The world, but Army in particular, welcomed BTS members RM, V, Jimin and Jungkook back to civilian life last week. Members Jin and J-Hope returned earlier in 2024, and Suga is due to complete his military service on June 21, 2025. Nowhere was the excitement more physically palpable than in Seoul at the Hybe Headquarters in Yongsan-gu. Starting on June 10, crowds of Army waited for RM and V to return following their discharge from the military. On June 11, Army gathered to wait for Jimin and Jung

Earlier this month, after completing his stint as a “special government employee,” Elon Musk wasted no time criticizing US President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The deficit-heavy spending and tax-cut package will bankrupt America, Musk warned, before calling on senators and congressmen to “kill the bill.” Musk’s comments triggered an escalating exchange of threats and recriminations between him and Trump (each relying on his own social media platform).

Some 10 days into the Lee Jae-myung administration, clear signs of a thaw are emerging along the border dividing the two Koreas. Amid a flurry of activities largely focused on economic stimulus, President Lee also instructed South Korean civic groups and the military to suspend cross-border propaganda using balloons and loudspeakers. The next day, North Korea halted its broadcasts of eerie noises to the South, giving border residents their first quiet in about a year. It would be premature to de

Lee Jae-myung of the slightly center-left Democratic Party of Korea began his presidency with a whirlwind of activity after winning a decisive victory in the recent presidential election. Though only ten days have passed, the election seems like a distant event. As with other elections, the results offer insight into the current state and future direction of South Korean politics. This was the ninth election held since the 1987 democratic reforms that permitted the direct election of the preside

President Lee Jae-myung, who took office on June 4, has been busy. He is working to resolve the six-month national crisis that left the country without a president because of the martial law declaration by former President Yoon Suk Yeol. It is also urgent for Lee to appoint high-ranking officials to help him run the government over the next five years. Though he is very busy right now, he might hope to see his administration succeed -- in other words, to reestablish governance. Since the democra

Recently, I came across an intriguing newspaper article titled “Has the Republic of Korea entered the path of decline?” In this insightful article, professor emeritus Choi Jin-seok diagnosed the social and political maladies of South Korea, which he argues might have caused the country's decline. Choi came up with four factors that eventually make a country fall: extreme political conflict, extreme social disintegration, extreme populism and extreme corruption. Choi also argues that a country is

When Marc Prensky, an American writer, introduced the term "digital natives" in a 2001 article, he proposed a clear distinction between those born into the digital age and those who had to learn and adapt to digital technologies. Since then, the terminology has expanded: we now hear of digital immigrants, nomads and tribes — each reflecting different relationships with our rapidly evolving technological world. At first glance, today’s young generations seem to fit the mold. Instagram stories fla

Because I live in the US, attending a K-pop concert in Korea is a very special treat for me. This past weekend, with my fellow Arohas, I experienced Astro’s 2025 “The Astroad Stargraphy” concert on June 7 at the Inspire Arena in Incheon. There was a full band at the left and right ends of the front stage. Astro’s members are MJ, Jinjin, Cha Eunwoo, Moon Bin, Rocky and Sanha. It was a sold-out show, and bittersweet for several reasons. First, there were many reminders of Moon Bin’s absence due to

The South Korean stock market soared on each of the first two trading days following President Lee Jae-myung’s official inauguration after securing a decisive victory in the early election held on June 3, winning by a substantial margin over his opponents. The peaceful transition of power and the political clarity it brings have been met with visible enthusiasm. Undoubtedly, Lee and his party, together with the people of South Korea, have every reason to relish the celebratory honeymoon phase of

US President Donald Trump’s tariffs -- especially the ultra-high “reciprocal" tariffs that he says will be reintroduced on July 9 for any country that has not struck a trade deal with his administration -- have sent countries around the world scrambling to respond, adapt, and limit the fallout. ASEAN’s ten members -- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- have been among the most proactive. Their leaders quickly recognized that,

After six months of excruciating political uncertainty and public anxiety, South Korea has ushered in a new era with the election of President Lee Jae-myung on Wednesday. The initial response has been broadly positive: The stock market surged, and allies such as Japan and the US offered swift messages of support and continued cooperation. Lee’s decisive victory — garnering over 17 million votes, the most for any Korean president — gives him a strong and clear mandate to pursue his policy agenda.

On Tuesday, the people of South Korea elected Lee Jae-myung, the former chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, as their new president. His election marks not only a dramatic political moment for the country but also signals the rise of a global political figure whose personal journey, political convictions and foreign policy stance are likely to attract worldwide attention. At first glance, Lee Jae-myung appears to be the ultimate political success story. His resume includes key leadership p

The 2025 presidential election day is over now. Whoever may be inaugurated as our next president, he will be heavily burdened with so many urgent tasks because the country’s situation is unprecedentedly dire. Among others, our new leader must put an end to the chronic sickness of political revenge that has plagued our country for the past two decades. In the eyes of foreigners, South Korea may look like a politically underdeveloped country because no president has been safe since 2009: one died

Days before the US House of Representatives passed President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill,” Moody’s Ratings agency had an ominous warning about the US economy. Because of America’s recent history of running up huge debts and deficits, and no change in sight, “the United States’ fiscal performance is likely to deteriorate” relative to similar countries. As a part of that warning, Moody’s downgraded the country’s credit rating from its Aaa score to Aa1. Despite that red flag, House leaders f

The Federal Trade Commission of the US reported that in 2023, consumers lost $1.14 billion to romance scams. This is a substantial increase from $547 million in losses in 2021, and $304 million in 2020. What exactly are romance scams and why are people susceptible to them? Scammers pose as someone who has fallen in love with the victim and is desperately trying to travel to the victim so they can meet. However, one tragedy after another ensues. The scammers work in teams and are grooming multipl