Rescue continues for those aboard Hyundai Glovis ship

South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday that the rescue operation to save those believed to be trapped inside Hyundai Glovis’ capsized cargo ship off the US East Coast was underway, as the related authorities gathered for a meeting to dispatch a team to deal with the accident.According to the ministry, Hyundai Glovis car transport vessel the Golden Ray listed sharply in waters off the US state of Georgia at around 1:30 a.m. Sunday, local time. The Golden Ray was carryi

IndustrySept. 9, 2019

[Newsmaker] Prison term confirmed for ex-governor found guilty of rape

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 movement case.The Supreme Court acknowledged “invisible power” held by 54-year-old An -- at one time a strong presidential contender in the liberal bloc -- in using his authority and sexually assaulting the victim -- An’s secretary -- upholding an appeal court’s ruling. The la

Social AffairsSept. 9, 2019

Hyundai, Kia invest in European EV charging venture for clean mobility

Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia Motors said Monday that they will invest in Ionity, a joint venture by the world’s leading automobile giants to build a pan-European high-power charging network for electric vehicles.Hyundai Motor Group, parent firm of the nation’s top two automakers, has acquired a 20 percent stake in the joint venture in an effort to demonstrate its commitment to clean mobility, the firms said. Details such as the value of the deal were not provided.  Ionity

MobilitySept. 9, 2019

SK Energy to issue green bonds worth W300b

SK Energy, an oil refining unit of SK Innovation, is set to become the first Korean manufacturer to issue green bonds in an effort to strengthen eco-friendly businesses, the company said Monday. A green bond is specifically earmarked to be used for climate and environmental projects.The company said it will issue green bonds worth 300 billion won ($251 million) on Sept. 26 and may increase the amount to 500 billion won later. The conditions of issuance will be determined after conducting demand

IndustrySept. 9, 2019

Incheon gears up for 2020 ADB annual meeting

Incheon is gearing up for the 53rd Asia Development Bank annual meeting slated for May 2020, the city office said Monday.South Korea, an ADB member since its establishment in 1966, is now a contributing country after having been a beneficiary of its assistance during postwar economic reconstruction.Incheon will be the third Korean city to host the event, following the third meeting held in Seoul in 1970 and the 37th meeting held in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, in 2004. The decision to designate Incheo

Social AffairsSept. 9, 2019

Lawmaker’s son arrested in DUI case

The 19-year-old son of Liberty Party Korea Rep. Chang Je-won is accused of driving drunk and causing an accident, police said Monday.　Rapper NO:EL, whose real name is Chang Yong-jun, was arrested Saturday after crashing into a motorcycle with his car in Mapo-gu, Seoul, between 2 and 3 a.m. the same day. Police say Chang’s blood alcohol level was 0.08 percent, which means he could lose his driver’s license. “He (Chang) seems to have admitted to driving after the police started t

Social AffairsSept. 9, 2019

[IFA 2019] LG has IoT edge over traditional European companies: CEO

BERLIN -- Song Dae-hyun, president of LG Electronics’ home appliance and air solution division, expressed confidence that the company has an edge in the area of internet of things over its European counterparts. “Europe is comprised of countries that are traditionally strong in the field of home appliances,” he said during a press briefing Saturday.“But what sets LG apart from these European brands is that we do everything from household electronic devices to smartphones,

IndustrySept. 9, 2019

Genesis recruits world-renowned auto designer Filippo Perini

Hyundai Motor’s luxury brand Genesis said Monday that world-renowned auto designer Filippo Perini will head its design studio in Europe, as the brand tries to notch up its design competitiveness globally. Perini will begin his tenure on Sept. 16 as the chief designer of Global Genesis Advanced Design Studio in Europe, where he is expected to play a key role in designing vehicles and leading the future of smart mobility, Genesis said.The Italian designer has decades of experience in the Eur

MobilitySept. 9, 2019

Hyundai Department Store becomes seller on Coupang

Hyundai Department Store became the first major department store here to sell its products via Coupang, the country’s largest e-commerce platform by sales, amid intensifying e-commerce competition among online retailers as well as major department stores. According to Hyundai Department Store, it joined hands with Coupang to bolster its competitiveness both online and offline by using Coupang’s next-day delivery flagship service Rocket Delivery. Hyundai said it has register

IndustrySept. 9, 2019

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 Monday. The combined net profit of eight card issuers, including Shinhan Card Co., Samsung Card Co. and KB Kookmin Card Co., came to 940.5 billion won ($787 million) in the January-June period, down 2.7 percent from a year earlier, according to the data released by the Financial Supervisory Service. Earlier this year, the government cut credit card proc

MarketSept. 9, 2019

Arrest warrant sought for operator of Cho Kuk family’s fund

The prosecution on Monday sought an arrest warrant for the operator of a private equity fund in which embattled Justice Minister Cho Kuk’s family had invested, as part of a widening probe into corruption allegations involving Cho and his family. President Moon Jae-in appointed Cho as justice minister, giving him control over the prosecution, on the same day -- even as the prosecution investigates allegations that his family made dubious investments and his daughter received special favors

Social AffairsSept. 9, 2019

Police investigate consecutive cases of cars pasted with adhesives in Gwangju

Two reports of cars damaged by adhesives were made in less than two weeks, local police in Gwangju said Monday.  According to Gwangju Bukbu Police Station, a man in his 60s reported on Sunday that he found his car covered in what is thought to be strong adhesive material on the front side and on parts of the windshield. The automobile owner told the police he had parked the car at his studio apartment building at around 1:30 p.m. on Saturday and when he returned at around 9:30 a.m. on Sunda

Social AffairsSept. 9, 2019

Moon appoints Cho as justice minister, stresses reform drive

President Moon Jae-in on Monday appointed six minister-level officials, including controversy-ridden Cho Kuk for the post of justice minister. Choi Ki-young was appointed as the minister of science and ICT, and Lee Jung-ok as the minister of gender equality and family. In addition, Han Sang-hyuk was appointed to head the Korea Communications Commission, Joh Sung-wook as the head of the Fair Trade Commission and Eun Sung-soo as the new Financial Services Commission chief. In appointing the o

PoliticsSept. 9, 2019

Govt. opens support center for potential military victims of humidifier disinfectants

The defense ministry said Monday it opened a support center for potential victims of controversial humidifier disinfectants blamed for a number of deaths, following revelations that the products were also widely used in barracks.Last month, the state-funded Special Commission on Social Disaster Investigation reported that the problematic products were used in the military. The defense ministry later confirmed that 15 military units across the country used the controversial products for years unt

DefenseSept. 9, 2019

S. Korea, Philippines to hold 4th round of FTA talks this week

South Korea's trade ministry said Monday it plans to hold a fourth round of free-trade negotiations with the Philippines this week with the goal of striking the deal in November.During the four-day talks in Cebu, the Philippines, that ends Friday, the two will center on making concessions in details of the pact, along with seeking ways to expand bilateral economic and technology ties, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Seoul and Manila launched their free trade negotiations

Foreign AffairsSept. 9, 2019

Top court reaffirms ex-governor guilty of sexual abuse

South Korea's top court on Monday confirmed a lower court ruling that sentenced a former provincial governor to 3 1/2 years in prison for sexually abusing his secretary.The Supreme Court handed down the ruling to former South Chungcheong Province Gov. An Hee-jung, saying that the victim's testimony was consistent and credible to be accepted as evidence.An was accused of sexually abusing his female secretary, Kim Ji-eun, several times from July 2017 to February last year in abuse of his power.&nb

Social AffairsSept. 9, 2019

Nadal takes five-set US Open thriller for 19th Slam title

NEW YORK (AFP) -- Rafael Nadal captured his 19th career Grand Slam title in thrilling fashion on Sunday by winning the US Open final, outlasting Russia's Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4 to seize his fourth crown in New York.The 33-year-old Spanish left-hander moved one shy of Roger Federer's all-time men's record 20 Grand Slam triumphs and became the second-oldest New York champion in the Open era after Ken Rosewall in 1970 at age 35.World number two Nadal took the top prize of $3.85 mil

More SportsSept. 9, 2019

GM Korea workers stage full-scale strike over wage deal

Unionized workers at GM Korea Co. on Monday staged a full-scale strike for the first time in 22 years as they demand an increase in wages despite warnings from the company's global headquarters.  Some 8,000 workers participated in the walkout at the plants in Incheon, west of Seoul, and Changwon, 400 kilometers southeast of the capital, and plan to continue to strike through Wednesday. The union launched four partial strikes last month and has been boycotting overtime work since Aug. 22. &q

MobilitySept. 9, 2019

US Coast Guard workers to enter ship to rescue 4 Koreans

US Coast Guard workers prepared to enter a tilting ship off the country's east coast on Monday to rescue four South Koreans trapped inside, as some of them apparently responded to its workers tapping on the hull, Seoul's foreign ministry said.The Koreans are presumed to be caught in the engine room of the Golden Ray, a car transport vessel of Hyundai Glovis Co., a logistics unit of South Korea's Hyundai Motor Group.The 71,178-ton, Marshall Islands-flagged ship accidentally tilted on the portside

Social AffairsSept. 9, 2019

Iran slams European powers as nuclear deal unravels

Iran's atomic agency chief hit out Sunday at European powers, saying their broken promises gave the Islamic republic little choice but to scale back its commitments under a nuclear deal.Ali Akbar Salehi was speaking to reporters alongside Cornel Feruta, the acting head of the International Atomic Energy Agency who was on a one-day visit to Tehran. The IAEA official's visit comes a day after Iran said it was firing up advanced centrifuges that enrich uranium at a faster rate -- the latest blow to

World NewsSept. 8, 2019