Tension mounts between prosecution and Justice Ministry

Tension is mounting between the prosecution and Justice Ministry, with embattled Justice Minister Cho Kuk pushing for an overhaul of the powerful law enforcement agency and prosecutors accelerating a probe into corruption allegations involving his family. Controversy surfaced Wednesday after Justice Ministry’s senior officials were reported to have suggested high-ranking officials from the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office set up an investigation team excluding Prosecutor-General Yoon Seok

Social AffairsSept. 11, 2019

[Newsmaker] Bolton’s exit may add flexibility to NK talks but could hinder full denuke efforts

Hawkish US national security adviser John Bolton’s departure may bring flexibility to the upcoming nuclear talks with North Korea but could undercut efforts to achieve the regime’s complete denuclearization, analysts said Wednesday.US President Donald Trump announced in a surprise tweet Tuesday that he has fired the conservative advisor and that he will name a replacement next week. He cited strong disagreements with many of Bolton‘s foreign policy suggestions.Bolton’s re

North KoreaSept. 11, 2019

Moon says no to ministry’s presidential library plan

President Moon Jae-in does not want a library to store documents and materials produced during his presidency to be constructed, Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday.A day earlier, the National Archive of Korea announced a project worth 17.2 billion won ($14.4 million) to build a separate presidential library for Moon.It cited a shortage of space in the national library for the country’s retired presidents, located in the city of Sejong.The agency, affiliated with the Ministry of the Interior and

PoliticsSept. 11, 2019

Coupang’s CS delivery expert certification approved by government

Coupang’s in-house deliverymen certification system has been recognized by the Human Resources Development Service of Korea under the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the company said Tuesday. It is the first delivery-related certification to be approved by a government agency.Coupang’s CS Delivery Expert certification, broken down to Fresh, Senior, Pro, and Master level, is used to rate the level of expertise of Coupang’s deliverymen Coupangmen.  Coupang explained that t

IndustrySept. 11, 2019

Films, performances, events to spice up Chuseok

It is called the “grand national migration,” as Koreans pack up, and set off to visit their hometowns, families, and pay respect to their ancestors during the upcoming Chuseok holidays.During the four-day holidays, one of the biggest in the nation -- commemorating the autumn harvest -- there are several events being offered to keep oneself entertained.Film distributing giants Lotte Entertainment and CJ Entertainments are clashing head-on as their heavyweight movies roll out on Wednes

CultureSept. 11, 2019

S. Korea files WTO complaint over Japan’s export curb

　The South Korean government on Wednesday filed a complaint over Japan’s tighter export curbs with the World Trade Organization, accusing Tokyo of taking discriminatory measures against Korea for politically motivated reasons.　During a press briefing in Seoul, the country’s Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee said the Japanese government’s export controls targeting Korea violate WTO rules by regulating free trade for political purposes.　Early in July, Japan imposed export curbs on thr

TechnologySept. 11, 2019

[Lee Joo-hee] Taking things out of context: The case of LG vs. SK

In our everyday drudgery of overwhelming duties and innate thirst for praise, it is easy to fall into the pit of spontaneous buck-passing when things go south.And such a defensive mode quickly transpires into aggressive offense against the point of threat, plastered with the rationale of self-righteousness, when the stakes get higher.In such a progression, it is easy to get lost in the tit-for-tat and all the emotions, with the direct parties and spectators losing grasp of what it was really all

ViewpointsSept. 11, 2019

Senior diplomat to Cambodia relieved from position for sexual misconduct allegations

A South Korean diplomat stationed in Cambodia has been relieved from the post following allegations of sexual harassment against a female embassy employee, an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday,The diplomat, whose name and position have been withheld, was ordered to return to Korea and is currently undergoing an internal investigation by the ministry regarding the allegations. On Tuesday, several local news outlets quoting the ministry official reported that, according

Foreign AffairsSept. 11, 2019

[New Economic Non-order:2] Trump’s revival of trade protectionism pushes WTO to the brink

The Korea Herald is publishing a series of articles to look into the weakening of the global economic framework in light of fading liberalism and the rise of trade protectionism and nationalism. This is the second installment. -- Ed.The World Trade Organization was birthed in 1995 as an advocate of free trade, persuading global economies to lower trade barriers through yearslong rounds of negotiations. Though it has slowly been losing its clout in recent years, the WTO continued to shine as a be

EconomySept. 11, 2019

[IFA 2019] Home gardening gets smart with LED lights

BERLIN -- Large home appliances took the center stage at IFA 2019, but on the sidelines there were also sections that spotlighted health care, gaming and home gardening. Among those, Finnish company Plantui’s booth caught eyes with electronic plant pots emitting colorful lights.  Called the Smart Gardens, the Plantui devices are equipped with intelligent light-emitting diodes and automatic water pumping system, which allows anyone to grow fresh greens all year round, indoors.“We

IndustrySept. 11, 2019

Insurance consulting firm Rich&Co. hosts festival

Insurance consulting and services firm Rich&Co. said it hosted its “Reach the Future Festival” at Kintex, Ilsan, Tuesday, gathering 3,000 of its employees to discuss the company’s vision and future steps. Among the company’s services is the “Good Rich” app to integrate and manage one’s insurance subscriptions. (khnews@heraldcorp.com)

IndustrySept. 11, 2019

[팟캐스트] (317) 안희정 전 도지사 실형 선고 / 태풍 링링 피해

진행자: 손지형, Kevin Lee Selzer1. Prison term confirmed for ex-governor found guilty of rape기사요약: 비서 성폭행 혐의로 기소된 안희정 전 도지사에 대한 형이 징역 3년 6개월로 확정됨. 성인지 감수성 개념이 판결 결과에 영향.아이튠즈(아이폰): https://itunes.apple.com/kr/podcast/koliaheleoldeu-paskaeseuteu/id686406253?mt=2팟빵 (안드로이드): http://www.podbbang.com/ch/6638[1] The top court on Monday confirmed the 3 1/2-year prison sentence for former South Chungcheong Province Gov. An Hee-jung for raping his female aide, in the country’s highest-profile #MeToo movem

PodcastSept. 11, 2019

Seoul files complaint with WTO over Tokyo's export curbs

South Korea filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization on Wednesday over Japan's export curbs, upping the stakes in the unprecedented trade row between the two Asian neighbors.The move came more than two months after Tokyo started restrictions of exporting three key industrial materials to Seoul, which are essential for the production of chips and displays, potentially dealing a harsh blow to Seoul's backbone technology industry."South Korea decided to file a complaint with the WTO

Foreign AffairsSept. 11, 2019

Apple cuts prices, ramps up services as iPhone 11 launches

CUPERTINO (AFP) -- Apple unveiled its iPhone 11 models Tuesday with a price cut for the most basic models while also laying out plans for streaming and gaming services as it bids to weather the slump in the global smartphone market.Price appeared to be a key consideration as the tech giant reduced the entry level price for the iPhone 11 to $699 and undercut rivals for its gaming and streaming television subscriptions.Apple unveiled three versions of the iPhone 11 including "Pro" models

World NewsSept. 11, 2019

Jobless rate hits 6-year low in August, job additions largest in nearly 3 years

South Korea's jobless rate hit a six-year low in August, and job additions increased the most in 29 months, government data showed Wednesday.The unemployment rate fell 1 percentage point on-year to 3 percent in August from a year earlier, also marking the lowest level for any August since 2013. The number of employed people reached 27.3 million in August, a rise of 452,000 from the same month in 2018, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. The number of jobs added is the largest sin

EconomySept. 11, 2019

Trump ousts hawkish Bolton, dissenter on foreign policy

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump on Tuesday abruptly forced out John Bolton, his hawkish national security adviser with whom he had strong disagreements on Iran, Afghanistan and a cascade of other global challenges.The sudden shake-up marked the latest departure of a prominent voice of dissent from the president's inner circle, as Trump has grown less accepting of advice contrary to his instincts. It also comes at a trying moment for Trump on the world stage, weeks ahead of the United N

World NewsSept. 11, 2019

S. Korea, UAE to join hands on overseas nuke reactor projects

South Korea's industry ministry said Tuesday it has agreed to join hands with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to secure new nuclear reactor projects overseas.The state-run Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) signed a memorandum of understanding with Barakah One Co. to jointly win nuclear reactor projects, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.Barakah One Co. is a joint venture established by KEPCO and the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp. South Korea has been building four react

IndustrySept. 10, 2019

GS E&C wins 276 bln-won order in Thailand

GS Engineering & Construction, a major builder in South Korea, said Tuesday it has secured a 275.5 billion-won ($231 million) order for a petrochemical plant construction project in Thailand. Under the deal with Thai firm HMC Polymers Co., GS E&C will build a polypropylene plant at a Map Ta Phut site in Rayong Province, Thailand. The company said it will take about 35 months to complete the polypropylene plant, which will have an annual capacity of 250,000 tons. GS E&C previousl

IndustrySept. 10, 2019

[Graphic News] Credit card firms’ H1 net dips on decline in commission fees

　South Korea’s credit card firms saw their combined earnings fall in the first half, hit by a decline in credit card processing fees, data showed. 　The combined net profit of eight card issuers, including Shinhan Card, Samsung Card and KB Kookmin Card, came to 940.5 billion won ($789 million) in the January-June period, down 2.7 percent from a year earlier, according to data released by the Financial Supervisory Service.　Earlier this year, the government cut credit card processing fees to

BusinessSept. 10, 2019

S. Korea’s SpaceX lunar project postponed to 2022

　The government’s plan to use a SpaceX projectile to search the orbit of the moon has been postponed to July 2022, the Science Ministry said Tuesday, amid lingering disputes over the projectile’s weight and design. 　During a press briefing in Sejong city, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced it had decided to delay the lunar projectile’s launch by 19 months. The projectile was supposed to be launched in December next year. 　According to the government, there had been dispu

TechnologySept. 10, 2019