Arrest warrant sought for Cho’s wife

Prosecutors on Monday filed an arrest warrant hearing for former Justice Minister Cho Kuk’s wife, Chung Kyung-shim, on charges of forging a document used to support a university application for their daughter. She also faces charges of obstructing official business, insider trading, embezzlement and withholding evidence. Two months ago, prosecutors raided multiple organizations connected with the family’s alleged malfeasance. Chung submitted what appeared to be a medical

PoliticsOct. 21, 2019

NK's official newspaper urges stepped-up resistance against US sanctions

North Korea's official newspaper accused the United States on Monday of using sanctions in order to bring disobedient countries to their knees, stressing the country should stand up to such attempts without giving in to pressure. North Korea has intensified its criticism of the US since the breakdown of their Stockholm working-level denuclearization talks earlier this month. It has increased calls for strengthening "self-reliance" in the face of US-led sanctions."Western powers, i

North KoreaOct. 21, 2019

Moon's approval rating rebounds after Cho Kuk resigns: Realmeter

President Moon Jae-in's approval rating has bounced back to 45 percent after Cho Kuk's resignation as justice minister, a weekly poll showed Monday.According to Realmeter, the rating gained 3.6 percentage points on-week to 45 percent. It conducted the phone survey of 2,505 people nationwide, aged 19 or older, for the five business days last week. The margin of error is plus or minus 2 percentage points. It marked Realmeter's first weekly poll of Moon's approval rating since Cho stepped down last

PoliticsOct. 21, 2019

Seoul, adjacent metropolitan areas launch preliminary measures to reduce fine dust

Seoul and its adjacent metropolitan areas kicked off preliminary measures to reduce fine dust air pollution on Monday, the first such steps taken this autumn.A set of preliminary measures are being taken in the public sector to cut fine dust in a proactive manner when there is a high possibility that authorities could launch steps to cut the air pollution two days later.Seoul, the western city of Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds the capital, are subject to the measures. The program

Social AffairsOct. 21, 2019

Tearful Murray wins at Antwerp for first ATP title since March 2017

ANTWERP (AFP) -- Andy Murray won his first ATP title since March 2017 on Sunday with a battling 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over fellow three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka in the Antwerp final.Former world number one Murray, rebuilding his game after career-saving hip surgery earlier this year, fought back from a set and 3-1 down against Wawrinka to claim his 46th career title."It means a lot. The last few years have been extremely difficult," Murray, who broke down in tears at the

More SportsOct. 21, 2019

Ruling party proposes partisan negotiation over bill to set up separate probe unit

The ruling Democratic Party proposed Sunday that political parties prioritize negotiation of a bill to set up an independent unit to probe allegations of corruption by ranking public officials.The bill is part of judiciary reform proposals that include a bill to give more investigative power to police. Both were placed on the fast-track in late April, along with an election reform bill.With regard to a drive to reform the prosecution, the ball is now passed to the National Assembly following the

PoliticsOct. 20, 2019

S. Korea confirms 10th case of African swine fever found in wild boar

South Korea confirmed the 10th case of a wild boar found dead with African swine fever Sunday, spawning concerns about possible spread of the deadly animal disease.A wild boar was found dead some 3 kilometers south of the civilian control line in the border town of Yeoncheon on Friday and later tested positive, according to the National Institute of Environmental Research, which is affiliated with the environment ministry.It raised the number of wild boars found to be infected with the deadly vi

Social AffairsOct. 20, 2019

[Graphic News] About 15% of S. Korea’s population aged 65 or older

　People aged 65 or older made up about 15 percent of South Korea’s population this year, a report showed, highlighting concerns that the fast demographic transition could have negative effects on the country’s economy.　According to the report from Statistics Korea, the number of people aged 65 or older stood at 7.68 million this year, accounting for 14.9 percent of the nation’s population. 　The Korean population is projected to peak in 2028, then go on a downward curve, the rep

Social AffairsOct. 20, 2019

Two illegal Chinese trawlers captured

Two Chinese dragnet trawlers were caught illegally fishing in the West Sea under South Korean jurisdiction on Saturday and are being brought to the country for legal action, the Korean Coast Guard said Sunday.  The Taean Maritime Police Station of the Korea Coast Guard said that it had seized two 40-ton Chinese fishing boats that illegally caught a total of 400 kilograms of cod, squid and Korean cero while guarding the exclusive economic zone in the West Sea.The crew members violently resis

Social AffairsOct. 20, 2019

[Newsmaker] Uniqlo pulls controversial ad

Japanese clothing brand Uniqlo stopped airing a controversial advertisement that has been criticized here for mocking victims coerced into Japan’s wartime sexual enslavement and labor, the company said Sunday, amid growing outrage among Korean customers. The 15-second advertisement features 97-year-old style icon Iris Apfel and 13-year-old fashion designer Kheris Rogers in conversation. In the ad, Rogers asks Apfel how she dressed when she was her age. Apfel responds, “I can&rsq

Social AffairsOct. 20, 2019

[News Focus] President’s detractors cite economy as No. 1 reason

SEJONG -- Over the past year or more, South Koreans who told pollsters they did not support President Moon Jae-in most often pointed to the economy as the main reason. A large portion of those dissatisfied with the incumbent administration have said it is incapable of dealing with economic issues and improving ordinary people’s livelihoods.To some extent, their disappointment is backed up by sagging indices in areas such as employment, GDP growth, exports, labor costs, the value of the cur

PoliticsOct. 20, 2019

[Shang-Jin Wei] Anti-globalization bias and public policy

Opponents of globalization constantly point to the uneven impact of open trade. Although trade liberalization can make the overall economic pie bigger, not everyone gets a larger slice, and many may receive a much smaller piece than before because of competition from foreign-made products. Such concerns help to explain why many blue-collar American workers voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 US presidential election, and why French farmers and workers often take part in anti-globalization demonst

ViewpointsOct. 20, 2019

[Video] Using robotics in dementia prevention, care

An orb with a set of ears, blinky eyes and the voice and speech manners of a chatty child is making advances in dementia therapy at a hospital in Seoul. Named Bomy, the robot assists cognitive training for patients in the early stages, or at the risk of developing dementia.Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital’s Robot-assisted Cognitive Training Center opened its doors in April, and is headed by Dr. Kim Geon-ha, a neurologist who has been researching related technologies since 2009. The

TechnologyOct. 20, 2019

Seoul Fashion Week suggests fresh looks for 2020

The spring-summer 2020 Seoul Fashion Week shows were filled with fun and fresh offerings.The event took place at the Zaha Hadid-designed Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul from Monday to Saturday.This edition was the first to be run by the new director Jeon Mi-kyeong, a former editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar Korea. For the past four years, veteran fashion designer Jung Ku-ho had led the biannual fashion event.As in the previous editions, this season saw 34 Seoul Collection shows a

Arts & DesignOct. 20, 2019

Female leaders gather to inspire daughters to take charge

When Michelle Kim, former head for the Asia-Pacific region at Tiffany & Co., worked in the iconic jeweler’s international department, the majority of her colleagues were men and so was the entire top management.But instead of hiding away in the minority, Kim said she started “demanding” -- both from the organization and from herself.“I demanded more work and did more work. Not in a very aggressive way … but that’s how I got the bigger title, even though i

IndustryOct. 20, 2019

[Foreign Execs in Korea] Planting safety culture at Hyundai Steel

DANGJIN, South Chungcheong Province -- Despite increased automation, the steel-manufacturing industry remains among the most dangerous workplaces. Promoting safety awareness, building stronger compliance and ensuring continuous investments in safety features are crucial to turn steel mills into “zero harm” workplaces. And Hyundai Steel, the nation’s second-largest steelmaker, aims to set the example. “We want to change from a ‘have-to’ environment to a ‘

IndustryOct. 20, 2019

Google Maps exposes 40 percent of South Korea’s military installations: lawmaker

The locations of about 40 percent of South Korea’s military installations, including some crucial fighter wings, are openly revealed on Google Maps, a lawmaker said Sunday.According to data that Rep. Park Kwang-on of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea received from the Ministry of National Defense, about 40 percent of all military installations here are exposed as satellite images on Google Maps. The exact number of installations has not been revealed because it is a military secret. The

DefenseOct. 20, 2019

Arrest warrant sought for students who breached US envoy's residence, police beef up security

Prosecutors on Sunday sought arrest warrant for seven university students who broke into the US ambassador’s residence in Seoul on Friday, as the police strengthened security measures around the area.The seven are among 17 members of a university students’ association who entered the US ambassador’s residence and two who attempted to enter. All 19 were taken into police custody on Friday for trespassing or attempting to trespass on the residence of US Ambassador to South Korea

Social AffairsOct. 20, 2019

Vietnamese woman accused of smuggling drugs to S. Korea

A Vietnamese woman was nabbed by police in her home country for allegedly trying to smuggle drugs into South Korea, a Vietnamese media outlet said.The VN Express reported Saturday that Le Thi Loan, a 29-year-old Vietnamese national married to a Korean man, was caught Wednesday for allegedly attempting to traffic narcotics to Seoul. On Oct. 12, Vietnamese police seized another Vietnamese woman with 140 grams of ecstasy and 18 grams of ketamine pills hidden inside a teddy bear at the Cat Bi Intern

Social AffairsOct. 20, 2019