SuperM's debut album comes down to 11th on Billboard 200

K-pop band SuperM's debut album edged down to 11th on the Billboard 200 albums chart this week, after debuting at No. 1, chart results showed Wednesday. The album, "SuperM: The 1st Mini Album," topped the chart for the week of Oct. 19, making the septet the second-ever K-pop artists to conquer the chart following BTS. This week marks the second week in a row that the album has ranked high on the chart. The septet was formed in a high-profile collaboration project between South Korea's

PerformanceOct. 23, 2019

Upcoming BTS concerts in Seoul to be broadcast live

Global K-pop superband BTS' upcoming concerts in Seoul will be broadcast live in movie theaters in six Asian countries, the band's management agency said Wednesday.With three days of concerts in the band's home country, set for Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday, BTS will wrap up its latest globe-trotting concert tour, "Love Yourself: Speak Yourself." The Saturday concert will be broadcast on V Live, the live broadcasting service of the biggest South Korean internet portal, Naver, according

PerformanceOct. 23, 2019

Taiwan seeks Hong Kong help on murder suspect who triggered protests

TAIPEI (AFP) - Taiwan said Tuesday it had asked Hong Kong for help in collecting a murder suspect who has agreed to return to the island to face trial for killing his girlfriend in a case which inadvertently triggered massive democracy protests.The surprise announcement came just hours after Taipei had said it was Hong Kong's responsibility to put him on trial.Chan Tong-kai, 20, is wanted in Taiwan for the murder of his pregnant girlfriend during a holiday the two Hong Kongers took there in Febr

World NewsOct. 23, 2019

Ex-justice minister’s wife faces court hearing on arrest warrant

Chung Kyung-shim, former Justice Minister Cho Kuk’s wife, appeared at the Seoul Central District Court on Wednesday for a hearing on her arrest. She attended the hearing with her attorney. Chung faces 11 charges, including fabricating a document to support her daughter’s university application, obstructing business, insider trading, embezzlement and withholding evidence. She has denied them. Chung submitted what appeared to be a medical diagnosis to the prosecution during the previ

PoliticsOct. 23, 2019

S. Korea to boost power supply from solar and wind

South Korea's industry minister said Wednesday that Seoul will boost the supply of power from solar and wind energy in a green transition amid global efforts to cut down on heat-trapping gases. Sung Yun-mo, minister of trade, industry and energy, made the comments in an international conference on renewable energy at an exhibition center in southern Seoul.The conference -- which brought together 3,500 people from more than 100 countries -- is meant to form a stronger consensus on the need to fur

TechnologyOct. 23, 2019

NK leader criticizes father's policy to depend on S. Korea for Mount Kumgang resort

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un criticized his late father's policy of depending on South Korea for the development of the Mount Kumgang resort on the east coast, ordering the removal of "all the unpleasant-looking facilities" built by the South.During a "field guidance" visit to the mountain resort, Kim also ordered the construction of the country's own "modern service facilities" and said the North "will always welcome our compatriots from the South" to

North KoreaOct. 23, 2019

Brexit delay looms after UK MPs demand more time to debate deal

LONDON (AFP) -- European Council President Donald Tusk said Tuesday he will recommend EU leaders grant another Brexit extension, hours after British MPs rejected Prime Minister Boris Johnson's bid to force his divorce deal through parliament this week.Tusk said he would advise the bloc's 27 other member states to accept a postponement request from the UK government, which Johnson was forced to submit Saturday under British law after he had failed to win lawmakers' backing for his new agreement.H

World NewsOct. 23, 2019

Son Heung-min equals S. Korean scoring mark in Europe

With a pair of goals in a key victory, Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min has equaled the South Korean scoring mark in European football.Son netted two goals in Tottenham's 5-0 rout of Red Star Belgrade in their Group B match of the UEFA Champions League at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Tuesday (local time).Son's goals in the 16th and the 44th minute were his 120th and 121st of his European career, putting him on a level with former Bundesliga star Cha Bum-kun.The 27-year-old made his to

SoccerOct. 23, 2019

S. Korean weightlifter Shin Rok wins three medals at Asian youth competition in Pyongyang

South Korea's Shin Rok won three medals in the men's under-17 61-kilogram competition at Asian youth weightlifting event in Pyongyang on Tuesday.The 17-year-old placed third in snatch with 116 kg, second in the clean and jerk with 151 kg in the 2019 Asian Youth & Junior Weightlifting Championships, which kicked off in the North's capital on Sunday.  He added another silver for lifting a combined 267 kg to deliver South Korea its first medal at the event.In the men's 61-kg class, 20-year

More SportsOct. 22, 2019

Hyundai Heavy workers to stage partial strike amid wage dispute

Workers at Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., South Korea's top shipbuilder, will stage a partial strike this week, its labor union said Tuesday, amid little progress in its wage negotiations with management.The decision to lay down their tools for four to seven hours per day from Wednesday to Friday came after the labor union's 21st round of wage talks with the company ended without an agreement earlier in the day.The negotiations began in May, but the two sides have yet to find common ground.The un

IndustryOct. 22, 2019

Moon calls for S. Korean businesspeople to combine efforts for peace, prosperity

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday called for South Korean businesspeople to share their networking capabilities and experience to help ongoing efforts to foster a lasting peace on the divided peninsula.Moon's remarks were read on his behalf at the 18th World Korean Business Convention (WKBC) in Yeosu, about 455 kilometers south of Seoul. The WKBC is an annual gathering of South Korean businesspeople from home and abroad."I trust the potential of the globe-trotting 'hansang,'" Moon said

EconomyOct. 22, 2019

Vice defense chief calls for swift formation of inter-Korean defense committee

South Korean Vice Defense Minister Park Jae-min on Tuesday called for the swift establishment of an inter-Korean military committee that the South and the North agreed to set up during a summit of their leaders last year.Park made the remarks during a session on international arms control at the 9th Beijing Xiangshan Forum held in the Chinese capital city, referring to the Comprehensive Military Agreement (CMA) that the two Koreas signed on the sidelines of the third summit between President Moo

DefenseOct. 22, 2019

Interior Minister Chin Young Open Government Partnership’s person of month

Minister of Interior and Safety Chin Young was selected as the Open Government Partnership’s person of the month.The OGP is an international organization launched in 2011 to promote transparency, combat corruption and encourage citizen participation in governments globally.  The Seoul government promised an increased role and presence in the partnership after it was elected in August as the “incoming government co-chair” of the steering committee, a position it will hold u

Social AffairsOct. 22, 2019

[Graphic News] UN urges action against food losses, says 14% lost globally

　The United Nations’ food agency said around 14 percent of food produced globally is lost and has urged action to address the causes as part of efforts to protect the environment.　The UN Food and Agriculture Organization noted that a combination of causes - including harvesting and handling practices, lack of infrastructure, agricultural blights and climatic conditions - keep fueling large food losses around the world. 　FAO said its estimates focus on losses between harvest and sales. It s

World NewsOct. 22, 2019

PM’s Japan visit a chance to mend ties

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon kicked off a three-day visit to Japan in the hope that a meeting with his Japanese counterpart will pave the way for improvements in the two countries’ strained relations. Before heading to Tokyo, Lee said he hoped South Korea and Japan would foster harmonious and mature relations despite difficulties, speaking with Japanese Ambassador Yasumasa Nagamine, who saw Lee off at Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. “I don’t expect that this visit w

Foreign AffairsOct. 22, 2019

Special bill aims to bring Hwaseong killer to justice

Lawmakers have officially filed a bill that would invalidate the statute of limitations for a series of rape-murders from the mid-1980s and early 1990s in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.On Sept. 20, 13 lawmakers jointly submitted a motion seeking to punish killer Lee Chun-jae, 56, despite the statute of limitations having expired.  The police booked Lee on Oct. 14 after they determined there were “substantial grounds” to believe he was responsible for the crimes, including admissio

Social AffairsOct. 22, 2019

18th-century Joseon court makeup offers clues about ‘K-beauty’

An exhibition at the National Palace Museum of Korea shows the style of makeup favored by the Joseon royal family during the 18th century and offers hints at how it may have influenced today’s globally popular “K-beauty.” The exhibition, titled “Princess Hwahyeop and Her Makeup,” displays relics discovered in a recent excavation of the princess’s tomb, where 12 containers were found with cosmetic substances inside -- along with combs, a bronze mirror and an ep

CultureOct. 22, 2019

KT begins recruiting process for next CEO

　South Korea’s telecom giant KT has kicked off the process for choosing a new chief. 　The company’s governance structure committee on Wednesday started accepting applications for the successor of current KT CEO Hwang Chang-kyu. The process is expected to be completed early next month.  　The new KT chief will be appointed in December by the company’s 11-member board of directors, the committee said. The appointment will be ratified at the shareholders meeting in March next

IndustryOct. 22, 2019

[Newsmaker] Opposition party leader denies involvement in alleged martial law plan

Liberty Korea Party Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn on Tuesday denied allegations made by a civic group that he took part in planning to impose martial law to quell monthslong candlelight protests if the impeachment of then President Park Geun-hye failed. Hwang’s party filed a complaint to the prosecutors’ office against Lim Tae-hoon, the chief of the Military Human Rights Center for Korea, who raised the suspicions.  On Monday, Lim, testifying as a witness at the parliamentary audit of

PoliticsOct. 22, 2019

[Robert J. Fouser] After the Cho Kuk show

The Cho Kuk show took an unexpected turn after he resigned as Minister of Justice on Oct. 14. During Cho’s 35 days in office, mass demonstrations in favor and against him become common. Supporters gathered in front of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office in Seoul’s Seocho-dong and opponents gathered across the city in Gwanghwamun. Supporters demanded reforms in how the prosecution does business, whereas opponents demanded his resignation and called for the impeachment of President M

ViewpointsOct. 22, 2019