Pro-Iran protesters leave US embassy in Baghdad

BAGHDAD (AFP) -- Pro-Iran demonstrators left the besieged US embassy in Baghdad on Wednesday after the Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary force ordered them to withdraw a day after their dramatic incursion.Thousands of Iraqi supporters of the largely Iranian-trained Hashed had encircled and vandalised the embassy compound Tuesday, outraged by US air strikes that killed 25 Hashed fighters over the weekend.They marched unimpeded through the checkpoints of the usually high-security Green Zone to the emb

World NewsJan. 2, 2020

NK leader visits mausoleum of grandfather, father to mark new year

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has visited the mausoleum of his late grandfather and father in his first reported public activity this year after he threatened to show off a "new strategic weapon."Kim paid tribute at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where the bodies of state founder and grandfather Kim Il-sung and his father Kim Jong-il are enshrined, on the occasion of the start of the new year, according to the Korean Central News Agency. His visit to the mausoleum came after he warn

North KoreaJan. 2, 2020

Bolton says US should fully resume military exercises with S. Korea

WASHINGTON -- Former US National Security Adviser John Bolton said Wednesday that the United States should fully reinstate military exercises with South Korea to respond to North Korea's latest threats.Earlier on New Year's Day, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said he saw no reason to continue his self-declared moratorium on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests, and threatened to show a "new strategic weapon" in the near future. Kim's remarks came as Pyongyang has grown

Foreign AffairsJan. 2, 2020

Moon appoints Choo Mi-ae as new justice minister

President Moon Jae-in appointed Choo Mi-ae, a judge-turned-politician, as justice minister Thursday, Cheong Wa Dae announced.The move came more than two months after Cho Kuk stepped down from the post amid prosecutors' probe into a scandal involving family investment and university admissions for his children. Cho was later indicted on multiple charges, including bribery.Moon nominated Choo, a five-term lawmaker who led the ruling Democratic Party, as justice minister on Dec. 5, 2019.She went th

PoliticsJan. 2, 2020

BTS perform at Times Square on New Year's eve

K-pop sensation BTS were the second South Korean pop artists to perform live in New York City's Times Square on New Year's eve, in a spectacle packed with crowds set for a countdown to the new year.The seven-member boy band showed up on the stage in the heart of Manhattan just before midnight on Tuesday (New York time), giving an eight-minute performance of two of their best hits: "Make It Right" and "Boy with Luv."When their part ended, the group shouted to the crowd, "

PerformanceJan. 1, 2020

NK passes ball into US court, leaves room for both dialogue, provocation: experts

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appears to have passed the ball into the United States' court with a New Year's message that warned of "shocking actual action" and a "new strategic weapon" but still stopped short of abandoning negotiations altogether, experts said.Convening a four-day ruling party session through Tuesday, Kim said he sees no reason to stick to his commitment to suspend nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests, accusing the US of "abusing"

North KoreaJan. 1, 2020

After struggles, Yoo Jae-suk in his second heyday

Yoo Jae-suk had been the nation’s most popular entertainer for more than a decade, but after the hiatus of his signature show “Infinite Challenge” on MBC in 2018, his star seemed to be on the wane. The weekly variety show was beloved by Korean viewers for 13 years. Yoo and producer Kim Tae-ho rose to stardom with the show, earning top spots in the entertainment industry.  However, after the show ended almost two years ago, Yoo seemed to be experiencing difficulties with hi

TelevisionJan. 1, 2020

[Graphic News] Industrial materials, nanotech investments to jump 136% in 2020

　Korea’s public investment in future industrial materials and nanotech will jump 136 percent on-year in 2020, as the country moves to enhance its global competitiveness in cutting edge sectors, the government said.　The sum of 233.6 billion won ($201.2 million), approved by policymakers and experts, follows the passage of this year’s budget by the National Assembly. The focus will be on acquiring original technologies, expanding research and development infrastructure and the creation

TechnologyJan. 1, 2020

Korean film scene goes experimental in 2020

Encouraged by the astounding achievements of 2019, the Korean film scene is set to go more adventurous this year, bringing zombies, clones and spacecraft to the big screen. Though such subjects have sometimes been a taboo in the local film industry -- due to past failures -- it looks like the achievements of 2019 have encouraged such experimental items to take part in the major entertainment scene. In the past, Korea’s film scene had been focused heavily on periodical works, romance or com

FilmJan. 1, 2020

[Newsmaker] PM Lee Nak-yon’s return to parliament may signal changes to come

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon’s imminent return to the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the path along which his political career progresses are likely to be deciding factors for the country’s political arena for the coming year and further down the road. Lee served four National Assembly terms from 2000 to 2014 for the Hampyeong-Younggwang constituency in South Jeolla Province. In 2014, during his fourth term, he ran and won the race for South Jeolla Province governorship. From the

PoliticsJan. 1, 2020

[Kim Myong-sik] Koreans greet New Year with more fears than hopes

South Korea is a safe place to live. Walking home alone through a back alley at night, one does not have to be too scared, although there’s the chance of confronting a drunkard -- who usually is harmless, however. In daytime, the incidence of pickpocketing or taxi robbery has been remarkably reduced compared with a few decades ago. The ubiquitous CCTV in all parts of the country may have discouraged petty criminals from grabbing money directly but pushed them toward more sophisticated mean

ViewpointsJan. 1, 2020

[Noah Smith] The middle class risks consuming itself

Americans are increasingly anxious about the costs of services such as health care and education. But these are the very same industries that increasingly sustain the middle class. Resolving this paradox is the key to creating the economy of the future.It’s not much of a surprise to note that prices for most physical goods have dropped, but the costs of big-ticket services have become much higher.As health care absorbs an ever-larger share of national income, many want the government to ta

ViewpointsJan. 1, 2020

Experts weigh in on N. Korea’s ‘new strategic weapon’

Following North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s warning of a “new strategic weapon,” experts on Wednesday weighed in on the state of the regime’s veiled missile program for clues. Pyongyang has been trying to develop multiple-warhead intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and the strategic weapon may be an upgrade of either of the two. Both of them could pose a greater threat to the United States and its allies, as they would be hard

North KoreaJan. 1, 2020

Samsung, LG to unveil upgraded AI-equipped fridges at CES 2020

Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics said Wednesday they will showcase their new editions of refrigerators equipped with enhanced artificial intelligence capabilities at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show, slated to kick off next Tuesday in Las Vegas, US.It is not the first time that they are displaying their smart fridges at the show. But this year, backed by improvements in AI technologies, some upgrades and more convenient features will be highlighted.The most notable change that they h

TechnologyJan. 1, 2020

North Korea reverts to aggressive nuclear policy

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Wednesday declared the regime will continue to develop its nuclear program and debut a new “strategic weapon” in the near future, if the US does not end its economic sanctions. 　His remarks -- during an unexpectedly long four-day meeting of ruling party officials, reported by the state-run Korea Central News Agency -- signals the country plans to revert to its prior “byungjin” policy of simultaneously developing nuclear capabilities alon

North KoreaJan. 1, 2020

Korea’s largest messaging app runs into server failure on New Year’s Day

KakaoTalk, Korea’s most widely used messaging app, had a server slowdown around midnight on New Year’s Eve, with some of its users unable to send out New Year’s greetings, according to the app’s operator on Wednesday.  The system error in the KakaoTalk server lasted for some two hours from around midnight. Upon identifying the problem, the company immediately took recovery action, it said. The server was fully restored at 2:15 a.m.During the year-end period, the mess

TechnologyJan. 1, 2020

[News Focus] Will S. Korea’s stock market recover vitality in 2020?

Bucking the trend of major global stock markets which saw some of their best gains in decades, South Korea’s main bourse Kospi remained flat on the last trading day of 2019, unable to pierce the 2,200 points mark. For a decade now, many market watchers expected Kospi to surpass the 3,000 mark, after it topped 2,000 in 2009. Now as we enter a new year, all eyes are on whether it will gain new growth momentum. According to experts, the main bourse is expected to gain vitality this year backe

MarketJan. 1, 2020

Parties gear up for April general elections

Rival political parties on Wednesday ushered in 2020 with renewed commitment to win over voters in the general elections this year. During events celebrating the new year, the leaders of the ruling Democratic Party and main opposition Liberty Korea Party shared their visions and plans for the April 15 general elections, which will take place under the newly revised electoral law. Democratic Party chief Lee Hae-chan underscored that the results of the elections will be a turning point. &ldqu

PoliticsJan. 1, 2020

Seoul City’s Zero Pay app has zero impact

After its launch in Dec. 2018, Seoul City’s own mobile payment app Zero Pay is now in a very fragile situation and is struggling to make a mark in the local payment industry, data showed on Wednesday. As of Dec. 16, the transactions made through Zero Pay reached 69.6 billion won ($60 million), a mere 0.0076 percent of the entire transaction volume of some 910 trillion won paid via noncash payments. The actual transaction volume of the city’s own payment solution i

MarketJan. 1, 2020