Justice minister's wife grilled over corruption allegations

Prosecutors summoned the wife of Justice Minister Cho Kuk for the third time Tuesday as part of its widening investigation into corruption allegations surrounding his family.His wife, a professor surnamed Chung, faces allegations that she forged a college presidential citation to help her daughter gain admission to medical school and about her family's dubious investment in a private equity fund (PEF).The prosecution called her in a closed-door manner without her being exposed to the media, like

Social AffairsOct. 8, 2019

[Newsmaker] Democratic Party to bring opposition lawmaker to ethics panel for swearing

Democratic Party Floor Leader Lee In-young said Tuesday the ruling party will refer an opposition lawmaker to the parliamentary ethics committee for alleged intervention in ongoing probes and the use of abusive language. Rep. Yeo Sang-kyoo of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, who chairs the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee, said Monday the prosecution should not deal with the case of a physical standoff in parliament, in which he was involved.In April, Liberty

PoliticsOct. 8, 2019

[News Focus] Hog-raising industry alarmed by spread of swine fever

SEJONG -- It is now close to one month since the nation’s first case of African swine fever was confirmed in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on Sept. 17.The number of outbreaks of the deadly animal virus came to 13 as of 4 p.m., Oct. 8 -- eight in Gyeonggi Province and five in Incheon. All the affected regions are close to the inter-Korean border: Paju, Gyeonggi Province, with five cases; Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, with one case; Ganghwa County, Incheon, with five cases; and Gimpo, Gyeong

Social AffairsOct. 8, 2019

S. Korean, US JCS chiefs to hold annual talks in Seoul next month

The military chiefs of South Korea and the United States plan to hold their annual talks in Seoul next month to discuss regional security situations and a wide range of alliance issues, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday.JCS Chairman Gen. Park Han-ki and his US counterpart Gen. Mark Milley are scheduled to hold the 44th Military Committee Meeting (MCM) in Seoul on Nov. 14, the JCS said in a report for a parliamentary audit.The MCM is held every year before the defense ministers of the tw

DefenseOct. 8, 2019

S. Korea in final disinfection stretch with no new confirmed ASF case for 5th day

South Korea's quarantine authorities are doubling disinfection efforts to stem the nationwide spread of African swine fever as no new confirmed ASF case has been reported in the past five days.The country's agriculture ministry said Tuesday it will complete the planned purchase of pigs north of Seoul, where most of the deadly animal disease cases were reported.The latest ASF case was confirmed in Gimpo, northwest of Seoul, on Thursday. Since then, all suspected cases have tested negative. Since

Social AffairsOct. 8, 2019

S. Korea, Russia pushing to set up military hotline: JCS

South Korea and Russia have been pushing to set up a military hotline between their air forces as part of efforts to prevent any accidental entry into each other's air defense identification zones, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday.The two countries are scheduled to hold a joint defense committee meeting later this month to discuss the signing of a memorandum of understanding on the establishment of the hotline to exchange their flight information, the JCS said in its report for a parli

DefenseOct. 8, 2019

Large drone festival to take place in Seoul

A large drone festival will take place at a Han River park in Seoul this weekend, offering citizens rare opportunities to enjoy the latest and future technologies of unmanned flying objects, municipal officials said Tuesday.The Seoul metropolitan government said it and the transportation ministry will jointly hold the "2019 Seoul Drone Challenge" at Gwangnaru Hangang Park in eastern Seoul on Saturday, displaying various new functions of drones, such as ultra-high resolution photography

Social AffairsOct. 8, 2019

Foreigners remain net buyers of S. Korean bonds, stocks

Foreign investors continued to scoop up local shares and bonds in the first seven months of the year, the central bank said Tuesday, possibly reflecting their confidence in the country's strong economic fundamentals despite a steady decline in exports and sluggish growth.In the January-July period, foreigners purchased a net US$8.71 billion worth of local stocks while also purchasing a net $16.43 billion worth of local bonds, the Bank of Korea said in a report submitted to the parliamentary fina

MarketOct. 8, 2019

More than 1 in 10 S. Korean companies remain marginal in 2018: BOK

The number of companies unable to service their debts with earnings rose from a year earlier in 2018, posing a threat to the country's financial and economic stability, central bank data showed Tuesday.According to a report submitted by the Bank of Korea for parliamentary audit, the number of the so-called marginal companies came to 3,236 last year, up from 3,112 a year earlier.The number represents 14.2 percent of 22,869 companies here that are subject to external audit. Marginal firms refer to

EconomyOct. 8, 2019

Trio win medicine Nobel for work on how cells adapt to oxygen

STOCKHOLM (AFP) -- Three researchers from the United States and Britain on Monday shared the Nobel Medicine Prize for research into how human cells sense and adapt to changing oxygen levels, opening up new strategies to fight such diseases as cancer and anaemia.Americans William Kaelin and Gregg Semenza, and Britain's Peter Ratcliffe, split the nine million Swedish kronor ($914,000, 833,000 euros) award.While the fact that humans need oxygen to survive has been understood for centuries, how

World NewsOct. 8, 2019

US prefers a 'big deal' with China: Trump

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- President Donald Trump said Monday he would prefer to strike a comprehensive trade bargain with China, in comments days before top US and Chinese officials are due to resume trade talks in Washington.But with little sign the two sides have made progress in bridging the distance between them, speculation has mounted in recent months they may reach a deal which addresses only some of Washington's extensive grievances."I think it's not what we prefer at all. My inclination

World NewsOct. 8, 2019

Samsung Electronics' Q3 earnings more than halve, beat market consensus

Samsung Electronics Co. said Tuesday its operating earnings plunged 56 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier, mainly hit by continuing falls in global chip prices, but its performance was better than the market had expected.The operating profit was estimated at 7.7 trillion won ($6.4 billion) in the July-September period, according to its earnings guidance. The figures were above market expectations of 6.99 trillion won, according to the report by Seoul-based financial market tracker

IndustryOct. 8, 2019

Korea's current account surplus narrows in Aug.

South Korea's current account remained in the black for the fourth consecutive month in August, but its surplus narrowed sharply from a year earlier amid a steady decline in exports, central bank data showed Tuesday.The country's current account surplus came to $5.27 billion in the month, compared with a $8.55 billion surplus in the same month last year and a $6.95 billion surplus a month earlier, according to preliminary data from the Bank of Korea.The goods account surplus has been more than h

EconomyOct. 8, 2019

Seoul ministry, Philippine agency team up to support Filipino marriage migrants

Cultural understanding is key to multicultural marriages, says Justice Francisco P. Acosta, the chief of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas. The Commission on Filipinos Overseas, a presidential commission based in the Philippines, is working with Seoul’s Ministry of Gender Equality and Family to protect rights of Filipino marriage migrants in South Korea.Speaking to The Korea Herald after a closed door meeting with the Gender Ministry in Seoul on Friday, Acosta emphasized the need for cu

Social AffairsOct. 8, 2019

North Korea warns against Security Council meeting on missile tests

UNITED NATIONS (AFP) -- North Korea warned Monday it would not "sit idle" if any attempt is made at the UN Security Council to raise the subject of its "self-defensive measures," an apparent reference to its recent missile tests.Three European countries -- Britain, France and Germany -- called for a closed door Security Council meeting Tuesday to discuss North Korea's test last week of a sea-launched missile, saying it was a "serious violation" of UN resolutions.Nor

North KoreaOct. 8, 2019

North Korea boat collides with Japan sea patrol; 60 crew rescued

TOKYO (AFP) -- Around 60 members of a North Korean fishing boat were rescued Monday after it sank following a collision with a Japanese patrol vessel, local media said.The North Korean ship -- believed to illegally fishing in Japanese waters -- capsized after the collision, the coast guard said.Satoshi Kuwahara, a Japanese fisheries agency official, told reporters the patrol boat Okuni had earlier warned the North Korean vessel to leave the area.All of the estimated 60 crew members aboard the No

North KoreaOct. 8, 2019

Trio win medicine Nobel for work on how cells adapt to oxygen

STOCKHOLM (AFP) -- Three researchers from the US and Britain on Monday shared the Nobel Medicine Prize for research into how human cells sense and adapt to changing oxygen levels, opening up new strategies to fight common diseases such as cancer and anaemia.   William Kaelin and Gregg Semenza of the US and Britain's Peter Ratcliffe split the nine million Swedish kronor ($914,000) award.While the fact that humans need oxygen to survive has been understood for centuries, how the body reg

World NewsOct. 7, 2019

South Korea's annual greenhouse emissions hit record high in 2017

South Korea's annual greenhouse emission reached a record high of 709.1 million tons in 2017, a government environment agency said Monday.   The Greenhouse Gas General Information Center, under the Ministry of Environment, disclosed the emissions results after getting confirmation by a government committee in charge of controlling greenhouse gas.The output marks growth of 2.4 percent from 2016 when the corresponding figure came to 692.6 tons, according to the center.It is also the firs

Social AffairsOct. 7, 2019

[Graphic News] S. Korea ranks 20th in average wealth per capita

　South Korea ranked 20th out of 53 countries surveyed by German insurer Allianz Group in terms of per capita financial assets last year, according to a report from the group.　According to the recently released “Allianz Global Wealth Report,” Koreans’ financial assets stood at an average of 39 million won ($33,000) per person in 2018, slightly up from a year earlier.　Last year, the United States topped the list with per capita financial assets of 240 million won, followed by Swi

MarketOct. 7, 2019

[Herald Design Forum 2019] Alex Mustonen, artist who reinvents everyday structures, materials

Alex Mustonen, co-founder of New York-based studio Snarkitecture, is a creator of unconventional objects and spaces, merging different disciplines, including art and architecture.  Mustonen and his colleagues at Snarkitecture -- Daniel Arsham and Ben Porto -- are widely known for their works that reinterpret everyday structures and materials, transforming them into something utterly new to invite visitors to engage with their surroundings.At Herald Design Forum 2019, Mustonen will talk abou

Arts & DesignOct. 7, 2019