Dec 5, 2019   Viewpoints

[Letter to the Editor] Key factors to consider when choosing a nursing hospital

Nursing hospitals get asked most frequently about the amount charged for hospitalization fees. The reason appears to be that the patient’s children usually pay for the hospitalization fees. If the patients themselves pay the fees, they might ask about hospital facilities or services rather than costs. As the patient’s children bear the cost for the most part, the inquiry about the fees remains the top priority.Simply put, bills for nursing hospitals are specified under the comprehens

Dec 5, 2019   Viewpoints

[Jean Pisani-Ferry] UK and EU should prevent mutual assured damage

Nothing can be taken for granted in the United Kingdom these days, but it is now very likely that 2020 will be the year when Brexit finally happens. A majority of UK citizens will probably be relieved to bring this seemingly endless agony to a close, while most European leaders will likely be glad not to have to argue over another postponement. But questions will remain.To the question of “Who lost Britain?” the answer must be, first and foremost, Britain itself. Whatever mistakes th

Dec 4, 2019   Viewpoints

[Kim Myong-sik] Trump’s gamble in USFK cost-sharing deal

Negotiations are underway on US President Donald Trump’s demand for a fivefold increase in South Korea’s payment for the cost of stationing 28,500 US troops here. The talks in Washington and Seoul may be settled before the year-end. However, the preposterous US demand has raised the average South Korean’s skepticism about the alliance -- by as much as five times. It could be the famous “art of the deal” of the American businessman-turned-president, but it simply bor

Dec 4, 2019   Viewpoints

[Noah Smith] US economy defying recession odds

It’s impressive how well the US economy has held up during the past year. As early as 2018, leading indicators were suggesting a heightened risk of recession in 2019 or 2020. Then early this year the yield curve inverted, a traditional signal that recession is imminent. The inversion has since reversed, but this typically happens before growth actually goes negative. The trigger for a downturn wouldn’t be hard to identify -- a slowing China, combined with President Donald Trump&rsquo

Dec 3, 2019   Viewpoints

[Kim Seong-kon] Korea needs the ‘Factionless’ and ‘Divergent’

“Divergent” is a 2014 dystopian science fiction film based on Veronica Roth’s novel of the same title. This futuristic movie is set in Chicago, where five factions divide society: Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless and Erudite. Those who do not belong to a faction are Factionless -- outsiders who do not have social status and privileges. In addition, there are the Divergent who exhibit attributes of multiple factions and thus can integrate into any faction. That is, a Diverge

Dec 3, 2019   Viewpoints

[Robert J. Fouser] Thinking about language and respect in Italy

A two-week visit to Italy recently revealed much about the state of language in the early 21st century. Apart from sightseeing, I was interested in seeing how much Italian I could learn casually as I traveled.The biggest impression about language on the trip was the spread of English. On a visit to Italy nearly 30 years ago, I remember meeting many people who spoke no or little English, even in major tourist cities such as Florence or Venice. Traveling in Italy meant meeting the language barrier

Dec 2, 2019   Viewpoints

[Jeffrey Frankel ] The case for old-fashioned tariff cuts

The “bicycle theory” used to be a metaphor for international trade policy. Just as standing still on a bicycle is not an option -- one must keep moving forward or else fall over -- so it was said that trade negotiators must engage in successive rounds of liberalization. Otherwise, global openness would gradually succumb to protectionist interests.I don’t know whether the theory was right. In fact, had governments stood still on trade policy over the last three years, the world

Dec 2, 2019   Viewpoints

[Jeffrey D. Sachs] How World Bank arbitrators mugged Pakistan

Wall Street hedge funds and lawyers have turned an arcane procedure of international treaties into a money machine, at the cost of the world’s poorest people. The latest shakedown is a $5.9 billion award against Pakistan’s government in favor of two global mining companies -- Antofagasta PLC of Chile and Barrick Gold Corporation of Canada -- for a project that was never approved by Pakistan and never carried out.Here are the facts.In 1993, a US-incorporated mining company, BHP, enter