Foreign ministry to focus on early resumption of US-NK nuclear talks

The foreign ministry said Monday that it will focus its diplomacy on facilitating an early resumption of working-level nuclear talks between the United States and North Korea and substantive progress in them.In a report to the National Assembly, the ministry also said that it would maintain close coordination with Washington through bilateral consultations, including at the UN General Assembly in New York."(The ministry) will concentrate its diplomatic capacity on ensuring that the working-

Foreign AffairsSept. 16, 2019

S. Korea trying to talk to NK about World Cup qualifier, weightlifting event in Pyongyang

South Korea's football and weightlifting governing bodies are attempting to talk to North Korea about a World Cup qualifier and an international weightlifting event to be held in Pyongyang next month, the unification ministry said Monday.Pyongyang is scheduled to host the football match with the South on Oct. 15, and the international junior weightlifting event from Oct. 20-27, in what would be rare sports exchanges between the two sides amid a stall in the reconciliation process. "Consulta

SoccerSept. 16, 2019

White House advisor notes Trump's resolve for peninsula denuke

A senior White House advisor has noted US President Donald Trump's commitment to denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, while highlighting the benefit of having a "businessman" as the American leader.In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Kellyanne Conway also said that Trump is willing to engage with world leaders and employ diplomacy differently than other politicians who she said are "worried about the next election."Her remarks came amid criticism over Trump's openness to

Foreign AffairsSept. 16, 2019

Saudi races to restore oil supply, strike blamed on Iran

RIYADH (AFP) -- Saudi Arabia raced on Sunday to restart operations at oil plants hit by drone attacks which slashed its production by half, as Iran dismissed US claims it was behind the assault.The Tehran-backed Huthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition is bogged down in a five-year war, claimed Saturday's strikes on two plants owned by state energy giant Aramco.But US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pointed the finger squarely at Tehran, saying there was no evidence the &qu

World NewsSept. 16, 2019

Prosecution requests formal arrest of Cho Kuk's relative

Prosecutors on Monday sought a formal arrest warrant for a relative of Justice Minister Cho Kuk as part of a widening probe into corruption allegations surrounding the minister's family.Cho took office earlier this month despite a heated debate among political parties and the general public over suspicions regarding his daughter's education and a family fund investment.The relative, also surnamed Cho, is at the center of allegations about the family's suspicious investments in a private equity f

PoliticsSept. 16, 2019

Violence flares after Hong Kong protesters defy police ban

HONG KONG (AP) -- Police fired chemical-laced blue water and tear gas at protesters who lobbed Molotov cocktails outside the Hong Kong government office complex Sunday, as violence flared anew after thousands of pro-democracy supporters marched through downtown in defiance of a police ban.A mixed crowd of hardcore protesters in black and wearing masks, along with families with children, spilled into the roads of the Causeway Bay shopping belt and marched for over 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) to the

World NewsSept. 16, 2019

Fiscal spending takes greater effect over time: BOK report

Fiscal spending may have a greater impact on the economy than generally viewed, but the effect may take some time to take place, a central bank report said Monday.In a recent study conducted by the Bank of Korea, the multiplier effect of government spending on the local economy came to 1.27 over a five-year period. This means every 1 trillion won ($850 million) spent by the government will generate 1.27 trillion won in gross domestic product over a five-year period, the report said.Previously, t

EconomySept. 16, 2019

Political feud over Cho Kuk issue expected to escalate after Chuseok

South Korea's ruling and conservative opposition parties are expected to clash head-on this week, as they are scheduled to begin a full-fledged regular session of the National Assembly.The main opposition Liberty Korea Party is emboldened by the reported spread during the Chuseok holidays of negative public sentiment against President Moon Jae-in's appointment of Cho Kuk as justice minister. Cho, a former law professor, is under heavy criticism over alleged ethical lapses and irregular

PoliticsSept. 15, 2019

SK Innovation to supply battery for Ferrari plug-in hybrid

SK Innovation Co. of South Korea has been picked to supply a battery pack for Ferrari's first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, industry sources said Sunday.After two years of tests of various products, the Italian luxury sports carmaker has chosen SK Innovation as the supplier of the lithium-ion battery pack for its SF90 Stradale model, according to the sources. Germany's Daimler AG and Volkswagen and South Korea's Hyundai Motor Group have already used the firm

MobilitySept. 15, 2019

S. Korea on clear path to job recovery: presidential office

South Korea's job growth is showing clear signs of improvement, with the government planning to roll out "preemptive" measures to help cushion the negative impact from the inevitable restructuring of some troubled businesses, the presidential office said Sunday. Hwang Deok-soon, senior Cheong Wa Dae secretary for job creation, said the government expects more than 200,000 jobs to be added this year.He cited the latest data on job creation. In August, the jobless rate hit a si

Social AffairsSept. 15, 2019

[Herald Interview] Yie Sun-yuul has the world at her heels

In today’s fashion scene, heels are getting lower and lower. But that doesn’t mean they’re going out of style. Rather, there’s more room to experiment with lower and thicker heels.Yie Sun-yuul, head of Yuul Yie, is all about experimenting with heels. The heels are what reflect Yuul Yie’s design philosophy.  They’re inspired by coral reefs, stones on the street, cubes or even the Arabic alphabet. Yet the overall figures are simple, consisting of circles, t

Arts & DesignSept. 15, 2019

[Herald Interview] ‘Corruption cannot be eradicated, only contained and controlled’

Amid the efforts of governments worldwide to tackle corruption, Daniel Li, vice chairman of the advisory board of the International Anti-Corruption Academy, said corruption cannot be completely eradicated in economically vibrant societies.He added that the 19th International Anti-Corruption Conference, to take place Seoul in June 2020, should focus more on crafting practical solutions to curb corruption.“Corruption is a major problem. … I am not supporting corruption. … I wou

Social AffairsSept. 15, 2019

Korean drug firms eye growth in South America

Korean pharmaceutical companies are making inroads into Central and South America, betting on steady growth of markets in the region. Samsung Bioepis, Celltrion Healthcare, Boryung Pharmaceutical, CJ HealthCare and Hanmi Pharmaceutical all announced in the first half of 2019 that they would begin or expand commercialization of flagship drugs overseas.Samsung Bioepis, the novel bio drug development arm of Samsung BioLogics, said Tuesday that it has begun sales of its autoimmune disease treatment

IndustrySept. 15, 2019

[Graphic News] Seoul now world’s 9th safest city

　South Korea’s capital Seoul has ranked as the world’s ninth safest city, according to a recent report.　Tokyo took the No. 1 spot in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s ranking for the third time running, while Singapore and Osaka maintained their respective footholds in second and third. 　The index ranks 60 cities across five continents, examining digital, health, infrastructure and personal security factors to assess overall urban safety. (Bloomberg)

World NewsSept. 15, 2019

[Christopher R. Hill] Trump’s North Korean appeasement

Having met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un three times -- all to great fanfare -- US President Donald Trump may still believe denuclearization is underway in the Hermit Kingdom. If so, he is probably the only one who does, given North Korea’s frequent missile tests and upgrades to its weapons. It is anyone’s guess what the Trump administration’s North Korea policy will look like in a year, but for now, both sides seem to have what they want. Trump has wrangled a loose stal

ViewpointsSept. 15, 2019

[Elizabeth Drew] Concern over 2020 election makes Trump increasingly unhinged

As the US Congress reconvenes this week after a six-week recess, the administration is mired in controversies, almost all of them set off by President Donald Trump. Trump’s behavior has been at its most peculiar since he took office, undoubtedly partly owing to panic over the 2020 election. He has more reason than most incumbent presidents to wish for reelection, as he is still facing several lawsuits. 　Perhaps the greatest political danger to Trump lies in the growing evidence that he has

ViewpointsSept. 15, 2019

Samsung heir flies to Saudi to check on metro project

Lee Jae-yong, vice chairman and heir apparent of Samsung Electronics, flew to Saudi Arabia on Saturday to check on Samsung C&T’s infrastructure project in the Middle Eastern country’s capital, Riyadh, the company said Sunday. The de facto leader of South Korea’s biggest conglomerate visited the construction site for the Riyadh Metro project, in which its construction arm is a participant. The project, slated for completion by 2020, will involve the construction of six subwa

TechnologySept. 15, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘Yesterday,’ an unimpressive, but lovely film

For those who have someone they hold dear, how would it feel to fall in love with the same person for the first time, once again? That mixture of excitement and nervousness, followed by a rush of joy after realizing that you have stumbled upon something truly special?Director Danny Boyle’s “Yesterday,” a film about a world where the Beatles never happened, depicts that wonderful moment of the world falling in love with their astonishing music for the first time, through a feel-

FilmSept. 15, 2019

SKT-Ericsson test of standalone 5G network succeeds

SK Telecom and its Swedish partner Ericsson said Sunday they have successfully conducted a joint test of the 5G standalone network, opening the way for faster network services and better data management efficiency.Standalone (SA) is a method that is two times faster than the previous 5G non-standalone (NSA) method, which uses 5G connection side by side with the lower-grade Long Term Evolution network.  SK Telecom announced it has become the first Korean telecom company to achieve pure SA 5G

IndustrySept. 15, 2019