Seoul to discuss food aid to N. Korea with WFP amid Pyongyang's silence

South Korea said Monday it will discuss with the World Food Programme what to do with promised food aid to North Korea as the communist nation remains unresponsive to the offer. In June, South Korea announced the plan to provide 50,000 tons of rice to the North via the WFP to help the impoverished country address its worsening food shortages. Seoul's original plan was to complete the delivery by the end of this month.But as the North has reportedly been refusing to accept the aid, taking issue w

North KoreaSept. 30, 2019

Forever 21 fashion chain files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

NEW YORK (AP) -- Low-price fashion chain Forever 21, a one-time hot destination for teen shoppers that fell victim to its own rapid expansion and changing consumer tastes, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.The privately held company based in Los Angeles says it will close up to 178 stores. The company once had more than 800 stores in 57 countries. Forever 21 joins Barneys New York and Diesel USA in a growing list of retailers seeking bankruptcy protection as they battle online compe

World NewsSept. 30, 2019

Taiwan shrugs as communist China hails 70th anniversary

TAIPEI (AFP) -- Communist China's creation seven decades ago irrevocably changed Taiwan, but Beijing's huge celebrations this week will be met with a collective shrug on an island where people increasingly see themselves as distinct from the mainland.After the People's Republic of China was declared on 1 October 1949, its rival, the Republic of China, set up in Taiwan -- the island Chiang Kai-shek's defeated nationalists fled to and imposed their will upon.Taiwan remains a sore point to this day

World NewsSept. 30, 2019

With no new ASF confirmed for 3rd day, S. Korea revs up containment efforts

With no new ASF confirmed for 3rd day, S. Korea revs upcontainment South Korea has ratcheted up quarantine efforts to prevent additional outbreaks of African swine fever, though no new confirmed cases have been reported for three days, as a typhoon is on course to hit the southern part of the country this week.The country's quarantine authorities have been implementing disinfection operations at major roads and rivers near the inter-Korean border, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affa

Social AffairsSept. 30, 2019

Seoul City offers Korean name service to overseas Korean culture fans

The Seoul city government said Monday that it has launched a pilot program to give foreigners Korean names as part of efforts to promote the Korean alphabet, hangeul.  The program, titled "Korean Names for Non-Koreans," is available to foreigners who reside overseas and are interested in Korean culture, Park Jin-young, a city official in charge of communication, said. The application form can be downloaded from the city's foreign language website and e-mailed to the city at e

Social AffairsSept. 30, 2019

G-77 adopts statement urging lifting of sanctions on Pyongyang: NK media

The members of the Group of 77 developing countries have adopted a statement opposing "unilateral" economic sanctions on North Korea that hamper its development and prosperity, Pyongyang's state media said Monday.During the ministerial meeting of the G-77 held in New York on Friday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, the member states adopted a statement calling for the immediate lifting of sanctions on North Korea, according to the North's radio network Korean Central Broadca

North KoreaSept. 30, 2019

Trump allies in disarray as Democrats push impeachment

WASHINGTON (AP) -- House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said Sunday that he expects the whistleblower at the heart of impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump to testify “very soon.”“All that needs to be done, at this point, is to make sure that the attorneys that represent the whistleblower get the clearances that they need to be able to accompany the whistleblower to testimony,” said Schiff, D-Calif., “and that we figure out the log

World NewsSept. 30, 2019

Industrial output up for 2nd consecutive month in August

South Korea's industrial output advanced for the second straight month last month on the back of a rise in the service sector, government data showed Monday.The data compiled by Statistics Korea showed the country's overall industrial output rose 0.5 percent in August from a month earlier.Production in the mining, manufacturing, gas and electricity industries fell 1.4 percent last month from a month earlier due mainly to decreased output in cars. Meanwhile, the output of the service sector incre

EconomySept. 30, 2019

Hur Mi-jung captures 2nd LPGA win of season in Indiana

After going nearly five years without an LPGA victory, South Korean Hur Mi-jung has won twice in 2019.Hur's second title of the season came at the Indy Women in Tech Championship in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Sunday (local time). The 29-year-old enjoyed a wire-to-wire victory at Brickyard Crossing Golf Club, where she fired a four-round total of 21-under 267 to beat Nanna Koerstz Madsen of Norway by four strokes and take home $300,000. Hur won the Ladies Scottish Open in August to snap a title dr

GolfSept. 30, 2019

[Graphic News] No. of S. Koreans living abroad inches up in 2018: ministry

　The number of South Korean nationals living overseas rose slightly last year from two years earlier, largely led by increases in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, a biennial report by the Foreign Ministry showed.　The figure stood at 7.49 million at the end of 2018, up 0.85 percent, or 62,899, from the 7.43 million tallied at the end of 2016, according to the report on Koreans living in 180 countries. That compares with a 3.42 percent gain in 2016 and a 2.45 percent increase in 2014.　Of the to

Social AffairsSept. 29, 2019

Top prosecutor reaffirms commitment to reform

Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl said Sunday that the prosecution would fully comply with the Moon Jae-in administration’s push for prosecutorial reform. This is the first official statement from the top prosecutor since the prosecution launched probe into corruption allegations surrounding Justice Minister Cho Kuk’s family in August.The statement, released by the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office in Yoon’s name, said the prosecution will “d

PoliticsSept. 29, 2019

Teaching ‘digital natives’ to pursue knowledge in a creative way

　Drawing and retaining the attention of high school students armed with smartphones in a big class is not an easy task. However, Kim Hyeon appeared relaxed and confident in delivering a special lecture on digital storytelling to students at the art center of Hana Academy Seoul (also known as Hana High School) located in Jingwan-dong, Seoul, Wednesday.　His secret was the creative mix of digital technology and humanities knowledge in a way that captures and stimulates the curiosity of students. 　K

Social AffairsSept. 29, 2019

Bauhaus designs shown in Seoul

Le Corbusier, who was one of the French responses to the Bauhaus school, used to experiment with furniture with his colleagues at his studio to come up with pieces that would fit in well with his architectural works. On view at the Kumho Museum of Art in Seoul’s ongoing exhibition is Charlotte Perriand’s 1952 kitchen module that was installed in Unite d’Habitation in Marseille, a landmark apartment building by Le Corbusier. The kitchen by Perriand provides visitors a glimpse in

Arts & DesignSept. 29, 2019

[James Gibney] Impeachment comes with a foreign policy silver lining

Even before House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pulled the trigger on an investigation into President Donald Trump’s dealings with Ukraine, there were fears and complaints that impeachment proceedings would dangerously compromise US foreign policy. Beyond just stifling the president’s communications with foreign leaders, wrote former Justice Department official John Yoo, Congress “would seize the upper hand in foreign affairs, which has produced disasters.”But there’s anothe

ViewpointsSept. 29, 2019

[Leonid Bershidsky] Ukraine holds more surprises for Biden

US presidential candidate Joe Biden is about to learn an unpleasant lesson about Ukraine: Once you’ve stepped into the country’s politics, there’s no way to emerge unsullied. Recent developments suggest he’ll be fielding questions about a lot more than what President Donald Trump has already slung his way.Consider the case of Ukrainian billionaire Dmytro Firtash, which could play into one of the conservative blogosphere’s favorite obsessions: the idea that Ukraine p

ViewpointsSept. 29, 2019

Nexon to launch new mobile game V4 in Nov.

Korean game company Nexon said Saturday it will release a new mobile game titled V4 on Nov. 7, having already postponed a number of other games.Nexon had set out this year with ambitious plans to launch 10 new mobile games within the first half of 2019. However, the mobile version of The Kingdom of the Winds: Yeon, as well as SinoAlice, a Japanese game whose global distribution rights Nexon acquired, have both been postponed without being rescheduled. The Kingdom of the Winds: Yeon had a closed

IndustrySept. 29, 2019

Samsung strikes back at LG over legitimacy of QLED reference

Samsung Electronics on Sunday struck back at LG Electronics, saying its reference to quantum-dot light-emitting diodes for TV commercials had already been approved in major overseas markets.“It is regretful that the QLED reference is belatedly becoming an issue in Korea, when it had been cleared for use at major overseas markets,” said a Samsung representative.  Samsung said the QLED label for its TVs had been approved by advertisement authorities in the US, the UK and Australia

IndustrySept. 29, 2019

North Korea urges US to turn words into action

A North Korean envoy called on the United States to translate its promises into action ahead of upcoming working-level talks between the two countries to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. “The US should implement the North Korea-US joint agreement with sincerity and bold decision after great deliberation,” Ri Ki-ho, a counselor at North Korea’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, said at the 2019 Global Peace Forum on Korea, held at Columbia

North KoreaSept. 29, 2019