Hong Kong pro-democrats seek to hit government at district polls

HONG KONG (AFP) -- Hong Kong voted in district council elections Sunday in a ballot the city's pro-democracy movement hoped would send a message to the Beijing-backed government.The run-up to Sunday's polls has seen a muting of major rallies and violent clashes between police and protesters, respite for a city battered by nearly six months of unprecedented political unrest.Protest forums have urged citizens to vote and to pause acts of disruption in case the government pushes back the polls, whi

World NewsNov. 24, 2019

Railway strike continues for 5th day without major disruptions

Train services across South Korea dwindled to about half of normal levels on Sunday as unionized railway workers continued their labor strike for the fifth consecutive day.KTX bullet trains were running at 68.9 percent of the usual level as of Sunday, while the Saemaeul and Mugunghwa lines were operating at 58.3 percent and 62.5 percent of normal levels, respectively, according to Korea Railroad Corp.  Cargo services were running at 31 percent of the general operative level, according to th

Social AffairsNov. 24, 2019

Painting by S. Korean abstract master Kim Whan-ki fetches 13.2b won in Hong Kong

HONG KONG -- A major dot painting by late South Korean abstract master Kim Whan-ki sold for HK$88 million, or 13.2 billion won ($11.2 million), in a Christie's auction in Hong Kong on Saturday.  It was the first time that a South Korean painting had fetched more than 10 billion won in an auction. The major work, "05-IV-71 #200," titled "Universe," was part of a collection that began being auctioned Saturday. Measuring more than 2.5 meters in height and width, "Unive

Arts & DesignNov. 24, 2019

FM Kang says S. Korea, Japan agree to coordinate on Moon-Abe summit next month

SEOUL/NAGOYA -- South Korea and Japan agreed Saturday to coordinate efforts to enable a summit between President Moon Jae-in and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the margins of their planned trilateral summit with China next month, Seoul's top diplomat said.Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha made the remarks after talks with her Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi, during the foreign ministerial meeting of the Group of 20 countries in Nagoya, Japan, a day after Seoul suspended the expiry of a bilat

Foreign AffairsNov. 24, 2019

S. Korea's economy to grow 2.1% in 2020: Goldman Sachs

South Korea's economy is expected to grow 2.1 percent next year, after posting an estimated growth of 1.9 percent this year, as the global economy's slowdown is likely to end in the coming months, according to a Goldman Sachs report on Saturday.The US bank's forecast was lower than the 2.2 percent economic growth for this year projected by the Bank of Korea in July."We expect the global growth slowdown that began in early 2018 to end soon, in response to easier financial conditions and an e

EconomyNov. 23, 2019

Samsung Heavy Industries to pay $75m in fines over bribery scheme

Samsung Heavy Industries Co., a major South Korean shipbuilder, has agreed to pay $75 million in penalties to avoid prosecution in the United States over its scheme to pay millions of dollars in bribes to Brazilian officials to win a contract, the US Department of Justice has said.The company has admitted to paying $20 million in commission to a Brazilian intermediary between 2007 and 2013, knowing that some of that money would be used to bribe high-level executives at a Brazilian state-owned oi

IndustryNov. 23, 2019

S. Korea, Singapore agree to boost ties on smart cities, arms development

South Korea and Singapore reached a summit deal Saturday to strengthen partnerships in various fields, including smart cities and arms development, on the basis of their traditional cooperation.President Moon Jae-in greeted Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at Cheong Wa Dae here, who made his first official visit here in six years.With the summit, Moon kicked off a hectic round of his summit diplomacy on Southeast Asian nations, the highlight of which is the ASEAN-Republic of Korea Comm

Foreign AffairsNov. 23, 2019

Top diplomats of S. Korea, Japan to hold talks in Nagoya after GSOMIA expiry delay

The top diplomats of South Korea and Japan were set to hold bilateral talks on the margins of the foreign ministerial meeting of the Group of 20 countries in Nagoya on Saturday, a day after Seoul suspended the expiry of a bilateral military information-sharing pact.Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will meet her Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi, a source said, apparently to discuss Seoul's decision on the postponement of the termination of the General Security of Military Information Agreem

Foreign AffairsNov. 23, 2019

Korean Air 'nut rage' heiress grilled over alleged assault, child abuse

Cho Hyun-ah, the infamous "nut rage" heiress to Korean Air Lines Co., has been grilled by prosecutors over allegations of assault and child abuse raised by her husband, with whom a divorce suit is under way, sources said Saturday. Prosecutors called in Cho, a former vice president of the air carrier and daughter of late Hanjin Group chief Cho Yang-ho, earlier this week, after her husband, surnamed Park, filed an accusation against her in February.Park also filed a divorce suit in April

IndustryNov. 23, 2019

Seoul shares to trend lower next week on US-China trade deal uncertainties

South Korean stocks are expected to remain weak next week as the United States and China struggle to reach a deal on their yearlong trade dispute and escalating unrest in Hong Kong poses yet another risk to the local stock market, analysts said Saturday.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed at 2,101.96 points on Friday, down 2.7 percent from last week. Earlier this week, South Korean stocks closed lower as investors remained cautious over mixed signals regarding a potent

MarketNov. 23, 2019

[Newsmaker] 2019 MAMA takes blow from police probe over Mnet survival show

The upcoming 2019 Mnet Asian Music Awards are taking another heavy blow as an ongoing police probe over the music channel's idol survival shows is eating into its lineup.Earlier this week, police took into custody the director and chief producer of Mnet's high-profile audition show, "Produce 101," on charges that they fixed the final vote result of the show's latest fourth season.The police said they have also booked at least one ranking official at the channel's operator and entertain

Social AffairsNov. 23, 2019

N. Korea, Russia discuss intensifying 'strategic communications'

North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, considered a key nuclear strategist of leader Kim Jong-un, has met with a senior Russian diplomat and discussed the need for "strategic communications and cooperation" between the two countries, the North's state media said Saturday.Choe met with Russian Vice Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov in Moscow on Friday and exchanged views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula and in the region, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

North KoreaNov. 23, 2019

Bridge Biotherapeutics to become first ‘NRDO’ biotech to go public in Korea

Biotech startup Bridge Biotherapeutics is on its way to becoming the first Kosdaq-listed no-research, development-only company in Korea by the end of this year, the company said Friday.This is the company’s third attempt at making an initial public offering, and more promising than the previous two attempts on the back of the record 1.5 trillion-won ($1.27 billion) licensing out to Germany’s Boehringer Ingelheim in July. In a press conference held at Conrad Seoul, CEO Lee Jung-kue sa

IndustryNov. 22, 2019

Ruling, main opposition parties welcome gov't's decision to postpone GSOMIA termination

The ruling and the main opposition parties both welcomed the government's decision Friday to conditionally suspend the expiry of a military intelligence-sharing pact with Japan.South Korea's announcement came six hours before the expiration of the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) at midnight, amid deteriorating ties between Seoul and Tokyo over a trade spat. The decision could also be a relief to the United States, which had pleaded with its two Asian allies not to let

PoliticsNov. 22, 2019

Groundwork laid for negotiation on Tokyo’s trade curbs, GSOMIA: Kang

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Friday the “groundwork” has been laid for South Korea to persuade Japan to withdraw its trade curbs against Seoul, after the two agreed on measures that delayed the final decision on the ongoing row over a military intelligence-sharing pact.Speaking to reporters just before departing to Nagoya, Japan to attend a foreign ministerial meeting of Group of 20 nations, Kang also said Seoul’s position has not changed much. “

Foreign AffairsNov. 22, 2019

Senior NK official says US should take responsibility if chance of diplomacy disappears

MOSCOW -- A senior North Korean official said Friday that the US should take responsibility if the chance of diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula disappears due to a lack of action by Washington.First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui made the remarks after meeting with Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov in Moscow. She was in Moscow for their strategic cooperation on regional and international matters."If the United States does not take corresponding steps so that the chance of di

North KoreaNov. 22, 2019

Football legend Cha receives German order of merit

South Korean football legend Cha Bum-kun received the Federal Cross of Merit from the German government Friday for his contribution to the relationship between the two countries. German Ambassador to Seoul Stephan Auer delivered the decoration from President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in a ceremony at the German Embassy in Seoul. Cha played in the Bundesliga in Germany from 1978 to 1989. Scoring 98 goals in 308 matches, he was rated as one of the best Asian players in the top German league.He

SoccerNov. 22, 2019

Seoul holds off on ending GSOMIA

Seoul and Tokyo have agreed to hold talks on thorny issues, staving off the end of the General Security of Military Information Agreement. “Our government, under the condition that the effect of GSOMIA can be ended at any time, decided to halt the effect of the announcement of the end of its validity on Aug. 23, and the Japanese government expressed its understanding,” said Kim You-geun, deputy director of the National Security Office. He said the two governments have agreed to

Foreign AffairsNov. 22, 2019

Hideous criminals to be banned from marrying foreign women

The government said Friday that it will ease requirements for marriage migrants to naturalize even after a divorce and those convicted of violent crimes will be banned from marrying foreign women as part of measures to better protect marriage migrants’ human rights.  Migrant women married to Korean men do not have to prove their husbands were entirely responsible for the breakup to naturalize here, according to the measures unveiled by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family along

Social AffairsNov. 22, 2019

[Newsmaker] Ex-vice minister mired in orgy scandal cleared of all charges

Former Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-eui, who was indicted for allegedly receiving sexual services and bribes, was cleared of all charges Friday in a court ruling that came six years after he first became mired in an orgy scandal. Kim, who served as vice justice minister in 2013, was accused of having received sexual services arranged by a local developer, Yoon Joong-chun, and having received bribes from the latter and other businessmen between 2006 and 2008.The Seoul Central District Court

Social AffairsNov. 22, 2019