[Leonid Bershidsky] Germany’s green new deal doesn’t do much for the climate

The German government’s 54 billion euro ($60 billion) climate deal, approved Friday after about 20 hours of overnight negotiations, is a typical product of the reluctant coalition run by Chancellor Angela Merkel: It achieves a balance of interests and little more. If German voters want a more ambitious plan, and there are indications that they do, they’ll have to wait until after the 2021 election.The package is an exercise in evenhandedness. It’s neutral from the budgetary poi

ViewpointsSept. 23, 2019

[David Ignatius] Crisis of Trump’s own making

It’s a good rule never to start a fight you’re not eager to finish. But the Trump administration and its Arab allies now seem caught in a version of that dilemma with Iran, which is proving to be a tougher adversary than Washington expected. Iran’s alleged attack On Sept. 14 on Saudi oil facilities caught US analysts by surprise. It was a major strike, using a combined force of 25 Iranian ballistic missiles and drones, according to Saudi officials, against assets that were supp

ViewpointsSept. 23, 2019

[Herald Interview] Finding way home in ‘1945’

The Korea National Opera, led by 52-year-old director Koh Sun-woong, will take the stage Friday and Saturday at the Seoul Arts Center with the original opera “1945,” which depicts the lives of ordinary Koreans in 1945, after the peninsula was liberated from Japanese colonial rule.A celebrated figure in the theater scene here, Koh has led various productions, including plays, musicals and the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2018 PyeongChang Paralympics. This will mark his second

PerformanceSept. 23, 2019

[News analysis] Trump’s ‘new method’ on North Korea may indicate nuclear weapon first approach

The mood for dialogue between the US and North Korea has been heightened with US President Donald Trump’s recent comment on the possible employment of a “new method” to break the deadlock in nuclear talks with Pyongyang. A “new method would be very good,” Trump said on Sept. 18, criticizing the maximalist approach maintained by former US national security adviser John Bolton, who advocated the “Libyan model” in denuclearizing the regime.Trump fired Bolto

North KoreaSept. 23, 2019

S. Korea, US to launch defense cost-sharing talks this week

South Korea and the United States will kick off fresh negotiations this week on sharing the cost for the upkeep of American troops here, the foreign ministry said Monday.  The first round of the 11th Special Measures Agreement will take place in Seoul on Tuesday and Wednesday, the ministry said in a release. Chang Won-sam, who led the previous round of negotiations last year, will represent South Korea until his successor is picked, while James DeHart, a former charge d'affaires of the US E

DefenseSept. 23, 2019

Korea’s rental-based consumption expands 448% in 5 years: data

South Korean consumers’ use of subscription-based rental services has grown almost fivefold in the past five years, market data showed Monday.According to online marketplace Gmarket, the number of orders for rental services of products -- such as massage chairs and air purifiers -- via Gmarket increased 448 percent from January to Sept. 16 compared to the same period in 2014.Gmarket, operated by e-Bay Korea, attributed the expanded demand for subscription services to the spending habits of

IndustrySept. 23, 2019

Opposition floor leader denies allegations over her son's birth, nationality

The floor leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party denied speculation Monday that she went to the United States to give birth to her son and that he thereby has dual nationality.LKP floor leader Na Kyung-won faces allegations that her son, a Yale University student, was born in the US in 1997 and has dual citizenship. The speculation arose after Justice Minister Cho Kuk has been under public criticism over corruption allegations involving his family, including suspected preferential tre

PoliticsSept. 23, 2019

Hyundai launches unit to boost mobility business in China

Hyundai Motor Group has launched Cradle Beijing seeking strategic partnerships with local firms for future mobility.The automaker’s global innovation center in Beijing is the fifth of its kind, following the centers in Silicon Valley, Seoul, Tel Aviv and Berlin.  Cradle is Hyunda’s open innovation business for partnership with leading firms in future mobility technology and investments in global startups. The carmaker said it expects the unit to be the hub of innovative sol

MobilitySept. 23, 2019

Yonsei professor accused of disparaging ‘comfort women’ suspended, denies allegations

A Yonsei University professor was suspended Monday from teaching after his remarks on wartime sexual enslavement sparked controversy. The university said Monday in a statement that Ryu Seok-chun, a sociology professor, has been suspended from teaching and that the school’s gender equality committee has launched an internal investigation. Speaking about victims of Japan’s wartime sexual enslavement during his lecture on Thursday, Ryu said “Japan is not the direct assailant (of c

Social AffairsSept. 23, 2019

US energy institute says Doosan Heavy needs forensic audit

Doosan Heavy Industries’ high dependence on nuclear and fossil fuel power has led to serious financial troubles, and it is time for the firm to undergo a forensic audit, as its financial results raise important fiduciary questions, according to a US-based energy economics institute on Monday. “The past five years have been dire for its shareholders and the stock prices of the firm have fallen 74.8 percent,” said Melissa Brown, director of energy finance studies at the Inst

IndustrySept. 23, 2019

S. Korea sees steep drop in merchandise exports among G-20

South Korea’s exports have plunged the most among G-20 nations due to the ongoing US-China trade conflict, data compiled by the World Trade Organization showed Monday.The country’s second-quarter exports dropped 8.6 percent on-year to $138.6 billion, marking the second-largest decline among G-20 members. Indonesia outranked Korea in terms of decline in exports with a 9.1 percent drop.  By nation, outbound shipments of those heavily reliant on either the US and China saw the stee

EconomySept. 23, 2019

Hyosung’s spandex plant starts operation in India

South Korean industrial conglomerate Hyosung’s spandex plant in India went into commercial operation Friday, the firm said Monday. The plant, near Aurangabad Industrial City on a site that covers about 400,000 square meters, is capable of producing 18,000 tons of spandex per year. Hyosung, which entered India in 2007, generates more than $300 million in annual sales there. The company established an ultra-high-voltage breaker production plant in Pune in 2016.CEO Cho Hyun-joon said, &l

IndustrySept. 23, 2019

[Newsmaker] Doctor performs abortion on wrong patient

A pregnant woman here lost her child when a doctor performed an abortion after medical staff mixed up her medical chart with that of another patient.Seoul Gangseo Police Station on Monday said they booked a gynecologist and a nurse for conducting an abortion on a six-week pregnant woman by failing to check the patient’s information before the operation.According to investigators, the alleged victim -- a Vietnamese national -- who was six weeks into her pregnancy was prescribed nutritional

Social AffairsSept. 23, 2019

Defense minister meets US think tank representatives

Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo met with a former US national security adviser and experts from his Washington-based think tank Monday and exchanged assessments on peace efforts on the Korean Peninsula, Jeong's office said Monday.Jeong welcomed James Jones, chairman of the Atlantic Council and former national security adviser, as well as three officials from the council, to the defense ministry complex, as they are in Seoul to attend a local forum slated for later this month. During the meetin

DefenseSept. 23, 2019

Concerns resurface as suspected case of African swine fever reported in Gimpo

SEJONG -- Another suspected case of African swine fever was reported Monday at a hog farm in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, while there has been no additional confirmed case of the virus for four days since the second outbreak in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, on Wednesday.The farm is located in Gimpo’s Tongjin district, which is south of Kaesong in North Korea and west of Gyeonggi’s Paju, where the first outbreak of ASF hit the nation last Tuesday. Tongjin, Paju and Yeoncheon are areas cl

Social AffairsSept. 23, 2019

Busan's annual K-pop concert to kick off next month

The Busan OneAsia Festival, a major annual K-pop concert in the second-biggest South Korean city of Busan, will kick off next month with a star-studded lineup.The BOF 2019 will run from Oct. 19-25 at the outdoor stage of Busan's Hwamyung Park, Haeundae Beach and Busan Cinema Center at the city center, as well as other public areas in the port city, according to the organizer.     The festival's three main events -- K-pop Concert, Hip Hop Mash-up and Family Park Concert -- wil

PerformanceSept. 23, 2019

At UN, Trump to face questions about Iran, Ukraine, allies

NEW YORK (AP) -- Faced with growing tumult at home and abroad, President Donald Trump heads into his three-day visit to the United Nations this week hoping to lean on strained alliances while fending off questions about whether he sought foreign help to damage a political rival.Trump's latest UN trip comes after nearly three years of an "America First" foreign policy that has unsettled allies and shredded multinational pacts.A centerpiece of this year's UN schedule will be a Monday ses

World NewsSept. 23, 2019

S. Korea working to recover from Typhoon Tapah damage

South Korea is working Monday to recover from the impact of Typhoon Tapah, which caused scores of injuries and the cancellation of hundreds of flights.Thirty people, including three police and fire officials, were injured when this year's 17th storm hit the country's southern regions over the weekend, according to the anti-disaster government agency.Three people were reported to have died from storm-related accidents but were excluded from the official figures as their deaths were not directly l

Social AffairsSept. 23, 2019

'Deficit of trust': At UN, leaders of a warming world gather

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The planet is getting hotter, and tackling that climate peril will grab the spotlight as world leaders gather for their annual meeting at the United Nations this week facing an undeniable backdrop: rising tensions from the Persian Gulf to Afghanistan and increasing nationalism, inequality and intolerance.Growing fear of military action, especially in response to recent attacks on Saudi oil installations that are key to world energy supplies, hangs over this year's General

World NewsSept. 23, 2019