Financial Supervisory Service governor, has undercut the Moon Jae-in government's claim that it is morally superior to conservatives who ruled before Moon.
Watching North Koreans Watch South Koreans
Inter-Korean relations may be on the mend, but it’s an uphill battle to challenge the narrative of brainless, heartless North Koreans.
Foreign Media in South Korea: Arbiters of Truth, and Players in Their Own Right
When the BBC correspondent in Seoul sent out a tweet last weekend, it demonstrated the power foreign media wield in South Korea, as well as the difficulty of staying above the muck of local politics.
Pyeongchang Olympics: What to Make of North Korea’s Switching Tactics
One minute foe, one minute friends walking in together carrying a unification flag in the Olympics opening ceremony. How should we make sense of North Korea's switching tactics?