Hong Kong clashes resume in shopping centers, streets

HONG KONG (AP) -- Clashes resumed in Hong Kong on Tuesday between police and anti-government protesters, some of them donned in Santa Claus hats, as the more than 6-month-long demonstrations look set to move into the new year. Black-clad protesters smashed shop windows, while police responded with tear gas and the arrest of a number of demonstrators.  The protests demanding greater democratic rights show no sign of ending despite the overwhelming victory by anti-establishment candidates in

World NewsDec. 25, 2019

US flies 4 spy planes at same time amid concern about NK 'Christmas gift'

The United States has flown four surveillance planes over the Korean Peninsula at the same time, according to an aviation tracker Wednesday, amid heightened concern that North Korea could test-fire a long-range missile as a "Christmas gift" to Washington.According to Aircraft Spots, the four aircraft -- RC-135W Rivet Joint, E-8C, RQ-4 Global Hawk and RC-135S Cobra Ball -- were believed to have carried out missions over and around the Korean Peninsula between Tuesday and early Wednesday

DefenseDec. 25, 2019

Tottenham fail with appeal against Son red card

LONDON (AFP) -- Tottenham Hotspur have failed with their appeal against Son Heung-min's red card, the Football Association announced Tuesday.The South Korean winger saw red in the second half of Spurs' 2-0 loss at home to Chelsea in a spiteful London derby on Sunday after VAR confirmed he had kicked out at Blues defender Antonio Rudiger after being fouled. Tottenham launched an appeal but the FA upheld his red card, meaning Son will now serve a three-game ban ruling him out of the matches at hom

SoccerDec. 25, 2019

China hosts Japan, South Korea with eyes on nuclear North

CHENGDU (AFP) -- China hosted the leaders of squabbling neighbours South Korea and Japan for their first official meeting in over a year on Tuesday, flexing its diplomatic muscle with America's two key Asian allies and seeking unity on how to deal with a belligerent North Korea.The gathering in the southwestern city of Chengdu was held with the clock ticking on a threatened "Christmas gift" from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un that could reignite global tensions over its nuclear progra

North KoreaDec. 25, 2019

Trump says US will 'deal with' any NK Christmas surprise

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States will "deal with it very successfully" regardless of what North Korea sends as its threatened "Christmas gift."Concerns are mounting that North Korea could test a long-range missile in the coming days in protest of stalled denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang.Asked about the North's warning of an unwanted "Christmas gift," Trump said, "That's okay. We'll find out what

North KoreaDec. 25, 2019

Three months in, House of BTS pop-up store in Seoul bustles with fans

Hirari Yamauchi, a 48-year-old Japanese housewife, and her teenage daughter flew to South Korea for a two-day trip this week, solely for a highly anticipated visit to a pop-up store themed around K-pop boy band BTS currently open in Seoul. The mother and daughter discovered BTS a year ago and have since been avid fans, and they were unable to miss a chance to see the first major BTS pop-up store in the band's home country.The pop-up store, House of BTS, kicked off its three-month run on Oct. 18

PerformanceDec. 25, 2019

N. Korea slams Japanese minister over criticism of weapons tests

North Korea's state media slammed Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono on Tuesday for his criticism of the North's weapons tests, which it said were aimed at enhancing the country's "self-defense" capability. Kono criticized North Korea last week over a series of weapons tests since May, saying the presumed launches of ballistic missiles represent an "imminent threat" to the security of Japan. North Korea has said that those tests were intended to improve its self-de

North KoreaDec. 24, 2019

Filibuster against election reform continues for 2nd day

Lawmakers from rival political camps took to the parliamentary podium for a marathon, relayed speech, as a filibuster continued into the second consecutive day Tuesday over a proposed reform of election rules.  The main opposition Liberty Korea Party began the filibuster at the National Assembly on Monday night in an attempt to block the passage of the ruling Democratic Party-led election law revision. Speaker Moon Hee-sang introduced the bill for a parliamentary vote earlier in the day aft

PoliticsDec. 24, 2019

Glenwood PE signs W608b deal to acquire SKC Kolon PI

South Korea’s investment house Glenwood Private Equity has inked a deal to buy a controlling stake in the world’s leading polyimide film maker SKC Kolon PI for 608 billion won ($523.2 million) from its two major stakeholders, according to regulatory filings on Tuesday. The purchase price of a 54.07 percent stake in SKC Kolon PI has shrunk from earlier market estimates of some 700 billion won. The transaction is poised to take place by Feb. 28. SKC Kolon PI is a joint venture of Korea

MarketDec. 24, 2019

Increasing number of Chinese visitors bodes well for duty-free operators

The number of Chinese visitors to South Korea is expected to jump more than 25 percent in 2019, boding well for duty-free business operators here, data showed Tuesday.  According to the data jointly compiled by the state-run Korea Tourism Organization and Shinhan Financial Investment, the number of Chinese travelers in November surged 30.3 percent to some 426,800. A considerable number of these travelers were vendors who purchase Korean duty-free goods in bulk and sell them back at home, th

IndustryDec. 24, 2019

[Graphic News] Annual number of Jeju airport passengers tops 30m for first time

The number of passengers handled this year by Jeju International Airport, the gateway to the resort iIsland, topped 30 million for the first time, data showed.A total of 30,057,300 passengers traveled through the airport until Dec. 16 this year, according to data released by the Korea Airports Corp.It is the first time for any of 14 airports in South Korea, excluding Incheon International Airport, to handle more than 30 million passengers a year. (Yonhap) 

IndustryDec. 24, 2019

Opposition leader hospitalized after two-week sit-in

Hwang Kyo-ahn, chairman of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, was hospitalized on Tuesday for deteriorating health after staging a sit-in at the National Assembly for the past two weeks, the party said."Hwang was admitted to Severance Hospital in the morning as his health condition has deteriorated," LKP Secretary General Rep. Park Wan-su told reporters. Hwang has staged a sit-in in front of the National Assembly's main conference hall since Dec. 11 in protest of the ruling Democ

PoliticsDec. 24, 2019

[Conor Sen] Soccer is the future of sports in America

If you’re in the business of professional sports right now, the fundamentals are cause for concern. Attendance is falling, even in the midst of a strong economy. Perhaps some of that decline can be attributed to the improvement in high-definition broadcasting and the prevalence of large flat-screen televisions, which make watching at home a much better experience than in the past.But that wouldn’t explain why TV ratings this season for the National Basketball Association have fallen

ViewpointsDec. 24, 2019

[Kim Seong-kon] Dreaming of a white Christmas in Spain

When I was a little boy right after the 1950-53 Korean War, I received a Christmas present from Santa Claus. On that Christmas Eve, I woke up in the middle of the night and found the gift next to my pillow. I was overjoyed because it was the first Christmas present I had ever received.The present turned out to be six pencils made in the U.S.A., arrayed in an orderly fashion in a gorgeous pencil box. At that time, Korea suffered postwar poverty and quality pencils were rare and expensive. Thus, t

ViewpointsDec. 24, 2019

Over 71% of 2020 budget to be allocated for H1

The South Korean government on Tuesday vowed to further accelerate its fiscal spending next year, seeking to revitalize the economy following years of sluggish growth.The Ministry of Economy and Finance confirmed the fiscal allocation plan for 2020 at a Cabinet meeting under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon.Under the fiscal program, 71.4 percent of the annual expenditure or 305 trillion won ($262 billion) out of 414.1 trillion won has been allocated for the January-June period -- t

EconomyDec. 24, 2019

Screenwriter says ‘Big Fish’ is a ‘very small human story’

Though the musical “Big Fish” may seem to be from far away -- it is, after all, a story from the American South -- it is a tale of fatherhood with which audiences around the world can relate, the show’s scriptwriter said.The family musical is based on a 1998 novel of the same name written by Daniel Wallace. The novel was adapted into a film in 2003 starring Ewan McGregor. Screenwriter John August is the mastermind behind the film and the musical productions, having written the

PerformanceDec. 24, 2019

From loan control to tax probes, Korea wages war on housing prices

Following the unexpected stringent mortgage control measures announced by the government last week, state agencies are also ramping up pressure to cool down the real estate market by conducting tax probes on individuals and even limiting the use of credit loans for buying houses.The National Tax Service said Monday it will investigate 257 homeowners and track the source of their funds. They are suspected of having purchased expensive apartments with money transferred from parents and relatives,

EconomyDec. 24, 2019

Red Velvet's new album tops iTunes album charts in 42 countries

Girl group Red Velvet's latest "repackage album," "The ReVe Festival: Finale," has topped the iTunes album charts in 42 countries, its agency said Tuesday.The third of the five-member band's "The ReVe Festival" trilogy, the 16-track album was released on Monday (Korean time) and includes four new songs -- "Psycho," "In & Out," "Remember Forever" and "La Rouge." It took the top position on the iTunes album charts in the Uni

PerformanceDec. 24, 2019

What Korean commercial banks face in 2020

With unresolved problems set to drag into the new year, South Korean commercial lenders face a number of burdens that will keep them occupied throughout 2020. One of the major issues that drew public flak earlier this year was the misselling of derivatives products worth a combined 800 billion won ($688 million) by Woori Bank and KEB Hana Bank, putting its customers at risk of losing large sums. The banks failed to provide customers with adequate information about the high-risk nature of the pro

MarketDec. 24, 2019