US House passes Hong Kong 'Democracy Act'

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- The US House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill sought by pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong that aims to defend civil rights in the semi-autonomous territory.The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, which will now move to a similar vote in the Senate before it can become law, has drawn rare bipartisan support in a polarized Congress.Its passage is likely to further aggravate China which has accused "external forces" of fuelling weeks of unrest in t

World NewsOct. 16, 2019

Swedish diplomat offers glimpse into crowdless 'Korean Derby' in World Cup qualifying

If you were dying to find out more about the World Cup qualifying match between the two Koreas Tuesday evening that didn't have a live broadcast, the Twitter page for Joachim Bergstrom would have quenched your thirst.Bergstrom, Sweden's ambassador to Pyongyang, uploaded photos and videos from the scoreless draw at Kim Il-sung Stadium in the North Korean capital, played as part of Group H play in the second Asian qualifying round for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.While there were no paying spectators i

SoccerOct. 16, 2019

BOK slashes key rate to record-low 1.25%　

South Korea’s central bank on Wednesday cut the country’s key interest rate to 1.25 percent, reflecting the sluggish economic growth, low inflation and declining exports.Its second rate cut in three months -- to the lowest ever level -- is in line with the global trend toward monetary easing.“We have cut the base rate considering the lower-than-expected growth outlook and low inflation,” said Bank of Korea Gov. Lee Ju-yeol in a press conference. The BOK’s rate-setti

EconomyOct. 16, 2019

Seoul subway union, company reach deal

Unionized workers at Seoul Metro reached an agreement with the management Wednesday, effectively canceling a strike that was expected to affect public transportation in the capital.The two sides at the company that runs Seoul subway line Nos. 1 to 8 resumed talks at around 3 a.m., just hours after they walked away from the negotiating table.They dramatically reached a deal at around 8:53 a.m., just minutes before the planned strike was scheduled to start at 9 a.m. The agreement includes raising

Social AffairsOct. 16, 2019

Jobless rate hits 6-year low in September, job additions largest in 5 yrs

South Korea's jobless rate hit a six-year low in September and there were more new jobs added than at any time in the past five years, government data showed Wednesday.  The unemployment rate fell 0.5 percentage point on-year to 3.1 percent last month from a year earlier, marking the lowest level for any September since 2013, Statistics Korea said in a statement.In particular, the unemployment rate for young adults -- those aged between 15 and 29 -- declined to 7.3 percent last month from 8

EconomyOct. 16, 2019

Former consul general to Vietnam named new ambassador

Former South Korean Consul General to Vietnam Park Noh-wan was appointed its next ambassador, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Monday. Park, currently ambassador for international relations to South Korea’s North Jeolla Province, was a minister at the South Korean Embassy in Vietnam and a counselor at South Korea’s permanent delegation to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Park replaces Kim Do-hyun as Seoul’s chief envoy to the Southeast Asian natio

Foreign AffairsOct. 16, 2019

Erdogan says Turkey 'can never declare ceasefire' in north Syria

ISTANBUL (AFP) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dismissed a US proposal to broker a ceasefire in northern Syria and said he was not worried over US sanctions, in comments published in Turkish media Wednesday.He also said the Syrian army's entry into the flashpoint northern Syrian city of Manbij was not a "very negative" development for his country as long as the region is cleared of Syrian Kurdish fighters."They tell us 'to declare a ceasefire'. We can never declare a cea

World NewsOct. 16, 2019

US sanctions aim to make N. Korea productive at talks: Pentagon

WASHINGTON -- The United States' sanctions campaign against North Korea is intended to bring the regime to the negotiating table with a mindset to be productive and reach solutions, a senior US defense official said Tuesday.Randall Schriver, assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, made the comment at a forum discussing US relations with China, including its role in denuclearizing North Korea.Negotiators from the US and North Korea met in Sweden Oct. 5 to resume working-

North KoreaOct. 16, 2019

IMF lowers global economic growth forecast to lowest since financial crisis

The International Monetary Fund has forecast this year’s global economic growth rate at 3 percent, the lowest since the 2008 financial crisis, Seoul’s Ministry of Economy and Finance said Tuesday.It also lowered the outlook for South Korea to 2 percent, slashing 0.6 percentage point from its earlier outlook, data showed.In its World Economic Outlook Update, the IMF said that the world economy will grow 3 percent in 2019 and 3.4 percent in 2020.Its latest estimate is down 0.3 percenta

EconomyOct. 15, 2019

Hungary police refer cruise ship captain in deadly boat sinking to prosecution

Hungarian police have referred to the prosecution the captain of a cruise ship that sank and caused dozens of South Korean deaths in May in Budapest, recommending indictment for negligence and other charges, officials said Tuesday.　Wrapping up a roughly four-month-long probe into the accident, the Budapest police announced the results of its investigation into Yuriy C., the captain of the Switzerland-registered cruise ship, Viking Sygin, according to the officials.  　He is accused of causin

World NewsOct. 15, 2019

Three consortia apply for internet-only bank: regulator

South Korea‘s financial regulator said Tuesday it received applications from three consortia, including one led by a fintech firm, for a license to set up a new internet-only bank. 　Fintech firm Viva Republica led one consortium, which included KEB Hana Bank, Hanwha Investment & Securities and the Korean unit of Standard Chartered bank.　The second consortium is led by an industry organization of owners of small businesses in Seoul, the Financial Services Commission (FSC) said in a stat

MarketOct. 15, 2019

S. Korea held scoreless by N. Korea in chippy World Cup qualifier

South Korea were held to a scoreless draw by North Korea in their World Cup qualifying match in Pyongyang on Tuesday, a much-anticipated showdown that left fans both in and out of the communist country in the dark.The Koreas drew blank before an empty Kim Il-sung Stadium in Pyongyang in Group H action in the second round of the Asian qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The two teams traded four yellow cards in their fourth scoreless draw in the past seven meetings.South Korea still lead Nort

SoccerOct. 15, 2019

[Graphic News] No. of seniors suffering mental disorders rising rapidly

　The number of elderly South Koreans with mental health issues has risen sharply in recent years, as the country scrambles to provide better health care for its people, a report showed.　In the report to the National Assembly, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service said that in the 2010-2018 period, the number of people over 80 afflicted with major depression surged 176.5 percent, with the figure for those in their 70s increasing 59.4 percent.　As of last year, roughly 40 percent of th

TechnologyOct. 15, 2019

Cho Kuk’s resignation dominates parliamentary audit of Justice Ministry

The parliamentary audit of the Justice Ministry, held Tuesday without the minister, was dominated by political wrangling over Justice Minister Cho Kuk’s resignation the previous day over corruption allegations surrounding his family. The audit proceeded with Vice Justice Minister Kim O-su taking the place of Cho, who stepped down 35 days after he was appointed amid strong resistance from the opposition parties. The opposition bloc denounced Cho as “irresponsible” and demanded a

PoliticsOct. 15, 2019

Koreas meet in historic World Cup qualifier in Pyongyang

A historic World Cup qualifying soccer match in Pyongyang between North Korea and South Korea has been cast into media darkness in the South, with the North keeping out rival reporters and spectators and refusing a live broadcast from Kim Il-sung Stadium.The South Korean soccer association, known as the KFA, sent two staff members to the North Korean capital to watch Tuesday's game, but ruled out live text updates on its website because of uncertainties in internet connection, said association o

SoccerOct. 15, 2019

Ex-Justice Minister Cho Kuk returns to law faculty

Former Justice Minister Cho Kuk is returning to the faculty of Seoul National University School of Law. According to the school on Tuesday, Cho faxed a request to return to his teaching job at the school around 6 p.m. Monday.Earlier that afternoon, Cho announced his resignation as justice minister in a statement. President Moon Jae-in accepted the resignation at 5:38 p.m. Cho’s request was approved by the dean’s office and the university’s vice president, the school said.L

PoliticsOct. 15, 2019

Daewoong, Medytox lock horns over BTX DNA report

Daewoong and Medytox once again butted heads over newly submitted DNA investigation reports about each other’s BTX strains. The South Korean manufacturers of wrinkle-erasing botulinum toxin products Meditoxin and Nabota are entangled in legal battles in Korea and the US regarding the source of Daewoong’s BTX strain. Medytox claims Daewoong stole its BTX through a former employee who moved to Daewoong. DNA analysis of the two firms’ BTX was intended to shine a light on the riddl

IndustryOct. 15, 2019

[Kim Seong-kon] We, too, can inadvertently become terrorists

Today we live in a violent world. Every day, war and terrorism are exterminating human lives somewhere on this planet. In advanced countries, violence is not tolerated, and is strictly prohibited by law. In many underdeveloped countries, however, violence is so rampant and omnipresent that people have no other choice than to live with it. Violence takes many forms. Some forms of violence are visible and obvious, and others are invisible, subtle, or inconspicuous. Experts say there are four

ViewpointsOct. 15, 2019