S. Korea remains Japan's 3rd-largest trade partner despite export curbs

South Korea remained Japan's third-largest trading partner in July, despite Tokyo's restrictions on exports to Seoul, data showed Monday. According to the data by the Korea International Trade Association, Japan exported some 4.8 trillion won ($4 billion) worth of goods to South Korea in July, accounting for 6.6 percent of Tokyo's total exports. Since July, Japan has tightened exports of key materials to South Korea in apparent retaliation over Seoul's court rulings on compensation for wartime f

IndustrySept. 23, 2019

Emmys begin as 'Thrones' and 'Veep' seek final glory

LOS ANGELES (AFP) -- "Breaking Bad" star Bryan Cranston opened the Emmy Awards on Sunday with a tribute to television's so-called golden era, as "Game of Thrones" and "Veep" take their final tilts at glory.Cranston appeared on stage after a comedy skit which saw a cartoon Homer Simpson introduced as "host" -- and quickly crushed by a falling piano."Television has never been bigger. Television has never mattered more. And television has never been this

TelevisionSept. 23, 2019

Prosecution raids justice minister's house over corruption scandal

The prosecution raided the residence of Justice Minister Cho Kuk on Monday as part of a widening probe into corruption allegations involving his family, including suspected forgery by his wife.State prosecutors are looking into allegations that Cho's wife forged a college presidential citation to help her daughter enroll in a medical school. Cho's wife was indicted on those charges early this month.Investigators were sent to his house earlier in the day to collect computer hard drives and docume

PoliticsSept. 23, 2019

S. Korean exports drop faster than other countries' in Q2

South Korea's exports declined at one of the fastest rates among the Group of 20 countries amid the protracted trade row between the United States and China, data showed Monday.In the April-June period, South Korea's outbound shipments dipped 8.6 percent from the same period last year, according to a monthly report from the World Trade Organization. The rate of decline marks the second highest among G-20 countries after the 9.1-percent on-year drop posted by Indonesia.Such a drop was apparently

IndustrySept. 23, 2019

S. Korean Im Sung-jae loses in playoff on PGA Tour

South Korean Im Sung-jae has just missed out on his first career PGA Tour victory.Im lost to Sebastian Munoz in a sudden-death playoff at the Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Mississippi, on Sunday (local time), settling for his first runner-up finish instead. Im, the reigning PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, started the final round in fifth place, four shots behind Munoz. The South Korean picked up five birdies on the front nine and three more down the stretch for a round of 66 to force a p

GolfSept. 23, 2019

Another suspected case of African swine fever reported

South Korea's agriculture ministry said Monday that another suspected case of African swine fever was reported after the country confirmed two cases of the deadly animal disease last week.The suspected case was reported at a farm in Gimpo, 30 kilometers west of Seoul, according to the ministry. It was the first suspected case reported south of the Han River, which runs through the South Korean capital.South Korea's first-ever confirmed case of ASF was reported in Paju, located near the border wi

Social AffairsSept. 23, 2019

Moon in New York for summit with Trump, UN session

President Moon Jae-in arrived in New York on Sunday to attend the UN General Assembly and hold a summit with US President Donald Trump ahead of an expected resumption of nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang.Moon plans to use the talks with Trump, set for Monday (local time), and his attendance at the UN session to help revitalize the peace and denuclearization process with North Korea and broaden international support for it, officials said. In his ninth summit with Trump, Moon will &q

Foreign AffairsSept. 23, 2019

Korea to stress multilateralism, its role in international society at UN

South Korea will highlight the importance of multilateralism and Korea’s role in international issues such as climate change and poverty at the UN General Assembly, South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha said Sunday.  “Our government will clearly emphasize the country’s status as one that practices the values of UN – peace, human rights, development – in an exemplary manner,” Kang said. “Our contributions and resolve to expand our r

Foreign AffairsSept. 23, 2019

Seoul’s foreign minister says biggest hurdle is drawing up road map for denuclearization

NEW YORK -- Drawing up a road map for the denuclearization of North Korea will be the biggest hurdle in working-level talks between the US and North Korea, even though all parties share a common definition of denuclearization, South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha said Sunday. Speaking in New York, where she arrived as part of President Moon Jae-in’s entourage at the UN General Assembly, Kang said she believes the two Koreas and the US share the same idea of denuclearizat

North KoreaSept. 23, 2019

Wimbledon quarterfinalist Muchova wins Korea Open

Wimbledon quarterfinalist Karolina Muchova captured the Korea Open for her first WTA title on Sunday.Muchova, the No. 3 seed from the Czech Republic, defeated fourth-seeded Maga Linette 6-1, 6-1 in the rain-delayed final at Olympic Park Tennis Center in Seoul.The match was initially scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m. but was pushed back by six and a half hours because of downpours, brought on by Typhoon Tapah. The match lasted just over an hour, as Muchova, world No. 45, overwhelmed the 48th-ranked

More SportsSept. 22, 2019

[Graphic News] Biggest buyers of Saudi Arabian oil

　Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group last week attacked two plants at the heart of Saudi Arabia’s oil industry in a strike that could impact about 5 million barrels per day of crude production - close to half of the kingdom’s output, or 5 percent of global oil supply.    　The Saudis are the world‘s biggest oil exporters, sending more than 7 million barrels of crude to numerous destinations around the globe every day - equal to nearly one-third of exports by t

World BusinessSept. 22, 2019

[Newsmaker] Professor under fire for comparing ‘comfort women’ to prostitutes

A professor at a prestigious university in Seoul has come under fire for reportedly likening Korean victims of Japan’s wartime sexual enslavement to prostitutes, triggering calls for his expulsion from the political circle and his alumni. During a lecture, Ryu Seok-chun, a sociology professor at Yonsei University, said that the victims of Japan’s sexual slavery sold sex because they needed to earn a living, and dismissed a civic organization advocating on behalf of them as

Social AffairsSept. 22, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘Battle of Jangsari,’ average delivery, worthy tribute

Judging by the massive box office score, I’m in the minority when I say I hated “Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War” (2004). It had good acting, action and drama, but it was far too sappy and a bit too contrived -- not uncommon criticism for Korean films.“Battle of Jangsari” -- directed by Kwak Kyung-Taek and Kim Tae-Hoon -- is one that had the potential to be a great film, but fell short in delivery because of the problems it shares with “Taegukgi,” as we

FilmSept. 22, 2019

University students nationwide call for Cho Kuk’s resignation

Students at South Korea’s top three universities are planning to expand their protest against Justice Minister Cho Kuk, calling for participants from colleges across the nation.In a statement issued Saturday, the leaders of Thursday’s candlelight protests held by students of Seoul National University, Yonsei University and Korea University said they are preparing for a joint protest with the participation of college students from around the country. “College students, who are a

Social AffairsSept. 22, 2019

KOTRA forum to promote Korea-India business cooperation

The state-run Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency said Sunday it will be holding an extensive Korea-India business forum this week, in line with Seoul’s initiative to expand beyond its conventional trade partners.Co-hosted by the Korean Embassy in India and the Presidential Committee on New Southern Policy, the event is to focus on the “3P” values of people, peace and prosperity, officials said. Some 540 companies and 800 individuals are expected to attend the affiliated se

IndustrySept. 22, 2019

[New Economic Non-order:3] G-7 loses prestige amid growing nationalism

The Korea Herald is publishing a series of articles to look into the weakening of the global economic framework in light of the fading liberalism and rise of trade protectionism and nationalism. This is the third installment. -- Ed.The liberal world order, or at least the belief that it could be sustained, has lasted for much of the 20th century, but is likely to fade away amid the rise of nationalism and protectionism across the world.This regression to state-centered policies naturally drove a

EconomySept. 22, 2019

Naver, Kakao in battle over Korea’s mobile payment market

　South Korea’s biggest internet search company Naver has finalized its plan to launch a financial subsidiary by November, presenting a challenge to the country’s leading messenger app operator Kakao in the mobile payment market. 　During a meeting with stockholders on Friday, Naver decided to change the status of its in-house venture company Naver Pay to a separate entity. Named “Naver Financial,” the new subsidiary is to be officially launched Nov. 1.　To expand its platfo

TechnologySept. 22, 2019

[Herald Interview] Local mindset behind global market clout: Schneider CEO

SINGAPORE -- Roughly 30 percent of France-based Schneider Electric’s revenue came from the Asia-Pacific region in 2018. Another 30 percent came from North America and Western Europe, respectively, with the portfolio ranging from voltage distribution products to solutions for automation, energy storage and smart building infrastructure.Behind the firm’s global clout is its ability to make use of local resources and meet local demands, a quality that is also playing out in South Korea,

IndustrySept. 22, 2019

Confirmation hearing process under scrutiny, but revision may be delayed

The country’s political parties are once again seeking to revamp parliamentary confirmation hearings for government posts, driven by the controversies surrounding Justice Minister Cho Kuk. Rather than being a stage for vetting nominees for high-level posts, confirmation hearings have often been marred by partisan clashes, and personal attacks. Problems and shortcomings of parliamentary confirmation hearings have long been subjects of discussion. The issues raised include lack of regulation

PoliticsSept. 22, 2019