Amid the recent weakness of the Korean won and rising exchange rates, a wide range of interpretations has emerged. Some dismiss the situation as a temporary consequence of global conditions, while others regard concerns as exaggerated crisis narratives. However, it is difficult to attribute the trajectory of the won solely to external factors when domestic structural issues have accumulated over a long period of time. The potential decline in the value of the won should not be viewed as a matter of fearmongering, but rather as a realistic issue that requires a comprehensive examination of fiscal policy, monetary policy, and economic structure. Repeated Cash-Based Fiscal Spending and Inflationary Pressure In recent years, South Korea’s fiscal management has increasingly relied on large-scale cash-based support measures under the banner of crisis response. While such policies may have produced short-term effects in stabilizing sentiment or stimulating consumption, they inevit...
Anyone who cooks has probably burned a pot at least once. I’m no exception. A few days ago, I was boiling ramen and got distracted for just a moment. That brief lapse was enough. By the time I turned off the stove, a sharp burning smell had already filled the kitchen, and the bottom of the pot was completely blackened. In the past, I would have grabbed a scrubber without thinking. I’d load it up with dish soap, scrub as hard as I could, rest my sore wrist, and then scrub some more. But most of the time, it barely worked. The burnt marks stayed, the surface of the pot got rougher, and I was left feeling more frustrated than before. This time, I decided not to rely on brute force and looked for a different approach. Why Burnt Stains Are So Hard to Remove Burnt residue on a pot isn’t the same as ordinary dirt. When food is exposed to very high heat, it turns into carbonized residue that bonds tightly to the surface of the pot. Once that happens, regular dish soap and scrubbing...