Korea-US alliance is 'linchpin' for regional security: Harris

US Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris on Thursday hailed the alliance between the two countries as a linchpin for Northeast Asian security and called for its further development to tackle new challenges in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.Harris made the remarks in his congratulatory speech during the ROK-US Partnership Dinner event in Seoul co-organized by the Korea-U.S. Alliance Foundation and the Korea Defense Veterans Association."A secure environment is essential to create condit

Foreign AffairsOct. 17, 2019

S. Korea raises travel alert for Catalonia

South Korea on Thursday advised its citizens to refrain from visiting Catalonia, northern Spain, due to growing separatist protests.The foreign ministry raised its travel alert for the region, which includes Barcelona, from blue, or travel caution, to yellow, or travel restraint. Riots have continued in several Catalan towns after lengthy prison sentences were handed down to nine leaders of the region's drive for independence from Spain. Protesters have clashed violently with riot police in Barc

Social AffairsOct. 17, 2019

9th case of African swine fever found in wild boar near inter-Korean border

Two wild boars found dead near the border with North Korea tested positive for African swine fever on Thursday, bringing the number of cases to nine in South Korea, a state-run institute said.The confirmation came a day after the two wild boar carcasses were found in the border towns of Paju and Yeoncheon, said the National Institute of Environmental Research controlled by the Ministry of Environment."The area where new cases were found is near where previous cases were confirmed," an

Social AffairsOct. 17, 2019

New ambassador vows to seek 'constructive role' from US in resolving tesions with Japan

South Korea's new ambassador to the United States said Thursday that he will encourage Washington to play a "constructive role" in resolving tensions between Seoul and Tokyo that led to the South's decision to end a military information-sharing pact with Japan. Lee Soo-hyuck, who was formally appointed this week, made the remark as concerns have grown over trilateral cooperation between the US and its two Asian allies after Seoul decided in August to withdraw from the General Security

Foreign AffairsOct. 17, 2019

[Graphic News] S. Korea’s passport ranks 3rd most powerful

　The South Korea passport has nearly topped the list as the world’s most powerful, offering citizens access to 188 countries without a visa in advance, tying it with Germany and Finland, according to the Henley Passport Index. 　Singapore and Japan shared the No. 1 spot with access to 190 countries.　Denmark, Italy and Luxembourg hold the next spot with 187 countries, while France, Sweden and Spain ranked one lower with 186 countries, according to the report.

WorldOct. 17, 2019

Mandela daughter appointed ambassador to South Korea

The late anti-apartheid activist and Nobel laureate Nelson Mandela’s daughter Zenani Mandela-Dlamini has been appointed South Africa’s ambassador to South Korea, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday.Arriving in Korea on Oct. 2, she visited the ministry on Thursday to hold meetings with officials here.In her previous posts, she served as the South African ambassador to Argentina for five years from 2012, and then was appointed as high commissioner in Mauritius.“I am really happy a

Diplomatic CircuitOct. 17, 2019

US has no secret plan to make UNC operational headquarters: Abrams

The United States does not have any “secret plan” to make the United Nations Command an operational command, and media reports regarding this are “fake news,” Gen. Robert Abrams, the UNC commander said Thursday.As South Korea is gearing up to retrieve its wartime operational control from the US, concerns have been raised here that Washington would try to keep its authority over the military activities in the region by strengthening the US-led UNC. “There is no

DefenseOct. 17, 2019

FTC stalls proposed merger of LG Uplus with CJ Hello

South Korea’s antitrust watchdog said Thursday it has decided to delay its judgment on the proposed merger of LG Uplus and CJ Hello, putting the brakes on the country’s third-biggest mobile carrier’s attempt to acquire the largest cable TV operator here. According to the Fair Trade Commission, its decision-making body failed to reach an agreement on the issue during the meeting held a day earlier. The FTC officials said they would revisit the agenda “after reviewing a sim

IndustryOct. 17, 2019

‘N. Korea wants innovative approach from US for nuke talks’

Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul said Thursday that North Korea may be seeking an epoch-making approach from the US for a breakthrough in their deadlocked nuclear talks. Nuclear negotiators from Washington and Pyongyang resumed stalled working-level talks in Stockholm, Sweden, Oct. 5, seven months after a disappointing summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. But the two countries failed to make tangible progress in their recent meeting. “The US and N

North KoreaOct. 17, 2019

[Eye Plus] Seonyudo, a place of peace and tranquility inside Seoul

Seonyudo is one of several natural islands on the Han River in Seoul. Located west of Yeouido -- the biggest of those islands -- it is a popular destination for those seeking peace and tranquility inside the concrete jungle of Seoul. The 110,400-square-meter island was the site of a water treatment plant for more than two decades, until the facility closed in 2000. City officials decided to turn it into an urban park, and Seonyudo Park opened to the public in 2002. Its current look is the w

CultureOct. 17, 2019

MMCA’s ‘The Square’: exhibition unthreads Korea’s modern history

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Korea is holding the exhibition “The Square: Art and Society in Korea 1900-2019” in celebration of its 50th anniversary this year. 　The exhibition takes place in the three MMCA venues, including the main branch and the Deoksugung branch in central Seoul, Gwacheon branch in Gyeonggi Province. It’s the first time for the museum to hold an exhibition at three different venues.The binding motif for the exhibitions at three separ

Arts & DesignOct. 17, 2019

[Min Gab-ryong] Korean police lead in world peace, security through ‘K-Cop Wave’

The Korean National Police Agency hosts the International Police Summit Seoul, 2019 with police chiefs from 30 countries around the world on the margins of the 74th celebration of Police Day. The summit will discuss “Global Partnership for Smart Policing” on the advent of the “fourth industrial revolution.” The event is possible owing to Korean police efforts to contribute to international policing cooperation.The Korean police have been actively pursuing the “K-Cop

ViewpointsOct. 17, 2019

Game changers gather for Sustainable Fashion Summit Seoul

With the 2020 Spring-Summer Seoul Fashion Week currently underway, the organizers hosted a forum to discuss sustainable fashion on Wednesday and Thursday The Seoul Design Foundation hosted Sustainable Fashion Summit Seoul at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul invited fashion designers who are currently participating in sustainable fashion projects from here and abroad.The event was divided into four sessions: fashion and community development; harmony of human and technology; sustainab

Arts & DesignOct. 17, 2019

[News Focus] Korea to vitalize FTA talks with S. American countries

SEJONG -- South Korea has become the first Asian country to sign a free trade agreement with a Central American trade bloc, composed of five countries -- Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Panama.The Korea-Central America FTA took effect on Oct. 1, as the initial effectuation with Honduras and Nicaragua. The deal with the other three will be implemented after ratification by their legislatures.Korea is pinning big hopes on its 16th FTA deal with the Central American countries, and

EconomyOct. 17, 2019

Top prosecutor Yoon promises bold in-house reforms at audit

Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl pledged to drastically reform his agency at a parliamentary audit Thursday.  “All of us are aware that the people are demanding prosecution reforms more strongly than ever,” he said. “We respect their voices and the parliament’s decisions and will come up with our own reforms.” He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to reform, three days after former Justice Minister Cho Kuk resigned from his post. The audit session

PoliticsOct. 17, 2019

Senior NK military official in Beijing to attend regional security forum

A senior North Korean military official arrived in Beijing on Thursday, apparently to attend a regional security forum to be held next week.Kim Hyong-ryong, the North's vice defense minister, was seen arriving earlier in the day at the Beijing international airport on an Air Koryo flight from Pyongyang.The trip appears aimed at Kim attending Xiangshan Forum, a regional security forum, to be held in Beijing from Sunday through Tuesday. China has held the forum every year since 2014 to counter the

North KoreaOct. 17, 2019

Asiana Airlines introduces A350-900 to focus on long-haul flights

Asiana Airlines, the country’s second-largest full-service carrier in terms of sales, has added Airbus’ A350-900 for service to focus on strengthening long-haul flights, the firm said Thursday. The company said it will introduce up to 30 of the A350s by 2025, to increase its competitiveness in operating diversified, mid- and long-distance flight services. The latest introduction of the new A350-900 is the air carrier’s 10th of its kind.  The air carrier has been recen

IndustryOct. 17, 2019

Samsung ranks 6th in global brand value

Samsung Electronics was ranked sixth among 100 global corporate brands in terms of their value, according to a consulting firm Thursday.  The brand value of South Korea’s tech giant was estimated at $61.1 billion this year, increasing from $59.9 billion last year, according to the list of 100 Best Global Brands announced by US-based Interbrand. Its brand value surged 250 percent from $17.5 billion in 2009.Samsung first entered the list of top 10 brands in 2012, and has been rising ste

TechnologyOct. 17, 2019

KBS cancels plan to broadcast footage of inter-Korean football match

South Korean public broadcaster KBS said Thursday it canceled a plan to broadcast a prerecorded video of this week's inter-Korean World Cup qualifier football match in Pyongyang after its arrival from the North earlier in the day.KBS had earlier said it would consider airing the football footage at 5 p.m. Thursday on KBS 2TV after obtaining a North Korea-produced DVD delivered by the South Korean football squad that returned from Pyongyang early in the day.South Korea and North Korea played to a

SoccerOct. 17, 2019