LONDON -- Until the people of the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, the refugee crisis was the greatest problem Europe faced. Indeed, that crisis played a critical role in bringing about the greater calamity of Brexit.The vote for Brexit was a great shock. The morning after the vote, the disintegration of the European Union seemed practically inevitable. Brewing crises in other EU countries, especially Italy, deepened the dark forecast for the EU’s survival.But as the initial sho

Ambush is the coward’s tool: Only in bloodlust fiction and declared war does surprise assassination run the chance of improving a situation. But on Thursday night in Dallas, ambush was the way to start a skirmish or settle a score.Before America’s computer and television screens came alive with news of the slaughter, the evening had been peaceful. Dallas police officers had tweeted photos of themselves alongside demonstrators marching to protest the police shooting deaths of two black men in Lou

Dallas Police Chief David Brown said something on Friday that needed saying. After updating the public on a sniper attack that targeted white police officers -- killing five officers and injuring at least six -- Brown spoke about the heroism of police who ran toward gunfire “with no chance to protect themselves, to put themselves in harm’s way, to make sure citizens can get to a place of security.”　Police officers all over the country take such selfless risks every day. They are not especially w

A special law for vitalization of the corporate sector and the economy is drawing attention as to whether it would be an efficient remedy for South Korea, which has been saddled with external and domestic uncertainties.Both policymakers and ailing industries are pinning hopes on the Corporate Vitality Enhancement Act, which will take effect in about a month. The law, which was legislated in February, is designed to revitalize major industries, such as shipbuilding and steelmaking, which have bee

Early this year, a consensus on sanctions on Pyongyang by Washington and Beijing was regarded as a benefit and relief to Seoul. China’s participation in the U.N.-led sanctions might be a substitute for the U.S.’s plan to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system on the Korean Peninsula.Apart from possible geopolitical tension from the isolation of North Korea, the U.S. and China-led reprimand of the wayward North was assumed to help South Korea avoid clashing with China on the trade

Last year, roughly 1 of every 6 fish sold around the world was caught illegally. That number is now poised to drop precipitously, thanks to the Port State Measures Agreement, the world’s first international treaty designed specifically to tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.Under this new agreement, parties are obliged to ensure that any fishing vessel that comes to its port, even for refueling, must announce that it is doing so and submit to an inspection of their log book, licen

Digesting the full implications of the United Kingdom’s “Brexit” referendum will take Britain, Europe, and the world a long time. The most profound consequences will, of course, depend on the European Union’s response to the U.K.’s withdrawal. Most people initially assumed that the EU would not “cut off its nose to spite its face”: after all, an amicable divorce seems to be in everyone’s interest. But the divorce -- as many do -- could become messy.The benefits of trade and economic integration

What role should referenda play in a democracy? That question has become more relevant than ever, following the United Kingdom’s “Brexit” referendum, which resulted in a 52 percent to 48 percent vote to leave the European Union -- and brought an abrupt end to British Prime Minister David Cameron’s political career.Brexit opponents have since suggested that, because referenda have no constitutional status in Britain, and Parliament must make the final decision, the result should be ignored. Are t

Since its unfortunate Brexit vote to leave the European Union, Britain has experienced a tragi-comic round of backstabbing, foot-dragging and second-guessing. Europe, meanwhile has mostly behaved with admirable good sense. The Europeans seem to understand that the Brexit vote is a wake-up call about dissatisfaction with the EU that’s nearly as widespread on the continent as it is in Britain. Germany, in particular, recognizes that unless the EU can quickly show a readiness to reform and streamli

CNN has launched a new television series titled “Declassified: Untold Stories of American Spies.” The program, hosted and produced by former U.S. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, is advertised as “revealing the unbelievable true stories of America’s covert operations in the United States and around the world.”In case you think that the CIA is stripping down to its operational skivvies for your viewing pleasure, it’s worth noting how difficult the agency typically makes such a t

The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning is tasked to design the future of the Korean economy and lead Korea’s transition to a creative economy. Yet the powerful ministry has a more urgent task to do: to improve the moral fiber of its officials.Recently, there has been a series of misconduct involving the ministry’s officials. The latest case involves a section chief of the ministry who is suspected of having attempted to purchase sex. The official was caught by undercover police officer

The Fair Trade Commission has unexpectedly put the brakes on mobile giant SK Telecom’s plan to acquire CJ HelloVision, a leading cable TV operator. The decision was ill-advised as it deters the development of the nation’s broadcast industry.Last November, SKT agreed to acquire a 53.9-percent stake in CJ HelloVision from CJ Group for 1 trillion won ($870 million). It planned to merge the cable TV operator with SK Broadband, an affiliate that provides Internet TV services.The deal was expected to

This is the first in a new series of columns on global affairs which will be written by top editors from members of the Asia News Network and published in newspapers across the region. --Ed. The shock waves triggered by Britain’s decision to quit Europe continue to reverberate around the world, including here in Asia. It should prompt some soul-searching among the key players: politicians, pollsters, pundits, as well as voters.For unless the right lessons are drawn and acted on, the road the wor

The nearly simultaneous and highly coordinated series of bombings in divergent points in the world indicate an alarming expansion in the Islamic State group’s capability to inflict bloodbath and mayhem far outside the Middle East.In the aftermath of the terror attacks in Paris in November 2015, the French tricolor bloomed on Facebook as millions of people worldwide expressed sympathy for the 129 people who died, and for a universally beloved city scarred by violence. Five months later, similar a

Media providers across the world are struggling with challenges posed by the mobile platform and everybody is looking for the best solution.Most of us in the news industry know that not only is readership in print media declining, but Internet news is also in a crisis as people nowadays, especially the young generation, rely on smartphones or the so-called “second screen” for updates.These mobile-centric consumers of news were the highlight of a News Lab Summit held by Google in Tokyo late last

It is said that good things come to those who wait. If so, then the European Union’s new Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy, more than a decade overdue, must be a very good thing.Actually, it is exactly what Europe needs. But the timing of its release -- in the immediate aftermath of the United Kingdom’s vote to leave the EU -- could relegate it to irrelevance. How the EU moves forward with the strategy will be a bellwether for the future of the European project.The strategy, develop

The tectonic plates of American politics are no longer moving along the old fault lines of “left vs. right” or even Democrat vs. Republican.As we’ve seen this bizarre political year, the biggest force welling up is rage against insider elites in both parties and against the American establishment as a whole -- including the denizens of Wall Street, large corporations and the mainstream media.Now, with Bernie Sanders essentially out of the race, Donald Trump wants Americans to believe he’s the re

The Article 45 of the Constitution says: No member of the National Assembly shall be held responsible outside the National Assembly for opinions officially expressed or votes cast in the Assembly.It is under this clause that legislators are granted protection against civil or criminal liability for statements they make in the National Assembly. The privilege includes legal immunity even from libel or slander. In a sense, legislators need such immunity because they should be given freedom and aut

The government has proclaimed “Creative Korea” as the nation’s new slogan. This, like many of its predecessors, is another brainchild of the stupidity of the Korean bureaucracy. Officials said they collected ideas and suggestions from the public and experts to find words best represent the country. Three words came up in the shortlist: “creativity,” “passion” and “harmony.”But few would agree that the three words best portray the most unique and distinctive image of Korea and its people. Even fe

K.C. (Kyung-choon) Hwang, undisputed doyen of international journalism in Seoul, stays healthy at 92, frequently writing for an online circular of retired journalists, diplomats, professors and others who like to share their thoughts on contemporary affairs here and abroad. 　“Seolmaga Saram Japneunda” was the title of a piece the former Seoul bureau chief of the Associated Press in the 1970s wrote in Korean right after the Brexit vote. It means “‘Seolma’ kills you” or, more mildly, “‘Seolma’ can