Global project ‘MaytoDay’ to remembering Gwangju Democratic Uprising to launch in May

The Gwangju Biennale Foundation is embarking on a global project titled “MaytoDay” to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising, hosting exhibitions around the world in an effort to promote the spirit of the democratization movement. The project, “MaytoDay,” will take place in five cities in four countries -- Taiwan, South Korea, Germany and Argentina -- from May to November. The project will also be showcased at next year’s Venic

Arts & DesignApril 7, 2020

Korean films expected to hit theaters in summer

Though the ongoing coronavirus crisis has stopped the clock for most industries, some big players in the film scene are sticking to their original plans and preparing to release new works this summer. 　　 In recent months, the local film industry has been struggling hard with the ongoing pandemic. Film productions have been postponed or halted. Numbers of cinemagoers have drastically dropped, hitting the lowest point in history, as people refrain from visiting public spaces.　 Meanwhile, amid s

FilmApril 7, 2020

Seoul shares open higher on Wall Street gains

South Korean shares opened higher Tuesday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street amid signs that the spread of the coronavirus could be slowing. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 42.10 points, or 2.35 percent, to 1,833.98 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The main index tracked overnight gains on Wall Street. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 7.73 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index climbed 7.33 percent. US stocks soared as the number of new

MarketApril 7, 2020

Korea's current account surplus widens to $6.41b in Feb.

South Korea's current account surplus sharply increased from a year earlier in February, as its goods account surplus widened while its service account deficit slightly narrowed, central bank data showed Tuesday. The country's current account surplus came to $6.41 billion in the month, up from a $3.85 billion surplus the same month last year, according to preliminary data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). Its goods account surplus widened to $6.58 billion from $5.42 billion over the cited period,

EconomyApril 7, 2020

Samsung, LG defend operating profit in Q1

South Korea’s leading tech firms Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics reported better-than-expected operating profit for the first quarter of 2020, despite the sluggish economy on the back of the ongoing global virus pandemic. Samsung on Tuesday estimated a revenue of 55 trillion won ($45 billion) and operating profit of 6.4 trillion won, slightly above the stock market projections, while LG Electronics posted 14.9 trillion won revenue and 1.09 trillion won operating profit. While LG&

IndustryApril 7, 2020

Esper says he called S. Korean counterpart to discuss defense cost deal

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Monday he called South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo to discuss the importance of an "equitable" defense cost-sharing agreement between the allies. The phone call took place days after US Forces Korea placed thousands of Korean workers at US military bases on unpaid leave, citing the absence of an agreement to cover their salaries. "I appreciate Korean Defense Minister Jeong taking my phone call today to discuss the importance of

DefenseApril 7, 2020

Global coronavirus death toll tops 70,000

PARIS (AFP) -- The new coronavirus has killed more than 70,000 people across the globe, the majority in Europe, according to an AFP tally Monday at 1100 GMT. Out of a total of 70,009 killed in the pandemic, 50,215 are in Europe, according to figures compiled from official government data and the World Health Organization.   Italy is leading the global death toll with 15,877 fatalities, followed by Spain with 13,055, the United States with 9,648 and France with 8,078. (AFP)  

World NewsApril 6, 2020

France asks South Korea to share knowhow from fight against coronavirus

France asked South Korea on Monday to share its knowhow related to containing the novel coronavirus, Seoul's transport ministry said, as both countries are striving to stop the spread of the highly contagious disease. French Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari made the request during a phone conversation with his South Korean counterpart, Kim Hyun-mee, and the two sides agreed to maintain active communication in their fight against COVID-19, according to Kim's office. The French minis

World NewsApril 6, 2020

WHO chief requests Moon's role in global fight against coronavirus

The head of the United Nations health agency on Monday asked South Korean President Moon Jae-in to come to the fore in the global war against the coronavirus so that other countries can follow in his country's footsteps, Cheong Wa Dae said. Speaking on the phone with Moon, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), said South Korea's "comprehensive strategy," involving aggressive testing, diagnosis and tracing, is working effectively. He req

World NewsApril 6, 2020

[Graphic News] Car sales fall 15% in March on coronavirus impact

　South Korea’s car sales fell 15 percent last month from a year earlier as the spreading coronavirus outbreak affected vehicle production and sales. 　The country’s five carmakers - Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors, GM Korea, Renault Samsung Motors and SsangYong Motor - sold a combined 597,826 vehicles in March, down from 702,929 units a year ago, according to data from the companies. 　The lower sales largely resulted from suspended operations of Hyundai and Kia’s major overseas

IndustryApril 6, 2020

Social distancing slackens, jeopardizing virus control

Social distancing is an epidemiologists’ term that has entered the public lexicon with the dawn of the COVID-19 outbreak. Its aim is to slow transmission of the virus by reducing human-to-human contact so that fewer people become ill until we have vaccines and cures. Experts say it is our most effective weapon against the new disease. South Korea is well into the second phase of the nationwide “intense” social distancing campaign that officially kicked off in late

Social AffairsApril 6, 2020

Eximbank Korea to create health care funds worth W400b

The state-run Export-Import Bank of Korea said Monday that it intends to create two funds worth a total of 400 billion won ($325.2 million) to help South Korean health care companies go global. The money will go to Korean companies devoted to immunotherapy, gene therapy, health care systems, diagnostic kits and medical devices. It will be used to support them in exporting more products, clinching more overseas investment and expanding to foreign markets. Of the total, Eximbank Korea has comm

MarketApril 6, 2020

NHIS commits W1.4tr to alternative investment

The National Health Insurance Service unveiled on Monday plans to commit up to 1.4 trillion won ($1.14 billion) to its first alternative investment in history as an institutional investor. It plans to select two lead partners to manage the assets for four years, officials said. This comes as the South Korean state agency, with some 20 trillion won worth of assets under management, moves to shift away from a conservative portfolio and turn to alternative assets, ranging from real estate to

MarketApril 6, 2020

Public anxiety grows as Korean expats rush home

Public concerns are growing over a continued influx of COVID-19 cases from abroad, as more and more Koreans living overseas rush home amid increasing uncertainties in the wake of the global novel coronavirus crisis. Despite a stabilizing trend in new infections here, the country has seen an increasing number of imported cases in the past weeks, posing a threat to the country’s fight to stem the spread of the infectious virus. Kim Ji-young, a student doing her master’s degree at a

Social AffairsApril 6, 2020

TVXQ’s Changmin releases first solo album

K-pop duo TVXQ’s Changmin released his solo album “Chocolate” on Monday. It is the singer’s very first album as a solo artist since debuting as a part of TVXQ back in 2003. The album, featuring a total of six tracks, shows off the artist’s wide vocal range. Changmin participated in writing the lyrics for the title track “Chocolate” and “No Tomorrow.” “Chocolate” is an addictive dance-pop that attempts to portray an intense de

K-popApril 6, 2020

USFK acknowledges bringing in coronavirus samples from overseas for testing at local labs

US Forces Korea (USFK) said Monday it has commissioned civilian labs in South Korea to conduct coronavirus tests on samples from American troops stationed outside of the Korean Peninsula as it was unable to handle all outside test requests. A vernacular daily reported earlier in the day that 72 American servicemembers have been confirmed to have the virus in tests conducted by a South Korean research institute in Seoul at the request of the US military hospital at Camp Humphreys. The paper cit

DefenseApril 6, 2020

Homeplus exports toilet paper to Singapore

South Korean hypermarket chain Homeplus said Monday it was exporting toilet paper to Singapore, which has a shortage of daily necessities as its trade partners close borders amid the COVID-19 outbreak. According to the company, it is selling 2,000 packs of its private brand product Simplus toilet paper and facial tissues to Qoo10, a Singapore-based e-commerce firm. The products departed from Busan Port for delivery to Singapore on Monday. The two types of Simplus products are to be sold on

ConsumerApril 6, 2020

USFK declines to comment on reported plan to deploy advanced drones

US Forces Korea (USFK) declined to confirm a media report Monday that it plans to deploy advanced attack drones, similar to those used in the killing of a top Iranian general in January, in South Korea this year. The Chosun Ilbo, a Seoul-based daily, said six Gray Eagle Extended Range (GE-ER) drones will be deployed at a USFK air base in the southwestern city of Gunsan in September, citing an unidentified source. "The new drones were to have been deployed earlier, but US President Donald

DefenseApril 6, 2020

P&G rolls out new fabric softener Downy Spring Garden

P&G rolled out Downy Spring Garden on Monday, a new product of its fabric softener Downy Botanis Perfume collection. Downy Spring Garden boasts the delicate scent of spring, allowing customers to enjoy a spring garden from inside their homes, the company said. The product boasts a relatively gentle fragrance and is highly concentrated so users can put in a third of the normal amount for the same effect as its other fabric softeners, the company said. “Downy Botanis Perfume Colle

ConsumerApril 6, 2020