Korea Joongang Daily
Korea JoongAng Daily

Microsoft at 50: Nostalgia as a business strategy

Nostalgia, often described as “bittersweet,” is a complex emotional response that has become increasingly central to marketing in this era of rapid change.

2025-04-03

How we look at Ah Q

The essential recognition is that “I,” here and now, am just as foolish and pitiable as Ah Q in 1910s China. At the heart of this recognition lies a motive of self-reflection.

2025-04-03

Korea must address self-employment imbalance

Korea’s self-employment crisis is driven by too many small businesses and a shrinking population. Solutions include supporting business closures, boosting inbound tourism and reforming the labor market.

2025-04-03

What does it truly mean to be conservative?

Perhaps the conservative bloc’s real crisis has yet to arrive. In late March, surveys showed support for regime change leading by nearly 20 percentage points over support for the status quo, 53 percent to 34 percent.

2025-04-03

Is Korea ready for the threat of political violence and terror?

This moment also calls for a reassessment of the 2016 Anti-Terrorism Act. The law’s definition of terrorism remains too narrow.

2025-04-02

Learn from Vietnam’s pragmatic Trump diplomacy

Vietnam is practicing a flexible and pragmatic foreign policy known as “bamboo diplomacy.” Hanoi is pursuing a comprehensive strategic partnership with the United States while managing its ties with China with equal strategic precision.

2025-04-02

‘Woe unto you, lawyers!’

The revolving door of legal elites wielding influence, the cartel-like privileges of retired judges and prosecutors, the judicialization of politics, and the politicization of the judiciary—these are not new.

2025-04-02

Parochial politics, policies for domestic consumption

Korea, by nature, is a small, open economy. Its high dependence on external trade and its openness have always been a double-edged sword — vulnerable to shocks, yes, but also the very engine that powered its rise.

2025-04-02

When republicanism crumbles, so does the republic

A good republic is one that ensures mutual benefit. Because even democratically elected leaders can become bad rulers, republicanism emphasizes checks and balances, and the rule of law, as safeguards against abuse of power.

2025-04-01

Stop legislating against business reality

Yet for decades, regulatory reform has been more slogan than substance. The gap between legal frameworks and the real industrial landscape has only widened.

2025-04-01