[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Everland ‘Horror Club: Fear the Night’ festival Everland theme park is presenting a horror-themed party “Horror Club: Fear the Night” on each Saturday of October.The event, held as part of its annual zombie-themed festival “Blood City,” will feature DJs like Bequz and Cream, along with performances by rock band Devil’s Rock.Around 100 staff are dressed as zombies, clowns and monsters, creating a Halloween vibe. Photo spots are set up at various places, i

TravelOct. 18, 2019

Trial procedures for wife of ex-justice minister to start over forgery allegations

Trial procedures for the wife of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk will be launched Friday over allegations that she forged a school award to help her daughter gain admission to medical school.A preparatory court hearing will be held for Chung Kyung-sim, a professor at Dongyang University, at 11 a.m. at the Seoul Central District Court.Cho's family is under a prosecution probe into allegations about forgery of a document, financial wrongdoings and education favors.Chung may not appear at the prepa

Social AffairsOct. 18, 2019

BTS to issue remake of 'Make It Right' featuring Lauv

A new version of K-pop boy band BTS' song "Make It Right" featuring Lauv will be released Friday afternoon, the band said.The remade version of the BTS song, which comes from its latest album, "Map of the Soul: Persona," will be released at 6 p.m. (Korean time) through major online music distributors in and outside of Korea, the band said on its official social media accounts. The new version has revised lyrics and vocals. American singer-songwriter and producer Lauv wrote so

PerformanceOct. 18, 2019

[Weekender] Pets onboard

South Korea’s first pet taxi startup began with co-founder Park Nara’s personal experience of an emergency vet visit back in 2015. Her dog needed to be taken to a vet immediately, but no taxi would take her and the dog. She had to run in the end. The next year Pet Me Up was launched, aiming to respond to the travel needs of dogs, cats and other companion animals and their owners. “It is estimated that nearly 1 in 5 Korean households own pets, but many still face difficulties li

CultureOct. 18, 2019

[Weekender] A kindergarten for puppies

It is just like any kindergarten for kids. A place for playing and learning, a chance to build social skills and a guarantee of safety and well-being while their main caretakers are away. Except for the sound of dogs barking in unison.  Happy Puppy in Seoul’s Nonhyeon-dong is one of the many “dog kindergartens” that have popped up in Seoul in recent years. When this reporter visited, about 25 furry friends were there. “If they hadn’t come, they would have staye

CultureOct. 18, 2019

[Weekender] Smart gadgets make pet parenting easier

Technology is making our lives easier. So why not make our pets’ lives easier too? Evolving technology and creative new ideas are bringing changes in pet parenting, with a dazzling array of smart products that make feeding your pets, playing with them and watching them from afar easier. Pet gadgets, some too gimmicky for a mainstream push, come mostly from small tech startups -- but big home appliance brands are going pet-friendly too, introducing new functions to existing products. I

CultureOct. 18, 2019

Korea Foundation to kick off second ‘Public Diplomacy Week’

The Korea Foundation, a public diplomacy arm of Seoul’s Foreign Ministry, will host its second Public Diplomacy Week at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul on Oct. 24. Open to the public for free, the three-day event brings together public diplomacy experts and foreign diplomats posted in Seoul for people to learn more about South Korea’s public diplomacy, which combines the government cooperation with the private sector to enhance foreign people’s understanding of Korea. T

Social AffairsOct. 18, 2019

[Weekender] Pet care industry thrives with creative services

An aging dog gets acupuncture treatment for its aching joints. A young puppy attends a “dog kindergarten” two to three days a week to nurture social skills. With nearly 1 in 5 Korean households owning pets and many treating them as full-fledged members of the family, a pampered pooch is no longer restricted to Hollywood celebrities. Korea’s fast evolving pet scene is churning out creative new products and services from smart pet trackers to nonalcoholic pet beers. Pet care

CultureOct. 18, 2019

Turkey, US agree on Syria ceasefire to force Kurdish fighters' withdrawal

ANKARA (AFP) -- Turkey has agreed to suspend its Syria offensive for five days and will end the assault if Kurdish-led forces withdraw from a safe zone along the border, US Vice President Mike Pence and Turkish officials announced Thursday after high-stakes talks.The agreement for the 120-hour pause eased what had escalated into an unprecedented crisis between the United States and Turkey, but critics quickly accused President Donald Trump of again abandoning Kurdish allies.Under the deal reache

World NewsOct. 18, 2019

US to take into account S. Korea's position over possible auto tariff

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has said Washington will fully take into account South Korea's position on possible auto tariffs, South Korea's finance ministry said Friday.Mnuchin made the remarks in Washington on Thursday (local time) during a meeting with South Korean Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki, who called for an exemption from US tariffs on South Korean automobiles, according to the ministry.Hong is in Washington for the Group of 20 finance ministers and central bank governors' meetin

EconomyOct. 18, 2019

Seoul stocks open higher on Brexit breakthrough

South Korean shares opened higher Friday as investors cheered a breakthrough in negotiations on Britain's exit from the European Union. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 7.88 points, or 0.38 percent, to 2,085.82 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Investors welcomed a severance deal between Britain and the EU that could wrap up more than three years of uncertainty after Britain decided to leave the EU. In Seoul, large caps were mixed.Market kingpin Samsung Electronics added 0.

MarketOct. 18, 2019

Heroes sweep defending champions, reach 1st Korean Series in 5 years

The Kiwoom Heroes will be playing for the South Korean professional baseball championship for the first time in five years. The Heroes routed the defending champions SK Wyverns 10-1 at home on Thursday to complete the three-game sweep in the second round Korea Baseball Organization playoff series.The Heroes will go on to meet the Doosan Bears in the best-of-seven Korean Series, which begins next Tuesday at the Bears' home, Jamsil Stadium.The Bears, after finishing with the best regular season re

BaseballOct. 18, 2019

US urges S. Korea to renew intel pact with Japan: Pentagon

The United States continues to call on South Korea to renew its military intelligence-sharing pact with Japan, a US defense official said Thursday.David Helvey, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, made the remark at a security forum as he reiterated Washington's concern with Seoul's decision to end the General Security of Military Information Agreement with Tokyo amid a bilateral dispute over wartime history and trade."We strongly believe in th

Foreign AffairsOct. 18, 2019

Brexit deal is 'fair and reasonable': EU's Barnier

The EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier on Thursday hailed the last-minute Brexit deal struck with Britain ahead of a crunch summit as a reasonable compromise that protects European interests. "We have reached an agreement that is fair and reasonable and corresponds to our principles," Barnier told reporters, but urged caution as the deal must still be passed by the British parliament -- which has rejected a Brexit deal three times before.Prime Minister Boris Johnson will take the acc

World NewsOct. 17, 2019

Korea-US alliance is 'linchpin' for regional security: Harris

US Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris on Thursday hailed the alliance between the two countries as a linchpin for Northeast Asian security and called for its further development to tackle new challenges in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.Harris made the remarks in his congratulatory speech during the ROK-US Partnership Dinner event in Seoul co-organized by the Korea-U.S. Alliance Foundation and the Korea Defense Veterans Association."A secure environment is essential to create condit

Foreign AffairsOct. 17, 2019

S. Korea raises travel alert for Catalonia

South Korea on Thursday advised its citizens to refrain from visiting Catalonia, northern Spain, due to growing separatist protests.The foreign ministry raised its travel alert for the region, which includes Barcelona, from blue, or travel caution, to yellow, or travel restraint. Riots have continued in several Catalan towns after lengthy prison sentences were handed down to nine leaders of the region's drive for independence from Spain. Protesters have clashed violently with riot police in Barc

Social AffairsOct. 17, 2019

9th case of African swine fever found in wild boar near inter-Korean border

Two wild boars found dead near the border with North Korea tested positive for African swine fever on Thursday, bringing the number of cases to nine in South Korea, a state-run institute said.The confirmation came a day after the two wild boar carcasses were found in the border towns of Paju and Yeoncheon, said the National Institute of Environmental Research controlled by the Ministry of Environment."The area where new cases were found is near where previous cases were confirmed," an

Social AffairsOct. 17, 2019

New ambassador vows to seek 'constructive role' from US in resolving tesions with Japan

South Korea's new ambassador to the United States said Thursday that he will encourage Washington to play a "constructive role" in resolving tensions between Seoul and Tokyo that led to the South's decision to end a military information-sharing pact with Japan. Lee Soo-hyuck, who was formally appointed this week, made the remark as concerns have grown over trilateral cooperation between the US and its two Asian allies after Seoul decided in August to withdraw from the General Security

Foreign AffairsOct. 17, 2019

[Graphic News] S. Korea’s passport ranks 3rd most powerful

　The South Korea passport has nearly topped the list as the world’s most powerful, offering citizens access to 188 countries without a visa in advance, tying it with Germany and Finland, according to the Henley Passport Index. 　Singapore and Japan shared the No. 1 spot with access to 190 countries.　Denmark, Italy and Luxembourg hold the next spot with 187 countries, while France, Sweden and Spain ranked one lower with 186 countries, according to the report.

WorldOct. 17, 2019

Mandela daughter appointed ambassador to South Korea

The late anti-apartheid activist and Nobel laureate Nelson Mandela’s daughter Zenani Mandela-Dlamini has been appointed South Africa’s ambassador to South Korea, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday.Arriving in Korea on Oct. 2, she visited the ministry on Thursday to hold meetings with officials here.In her previous posts, she served as the South African ambassador to Argentina for five years from 2012, and then was appointed as high commissioner in Mauritius.“I am really happy a

Diplomatic CircuitOct. 17, 2019