[Bennet Ramberg] Whither nuclear-arms control?

Is nuclear-arms control unraveling? The 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty has collapsed, the 2015 Iran nuclear deal is teetering, and North Korea has continued to expand its nuclear and ballistic missile arsenal. Worse, it is unclear whether the United States will stick with the New START Treaty when it expires in 2021. That agreement limits (at 3,000) the number of strategic weapons Russia and the US have pointed at each other.Fortunately, history offers some solace. During and afte

ViewpointsOct. 13, 2019

[Ramesh Ponnuru] Bad legal arguments against impeachment

Once again, Alan Dershowitz, a former Harvard Law School professor, is mounting a defense of US President Donald Trump against the threat of impeachment.In the past, Dershowitz has been willing to get creative in his legal arguments. After Trump said that he would appeal any impeachment attempt to the Supreme Court, Dershowitz claimed that it was “certainly possible” that the court would stop the Senate from holding a trial. Former Justice David Souter had, he explained, once written

ViewpointsOct. 13, 2019

[KH Biz Forum] Looking beyond today’s crises and into the future

South Korean business executives, policymakers and opinion leaders on Friday attended The Korea Herald’s second annual business forum to address the growing corporate risks in today’s business environment. This year’s forum was held at The Shilla Seoul under the theme “Korea in crisis: How to survive in an era of trade wars and industrial risks.” It took place amid slowing global economic growth and mounting uncertainties, including US-China trade tension and Ja

IndustryOct. 13, 2019

Cheong Wa Dae vows 'patient push' for materials industry growth

Cheong Wa Dae said Sunday it would continue a push to develop South Korea's materials, parts and equipment sector irrespective of Seoul's future ties with Tokyo.To that end, the government plans to launch R&D projects on 80 core items next year, according to Lee Ho-seung, senior presidential secretary for economic affairs.It will also revise an enforcement ordinance to expand tax deductions for new growth engines and original technologies, he said. "(We) will push patiently and consiste

IndustryOct. 13, 2019

Hyundai hires ex-Audi CEO for US operations of Genesis

Hyundai Motor has hired a former chief executive officer of Audi’s US division as the head of its luxury segment Genesis’ operations in North America, signaling the carmaker’s drive to expand its market presence in the world’s second-largest auto market.Mark Del Rosso, who led operations of luxury brands Audi and Bentley for two decades, will take the CEO position of Genesis’ US operations. He will lead the sales and marketing strategy of the brand under the command

MobilityOct. 13, 2019

Samsung Galaxy Fold available again in Korea, soon in Japan, China

The third batch of Samsung Galaxy Fold smartphones were set to be released in the Korean market Monday, drawing attention to the total volume of available units. Samsung was to begin taking orders for the foldable gadget on its homepage as well as some e-commerce platforms like 11st, eBay and Coupang at midnight on Sunday, according to the tech giant. The exact volume of the third batch has not been revealed, but industry officials estimate around 10,000 units would be rolled out. According to m

TechnologyOct. 13, 2019

Half of S. Korea’s savings deposits belong to top 1% of income earners

Of the combined savings deposits held by major banks in South Korea, nearly half belonged to the nation’s top 1 percent of income earners, a report from the Financial Supervisory Service showed Sunday. According to the report released via a minor opposition Bareunmirae Party lawmaker, 18 commercial banks operating in Korea held a combined 283.3 trillion won ($238.9 billion) on behalf of its clients in the top 1 percent income bracket, which accounted for 45.5 percent of the total deposits,

MarketOct. 13, 2019

Pyongyang ups pressure against Seoul, denounces joint military exercise with US

North Korea denounced South Korea’s combined military exercise with the United States on Sunday, saying it is “the most concentrated” security threat against its regime. In a column on North Korean propaganda website Uriminzokkiri, Pyongyang made issue of the recent remark by US Marine Commandant Gen. David H. Berger, who said the joint military exercise of US and South Korean marines has continued, in a seminar. ”The US and South Korea’s military warmongers said th

North KoreaOct. 13, 2019

Prime minister to attend Japanese emperor’s enthronement ceremony

Despite soured ties between South Korea and Japan, Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon will attend the Japanese emperor’s enthronement ceremony next week, the government said Sunday.According to the Prime Minister’s secretariat, Lee will visit Japan from Oct. 22 to 24 for the enthronement events of Japanese Emperor Naruhito. Lee will attend the enthronement banquet on Oct. 22, and another banquet hosted by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Oct. 23, the secretariat said in a statement.&nbs

Foreign AffairsOct. 13, 2019

Movies, dramas become new lucrative business for S. Korean internet companies

South Korea’s leading internet firms are seeking to boost their presence in the entertainment industry by capitalizing on online content popular here and overseas.Using their internet cartoons, K-pop streaming services and other web-based items, Naver and Kakao have been accelerating their efforts to monetize lucrative content by adapting them into movies and dramas. In addition to establishing drama studios and streaming platforms, the internet giants have acquired stakes in local enterta

IndustryOct. 13, 2019

Justice minister’s wife to face court over alleged family corruption

Court proceedings into the corruption scandal surrounding Justice Minister Cho Kuk’s family are slated for later this week, a Seoul court said Sunday.According to Seoul Central District Court, the trial preparation hearing for Cho’s wife Chung Kyung-shim, 57, will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday. Chung is not expected to appear at the pretrial hearing, which defendants are not obliged to attend.On Saturday, the Seoul Central District prosecutors summoned Chung for the fourth time for qu

PoliticsOct. 13, 2019

International conference for teaching English held in Seoul

A Korea-based association of teachers of English as a foreign language held an international conference over the weekend at Sookmyung Women’s University in Seoul.KOTESOL -- the Korean chapter of the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages international association -- brought together new teachers and veteran educators for its annual meeting, this time themed “Blending Disciplines, Approaches and Technologies.” In a welcome message, KOTESOL President David E. Shaffer sai

Social AffairsOct. 13, 2019

Railway services disrupted for 3rd day as strike continues

South Korea's rail services were partially disrupted or delayed Sunday as unionized workers continued their 72-hour strike demanding better working conditions.Around 75.2 percent of the country's regular rail services were in operation, according to the Korea Railroad Corp. and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.KTX bullet trains were operating at 68.2 percent of the normal level, while Saemaeul and Mugunghwa trains were at around 59.5 percent and 62.5 percent, respectively. 

Social AffairsOct. 13, 2019

Baseball rivals set for postseason rematch, one year after memorable battle

So they meet again.A year after trading blows in a playoff battle for the ages, the SK Wyverns and the Kiwoom Heroes will clash once again in the Korea Baseball Organization postseason starting Monday.The Wyverns will have the home field advantage in this best-of-five second round action. Game 1 is 6:30 p.m. Monday at SK Happy Dream Park in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul.The Wyverns, the 2018 Korean Series champions, earned a direct berth in the second round after finishing the regular sea

BaseballOct. 13, 2019

Hanwha showcases defense technologies at US’ largest land power expo

Hanwha Group’s defense units will showcase their latest technologies at North America’s largest land-power exposition in Washington this week, the company said Sunday. Hanwha Corp., Hanwha Defense and Hanwha Systems will share a booth at the 2019 Annual Meeting and Exposition of the Association of the US Army, which takes place from Monday to Wednesday, local time. In its ground system zone, Hanwha will present its newest technologies, such as the Redback armored car, which was

IndustryOct. 13, 2019

[Newsmaker] BTS writes history with Arab fans at Riyadh concert

RIYADH – For BTS and the 30,000 screaming Arab fans who filled King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Friday evening, it was a night to remember.“We’d never thought we would perform here. Thanks to all the people, to all the ARMYs (BTS’ fandom) who made this possible. There is a beautiful full moon up in the sky. Remind of us, remind of tonight,” band leader RM called out to the crowd. Indeed, BTS’ Saudi Arabian leg of its ongoing &ld

K-popOct. 13, 2019

Online streaming giants battle for Asian audiences

BUSAN (AFP) -- Acclaimed director David Michod's epic "The King" was one of four major Netflix productions screened at Asia's largest film festival this week, underlining how streaming services are increasingly challenging Hollywood and traditional media for the attention of artists -- and viewers.Asia is seen as an important part of the global streaming industry's growth plan. In conjunction with the main event, Busan International Film Festival also hosted its first Asia Contents Awa

FilmOct. 13, 2019

US Ambassador Harris celebrates International Day at Korea International School

Korea International School held its annual “International Day” on Oct. 2 with US Ambassador Harry Harris opening the event.　In his opening address, Harris gave a message of empathy, saying that global citizenship serves us well in business, the arts, sciences and diplomacy. He also encouraged the students to express gratitude. “You cannot express enough gratitude,” he said, concluding his speech before he thanked the school for inviting him to be part of International Day

Social AffairsOct. 13, 2019

Koreas to face off in Pyongyang World Cup qualifier

North and South Korea face each other in a World Cup qualifier this week for their first ever competitive men's match in Pyongyang, while talks on the North's nuclear arsenal remain deadlocked.The teams -- with Tottenham's star striker Son Heung-min included in the South Korean squad -- are expected to step out onto Kim Il-sung Stadium turf on Tuesday.It comes in the wake of a series of North Korean missile tests and after talks with the US over its weapons programmes broke down, with Pyongyang

SoccerOct. 13, 2019