4 suspected Wuhan coronavirus cases tested negative: KCDC

Four suspected Wuhan coronavirus cases tested negative amid concerns over the spread of the SARS-like disease, South Korea's public health agency said Wednesday.    The four people who visited the city of Wuhan in central China underwent so-called pancoronavirus tests earlier in the day after experiencing symptoms, such as fever and sore throat, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).     South Korea co

Social AffairsJan. 22, 2020

[Graphic News] Year of the Rat

　The Chinese Zodiac is based on a twelve-year cycle, with each year related to an animal sign. The signs in order are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. It is calculated according to the Chinese lunar calendar.　Based in China, the zodiac and its variations remain popular in many Asian countries, such as South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.　This is the Year of the Rat according to Chinese zodiac. Rat is the first in the 12-year cy

NationalJan. 22, 2020

[Photo News] Final farewell for late Lotte founder

Relatives and associates gathered to bid a final farewell to Shin Kyuk-ho, the late founder and honorary chairman of Lotte Group, commemorating his legacy in a ceremony in Seoul on Wednesday.Shin was a self-made entrepreneur, who built his way up to establish Lotte Group, one of the five biggest conglomerates in South Korea – the others being Samsung, Hyundai, LG and SK. He passed away Sunday at the age of 97. More than 1,400 people participated in the ceremony held at Seoul’s Lotte

IndustryJan. 22, 2020

Shinsegae chief owns most expensive house in Korea

A luxury mansion owned by the chairwoman of retail giant Shinsegae Group remained the most expensive house in South Korea this year, data showed Wednesday. According to the Land Ministry, the declared value of Shinsegae chief Lee Myeong-hee’s 2,861-square-meter house in Hannam-dong, Seoul, was 27.7 billion won ($23.82 million) this year, taking the top spot on the list of 220,000 detached houses selectively chosen for the survey across the country.The declared value of Lee’s house ro

MarketJan. 22, 2020

1980 Gwangju massacre focus of attention at Namsan Arts Center

The Namsan Arts Center, managed by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, released its 2020 season program Tuesday, stressing that this season’s program is about remembering the atrocities linked to the 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising.The Gwangju massacre saw mass killings of civilians by the military junta led by Gen. Chun Doo-hwan in response to the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising in 1980, as the people of Gwangju called for democracy, protesting against the authoritarian regime.

PerformanceJan. 22, 2020

[Photo news] Herald CEO meets Indian envoy

[Diplomatic circuit] Herald Corp. CEO and Publisher Kwon Chung-won shakes hands with Indian Ambassador to South Korea Sripriya Ranganathan (right) during a meeting in central Seoul on Wednesday. (Indian Embassy in Korea)

Diplomatic CircuitJan. 22, 2020

Starbucks’ BTS items selling out fast in Korea

Starbucks Korea’s recent collaboration with K-pop sensation BTS has made a brilliant start, with BTS-themed items flying off the shelves. The coffee chain recently teamed up with the K-pop juggernaut to roll out a limited edition of BTS food, drinks and merchandise under a new initiative to support youth in South Korea dubbed “Be the Brightest Stars.” The campaign kicked off Tuesday, and many stores had already sold out of the BTS items within a day. “This morning, w

K-popJan. 22, 2020

[Lindsay Gorman] Trump’s weak trade deal with China completely ignores big picture

By many counts, the trade deal President Donald Trump signed on Jan. 15 with China lacks heft. It doesn’t remove all the tariffs, it doesn’t impose any major penalties on intellectual property theft, and it punts completely on issues including China’s state subsidies to prop up its own companies in international markets.Yet on one matter, the agreement could dramatically alter the US-China relationship and the future of global democracy.At the signing, Trump trumpeted a future

ViewpointsJan. 22, 2020

[Leonid Bershidsky] Making babies to grow economies won’t work

In his recent state of the nation address, Russian President Vladimir Putin spent about 20 minutes on a sweeping constitutional reform proposal designed to keep him in power indefinitely -- and about twice as much time on ideas meant to boost the birth rate. This is typical of Europe’s national-conservative governments, and even some relatively liberal ones, that are preoccupied with fertility policies because of declining populations.　In a just-published working paper, economist Charles J

ViewpointsJan. 22, 2020

How airports become battleground for K-pop idols, photographers, fans

About 50 kilometers from central Seoul, Incheon Airport is one of the busiest air gateways anywhere in the world. While most people go to travel abroad, some have a different purpose: to see their favorite idols up close.Celebrities in Korea, especially K-pop idols, often arrive fully styled from head to toe, emerging from a van when embarking on a tour or doing promotions in another country. And as soon as they get out, the airport shoot begins as photographers hurriedly take out the cameras.So

K-popJan. 22, 2020

X1 fans take to street to call for another shot

Hundreds of X1 fans staged a protest outside CJ ENM’s headquarters in western Seoul on Wednesday demanding the entertainment giant bring back the disbanded pop group.“CJ ENM stop evading responsibility,” one placard read, while another said, “Create a new X1 group and fulfill your responsibility of compensation.”On Twitter, hashtags like “#BringBackNewX1” and “#CJTakeTheResponsibility” trended worldwide as part of an organized effort to creat

K-popJan. 22, 2020

S. Korea’s 2019 economic growth skids to lowest in decade

South Korea’s economy in 2019 marked the slowest growth pace in a decade, mostly weighed down by the US-China trade tensions, the central bank said Wednesday.The nation’s gross domestic product expanded 2.01 percent on-year, according to advance data from the Bank of Korea.While the government’s 2-percent target has been attained, it fell short of the potential growth rate of 2.5-2.6 percent. This also was the slowest on-year growth since 2009, when the economy grew 0.8 percen

EconomyJan. 22, 2020

Samsung Biologics records 65% jump in operating profit

Samsung Biologics said Wednesday its operating profit in 2019 rose 65 percent on-year, on the back of increased revenue. The company recorded 701.6 billion won ($602 million) revenue with operating profit of 92 billion won operating profit, up 31 percent and 65 percent on-year, respectively.The growth was credited to the enhanced operation rate of its three plants.Its net profit recorded 203 billion won, a 21 billion won, or -9.5 percent, fall on-year. Samsung Biologics explained this reflects t

IndustryJan. 22, 2020

Seoul strives to fend off China virus

South Korea is ramping up efforts to fend off a new coronavirus spreading fast in China, with an influx of Chinese tourists expected here for this week’s Lunar New Year holiday. The coronavirus has killed nine so far. The country’s health authorities, airports and other related agencies are on heightened alert, with President Moon Jae-in ordering “full quarantine and preventative measures” to prevent the spread of the coronavirus here, in an emergency briefing on Wed

Social AffairsJan. 22, 2020

K-pop in battle with sasaeng

K-pop stars have always been subject to stalking, and it’s not confined to making non-stop calls or following their every move. More recently, their frequent flights overseas have been targeted by stalker fans who are willing to pay for pricey first-class seats to get closer to favorite stars. V of K-pop juggernaut BTS recently shared that the group flies on a private jet to avoid obsessive fans who follow them on board. “We actually want to fly on a regular plane. But when we travel

K-popJan. 22, 2020

Fiscal chief says materials, parts, equipment industries ‘stabilized’

Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said Wednesday that three sectors for electronic materials, parts and equipment, which have been affected by trade restrictions of Japan since last year, are back on a stable track as a result of governmental support.“We have come with specified measures on the voluntary investment worth 2 trillion won ($1.72 billion) by the private sector here and additional investment plans by global companies,” said Finance Minister Hong at a meeting in Incheon.“

MarketJan. 22, 2020

Seoul eyes rail project to engage NK

 Seoul appears to be looking to resume a joint railway project with Pyongyang as it seeks a breakthrough in inter-Korean relations, amid halted nuclear negotiations between the US and North Korea. 　South Korean President Moon Jae-in last week called for a renewed drive on various inter-Korean projects, such as cooperation on the border area, a joint bid to co-host the 2032 Summer Olympics, an inter-Korean railway and road project and individual tourism. 　Ever since he floated plans for Seou

North KoreaJan. 22, 2020

'Samsung plans to add video to smartphone messaging'

Samsung Electronics’ upcoming smartphones -- possibly including the clamshell device unofficially dubbed “Galaxy Z Flip” and the flagship Galaxy S20 series -- are expected to feature a new video chat service supported by Google’s Android system, according to sources on Wednesday. There are ongoing trilateral talks among device manufacturer Samsung, mobile carrier SK Telecom and Google on starting a video messaging service on Samsung’s Android-powered phones, a high-

TechnologyJan. 22, 2020

More men taking parental leave than ever before

The number of dads taking child care leave from work exceeded 20,000 for the first time last year, according to the Ministry of Employment and Labor on Wednesday.The number of men working in the private sector who took parental leave last year was 22,297, up 26.2 percent from the previous year. This is the first time that the tally surpassed the 20,000 mark. Men accounted for 21.2 percent of all parents taking child care leave, with this figure exceeding 20 percent for the first time. Civil

Social AffairsJan. 22, 2020