AB InBev names new CEO for S. Korea unit

Belgian brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev has named a new chief executive for its South Korean operations, Oriental Brewery Co. said Monday.Ben Verhaert, president of AB InBev's South Asian operations, will be replacing OB CEO Bruno Cosentino who will move to the Belgian beverage firm's African operations as chief marketing officer, OB said in a statement. He will start in the new post in January,Verhaert, 41, a native of Belgium, has built up his career mainly in the sales and logistics fields

IndustryNov. 25, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] Seoul created momentum for regional trade liberalization: minister

BUSAN -- Industry Minister Sung Yun-mo said Monday that South Korea had created momentum for the liberalization of regional trade and cooperation through the 2019 ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit. Speaking to reporters at the summit venue in Busan, Sung said free trade and multilateralism were currently facing challenges, including a trade war between the US and China as well as Japan’s economic restrictions against Korea.  “Amid the ongoing trade friction, it is very meaningful t

EconomyNov. 25, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] Korea, Philippines to speed up FTA talks

BUSAN -- South Korea and the Philippines on Monday signed an agreement opening their markets for selected products and resolved to conclude free trade negotiations within next year.  The agreement was signed after President Moon Jae-in and President Rodrigo Duterte’s summit on the sidelines of the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit in Busan. Under the trade agreement, the Philippines will open its markets for selected automotive parts, pharmaceuticals and petrochemical products. In return

Foreign AffairsNov. 25, 2019

Seoul police book 5 Chinese students

Police said Monday they had booked five Chinese nationals in relation to intensifying clashes between university students over pro-Hong Kong movements.The chief of Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Lee Yong-pyo said that the students were booked on suspicion of property damage. “Seven complaints have been by five universities in Seoul, and five Chinese students have been booked as a result,” Lee said during a press conference. He stated further arrests may follow upon examination of w

Social AffairsNov. 25, 2019

Police restrict overnight protests in front of Blue House

Police said overnight demonstrations in front of the presidential office building in Seoul will be restricted from 6 p.m. until 9 a.m. the following morning. Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has notified groups holding prolonged rallies near the Blue House of the new measure, the agency’s chief Lee Yong-pyo said Monday. However, the groups said they would continue with the protests.Parents of students at the Seoul National School for the Blind had filed a petition with the police, asking f

Social AffairsNov. 25, 2019

Foreign Language Newspapers Association head Ryu appointed honorary Hungarian consul to Korea

The Hungarian government has appointed Ryu Kwon-ha, chief of the Foreign Language Newspapers Association of Korea, as an honorary consul of Hungary. Hungarian Ambassador to Korea Mozes Csoma presented the letter of appointment to Ryu on Friday at a ceremony at the country’s embassy in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.  Around 40 guests from the diplomatic and business communities attended the event, including former Prime Minister Lee Hong-koo and Kim In-chul, president of Hankuk University of Forei

PeopleNov. 25, 2019

Blast at Paju military unit leaves 1 dead, 1 injured

An explosion at an engineer battalion in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on Monday left one officer dead and another injured.According to military authorities, the blast occurred around 11:20 a.m. at an engineering unit in Mugeon-ri as the officers were clearing up the training grounds with excavators. A 25-year-old first lieutenant was rushed to a hospital after suffering cardiac arrest but did not survive. A soldier, 21, sustained injuries on his face and was moved to a hospital.The authorities presu

Social AffairsNov. 25, 2019

Online storage companies have no duty to prevent illegal uploads: court

Companies that provide online file storage services bear limited responsibility for preventing the distribution of pirated videos, a South Korean court said Monday. The Seoul Central District Court ruled against a Korean company that sued a cyberlocker service provider on behalf of 12 Japanese producers and distributors of adult videos. The plaintiff argued that the online storage company had aided and abetted the illegal uploading and downloading of the videos, thereby violating the owners&rsqu

Social AffairsNov. 25, 2019

Economic growth projections for 2020 vary widely

As South Korea’s central bank is slated to announce its revised economic growth outlook later this week, skepticism is mounting given the downbeat economic reality.While most economists from the private sector and government-related institutions agree that growth will be slow this year -- mostly due to uncertainties from the US-China trade tensions -- they differ on the pace of recovery next year. State-run institutions are relatively optimistic, citing the rebounding momemtun of

EconomyNov. 25, 2019

[Martin Schram] Trump Ukraine probe wins one new vote -- Putin’s

As the House Intelligence Committee has ended its hearings and is racing at a most un-congressional top-speed toward an apparent impeachment of President Donald Trump for crimes including bribery, we need to rewind and cover a late-breaking impeachment witness who almost everyone missed.Testimony came from a definitely knowledgeable first-hand eyewitness who addressed the same topic that was testified to so memorably and powerfully on Thursday by Trump’s former National Security Council st

ViewpointsNov. 25, 2019

[Trudy Rubin] Hong Kong crisis has become crucial test of future US-China relations

Impeachment proceedings have overshadowed another riveting drama half a world away: ongoing pro-democracy protests in the iconic city Hong Kong.Peaceful marches of millions of Hong Kong citizens have given way to violent student protests as Beijing continues to curb the city’s freedoms. In the meantime, an almost unanimous vote in Congress passed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act last week to support the protesters, as Beijing fumes and a reluctant President Trump prepares to si

ViewpointsNov. 25, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea Summit] [Herald Interview] SMEs minister hopes for brisk exchanges between startups and ASEAN

Park Young-sun is a veteran female politician who has frequently made the news with her boldness and initiatives. She now serves as minister of small and medium enterprises and startups. Since taking office in March, Minister Park has shown outstanding political power and careful attention to detail. But SMEs increasingly face challenges, such as the advent of the “fourth industrial revolution” and the increased minimum wage. The Korea Herald interviewed Minister Park about possible

EconomyNov. 25, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] Korea, ASEAN leaders highlight cooperation

BUSAN – South Korea and Indonesia on Monday issued a joint declaration announcing the successful end of the comprehensive economic partnership agreement negotiations. The declaration was adopted after President Moon Jae-in’s bilateral summit with President Joko Widodo of Indonesia held on the sidelines of the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit that kicked off in Busan. The Korea-Indonesia CEPA negotations were effectively wrapped up in October, and the two sides have since been working o

Foreign AffairsNov. 25, 2019

Pyongyang’s artillery drill near sea border violates inter-Korean agreement: Seoul

South Korea on Monday denounced Pyongyang’s artillery drill conducted on an islet near the de facto maritime border, saying it violated an inter-Korean military agreement. North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency reported earlier in the day that its leader Kim Jong-un had ordered a firing drill involving coastal artilleries on Changrin Islets, just north of the Northern Limit Line in the Yellow Sea.Kim conducted field guidance for a military unit there, to highlight the importance of

North KoreaNov. 25, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] SK Telecom CEO proposes TEAM project for Asian content biz with 5G

SK Telecom CEO Park Jung-ho on Monday proposed a technology-driven entertainment project for growth of Asia’s culture and economy at the Culture Innovation Summit during the ASEAN-Korea Summit in Busan. The head of Korea’s No. 1 telecom company suggested creating an association for the content industry across Asia, which he named “TEAM” to stand for “tech-driven entertainment for Asian movement.” “Korea is the third-largest content exporter after the Uni

TechnologyNov. 25, 2019

[Newsmaker] Late Goo Hara left ‘despairing note’: police

Singer Goo Hara, who was found dead at her home Sunday, left a note, according to police.A note written by Goo was found on a table in her living room at around 6 p.m. Sunday by her housekeeper, who then filed a report with police, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said during a press briefing Monday.Police said in the note she “despaired over personal affairs.”Police added that based on on-site inspections and family testimonies, foul play was unlikely. A closed-circuit TV review

PerformanceNov. 25, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] Smart plant solutions, green cars eye fast-growing ASEAN markets

BUSAN -- Forty-five South Korean companies exhibited and demonstrated their new technologies related to the “fourth industrial revolution,” from green cars to smart factory solutions, in a bid to create more business opportunities in the fast-growing ASEAN markets. Officials from the government, companies and their potential partners and clients gathered at Bexco for the ASEAN-ROK Innovation Showcase 2019, which was held on the sidelines of the 2019 ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit, in

IndustryNov. 25, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] Malaysian premier visits KAI’s production facility

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad visited the production site of South Korea’s sole aircraft manufacturer Korea Aerospace Industries during his trip for the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit in Busan, the company said Monday. He was briefed on the light attack aircraft FA-50, basic trainer KT-1 and Surion helicopter KUH-1.“We have come to trust KAI more after seeing the production facilities and hope to continue our partnership,” Mohamad said.  KAI pitched the lig

IndustryNov. 25, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] LG CNS taking lead in Korea’s smart city projects

LG CNS, an information and communications technology solutions affiliate of LG Group, is taking the lead in the ongoing efforts to build smart cities across South Korea by offering secure solutions, according to the company on Monday.The LG unit is currently participating in multiple smart city projects led by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and by provincial governments. Among others, LG CNS is providing consultations on government-led smart city projects in Sejong and B

TechnologyNov. 25, 2019