Trump, Abe note importance of trilateral cooperation with S. Korea

US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe noted the importance of trilateral cooperation with South Korea during their talks in New York Wednesday, the White House said.In their meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Trump and Abe discussed issues of mutual interest and signed a preliminary bilateral trade agreement.The White House did not elaborate on the discussions on South Korea, but the two leaders are likely to have touched on the escalating

Foreign AffairsSept. 26, 2019

S. Korean teen scores 1st La Liga goal in 1st start

South Korean teenage midfielder Lee Kang-in finally has a goal to his credit in Spain.The 18-year-old scored his first La Liga goal in his first start for Valencia CF in their 3-3 draw with Getafe at Mestalla Stadium in Valencia on Wednesday (local time).Lee's goal in the 39th minute gave Valencia a 3-1 lead, but Getafe rallied with two second-half goals for a draw. At 18 years and 219 days, Lee became the youngest non-Spanish player to score for Valencia. He's also the second South Korean playe

SoccerSept. 26, 2019

Hyundai Engineering bags $2.2b project in Indonesia

Hyundai Engineering has landed a $2.2 billion refinery development project deal in Balikpapan in Borneo, Indonesia, reestablishing its position as a powerful player in the petrochemical market, the company said Wednesday. Indonesia is the biggest petroleum producer among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The Balikpapan refinery is located in the East Kalimantan province, some 20 kilometers from the new capital of Indonesia.  According to Hyundai Engineering, Indonesia’s stat

IndustrySept. 26, 2019

Asia Water Council held in China to address water crises

The two-day 10th board meeting of the Asia Water Council ended Wednesday in Wuhan, China, sharing views on practical ways to address water crises in the region.The meeting discussed ways to further activate the “Water Project,” an AWC project driven to give financial support to each Asian country’s plans to resolve water crisis. The board also discussed the means to bolster financial integrity of the AWC. Some 100 people from 37 institutions participated in this year’s bo

IndustrySept. 26, 2019

[Graphic News] S. Korea on high alert over African swine fever epidemic

　South Korea confirmed its fifth case of African swine fever on Tuesday, even as 15,000 pigs have been culled since the first case was reported on Sept 17. 　The ASF epidemic has led to millions of pigs being culled since last year in Asia. 　In May, the UN Food and Agricultural Organization said pork prices had risen by up to 50 percent both in China and on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange as a result of the outbreak of ASF which was first detected in Asia in August last year.　Last month, it said

World NewsSept. 25, 2019

[News brief] Ethics teacher in Gwangju accused of child abuse

The case of a middle school teacher who was investigated by police on allegations of child abuse for screening an indecent film in class has been sent to the prosecution.The Gwangju Nambu Police Station said Wednesday that the case has been referred for violation of the Child Welfare Act.Ethics teacher Bae-Lee Sang-heun is accused of offending students by screening a French film that showed a topless woman on the streets, along with images of sexual violence.The police launched the investigation

Social AffairsSept. 25, 2019

Welcome Week for tourists to start Friday

Special deals, discounts and free souvenirs will be offered at hotels, shops and restaurants in Seoul from Friday to Oct. 6 as part of a 10-day event for foreign tourists. Under the theme of “Eat and Stay,” the Seoul Metropolitan Government will host Seoul Welcome Week 2019, targeting Chinese tourists traveling abroad during China’s Golden Week from Tuesday to Oct. 7.  Discounts -- up to 50 percent for musical tickets and up to 20 percent for shopping and food -- and

Social AffairsSept. 25, 2019

Yoon & Yang, MLex host forum on data protection regulations

Responding to stricter requirements for data protection, law firm Yoon & Yang co-hosted a related seminar with regulatory insight provider MLex this week. The event, titled “Data Protection Regulations in Korea and EU,” was held Tuesday at the headquarters of Yoon & Yang, the country’s sixth-largest law firm both in size and sales.MLex is a news organization affiliated with LexisNexis, specialized in regulatory risks. It has a global network of more than 80 regulatory r

IndustrySept. 25, 2019

[Kim Myong-sik] Moon slides deeper into hot water embracing Cho Kuk

The fall of President Moon Jae-in’s approval rating down to the 40 percent mark made headlines last week. The Korea Gallup figure was the lowest since the May 2017 election, which he won with 41 percent support in a five-way race with two conservative contenders, one centrist and one progressive. The rating had been over 60 percent after the dramatic summit talks with North Korean chief Kim Jong-un in the border village of Panmunjom and the North’s capital of Pyongyang last year. A s

ViewpointsSept. 25, 2019

[Kent Harrington] When US president can’t be trusted

The White House is trying to prevent the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence from viewing a whistleblower complaint detailing President Donald Trump’s repeated attempts to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate the son of former Vice President Joe Biden, a leading Democratic contender to challenge his presidency in 2020. Given Trump’s refusal to cooperate with nearly a dozen other congressional investigations, this episode will most likely end in

ViewpointsSept. 25, 2019

S. Korea’s top-priced apartment valued at W8.4b

Despite continued policy measures to steady the overheated real estate market, the overall prices of top-tier apartments are surging, government data showed Wednesday.According to data compiled by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, South Korea’s most expensive apartment as of last month was Hannam The Hill. One of the units of this premium apartment located in Hannam-dong, central Seoul, was valued at 8.4 billion won ($7 million) in January this year.The corresponding data

IndustrySept. 25, 2019

SKT previews Microsoft’s xCloud game-streaming service for 5G users

　South Korea’s telecom giant SK Telecom said Wednesday that it is inviting online applications for free trials of Microsoft’s upcoming cloud-based game-streaming service Project xCloud.　According to SKT, Android-based smartphone users who subscribe to its 5G wireless service can sign up until Oct. 8.　Those selected to take part will get a glimpse of Microsoft’s game-streaming service next month, SKT said. Trials in the United States and the United Kingdom are scheduled to run s

TechnologySept. 25, 2019

Hyundai to test hydrogen trucks in Israel: report

Hyundai Motor Group is reportedly planning to conduct a large-scale trial of its hydrogen-fueled trucks in Israel, although the automaker refused to confirm the details Wednesday.According to the report by Israel’s Calcalist, a delegation from Hyundai visited the country last month to discuss the project with officials from the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.Israel’s extremely dry and hot climate due to the Dead Sea region, as well as optimal road situation in the Northe

MobilitySept. 25, 2019

Are inter-Korean relations back on track?

A glimmer of hope for the revival of inter-Korean diplomacy has emerged as international events have opened possibilities for engagement to break a monthslong impasse. With North Korea confirming that it will host South Korea next month for the World Cup qualifier in Pyongyang as planned, Seoul’s Unification Ministry said Wednesday that it will consider sending a squad to the North. On Tuesday, the Korea Football Association in Seoul said it had been informed by the Asian Football Confeder

North KoreaSept. 25, 2019

LG Electronics sues 3 European rivals over patent infringement

LG Electronics said Wednesday it has filed lawsuits against three European home appliance manufacturers with a court in Munich over allegations that they infringed LG’s ice-making patents for side-by-side refrigerators. The accused companies are Arcelik, Beko and Grundig, affiliates of Turkey-based Koc Group, which sell home electronics in European markets.LG claimed that the three firms have violated its patents related to an ice-making system built into the door of a freezer. The Korean

TechnologySept. 25, 2019

Panel asks military to reinvestigate suspicious deaths of 12 soldiers

Two conscripted soldiers, who committed suicide separately while serving in the South Korean military 34 years ago, turned out to be victims of physical abuse in barracks, a presidential panel said Wednesday.The Presidential Commission on Suspicious Deaths in the Military included the wrongful deaths of the two soldiers, identified only as Private First Class Kim and Sergeant Kim, in a report issued on the occasion of its first founding anniversary.The commission said it has received a total of

DefenseSept. 25, 2019

UN Command denies reports it wants to remain in control

The United Nations Command flatly denied news reports that it may be seeking exercise control over military activities on the Korean Peninsula after the transfer of wartime operational control to South Korea. The UNC told The Korea Herald in an email response that its role will remain the same even after the OPCON transfer, and that it has no plans to become an operational command.“Media reports that the US wants to use the UNC as a means to get around OPCON are unfounded. There is no plan

DefenseSept. 25, 2019

Pension funds net purchase Kospi stocks worth W2.5tr

South Korean pension funds net purchased nearly 2.5 trillion won ($2.2 billion) worth of stocks in companies listed on the benchmark Kospi this month as of Tuesday, Korea Exchange data showed Wednesday.Analysts say the move was fueled mainly by the state-run National Pension Service’s efforts to balance out its investment in domestic stocks in its asset portfolio amid a bear market. According to the KRX, institutional investors net purchased nearly 2.6 trillion won worth of Kospi shares fr

MarketSept. 25, 2019

[Newsmaker] 1980s serial rape-murder suspect may be linked with additional crimes

Police are looking into the possibility that more unsolved crimes might be linked to a 56-year-old man surnamed Lee, who has been identified as a prime suspect in cold case rape-murders from the 1980s and early 1990s.Police said Tuesday that there might be another set of rapes involving Lee, who is already a suspect in at least eight rape-murders that took place between 1986 and 1991 in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. Police tied Lee to the case after DNA evidence from three of the rape-murders mat

Social AffairsSept. 25, 2019