Ministry vows more green energy plans

Environment Minister Kim Wan-sup said Wednesday that the government would find more ways to switch to renewable energy sources instead of being content with a recent feat of reducing 4.4 percent of emissions last year. Kim’s recent remarks come after the Greenhouse Inventory and Research Center affiliated with the Environment Ministry announced Tuesday that Korea’s greenhouse gas emissions, calculated in CO2 equivalents, were estimated at 624.2 million tons in 2023, marking a second

Social AffairsSept. 11, 2024

Rising tide of deepfake pornography targets K-pop stars

Major K-pop agencies such as JYP Entertainment, YG Entertainment and Cube Entertainment have declared war on deepfake visual content created using images of their K-pop artists. This comes at a time when deepfake crimes have attracted renewed attention in South Korea, after the revelation of online rooms in which users shared AI-generated pornographic videos of local women and acquaintances. It is becoming more and more common for K-pop singers to fall victim to deepfake pornography, according t

K-popSept. 11, 2024

KB bolsters ties with Cambodia

KB Financial Group Chairman Yang Jong-hee met with Hun Sen, president of the Cambodian Senate, on Wednesday to discuss potential collaborations aimed at advancing financial development in Southeast Asia and enhancing KB’s presence in the region. The meeting was held at the Inspire Entertainment Resort in Incheon during Hun Sen’s visit to Korea for the 25th World Knowledge Forum, where he was a speaker. During their discussion, Yang and Hun Sen agreed to strengthen cooperation to impr

IndustrySept. 11, 2024

Spectacle of street, aerial wonders awaits at Seoul Street Arts Festival

The 2024 Seoul Street Arts Festival will take place in downtown Seoul, across Seoul Plaza, Cheonggyecheon and Mugyo-ro areas during the three-day Chuseok holiday, from Monday to Wednesday. Over 300 artists from Korea and abroad from eight countries, including Spain, Italy and Japan will participate in this outdoor celebration, showcasing 24 programs -- including street theater, dance, circus acts, traditional performances, large-scale installations and interactive art pieces. The festival will o

PerformanceSept. 11, 2024

Seoul shares fall for 7th day on foreign selling

South Korean stocks fell for the seventh consecutive session Wednesday led by foreign sell-off ahead of US inflation data that could influence the Federal Reserve's policy move next week. The Korean won traded higher against the US greenback. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 10.06 points, or 0.4 percent, to close at 2,513.37. The main index has been in a bearish mode since Sept. 3. Trading volume was light at 294.1 million shares worth 9.4 trillion won ($7 billion), with

MarketSept. 11, 2024

US ups pressure on Korea to join China chip curbs

The US is ramping up pressure on South Korea to align with its export control measures against China, urging advanced chips like High Bandwidth Memory be provided only to allies. As additional trade restrictions are expected, experts here say it is important for the Korean government and chipmakers to keep up negotiations to protect Korea's interests. In his latest remark on Tuesday, US Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security Alan Estevez called on Korean chipmakers to supply

IndustrySept. 11, 2024

Foreign investors dump Seoul shares

Foreign investors are on a massive selling spree of South Korean stocks, dumping shares worth over 1 trillion won ($746 million) on the benchmark Kospi Wednesday, fueled by concerns that the US economy could be heading toward a recession. On Wednesday, overseas investors shed shares worth 1.04 trillion won on the Kospi, continuing the sell-off stance shown in recent weeks. After offloading shares over 2.7 trillion won in August, they ditched shares worth 4.41 trillion won this month, according t

MarketSept. 11, 2024

Harris rattles Trump in combative debate

PHILADELPHIA -- Democratic candidate Kamala Harris put her Republican rival Donald Trump on the defensive in a combative presidential debate on Tuesday with a stream of attacks on his fitness for office, his support of abortion restrictions and his myriad legal woes. A former prosecutor, Harris, 59, controlled the debate from the start, getting under her rival's skin repeatedly and prompting a visibly angry Trump, 78, to deliver a series of falsehood-filled retorts. At one point, she goaded

World NewsSept. 11, 2024

BIS raises alarm on Korea's surging household credit

The Bank for International Settlements has cautioned that South Korea’s expanding private sector credit is beginning to weigh on economic growth, with further increases posing additional risks. The Switzerland-based consortium of central banks recently published a report indicating that while rising private sector credit can boost economic activity in emerging markets, exceeding certain levels may lead to growth deterioration. The report described a "U-shaped" relationship betwee

EconomySept. 11, 2024

Harris and Trump spar over Kim Jong-un, alliances

US Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump traded sharp barbs on Tuesday, spotlighting their sharply contrasting views on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, treaty alliances and a host of pivotal foreign policy issues. The televised presidential debate, the first between these two candidates, continued past the original 90-minutes scheduled, notably sidestepping North Korea and rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula, including Pyongyang's illicit nuclear buildup and it

Foreign AffairsSept. 11, 2024

Germany committed to security in Indo-pacific, says defense chief

German Chief of Defense Gen. Carsten Breuer, reaffirmed Germany’s military cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, calling South Korea a crucial partner. “For four years now, we have increased our presence in the Indo-Pacific, and we will continue to consolidate our commitment," he said, adding that Germany’s naval and air forces were being deployed worldwide. “South Korea is once again part of our deployment,” he said appreciating South Korea as a crucial partner, an

Foreign AffairsSept. 11, 2024

SPO brings back outdoor concert featuring Jung Jae-il, Kyuhyun

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, led by music director Jaap van Zweden, is set to bring back its outdoor SPO Park Concert series next week. Taking place at Seoul Forest Park, the concerts will offer a repertoire beyond classical music, featuring music from megahit drama series “Squid Game” and K-pop songs, as well as a medley of children’s songs. The concert will open with the overture to Bernstein's operetta “Candide,” a lively and exhilarating piece that set

CultureSept. 11, 2024

Yoon touts S. Korea as cybersecurity drill hub

President Yoon Suk Yeol touted South Korea as an international hub for cybersecurity drill exercises, while attending the inaugural Cyber Summit Korea 2024 in Seoul on Wednesday. Yoon said in his congratulatory speech at the event held at Coex in Gangnam, southern Seoul, that South Korea's long exposure to constant cyberspace attacks by "hostile actors" including North Korea has allowed the country to hone its defense capabilities and cybersecurity system. "Totalitarian sta

PoliticsSept. 11, 2024

Battery-makers brace for further drop in lithium prices

Collapsing lithium prices are expected to put more pressure on Korean battery companies that are already reeling from an electric vehicle chasm, industry insiders said Wednesday. According to a recent Goldman Sachs report, the global lithium price is projected to fall by 18 percent from the monthly average price of $12.70 per kilogram in August to $10.40 next year. The price would be an 84.1 percent drop compared to the lithium boom in 2022 and on a similar level to 2015, when automakers just st

MobilitySept. 11, 2024

[From the Scene] Samsung renews European push with AI connectivity

BERLIN -- Samsung Electronics has opened an artificial intelligence-powered home appliance experience zone in the heart of Berlin, the largest home appliance market in Europe, strengthening its position as a premium brand by leveraging connected experiences. The Korea Herald reporter visited the Saturn home appliance store at one of Berlin’s largest shopping centers, Europa Center, on Sunday during the IFA 2024. Under the theme of “AI for All,” Samsung showcased the latest AI-e

IndustrySept. 11, 2024

Netflix's 'Culinary Class Wars' billed as largest K-cooking survival show yet

Netflix's "Culinary Class Wars" will be the biggest cooking survival show in Korean entertainment show history, according to the show's producers, Wednesday. "Culinary Class Wars" features cook-offs featuring 100 contestants split into two teams: the white team, composed of Korea's top chefs, and the black team, made up of little-known chefs and cooks such as local restaurant owners. The contestants will face off in multiple elimination rounds with a panel of j

TelevisionSept. 11, 2024

Shinhan wears digital consultant hat for global peers

South Korea’s Shinhan Bank said Wednesday that it has embarked on a new business venture to provide digital finance consulting services to global peers, with Japan’s Tokyo Kiraboshi Financial Group as its first client. “This digital finance consulting contract with Tokyo Kiraboshi Financial Group holds significance in that Shinhan Bank's digital competitiveness has been recognized on the global stage,” the lender said in a statement. Shinhan’s decision to ent

IndustrySept. 11, 2024

Hanwha to add 600 jobs in hiring spree for global push

Hanwha Group’s three affiliates -- Hanwha Aerospace, Hanwha Ocean and Hanwha Systems -- have set out to find the best talent to take the lead in global defense, aerospace and maritime into the future. According to Hanwha on Wednesday, the three firms plan to hire some 600 university graduates looking for their first jobs in the second half of this year, marking the biggest number of new employees for the three companies in either half of the year in at least over a decade. Hanwha Aerospace

CompaniesSept. 11, 2024

[New on the scene] Director Lee Mi-rang focuses on visualizing bestseller in ‘Concerning My Daughter’

In writer Kim Hye-jin’s best-selling novel, “Concerning My Daughter,” the story is told from 50-something Sang-ok’s point of view. She is a caregiver at a nursing home, and an unexpected life event occurs in which she is forced to live with her adult daughter and her daughter’s girlfriend of seven years in her rundown house. Distancing the film from the original novel, director Lee Mi-rang, who has made her directorial debut with film “Concerning My Daughter

FilmSept. 11, 2024

Old Korean Legation building named US historic place

The US listed the Old Korean Legation in Washington as a historic place eligible for federal tax breaks for preservation Monday, the first time a Korean government-owned building has received such recognition for historical significance. In a statement Wednesday, the Korea Heritage Service, the agency that filed a request for the designation in March, said the National Park Service added the building to the National Register of Historic Places -- the US government’s list of buildings, site

CultureSept. 11, 2024