[Herald Interview] ‘What is Korean is what is most global’

In 1965, a group of history majors from Ewha Womans University visited Sosu Seowon in Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, a Confucian academy built in the 16th century during the Joseon era (1392-1910). The simple, relatively uneventful field trip ended up kicking off a series of events that saw nine of the “seowon” -- Korean neo-Confucian academies -- being inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List over half a century later.“I was struck by the grace of the wooden buildings

PeopleOct. 3, 2019

Holiday on rails: cruise train Haerang

It is every couch potato's dream come true: You get to travel around the country with a friendly guide at your side, try each region’s delicacies, enjoy a performance once in a while and sleep in a comfy bed -- all while not once having to book for a ride. The catch? It comes with a rather hefty price tag. But if you are up for it, a trip aboard Korail’s Rail Cruise Haerang could be quite an experience.On a recent sunny fall day, I boarded the train at Seoul Station for a trip slated

TravelOct. 3, 2019

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Everland ‘Blood City’ Halloween festivalEverland theme park is holding the latest edition of its zombie-themed Halloween festival “Blood City” until Nov. 17.Parts of the park feature a horror theme, with around 100 staff dressed as zombies, clowns and monsters. Performances and photo spots are available, including at the recently unveiled Raptor Ranger attraction. Some of the most popular attractions, including T-Express, have a horror theme as well.For more information i

TravelOct. 3, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Joker(US)Opened Oct.2Drama, mystery & suspense Directed by Todd Phillips A clown-for-hire by day, Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) aspires to be a stand-up comic at night. But finds the joke always seems to be on him. Caught in a cyclical existence between apathy and cruelty, Arthur makes one bad decision that brings about a chain reaction of escalating events in this gritty character study. Crazy Romance (Korea)Opened Oct.2RomanceDirected by Kim Han-gyeolJae-hoon (Kim Rae-won) is hu

FilmOct. 3, 2019

[Hal Brands] Singapore has some tough advice for US and China

These are fraught times for Asia-Pacific nations caught in the crossfire of the US-China rivalry. I recently wrote about how one longtime US ally, the Philippines, is repositioning itself between Washington and Beijing. But Manila is hardly alone in trying to protect itself as the geopolitical giants clash. Singapore confronts a similar challenge, which was thrown into relief by an interview its Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong gave last week. Lee’s remarks highlight the dilemmas faced by we

ViewpointsOct. 3, 2019

[Daniel Moss] South Korea has a problem other countries can only dream of

South Korea’s economy is in a tough spot. Too bad the monetary policy response has been so tame.The country is flirting with outright deflation, figures Tuesday showed, as consumer prices declined for the first time on record. Exports, which account for about 40 percent of gross domestic product, had slipped for 10 straight months. The Bank of Korea says the country will struggle to meet even lowered growth forecasts.BOK policymakers need to articulate a broad strategy to get inflation bac

ViewpointsOct. 3, 2019

Shareholders make profit from poultry stocks amid swine fever outbreak

Even as the African swine fever outbreak is spreading in South Korea, many investors are offloading their stocks to make profits from businesses related to meat processing and quarantine services, data showed Thursday.Though such profit-taking sales are legal, the stock price plunge and consequent impact on smaller individual investors has invoked criticism.According to the electronic disclosure system operated by the Financial Supervisory Service, poultry processor and distributor Maniker&rsquo

MarketOct. 3, 2019

North Korea’s nuclear negotiators head to Sweden after successful SLBM launch

North Korea said Thursday its testing of a new submarine-launched ballistic missile was successful -- touting it as a significant milestone in strengthening its self-defense -- even as its nuclear negotiating team headed to Sweden for working-level talks with the US. Its state news agency KCNA said that the Pukguksong-3 missile was test-fired at a high angle in the waters off Wonsan, a military base used for previous missile launches, and was designed to contain external threats. “The succ

North KoreaOct. 3, 2019

Protesters call for sacking justice minister

Massive demonstrations were held in central Seoul on Thursday demanding the resignation of Cho Kuk, the controversial minister of justice. On the National Foundation Day, groups of protesters took to the Gwanghwamun Square and adjoining crossroads, filling up the 12-lane road from the square to the City Hall Subway Station Exit No. 7 -- about 100 meters in width and 1.4 kilometers in length – by around noon.A separate rally organized by the ultraconservative Our Republican Party saw protes

Social AffairsOct. 3, 2019

S. Korea’s sales of derivatives-linked securities fall 32% in Sept.

Sales of derivatives-linked securities in South Korea last month dropped nearly 32 percent on-month as snowballing controversy surrounding commercial banks’ sales of risky derivative products dampened investor sentiment, data showed Thursday.According to the Korea Securities Depository, the combined value of derivatives-linked securities, including derivatives-linked bonds, sold throughout September dropped to 1.4 trillion won ($1.2 billion), down 32.2 percent on-month.The value of the pro

MarketOct. 3, 2019

[News Focus] 2 in 5 South Koreans aged 50 or over

SEJONG -- It is widely known to the public that South Korea’s senior population is rapidly growing, as the government and media outlets have continued to raise awareness about the aged society and demographic changes.The percentage of Koreans aged 70 or over has surpassed 10 percent. Further, the percentage of those aged 65 or over -- who are classified as seniors -- has exceeded 15 percent.The situation of fast-aging is getting more critical, given the current figure for the population of

Social AffairsOct. 3, 2019

Posco crosses crude steel output milestone

South Korean steelmaker Posco said Thursday it has hit the 1-billion ton milestone of crude steel production since 1973, amid intensifying oversupply globally. The volume is equivalent to the material needed to produce 1 billion midsized cars or 20,000 units of Lotte Tower, the nation’s tallest skyscraper in Seoul.Posco began producing the first molten metal at its blast furnace in 1973. It produced 1 million tons of crude steel, supplied steel for 25,000 cars and provided 12,000 compensat

IndustryOct. 3, 2019

Samsung’s Q3 earnings likely to surpass W7tr

Samsung Electronics’ third-quarter earnings are in the limelight amid emerging signs of a recovery in demand for memory chips, according to industry sources Thursday. The South Korean tech giant is scheduled to announce its preliminary earnings guidance next week. Market analysts forecast it has posted an operating profit of over 7 trillion won ($5.8 billion) in the July-September period. Shinhan Financial Investment predicted in a report that the tech giant will post 60.64 trillion won in

TechnologyOct. 3, 2019

LG launches affordable LED 4K projector CineBeam

LG Electronics said Thursday the company has expanded its lineup of high-definition projectors by launching an LED 4K projector in addition to the laser versions. The LG 4K CineBeam meets the need of consumers who enjoy watching movies at home. It offers a large-size projected display of up to 140 inches.  The latest model uses four LED light sources unlike existing LED projectors by adding one more blue light, which enhances brightness and definition. Google Assistant and LG’s smart

TechnologyOct. 3, 2019

Invossa aftereffects course over to other gene therapy companies

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety inspected six gene therapy companies as a follow-up measure to the Invossa issue, a wire report said Thursday.Invossa, a gene therapy for joint inflammation treatment by Kolon Life Science, was stripped of its sales approval in May this year after the company belatedly reported a mislabeling of the key cell used in the drug. Invossa obtained the MFDS approval in July 2017 and started commercial sale in November of the same year.While attempting to make inroad

IndustryOct. 3, 2019

AMP recognizes beauty of Saemoonan Church

Saemoonan Church, the oldest Presbyterian church in the country, was recognized with the Architecture MasterPrize, a prestigious architectural award given by the Farmani Group. The new church building in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, was listed under the award’s Cultural Architecture category, announced Thursday.  The award introduced it as the “Mother Church” of Korea, referring to the history of it being the first organized church in the nation. Saemoonan Church was establ

Arts & DesignOct. 3, 2019

NK top nuke envoy arrives in Beijing possibly on way to talks with US

North Korea's chief nuclear negotiator arrived in Beijing on Thursday for a possible trip to Sweden for the envisioned denuclearization talks with the United States. The four-member North Korean delegation led by Kim Myong-gil was spotted at Beijing International Capital Airport upon arrival from Pyongyang on an Air Koryo flight.The officials are forecast to leave for the Swedish capital of Stockholm later in the day, as they were confirmed to have reserved Air China tickets bound for the city.

North KoreaOct. 3, 2019

US mulls giving North Korea 36-month reprieve on sanctions

The United States plans to offer a 36-month suspension of some sanctions on North Korea in exchange for shutting down the Yongbyon nuclear facility, according to a report by US online media Vox on Wednesday.The proposal is reportedly being considered for discussions between both countries when they meet for working-level talks this weekend.Vox also reported that US President Donald Trump promised North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during their meeting at Panmunjom in June that he would sign a decla

North KoreaOct. 3, 2019

Samsung, LG take top spots in Consumer Reports' best TV list

South Korea's top two electronics brands, Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc., took up four of the top-five recommended small flat-screen TVs in the United States, industry sources said Thursday.Among 32-inch flat-screen TVs available in the market, Samsung took up the top two seats, followed by LG in the third and fourth spots, according to Consumer Reports. Samsung's QLED 4K TV took the top position for its top-notch resolution and connectivity with other smart devices, the US indu

IndustryOct. 3, 2019