S. Korean firm shortlisted for Bulgarian nuclear plant project

The state-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. has been selected as one of three potential investors for a nuclear plant project in Bulgaria, according to the Balkan nation's energy ministry on Friday.The South Korean energy firm, along with Russia's Rosatom and the China National Nuclear Corporation, were selected as strategic candidates for the new nuclear energy plant project in northern Bulgaria, its ministry said.The decision was based on the candidates' experience in building nuclear pl

EconomyDec. 20, 2019

Son Heung-min named top S. Korean player for record 4th time

South Korean men's national football captain Son Heung-min has been named the country's best player of the year for a record fourth time.The Korea Football Association (KFA) announced on Thursday that Son, the attacking stalwart for Tottenham Hotspur, was voted the Male Player of the Year for 2019. Son was also honored in 2013, 2014 and 2017. The fourth award breaks a tie with three-time honoree Ki Sung-yueng, who earned the award in 2011, 2012 and 2016.Son topped the voting by the media and the

SoccerDec. 20, 2019

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and Packages

Special dinner buffet and afternoon tea at Four Points by Sheraton Seoul, Gangnam The hotel’s restaurant, Evolution, will provide special dinner buffets only for three days, on Dec. 24, 25 and 31. A lobster platter and a variety of seafood and meat dishes will be prepared, along with champagne and strawberry desserts. The price is set at a reasonable 77,000 won per person, and time is limited to three hours for the dinner. The reservation can be made at (02) 2160-8989.Also on Christmas Eve

FoodDec. 20, 2019

[Weekender] 3 Christmas markets in Seoul

Part of the joy of the Yuletide season is visiting Christmas markets. Although not as grand as those found in some European cities, Seoul has places where one can shop for Christmas decorations, gifts and treats. Han River Park Seoul’s Bamdokkaebi Night Market’s official 2019 run ended in mid-October, but is back for a special Christmas edition. Opening today at the Multiplaza inside Yeouido Han River Park, the market’s Bamdokkaebi charm is intact -- a mix of delectable fo

TravelDec. 20, 2019

[Weekender] Holiday sparkles

South Korea is not particularly well known as a Christmas holiday destination for travelers, but it has some aspirations.  Taking a cue from famous Christmas markets and light festivals around the world, Seoul has decked out its Cheonggye Stream in a splendid display of colorful lights. And this weekend the “spaceship” Dongdaemun Design Plaza will turn into a magical, sparkling place when it holds its inaugural light festival. Down in the portside city of Busan, the sandy beach

TravelDec. 20, 2019

US Senate confirms Biegun as deputy secretary of state

The United States Senate on Thursday confirmed Stephen Biegun, Washington's top envoy for North Korea talks, as deputy secretary of state.Biegun's confirmation by a 90-3 vote came as the special representative has been in Beijing to meet with Chinese officials over North Korea.He has repeatedly expressed his intent to remain the lead negotiator for dismantling North Korea's nuclear weapons program even if appointed as the No. 2 official at the Department of State. Korea watchers have been divide

Foreign AffairsDec. 20, 2019

S. Korea, China, Japan to hold trade ministers‘ talks ahead of next week’s trilateral summit

TOKYO -- South Korea, China and Japan will hold a trade ministers‘ meeting in Beijing over the weekend ahead of their trilateral summit in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu next week, reports said Thursday.China’s Assistant Commerce Minister Li Chenggang told a press conference that the ministers‘ meeting was set to take place in the Chinese capital on Sunday, according to Japan’s Kyodo News.   South Korea‘s Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Sung

EconomyDec. 19, 2019

N. Korea establishes info website on science, technology

North Korea recently established a website providing information on science and technology trade, its state media said Thursday, an apparent move to revitalize related sectors amid economic challenges stemming from global sanctions.The North‘s National Science and Technology Committee created it to contribute to invigorating technology trade by establishing a link to prepare and verify the quality and competitiveness of technology products, the official Korean Central News Agency said. &ld

North KoreaDec. 19, 2019

US flies surveillance aircraft over S. Korea: aviation tracker

The United States flew a naval surveillance plane over the Korean Peninsula on Thursday, an aviation tracker has said, amid tensions over the possibility of North Korea launching a long-range rocket in protest over the stalemate in the countries‘ nuclear talks.According to Aircraft Spots, a US Navy EP-3E plane conducted the reconnaissance mission, just a week after a similar flight by a US Air Force RC-135S Cobra Ball aircraft. The turbo-prop aircraft is capable of conducting tactical elec

DefenseDec. 19, 2019

Officialdom pressed to join housing bubble-busting drive

Soaring housing prices in South Korea have emerged as the biggest headache for policymakers, and now the country‘s officialdom is under growing pressure to actively join the Moon Jae-in administration’s drive to rein in a hike in home prices.On Wednesday, Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said it is desirable for high-ranking officials to sell extra homes they own in Seoul and all but one neighboring areas in order to help stabilize home prices. His remarks came two days after the governm

EconomyDec. 19, 2019

Son Heung-min named top S. Korean player for record 4th time

South Korean men‘s national football captain Son Heung-min has been named the country’s best player of the year for a record fourth time.The Korea Football Association announced on Thursday that Son, the attacking stalwart for Tottenham Hotspur, was voted the Male Player of the Year for 2019.Son was also honored in 2013, 2014 and 2017. The fourth award breaks a tie with three-time honoree Ki Sung-yueng, who earned the award in 2011, 2012 and 2016. Son topped the voting by the media a

SoccerDec. 19, 2019

[Graphic News] Macao celebrates 20th anniversary

　The former Portuguese colony of Macao on Friday marks the 20th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule under the “one country, two systems” principle also in place in Hong Kong.　Macao owns some of the world’s largest casinos operated by multinational casino companies and is economically quite dependent on its gambling industry.　Macao, Asia’s most famous gambling hub, had 41 casinos and nearly 36 million tourists visited in 2018. (AFP)

World NewsDec. 19, 2019

Government pledges harsher punishment for online child pornography crimes

The government said Thursday that it would introduce a fresh set of regulations to clamp down on operators and users of child pornography websites.Responding to an online Cheong Wa Dae petition, Minister of Gender Equality and Family Lee Jung-ok said the administration would support the parliamentary motion to revise laws on child and juvenile protection to raise the maximum penalty for child pornography crimes.The revised laws would subject selling or distributing child pornography to a prison

Social AffairsDec. 19, 2019

[Herald interview] String sounds of Pyongyang ring alive in Seoul

Though the gayageum, a 12-string zither-like instrument, can be traced back to ancient times, it has evolved in different ways in North and South Korea, according to a gayageum player who has traversed the two Koreas to practice her art.Park Soon-a, 51, will be performing various gayageum solo pieces composed and played in North Korea at her solo recital “North Korea Gayageum,” to be held Friday and Saturday at Seoul Namsan Gukakdang.Park is an ethnic Korean from Japan, known as a &l

PerformanceDec. 19, 2019

Chief financial regulator urges insurance firms to bolster capital base

South Korea's chief financial regulator on Thursday called on insurance companies to restructure their assets and liabilities while bolstering their capital base ahead of the introduction of tougher global accounting standards for insurers. Under the new rules, set to begin in 2022, insurers' liabilities will be assessed on the basis of their market value rather than book value. This is aimed at enabling a fairer assessment of insurers' ability to withstand stress and to have a larger capital ba

IndustryDec. 19, 2019

BTS chosen as Singer of Year by global K-pop fans: poll

Global sensation BTS has been tapped as the most beloved K-pop star of the year by K-pop fans around the world for the fourth consecutive year, a written survey showed Thursday. According to the poll by KBS World Radio of 7,855 listeners of its programs in 11 languages, 35.4 percent of the polled picked BTS as the K-pop Singer of the Year. Launched in 2016, the survey was conducted from Nov. 20-Dec. 4 via the state-run broadcaster's homepage and mobile app.    The boy group's &quo

PerformanceDec. 19, 2019

[Josep Borrell] Time for real Europe-Asia partnership

A few days ago, I chaired the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). What might seem to be a rather bureaucratic acronym, actually is a politically highly relevant event for our continents. I had offered to host this meeting in Madrid when I was still Foreign Minister of Spain and I chaired it as EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy. It underlines my personal interest in the fast-moving continent that is Asia today. The meeting confirmed my conviction in a world of accelerati

ViewpointsDec. 19, 2019

Seoul says it will not pay for upkeep of US troops outside of Korea

South Korea’s top negotiator for the defense cost-sharing deal with the United States said Thursday that Seoul has made clear it cannot pay for the cost of maintaining US troops stationed outside the country, a concession that Washington is seeking. A day before, Jeong Eun-bo, Korea’s chief negotiator, and his US counterpart, James DeHart, ended their two-day talks without an agreement on renewing the defense cost-sharing deal, called the Special Measures Agreement. “The SMA is

DefenseDec. 19, 2019

[Jeffrey D. Sachs] The UK’s electoral system failed

On the most important issue in the United Kingdom’s modern history -- whether to leave the European Union or remain -- the UK’s electoral system produced an absurd result. A majority of the UK public wants to remain in the EU, and actually voted accordingly in the parliamentary election on Dec. 12. Yet the election produced a large majority for the Conservative Party, which backs a quick Brexit. The reason is as simple as it is troubling: the failure of the first-past-the-post electo

ViewpointsDec. 19, 2019