news highlight

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  OPINION: U.S. midterm reckoning lands on the Seoul bourse The blue shockwave from America’s midterm elections has crossed the Pacific. It delivered a rebuke to Republicans in Congress and to the White House, and for two frantic trading days it also battered the Seoul bourse, where the artificial intelligence boom had made an American vote on the cost of living painfully relevant to Korean investors. The KOSPI closed Friday at 5,059.69, down 6 percent and lowest since February 2 as investors feared that newly elected Democrats would November 6, 2026
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  OPINION: American verdict suggests it was the economy after all Voters want a life they can afford and a government they can hold to account. The blue wave emerging from the U.S. midterm elections carries that message well beyond Washington. For South Korea, the warning is especially close to home: an economy riding the artificial intelligence boom depends heavily on investment decisions in a country whose voters are questioning who pays for growth. Democrats have won control of the Senate and are on course to retake the House of Represent November 4, 2026
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  Editorial: Korea can no longer afford to delay new nuclear plants Competitiveness in the age of artificial intelligence will not be decided by semiconductors and data centers alone. Without a stable supply of electricity, both investment in advanced industries and the goal of carbon neutrality are empty promises. Now that the government has opened a public deliberation on the role and share of nuclear power, it must face the country's energy reality and draw up a rational power mix that includes building new reactors. Countries around the November 4, 2026
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  Op-Ed: Persian studies at HUFS mark 50 years of Iran-South Korea ties Editor's Note: The following opinion article is contributed by Ahmad Erfanian, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Republic of Korea The 50th anniversary of the introduction of Persian language studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) offers a valuable opportunity to celebrate five decades of efforts to promote understanding of Iran’s language, history, and culture in South Korea. Since 1976, this academic endeavor has played an important role October 29, 2026
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  Op-Ed: Europe's ranks of 'sick men' are growing. Is Korea safe? Anxiety about the future has become a condition few countries can escape. Across much of the world, younger generations are coming to accept something their parents would once have considered unthinkable: that they may live less comfortably than the generation before them. Their anger is approaching a breaking point. Voters turn to new parties and leaders in search of change, only to find that a change of government offers little relief. Disparities between countries, companies October 28, 2026
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  Editorial: Brazil's surprise balancing act Brazil has delivered a surprising check on the “blue tide” sweeping Latin America as President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva staged a stunning comeback Sunday to win a fourth term. After trailing Flávio Bolsonaro in the first round, Lula won Sunday’s runoff with 51.79 percent of the vote against 48.21 percent — a margin of more than 4.4 million votes, according to Brazil’s electoral court. Brazil isn't a lone defender of the left. Mexico October 26, 2026
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  Op-Ed: France knows how to revolt. But can it reform? “Is Paris burning?” The question immortalized in the 1966 black-and-while epic war film evoked the threatened destruction of a city whose survival mattered far beyond France. Paris was a repository of civilization, its streets and monuments belonging, in some measure, to the world. Today, images of burning buildings and vandalized streets invite a different question. Can the country that helped teach the modern world how to overthrow an old order still find the p October 23, 2026
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  Editorial: The French lesson on the state's raison d'être France is in a rage. A nation that prides itself on reason and the republican ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity is confronting deep fissures between its promises and its people’s daily lives. Hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets to demand something more basic than lofty ideals: schools that teach, public services that function and a living they can afford. The nationwide protests on Oct. 17 alone drew 550,000 people by the government’s count and October 21, 2026
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  OPINION: It's the living costs, stupid! The French are known for their fierce pride in their heritage. Their dismay and grief at the sight of the fire-ravaged town hall of Limoges are understandable. The 143-year-old landmark in central France had survived two world wars, only to fall victim to rioters. The anger sweeping Europe’s streets reaches far beyond France. In Italy, demonstrations over living costs and public services have turned violent. In Spain and Portugal, housing has become a rallying cry. Belgian s October 20, 2026