Time (April 30, 2013)
On the surface, relations look strong between the U.S. and South Korea, “thanks to a free-trade agreement, greater policy coordination and solidarity against North Korea’s provocations. But there is an unresolved question in their relationship: How much nuclear technology should South Korea possess?” South Korea wants enrichment and reprocessing rights. By 2030, the South seeks to supply 60% of its domestic energy needs with nuclear and aspires to be a major exporter of nuclear reactors. Wary of demands other countries might make, the U.S. remains opposed to expanding enrichment and reprocessing rights. Going it alone would “seriously strain the alliance. For now, South Korea appears set on gaining Washington’s seal of approval.”
Tags: Alliance, Enrichment, Exports, Reactors, Reprocessing, South Korea, U.S.
Financial Times (April 30, 2013)
In the U.S., the Federal Reserve is coming under fire and a Congressional review has been proposed. While the Fed’s performance has not been perfect, “on the whole, the Fed has not done a bad job. Banks are stronger, the banking system functional and taxpayers increasingly in the money. Neither the UK, the eurozone, nor Japan can boast of the same. That has also made the Fed’s monetary policy much more efficient than in those economies, where the transmission of central bank money-printing to real-economy activity remains broken.”
Tags: Congress, eurozone, Federal Reserve, Japan, Monetary policy, U.S., UK
