North Korea airline flights to China, Russia still not operating amid coronavirus concerns

North Korea's national carrier appears to be maintaining its policy of suspending flights between Pyongyang and Beijing, as well as to the Russian port city of Vladivostok, over the spread of the new coronavirus, sources said Wednesday.  Air Koryo's website shows its February schedule with flights to Beijing and Vladivostok, but sources said it appears that those flights have not been in operation.  Officials at Vladivostok International Airport and Beijing Capital International Air

Social AffairsFeb. 26, 2020

US basketball player quits Korean league over coronavirus

A US basketball player decided to quit playing in the professional league here due to fast-spreading novel coronavirus, his club said Wednesday, sparking concerns of a possible exodus of foreign athletes in the country. Busan KT Sonicboom of the Korean Basketball League said that Allen Durham will not play the remainder of the season and will return home to the United States on Thursday. The Sonicboom said Durham, who joined the team last month, decided to leave South Korea after the countr

More SportsFeb. 26, 2020

South Korean Catholic Church suspends Masses amid coronavirus outbreaks

South Korea's Catholic Church has decided to suspend all public Masses across the country, the first such decision in the church's 236-year history, to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus. All 16 dioceses of the Catholic Church made the decision since the dioceses of Daegu, the southeastern city hit hardest by COVID-19 outbreaks, first suspended its public Mass a week earlier, the church said Wednesday. As of Wednesday, South Korea had reported 1,261 confirmed cases of the new virus,

Social AffairsFeb. 26, 2020

Yang Hae-gue chosen as this year‘s MMCA Hyundai Motor Series artist

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea has selected Yang Hae-gue as its seventh artist for the MMCA Hyundai Motor Series, the museum announced on Wednesday. The MMCA Hyundai Motor Series, sponsored by the Hyundai Motor Company, aims to introduce the current state of Korean contemporary art. The project selects a promising artist every year who has established their own aesthetic world and provide opportunities to construct their own unique art platform.  Yang is con

Arts & DesignFeb. 26, 2020

[Graphic News] Samsung tops global TV market for 14th year

　Samsung Electronics topped the global TV market for the 14th consecutive year in 2019, industry data showed Wednesday, on the back of robust sales of its QLED TVs. 　The South Korean tech giant took up 30.9 percent of the global TV market last year in terms of sales revenue, up 1.9 percentage points from a year earlier, according to data compiled by industry tracker IHS Markit. 　Samsung was followed by its local rival LG Electronics and Japan’s Sony. 　According to data, Samsung wa

IndustryFeb. 26, 2020

30-somethings major apartment buyers in Seoul

Property buyers in their 30s were the biggest players in the apartment market in Seoul in the last two months of last year, according to a report Wednesday. Of the entire 10,491 transactions of apartment units registered in January in the city, those aged 30-39 accounted for 30.4 percent, or 3,188 transactions, according to a report released by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation and the Korea Appraisal Board. Since transactions are reported to district offices within 60

MarketFeb. 26, 2020

[Kim Myong-sik] ‘Crime and punishment’ of former president

Last week, the Seoul Appellate Court handed down a sentence of 17 years’ imprisonment to Lee Myung-bak, who was president of the South Korea from Feb. 25, 2008, to Feb. 24, 2013. The judge added two more years to the 15-year term the Seoul Central District Court had given him in October 2018. There are some possibilities of a change in his future. The Supreme Court may deliver him a different final verdict – if he chooses to appeal. The Justice Ministry may suspend the execution of

ViewpointsFeb. 26, 2020

[Jeffrey Frankel] Will the virus trigger global recession?

At the start of this year, things seemed to be looking up for the global economy. True, growth had slowed a bit in 2019: from 2.9 percent to 2.3 percent in the United States, and from 3.6 percent to 2.9 percent globally. Still, there had been no recession, and as recently as January, the International Monetary Fund projected a global growth rebound in 2020. The new coronavirus, COVID-19, has changed all of that. Early predictions about COVID-19’s economic impact were reassuring. Similar e

ViewpointsFeb. 26, 2020

Business groups inject fortunes to support virus contagion

South Korea’s biggest conglomerates announced Wednesday plans to inject emergency funds to support ongoing efforts to help contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. Samsung Group said all its affiliates will donate a total of 30 billion won ($246 million) to Korea Disaster Relief Association for securing relief goods such as hand sanitizers, disinfectants, daily necessities and health products. Samsung Electronics and its affiliates held emergency board meetings to approve the expe

IndustryFeb. 26, 2020

‘Mass infection at mental ward attributable to poor conditions’

The mental ward of a hospital at the center of a slew of coronavirus infections is accused of having poorly managed communal settings for inpatients, exposing them to the disease en masse, a National Medical Center committee said Wednesday. Addressing a press briefing, the center’s clinical management committee for emerging infectious diseases said upon onsite inspections, the hospital was found to have accommodated several patients in single rooms without beds, which were not properly v

Social AffairsFeb. 26, 2020

Samsung C&T to cancel $250m worth treasury stocks

Samsung C&T said its board approved Wednesday to expand dividend income over the next three years and cancel treasury stocks worth 300 billion won ($250 million), as part of its shareholder-friendly policies. Last year, the firm allocated 2,000 won per share, which amounted to 60 percent of dividend income of related companies, including firms that its holds a stake in -- Samsung Electronics Samsung SDS, Samsung Life Insurance, Samsung Heavy Industries and Samsung Engineering. Over th

IndustryFeb. 26, 2020

Churches in Korea consider canceling Sunday services as coronavirus spreads

Protestant churches in South Korea are considering canceling Sunday worship services this week due to the spread of COVID-19. The disease became an even more serious concern for churches after a pastor at Myungsung Church in eastern Seoul, which has more than 100,000 members, was diagnosed with the virus on Tuesday. He is reported to have attended several services on Feb. 16. Myungsung Church announced Tuesday that it is shutting down its facility and its Sunday services will be canceled unti

CultureFeb. 26, 2020

Tests for remdesivir, likely cure for new coronavirus, to begin in Korea

Gilead Sciences is in talks with Korean health authorities to begin clinical trials of remdesivir, a drug believed to have the most chance of treating the novel coronavirus. “We are in discussions with Gilead Sciences Korea. It is likely they will submit their application for clinical trials this month,” a Ministry of Food and Drug Safety official told The Korea Herald. “We will review the clinical design in a timely manner once we receive it, and begin targeted large-scale

IndustryFeb. 26, 2020

Posco assists communities around world

South Korea’s leading steelmaker Posco said Wednesday it will continue to assist communities in need around the world as part of its corporate citizenship efforts. Most recently it reached out to the people of Wuhan, the Chinese city that was the epicenter of the new coronavirus outbreak. The company sent 1 billion won ($820,159) worth of supplies for city’s citizens on Jan. 31, including masks and hand sanitizers to help prevent the further spread of COVID-19. Earlier in January

IndustryFeb. 26, 2020

Hit by coronavirus, stages sit empty

With the COVID-19 alert level raised to the highest “red” level, the performing arts scene has been struggling, as theaters have sat empty of audiences and performances. According to the Korea Performing Arts Box Office Information System, managed by the Korea Arts Management Service affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, performing arts theaters’ ticket sales from Feb. 1 to Tuesday recorded 18.4 billion won ($15.15), nearly down to half of the same peri

PerformanceFeb. 26, 2020

Korean films opening despite coronavirus crisis

With the fear of the novel coronavirus driving moviegoers away from cinemas, Korea has witnessed mass cancellations of new film releases in recent few days. However, changing plans at the last minute is not a privilege all filmmakers enjoy, and a few Korean films, especially indie flicks produced by small companies, are biting the bullet and rolling out on schedule. Although prospects for such films may be not be the brightest, following is a short list of Korean films to hit local theaters i

FilmFeb. 26, 2020

S. Korea’s coronavirus cases exceed 1,200

South Korea’s confirmed coronavirus cases surged past 1,200 on Wednesday -- 37 days since the country’s first case was reported -- as the government struggles to contain community transmission of the virus. 　 The number of cases is expected to climb in the coming days, with municipalities testing over 210,000 followers of a minor Christian sect at the center of rapid infections here and potential new clusters of infections emerging outside Daegu. 　 A US solider stationed in Korea t

Social AffairsFeb. 26, 2020

Disinfection requests surge as coronavirus spreads

Disinfection service companies are seeing a threefold spike in fumigation requests as the new coronavirus continues to spread, according to the industry on Wednesday. But with COVID-19 cases increasing in regional communities across the country, the disinfection companies are slogging away to meet the soaring demand. “Before the first confirmed case (of the new coronavirus) came up, we would have around five disinfection jobs a day. But now, we get some 30 orders every day,” Lim

IndustryFeb. 26, 2020

[Monitor] Samsung’s Lees remain top dividend earners in 2019

The father and son at the helm of South Korea’s largest conglomerate, Samsung Group, remained the top two dividend earners in 2019, according to data released by corporate tracker CEOScore on Wednesday. Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee, bedridden since 2014, received 474.8 billion won ($391 million) in dividends last year, a figure that remained almost unchanged from a year earlier. Most of the dividends came from the tech company, in which he holds a 4.18 percent stake. Vice Cha

IndustryFeb. 26, 2020