Korean language test applicants hit record high in 2019: data

A record number of applicants took the Korean language proficiency test last year, data showed Friday, reflecting the growing popularity of the language.A total of 375,871 people sat for the Test of Proficiency in Korean in 2019, up 14.2 percent from 329,224 in the previous year, according to the National Institute for International Education's data analyzed by education service provider Haneul Education Corp.It marks the highest figure since 2,692 people took the exam when TOPIK was first launc

Social AffairsJan. 17, 2020

Seoul calls shots in engaging Pyongyang: official

South Korea is a sovereign country that dictates its own North Kore policy, Seoul’s Unification Ministry said Friday, in response to remarks by US Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris that Washington should be consulted on potential cross-border tourism to Pyongyang. “The US has made it clear through many channels that it respects the sovereignty of South Korea, and our North Korea policy falls under that description,” spokesperson Lee Sang-min said at a press briefing. On

North KoreaJan. 17, 2020

Three-way merger scenario not yet confirmed: Celltrion affiliates

South Korean biopharmaceutical firm Celltrion’s key affiliates said Friday they have yet to set a clear blueprint in regards to Chairman Seo Jung-jin’s hint at the blockbuster merger of Celltrion, Celltrion Healthcare and Celltrion Pharm by as early as 2021. “The company is considering the merger plan on the premise of shareholder agreement, but we have yet to make any confirmation as to how and when the merger would be undertaken,” the three firms said in respective disc

MarketJan. 17, 2020

S. Korea on a roll entering knockout phase at Olympic football qualifying tournament

From what was considered the toughest group in the Asian Olympic men's football qualifying tournament, South Korea emerged as the only undefeated nation.In fact, they were the only team to win all three group matches in the entire preliminary round of the Asian Football Confederation U-23 Championship in Thailand.Now the real work begins, as South Korea are set to take on Jordan in their first knockout match of the tournament.The quarterfinals showdown will kick off at Thammasat Stadium in Rangs

Olympic GamesJan. 17, 2020

S. Korea sharply expands public radio frequency band in 2020

The radio frequency band allocated for public use will increase more than eightfold in 2020 so South Korea can better meet its safety, disaster response and transportation requirements, the science ministry said Friday.The Ministry of Science and ICT has approved a total bandwidth of 2.8 gigahertz for public use, up from the 336.4 megahertz set aside last year and the 81 MHz designated in 2018."A broader band allows public agencies to use more communication equipment and devices to send and

TechnologyJan. 17, 2020

BOK freezes policy rate at 1.25% amid hope of economic recovery

South Korea’s central bank maintained the country’s base interest rate at 1.25 percent, prolonging its wait-and-see approach amid mounting expectations of an economic recovery this year. The Bank of Korea’s Monetary Policy Board announced Friday that the key rate will be kept at the record low of 1.25 percent, largely conforming to market expectations.The rate-setting board carried out two rate cuts last year, reducing by 0.25 percentage point each time, in July and October.In

EconomyJan. 17, 2020

Hyundai Kona EV reaches highest altitude to set Guinness record

Hyundai Motor Co.'s Kona Electric vehicle has set a Guinness world record for the highest altitude achieved in an electric car, the company said Sunday. The Kona Electric built in Hyundai Motor's Indian plant reached the Saula Himal peak that is 5,731 meters high, beating the previous record height of 5,715 meters set by the ES8 sport utility vehicle of Chinese electric carmaker Nio in September 2018, Hyundai said in a statement.The Kona Electric, which can travel up to 452 kilometers on a singl

IndustryJan. 17, 2020

Will students wear hanbok school uniforms?

We may be seeing students dressed in hanbok-inspired school uniforms soon. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Thursday its plans to adapt hanbok-inspired school uniforms, at a New Year’s event held at Novotel Ambassador Dongdaemun Hotel & Residences in central Seoul.The Culture Ministry and Ministry of Education last year signed a memorandum of understanding on the school uniform project, with a contest held to come up with school uniform designs based on Korea&rsquo

Arts & DesignJan. 17, 2020

Growing numbers of illegal stayers leave Korea voluntarily

A growing number of foreigners staying illegally in South Korea are voluntarily leaving the country after the government offered various incentives, including an opportunity for reentry, to overstayers choosing to voluntary depart, a government agency said Friday.According to the Incheon Immigration Office, the number of illegal stayers leaving the country of their own free will soared 66 percent from 433 last November to 720 last December. In the first 14 days of this month, the number already

PoliticsJan. 17, 2020

S. Korea says inter-Korean policy matter of sovereignty

South Korea's policy on North Korea is a matter of sovereignty, the unification ministry said Friday, after US Ambassador Harry Harris called for Seoul to make sure to consult closely with Washington about its engagement plans with the North.On Thursday, Ambassador Harris told foreign media reporters that South Korea should consult with Washington about its plans to engage with North Korea in order to "avoid a misunderstanding later that could trigger sanctions."His remarks came as Sou

North KoreaJan. 17, 2020

Pompeo, Esper issue joint appeal to South Korea to pay more for US troop presence

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper have made an emphatic call for South Korea to pay more for the upkeep of 28,500 American troops stationed in the country.They made the appeal in a rare joint commentary in the Wall Street Journal on Thursday (US time), after the two sides ended their sixth round of talks in Washington to negotiate the Special Measures Agreement, the cost-sharing deal for the stationing of the US Forces Korea.t the SMA talks on Tuesday and Wednes

Foreign AffairsJan. 17, 2020

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and Packages

Winter afternoon tea at Millennium Hilton SeoulMillennium Hilton Seoul’s Cilantro Deli, located in the main lobby of the hotel, presents afternoon tea with a winter theme. The tea set includes open sandwiches, scones, a gingerbread man and treats shaped like snowmen, Christmas trees and mittens. The deli’s signature Noel Cake, consisting of a red velvet roll, a green tea roll, a chocolate roll and a mocha roll, will be available for sale along with fruit sponge cake, chocolate sponge

FoodJan. 17, 2020

S. Korea remains at No. 3 in baseball world rankings

South Korea stayed at No. 3 in the latest baseball's world rankings released Friday.The World Baseball Softball Confederation said South Korea will head into the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as world No. 3 with 4,622 points, behind Japan (6,127) and the United States (4,676). Chinese Taipei is in fourth with 4,352 points.The WBSC rankings measure national team performance -- from under-12 to professional -- in WBSC-sanctioned international competitions over a four-year period.At the most recent WBSC tou

BaseballJan. 17, 2020

US sends nuke-detecting plane to air base in Japan

The United States has deployed a WC-135W radiation detection plane to one of its air bases in Japan, an aviation tracker said Thursday, a move seen as aimed at beefing up surveillance of North Korea.The WC-135W Constant Phoenix arrived at Kadena Air Base in Japan's Okinawa, Aircraft Spots said in a Twitter post, without elaborating on the exact time of the arrival.Nicknamed the "nuke sniffer," the WC-135W played a key role in detecting radioactive leaks after the Chernobyl nuclear disa

North KoreaJan. 17, 2020

Weak exports, construction investment continue to weigh on economy: report

Sluggish exports and weaker construction investment continued to weigh on South Korea's economy, despite a solid gain in service output and consumption, a government report showed on Friday.  In its monthly economic assessment report, the finance ministry said market sentiment improved after the United States and China signed an initial trade deal, but uncertainties linger on prospects for a second phase of the US-China trade deal.  "Exports and construction investment are still i

EconomyJan. 17, 2020

Incheon airport partners with Indonesian firms to win local deal

The operator of South Korea's main gateway said Friday it has partnered with Indonesia's two state-owned companies to win a local airport expansion project. The Incheon International Airport Corp. signed a "consortium agreement" with Indonesia's airport operator PT Angkasa Pura 1 and public builder PT Wijaya Karya to obtain the deal to expand the Batam Hang Nadim Airport, IIAC said in a statement. Batam Indonesia Free Zone Authority began the bidding process in May last year and a

IndustryJan. 17, 2020

[Digital Simplicity] What Cartman missed when he faked Tourette syndrome

When Eric Cartman in the animated TV series “South Park” came up with an evil plan to fake Tourette syndrome, the chief purpose was to say whatever he wanted. He took advantage of the fact that some people with Tourette syndrome have what is called coprolalia, or involuntary swearing. By faking Tourette syndrome, Cartman successfully got away with shouting obscenities, at least initially in the episode titled “Le Petit Tourette” aired in 2007. There’s a typical Sout

ViewpointsJan. 17, 2020

KT to form alliance with 5 telcoms on 5G mobile edge computing

KT Corp., one of South Korea's major mobile carriers, said Friday it will form an alliance with five global telecommunication firms to develop 5G mobile edge computing solutions.KT said it will create the 5G Future Forum with America Movil of Mexico, Rogers Wireless of Canada, Telstra of Australia, Verizon Wireless of the United States and Vodafone of Britain.The alliance will focus on developing global specifications and standards for 5G MEC interoperability, according to KT.MEC is a key techn

IndustryJan. 17, 2020

BOK stands pat, previous cuts and improving conditions in focus

As widely expected, South Korea's central bank on Friday left its policy rate frozen, citing slight improvements in the economic and trade conditions facing Asia's fourth-largest economy and the need to assess the effect of previous rate cuts.The Bank of Korea's monetary policy board voted 5 to 2 to keep the rate steady at a record low 1.25 percent.Friday's monetary policy decision was in line with market consensus. In a survey conducted by Yonhap Infomax, the financial news arm of Yonhap News A

EconomyJan. 17, 2020

Popular Seoul National University lectures comes to bookstore near you

“Violence and Justice”By Kim Seong-kon and Ahn Kyong-whanViche, Gimmyoung PublishersTwo Seoul National University professors from the humanities and law departments have written a book based on a popular class they taught in 1999 and 2000.“Around 150 students from the law and the humanities departments took our classes (every semester). The lectures were popular among students because they were the first to look into laws in literary and movie texts,” co-author and Englis

BooksJan. 17, 2020