Moon's approval rating rebounds from record low: poll

President Moon Jae-in's approval rating rebounded this week from a record low, affected by his drive to reform the prosecution, a poll showed Friday. Moon's support reached 41 percent this week, up from the all-time low of 39 percent tallied last week, according to a Gallup Korea poll on 1,001 adults nationwide. The survey was conducted from Tuesday to Thursday.Last week, the approval rating fell to the 30 percent level for the first time since Moon took office in May 2017. Moon was elected pres

PoliticsOct. 25, 2019

S. Korean weightlifter wins first gold at youth competition in Pyongyang

South Korea's Park Hyeong-o clinched the first gold medal for the country at an Asian youth weightlifting competition in Pyongyang on Wednesday. The 17-year-old finished first in snatch with 132 kg in the men's under-17 73-kilogram event in the 2019 Asian Youth & Junior Weightlifting Championships, which kicked off in the North's capital on Sunday.Park's gold is the first title in six years secured by a South Korean at an international weightlifting competition held in North Korea. In 2013,

SportsOct. 25, 2019

S Korea, US end defense cost-sharing talks amid low expectations of progress

South Korea and the United States wrapped up a new round of defense cost-sharing talks, the foreign ministry said Friday, amid low expectations of progress due to wide differences between the two sides. The two days of talks in Hawaii marked the second time the allies have met to negotiate a new Special Measures Agreement on how the two sides should share the cost of the upkeep of the 28,500 US troops stationed in South Korea.The first round of the talks took place in Seoul last month. Details o

DefenseOct. 25, 2019

[Newsmaker] Samsung heir appears before court in bribery case

Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong appeared before a court Friday for a Supreme Court-ordered reconsideration of his bribery case that led to the ouster of former President Park Geun-hye in 2017. Lee, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, the world's largest smartphone and chip maker, said he "feels very sorry for causing concern to many people" before entering the Seoul High Court to attend the first hearing. The grim-faced Lee arrived at the court compound in a black suit at 9:29 a.m.Lee

Social AffairsOct. 25, 2019

[Eye Plus] Gingko season

Gingko trees that line streets and parks in South Korea have many benefits. They are easy to grow, require virtually no maintenance once established and are tolerant of pollution. The seeds, harvested in fall, are believed to be good for the brain and for blood circulation. On top of that, the leaves turn a spectacular fall color, providing a chance to enjoy the season’s beauty right in the middle of a busy city. The treat, however, comes at a cost. Female gingko trees produ

Social AffairsOct. 25, 2019

Cho Ji-hoon's poems capture beauty of Korean life

“News in brief from New York” was a small book party in which outgoing Korean Ambassador to the United Nations Cho Tae-yul read a poem from “Shedding of the Petals,” the first book of poetry by his father Cho Ji-hoon in English, published here in New York last month. A famous poet in the 1940s-60s, Cho passed away in the late 1960s. I knew both well. I read the senior Cho’s poems during my high school and college days. I met the junior Cho when he started his diplom

BooksOct. 25, 2019

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

 Trick or treat at Millennium Hilton Seoul Millennium Hilton Seoul’s all-day buffet dining restaurant Cafe 395 will feature a special Halloween-inspired dessert buffet station in addition to its usual buffet spread, from Saturday to Oct. 31. Creepy fingers cake, eyeball gelatin, witch cupcakes and much more will be prepared at the station, alongside jack-o’-lanterns and other Halloween decorations. Children who come dressed in Halloween costumes will receive a special gift.Cafe

FoodOct. 25, 2019

[Weekender] ‘We sell a lifestyle’

At Altdif, a boutique teahouse in Seoul’s Seogyo-dong, tea masters don’t just sell a cuppa. They sell a lifestyle.“We’re not just a tea shop. We’re a lifestyle shop that centers on tea and the tea-drinking lifestyle,” explained Ryu Gyeonghyeong, general manager of the shop. Since its opening in late 2016, Altdif has stuck to its unique concept by offering a five-tea course for seven guests only. Just like a full meal, it starts with a straight tea, as ent

FoodOct. 25, 2019

Hot sandwiches, soup and coffee for colder months

Crisp, cool weather invites warmer fare like hot soups exhaling curls of steam, cups of heartwarming coffee laced with creamy milk, and crunchy-edged sandwiches, fresh off the panini grill. That is precisely what one will find at Sunset Swimming Sandwich, a sandwich bar that opened last month in Seoul’s Sinsa-dong. “I felt most confident about sandwiches and coffee,” Sunset Swimming Sandwich founder Lee You-jin explained. Before Lee launched her sandwich bar in September, she f

FoodOct. 25, 2019

[Herald Interview] Nine cups of tea with Ven. Myoudeok

Ven. Myoudeok cut quite a conspicuous figure at last week’s coffee and tea fair in Yangjae-dong, southern Seoul.  In her light-gray Buddhist robes, she sat among coffee and tea masters who had come from across the country to discuss the latest trends in brewing and blending. Her trade is the centuries-old tradition of Korean green tea. “I see a lot of confusion in our tea culture -- what makes good tea, how tea should be made and consumed,” the Buddhist nun said. “I

PeopleOct. 25, 2019

[Weekender] Tea ceremony that draws young sippers

Though the word “dado,” meaning a traditional tea ceremony, may not sound like much fun, it has become a trending practice among young people here, as they seek inner peace and Instagram-worthy shots at the same time. More tea shops are opening across Seoul, branding themselves as cultural complexes that offer more than just a cup of tea. Teaching the art of dado, they offer extra activities such as public lectures, yoga classes and more.One of the highly sought-after tea places is M

CultureOct. 25, 2019

[Weekender] A new leaf

Coffee has a formidable grip on the daily lives of Koreans, but tea is slowly and quietly gaining traction. Social media-savvy hipsters wait for weeks for a tea ceremony experience. Teahouses that claim to sell not just a cuppa, but a lifestyle, are emerging as trendy hot spots. Some see in it as a counteraction to the Starbucks-driven explosion of coffee culture here. Others speak of a refreshing return to the country’s own sipping traditions. “I think we’ve grown too acc

FoodOct. 25, 2019

New top S. Korean envoy to US takes office

South Korea's new ambassador to the United States Lee Soo-hyuck arrived in Washington on Thursday, his office said, as the allies face a series of difficult issues, including North Korea and defense cost-sharing.His inauguration ceremony will be held at the South Korean Embassy in Washington on Friday, and Lee is soon expected to present his credentials to US President Donald Trump, according to the embassy.He was named the top envoy to the US by President Moon Jae-in in August and was formally

Foreign AffairsOct. 25, 2019

Apple launches iPhone 11 series in S. Korea

American tech giant Apple's latest iPhone 11 series officially hit the shelves in South Korea on Friday, targeting consumers looking for premium phones available in 4G models. Apple released its iPhone, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max in South Korea about one month after their launch in other markets, including the United States, China and Japan.The new iPhones have faster processors, improved camera quality and better battery life -- features that are available only in 4G models. iPhone 11

World NewsOct. 25, 2019

BTS nominated in 3 categories for 2019 American Music Awards

K-pop boy band BTS was nominated in three categories for the upcoming 2019 American Music Awards next month, poised to clinch a title for the second year in a row.According to the lineup for nominees for the event released Thursday (US time), the superstars will compete in the categories of Favorite Duo or Group -- Pop/Rock, Favorite Social Artist and Tour of the Year. BTS won the Favorite Social Artist prize last year, becoming the first South Korean band to capture an award at the AMAs.In the

K-popOct. 25, 2019

N. Korean leader inspects spa resort, voices great satisfaction

NK leader inspects spa resort, signals intention for independent tourism development North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited a spa resort under construction, touting it as much better than the South Korean-built resort at Mount Kumgang, state media reported Friday, in an indication of his intention to develop the tourism industry without outside help. The "field guidance" trip to the Yangdok County Hot Spring Resort in central North Korea came just days after Kim visited Mount Kumgang

North KoreaOct. 25, 2019

S. Korea decides to give up developing country status at WTO

South Korea said Friday it has decided to give up its developing country status at the World Trade Organization in a concession to the United States over reform of the global trade body.Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said there is little possibility that the international community can recognize South Korea as a developing country in future WTO negotiations and said a delay in South Korea's decision could undermine its negotiating power."We are in a difficult situation to be recognized as a d

PoliticsOct. 25, 2019

China embassy staff heading to UK site where 39 found dead in truck

BEIJING -- Chinese embassy staff are heading to Essex in Britain to verify reports that 39 people found dead in a truck were its nationals, the foreign ministry said Thursday.The victims were discovered in a container on the back of a truck in Grays, east of London, on Wednesday, shortly after arriving by ferry from Belgium. The local Essex Police force, which is working with immigration officials, said their initial priority was to try to identify the 39 victims.The truck was moved Wednesday to

World NewsOct. 24, 2019

Lotte Duty Free wins bid for airport shop in Singapore

Lotte Duty Free, South Korea's leading duty-free operator, said Thursday that it has won a bid to sell cigarette and liquor products at Singapore's Changi Airport.The retailer will operate 18 liquor and tobacco stores spanning more than 8,000 square meters across the airport's four terminals, replacing DFS, officials said. It marks the first time in the airport that a new operator is being awarded rights to set up shop, Lotte Duty Free said. The contract will last for six years and start in June

IndustryOct. 24, 2019

[Graphic News] Health insurance costs for smoking, drinking hit W13tr

　Health insurance spending to cover smoking and drinking-related treatments reached 13 trillion won ($11 billion) from 2016 through 2018, data showed.　According to a report submitted to Rep. Jung Choun-sook by the National Health Insurance Service for the ongoing parliamentary audit, annual expenditures, including insurance coverage and costs paid by individuals, exceeded 4.6 trillion won last year, up 16 percent from 2016.　Costs to deal with treatment for smoking and drinking made up some 8 per

TechnologyOct. 24, 2019