[Herald Interview] The control engineer out to switch cancer off

When a team of South Korean researchers published research last month on a potential approach to treating bowel cancer, there was a huge buzz in the scientific media. There was no drug candidate for the approach but if one were found it could, in theory, mean that not just this, but other types of cancer could become a chronic illness rather than a life threatening condition. It would require years of study from here on, but at the end of our research will come the day when cancer patients

IndustryFeb. 16, 2020

Concerts for all daughters of the world

Kang Eun-il’s upcoming concerts seek to remind all daughters that they are precious. The artistic director of Seoul Donwhamun Traditional Theater is a renowned player of haegeum, a traditional Korean two-string instrument. She is also recognized for her crossover music featuring haegeum. On Saturday and Sunday, Kang will present five new original works in concerts titled “Ancient Futures: Stories of My Mother, Grandmother and Great Grandmother” at Arko Arts Theater in Seou

PerformanceFeb. 16, 2020

New case with unknown transmission route puts Korea back on alert

South Korea reported its 29th case of COVID-19 -- the new coronavirus -- on Sunday morning, after five consecutive days without a new case. According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the latest patient marks the country’s first novel coronavirus case without clear route of transmission or known symptoms. On Saturday, the 82-year-old Korean man was taken to the emergency room at the Korea University Hospital in Seoul’s northern district of Seongbuk

Social AffairsFeb. 16, 2020

Woori Bank merges two Cambodian subsidiaries

South Korea’s Woori Bank said Sunday it recently merged two of its Cambodian subsidiaries in an effort to provide comprehensive financial services in the Southeast Asian nation. According to the commercial lender, Cambodian financial authorities approved the merger of Woori Finance Cambodia and WB Finance earlier this month. WB Finance is the surviving entity. Woori Finance Cambodia was established after Woori acquired Cambodia’s microfinance institution Malis Finance for 5 billi

MarketFeb. 16, 2020

Hyundai’s hydrogen-powered trucks to hit the road in Korea by 2023

Hyundai Motor is set to introduce two hydrogen-powered trucks in South Korea by 2023 and add 10 more in the following year in collaboration with a local port authority, the automaker said Sunday. The carmaker said it signed a memorandum of understanding with Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority on Friday to lay the foundation for hydrogen mobility and to vitalize the hydrogen economy at Gwangyang Port in South Jeolla Province. The region is home to petrochemical complexes that produce hydrogen as

MobilityFeb. 16, 2020

Remains of S. Koreans killed in Korean War, found on N. Korean soil, to return home

Eighty sets of remains of South Korean soldiers killed in North Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War will return home from Hawaii this year, officials said Sunday. The remains were either recovered in joint excavations between the US and North Korea from 1996-2005 or handed over by North Korea to the US following the first summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore in June 2018. Seoul and Washington carried out forensic identification on the rema

Social AffairsFeb. 16, 2020

Investment firms act to reap windfalls from ‘Parasite’ boom

South Korean investment houses are moving to reap windfalls from listed companies here involved in the production of Oscar-winning film “Parasite.” As the shares of producer Barunson E&A and its affiliate saw a strong upshot over the past week, investors in the firms’ mezzanine instruments are exercising options to convert them into shares to boost valuation in their asset holdings and seek an easier exit opportunity. Winasia Partners, a Seoul-based private equity firm,

BusinessFeb. 16, 2020

LG Chem gets default win in US ITC suit after SK Innovation’s contempt of court

The US’ International Trade Commission has made a default judgment in favor of LG Chem in its suit against SK Innovation, LG Chem said Sunday, hinting that the end is near in the legal tug-of-war between the two Korean battery makers. A default judgment occurs when a court rules in favor of the plaintiff in default following the defendant’s failure to fulfill due responsibility in a legal case. The US ITC might disclose the reason for its decision in the coming week. If the ITC

IndustryFeb. 16, 2020

[From the Scene] Galaxy S20, Z Flip attract aspiring tech leaders in Silicon Valley

PALO ALTO, California -- After the Galaxy S20 and Z Flip phones were unveiled in San Francisco on Tuesday, aspiring tech leaders studying and working in Palo Alto, the heart of Silicon Valley, flocked to a Samsung shop in the area. Samsung Experience Store in Stanford Shopping Center saw its visitor traffic surge about 80 percent on the day of the “Unpacked” event compared with usual Tuesdays, owing to display shelves spruced up with new devices.  Opened in December, it is on

TechnologyFeb. 16, 2020

S. Korea reports 1 more case of novel coronavirus, total now at 29

South Korea reported another confirmed case of the new coronavirus Sunday, involving an 82-year-old man with no record of overseas travel, bringing the total to 29 after a five-day lull in new cases. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said the new patient tested positive for the virus at Korea University Anam Hospital in Seoul and is currently quarantined at a state-designated hospital in Seoul for treatment. This is South Korea's first novel coronavirus case since Tu

Social AffairsFeb. 16, 2020

China toll leaps past 1,600 as first death reported outside Asia

BEIJING (AFP) -- The death toll from the new coronavirus outbreak surpassed 1,600 in China on Sunday, with the first fatality reported outside Asia fuelling global concerns. More than 68,000 people have now been infected in China from a virus that emerged in central Hubei province in December before spreading across the country and some two dozen countries. Amid criticism over the handling of the crisis, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for tighter policing to protect social stability, whi

World NewsFeb. 16, 2020

Govt. steps up efforts to support Korean passengers on quarantined cruise ship in Japan

TOKYO/SEOUL -- South Korea on Saturday stepped up efforts to support its 14 citizens aboard a quarantined cruise ship moored off the coast of Japan by sending them food, hygiene products and other commodities and checking their status. The Koreans -- nine passengers and five crew members -- have remained inside the Diamond Princess since the ship was quarantined at Yokohama Port earlier this month after confirming an infection of COVID-19. Yoon Hee-chan, the Korean consul general in Yokohama,

Foreign AffairsFeb. 16, 2020

S. Korea, US, Japan hold trilateral foreign ministers' talks in Munich

The top diplomats of South Korea, the United States and Japan held trilateral talks on the margins of a security forum in Germany on Saturday to discuss cooperation over stalled nuclear talks with North Korea, the new coronavirus outbreak and security in the Middle East. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her US and Japanese counterparts -- Mike Pompeo and Toshimitsu Motegi -- met on the sidelines of the annual three-day Munich Security Conference in Munich, which will run through Sunday. &q

Foreign AffairsFeb. 16, 2020

No 'Plan B' for Olympics; questions over Chinese presence

TOKYO (AP) -- Tokyo Olympic organizers and the International Olympic Committee said Friday there is no “Plan B” for the 2020 Games, which open in just over five months and have been jolted by the outbreak of a virus in neighboring China.     The coronavirus has infected almost 64,000 people globally with  almost 1,400 deaths in China, but only one in Japan where fear is rising with so much attention focused on the outbreak.     “Certai

Olympic GamesFeb. 15, 2020

Fire at steel plant contained, no casualties reported

Firefighters worked to extinguish a fire at a steel plant south of Seoul, with no casualties reported, authorities said Saturday.     The 119 Rescue Center received a report of a fire at the plant operated by KG Dongbu Steel in Dangjin, 123 kilometers south of Seoul, at 1:31 p.m. and firefighters put out the fire in about 30 minutes, according to the Dangjin Fire Station.     "The fire took place at the water processing facility of the steel plant whi

Social AffairsFeb. 15, 2020

South Korea to release 2 more fully recovered coronavirus patients from quarantine

    South Korea said Saturday that it will release two more fully recovered novel coronavirus patients from quarantine after they tested negative.     According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) the people who were recorded as the seventh and 22nd infections will be allowed to leave the hospitals they have been staying in within the day.       The seventh patient is a 28-year-old man who visited Wuhan, c

Social AffairsFeb. 15, 2020

Carmakers still short of parts from China amid partial production

Carmakers in South Korea said Saturday some of their assembly lines are still short of auto components as parts suppliers in China partially resumed operations this week amid no signs of the new coronavirus slowing. Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp., the country's two biggest carmakers, restarted production at their domestic plants Tuesday, mainly using auto components shipped from Southeast Asia. "Some parts from Southeast Asia arrived at the plants Monday, which hel

IndustryFeb. 15, 2020

Govt. to receive requests for novel coronavirus quarantine

South Korea's government said Saturday it will start receiving compensation requests from people who have been placed in quarantine to prevent further transmission. The health and welfare ministry said individuals can make the request to administrative offices near their homes starting Monday, while businesses that have given workers paid leave can apply to the National Pension Service.  Compensation will be given to all people who have been hospitalized, as well as those that have been

Social AffairsFeb. 15, 2020

Govt.not considering changing current alert level for novel coronavirus

South Korea's government said Saturday that it is not considering changing the country's alert level for the novel coronavirus just because no new cases have been reported in the last four days. The country has reported 28 confirmed cases since Jan. 21, with seven people being released from hospitals after making full recoveries. All infected people are in stable condition with none in any kind of danger. In a regular press conference held in Sejong City, 130 kilometers south of Seoul, Vice H

Social AffairsFeb. 15, 2020

Railcars seen at Yongbyon, inbound shipment of radioactive material unlikely: US think tank

WASHINGTON -- Recent satellite imagery shows the presence of specialized railcars at North Korea's main nuclear complex, a US think tank said, downplaying any association with the inbound shipment of radioactive material. In an article published earlier this week, the Center for Strategic and International Studies said there were three specialized railcars at the Yongbyon nuclear facility in satellite imagery it obtained Monday.   Those railcars have previously been associated with the mov

North KoreaFeb. 15, 2020