President and Presidential Secretaries A controversial Blue House document says that Chung Yoon-hoi, who was one of President Park Geun-hye`s personal secretaries while she was a lawmaker in the late 1990s through the 2000s, still wields substantial power behind the present administration. The document describes three current presidential secretaries as power brokers who are taking advantage of their close proximity to the president. Cho Eung-cheon, who was the senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, has been accused of leaking the Blue House`s internal circular to the press.

Despite Abe’s Policies, Korea-Japan Relations Should Move Forward Shinzo Abe is about to begin his third term as prime minister of Japan. In the snap parliamentary elections held on December 14, Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won 291 seats in the 475-member Lower House... Conditions of an Advanced Nation and Capacity for Surviving Crisis During a visit to Korea, I was asked to describe the conditions of an advanced nation. My thoughts turned to Britain, where I am staying now. The British economy, together with the U.S. economy, is making a solid turnaround. Thoug... Low Salary and Miseries of the World What is the wage level that corresponds to your definition of “low wage labor”? Since everybody constructs a world of their own in their minds, and money seems to be in perpetual paucity for many of us, it is natural that people natural that people may hold...

A Tribute to Korean Fathers A movie that I wanted to see was released yesterday. It is "Ode to My Father" (its Korean title is "Gukje Sijang" referring to Gukje Market in Busan) directed by Yoon Je-kyoon and starring Hwang Jung-min and Kim Yun-jin. After I watched its... Korea’s Trade Growth and Current Trends In 2014, Korea’s external trade reached US$1 trillion for the fourth straight year with its total trade volume expected to hit a record high, well above that of 2011. Robust performance by small and medium-sized enterpr... Economic and Business Keys of 2015 Anticipating what lies ahead for the domestic economy and business community in the New Year, Hyundai Research Institute has chosen 10 keys for 2015. They include events such as Korea matching Japan’s per capita GDP, is...

Traditional Smiths in Modern-day Seoul The firepower is over 2,000 degrees Celsius. The younger brother lifted a rectangular red-hot spring steel with tongs, burrowing in the furnace raging with flame. It is cast iron just before being melted. The older brother, who is... The Sea Completes Silk Road Jeong Su-il, director of the Korea Institute of Civilizational Exchanges (KICE) and a pioneer in the study of the Silk Road, has recently published two books, “The Cyclopedia of Sea Silk Road” and “Silk Road,” in partnership with Changbi Publishers... Koreans’ Germany Fantasy a Little Inflated There was a time when products made in the USA and made in Japan were considered the best you could get. Everything from everyday appliances to policies and politics were imported from the two countries. When it came...