Pedestrian-only boulevards expanded to Gangnam

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will ban vehicles from sections of the two main boulevards in southern Seoul as part of its efforts to make the capital city more pedestrian-friendly, city authorities said Wednesday. A 1-kilometer-long stretch of Banpo-daero and a 600-meter-long stretch of Yeongdong-daero will be closed off to vehicles Sept. 21 and Sept. 29. Daehangno in central Seoul, which stretches 960 meters, will go pedestrian-only on Oct. 13. During the car-free periods, a host of cu

Social AffairsSept. 18, 2019

Main opposition leader’s bald head leads to unexpected stardom

When Hwang Kyo-ahn, head of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, had his head shaved Monday, calling for the resignation of newly appointed Justice Minister Cho Kuk, he intended to publicly demonstrate his firm resolve to see the matter through. Little could he have imagined that photos parodying his new look would go viral. As soon as the media began running images of Hwang’s very closely shaved head, his name shot to the top of the “trending news” list on Naver, the

PoliticsSept. 18, 2019

Moon declares support for int'l press freedom initiative

South Korean President Moon Jae-in formally expressed support Wednesday for a major press freedom initiative by Reporters Without Borders, meeting with its visiting leader.Moon greeted Christophe Deloire, secretary general of the Paris-based international non-governmental organization, also known as Reporters Sans Frontieres, at Cheong Wa Dae.Joining their half-hour meeting were Cedric Alviani, director of the RSF's East Asia bureau in Taipei, and Jung Kyu-sung, head of the Journalists' Associat

InternationalSept. 18, 2019

'Lord of the Rings' show to start filming in New Zealand

WELLINGTON (AFP) -- US-based streaming giant Amazon announced Wednesday its big-budget "Lord of the Rings" series will within months start filming in New Zealand, home to Peter Jackson's movies of the fantasy epic.Amazon is reportedly spending $1 billion-plus on the series as it seeks to emulate the runaway success enjoyed by "Games of Thrones".Showrunners JD Payne and Patrick McKay said the South Pacific nation offered the "primordial beauty" of Middle Earth, the s

FilmSept. 18, 2019

NK nuclear reactor shut down for enough time for re-fuelling: IAEA

North Korea's main plutonium-producing reactor has been shut down for enough time for it to be re-fuelled, the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a recent report, stressing Pyongyang's nuclear activities remain a cause for "serious concern."The 5-megawatt reactor at the North's Yongbyon nuclear complex showed signs of intermittent operation between mid-August and late November last year, but there have been no indications of operations there since early December, the agency sai

North KoreaSept. 18, 2019

[팟캐스트] (318) LG-삼성 8K티비 공방전 / 평양공동선언 1주년

진행자: 임정요, Kevin Lee Selzer1. Samsung, LG spar over picture quality of 8K TVs기사요약: LG전자는 삼성전자의 2019년형 8K TV가 콘트라스트 모듈레이션 (선명도)에서 13퍼센트라는 낙제점을 받았다고 맹렬히 공격하고 있다. 국제기관이 정한 화질을 결정하는 요소로 8천개의 픽셀수 뿐만 최소 50퍼센트의 선명도를 충족해야하는데, 삼성이 TV의 시야각을 개선하기 위해 덧붙인 필름이 선명도를 기준 미달로 떨어뜨린게 아닌가 의혹을 제기하고 있다.아이튠즈(아이폰): https://itunes.apple.com/kr/podcast/koliaheleoldeu-paskaeseuteu/id686406253?mt=2팟빵 (안드로이드): http://www.podbbang.com/ch/6638[1] South Korean tech giants Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics sparred again Tues

PodcastSept. 18, 2019

FM to visit US military base this week

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha is set to visit a sprawling US military complex south of Seoul this week and hold talks with US Forces Korea Commander Gen. Robert Abrams, her ministry said Wednesday. Kang will visit the Osan air base and Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, about 70 kilometers away from the capital, on Friday, the ministry said in a release. US Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris will accompany her on the visit. During the talks with Abrams, Kang is expected to reaffirm the importan

Foreign AffairsSept. 18, 2019

S. Korea appoints ex-deputy NIS director as new ambassador to Israel

South Korea on Wednesday appointed a former deputy director of the National Intelligence Service as its new ambassador to Israel, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Suh Dong-gu, who served as the first deputy NIS director from June 2017 to August this year, will succeed Choi Yong-hwan as Seoul's top envoy in Israel.Before his stint at the spy agency, Suh worked as a career diplomat for decades, serving in various overseas posts, including in the United States, the United Nations, Canada and Pakistan

Foreign AffairsSept. 18, 2019

Mirae Asset Daewoo included on DJSI for 8th consecutive year

South Korea’s Mirae Asset Daewoo appeared on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index last week for the eighth consecutive year in recognition of its sustainable management efforts, the company said Tuesday.  “We feel honored for obtaining recognition from a globally reputable institution over Mirae Asset’s sustainable management related activities such as social contribution, (improvement) in corporate governance, human rights, the environment and responsible investment,&

MarketSept. 18, 2019

King Sejong Institute to open 1st Seoul center

The first King Sejong Institute center in Seoul will open next month to meet rising demand for learning Korean language and culture from foreigners living in South Korea, its operator said Wednesday.King Sejong Institute Foundation said it will test run Yongsan Sejong Institute in Yongsan, central Seoul, from Oct. 14 for three months in cooperation with the district office, the first time that the foundation has partnered with a local government to run an institute in South Korea. The foundation

CultureSept. 18, 2019

Police on alert as Taiwan's flag lowered in the Solomons

HONIARA (AFP) -- Police maintained a strong presence on the streets of the Solomon Islands' capital Honiara Tuesday but reported no unrest following the troubled Pacific nation's decision to switch diplomatic allegiance to China from Taiwan.The move, revealed late Monday when officials in Taipei pre-emptively severed ties with Honiara, prompted a peaceful pro-Taiwan protest on the island of Malaita."We've spoken to the police chief there and there were no incidents," a police spokesman

World NewsSept. 18, 2019

US ready to resume nuke talks with N. Korea: top official

The United States is ready to resume denuclearization talks with North Korea, but will maintain sanctions on the regime for now, a top US official said Tuesday.US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell made the remarks in a prepared statement for the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia ahead of his scheduled testimony Wednesday. "We remain committed to the goals President Trump and Chairman Kim set in their summit in Singapore in June 2018 and

Foreign AffairsSept. 18, 2019

S. Korea reports 2nd confirmed African swine fever case

South Korea reported its second confirmed case of African swine fever Wednesday at a farm near the heavily fortified border with North Korea, raising concerns over the spread of the deadly animal disease across the country.The new case at a pig farm in Yeoncheon was confirmed a day after another case of African swine fever was reported, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.The county near the border with North Korea is about 48 kilometers away from Paju, where the fir

Social AffairsSept. 18, 2019

Russian border guards injured in clash with N. Korean poachers

MOSCOW (AFP) -- Three Russian coast guards were injured Tuesday in a clash with North Korean fishing boats in the East Sea, after which 80 fishermen were detained, Russia's FSB security service said.The FSB security service, which controls the border and coast guard, said in a statement that guards observed two fishing vessels and 11 motor boats while on duty in Russian waters of the Eas Sea.The larger boat's crew attacked coast guard officers who boarded the vessel, and three officers &quo

North KoreaSept. 18, 2019

Saudi oil attacks came from southwest Iran, US official says, raising tensions

WASHINGTON/DUBAI (Reuters) - The United States believes the attacks that crippled Saudi Arabian oil facilities last weekend originated in southwestern Iran, a US official told Reuters on Tuesday, an assessment that further increases tension in the Middle East.Three officials, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the attacks involved both cruise missiles and drones, indicating that they involved a higher degree of complexity and sophistication than initially thought.The officials d

World NewsSept. 18, 2019

Japan officially removed from South Korea's whitelist

South Korea excluded Japan from its export controls whitelist Wednesday in retaliation for Tokyo’s earlier decision to remove Seoul from its list of favored trade partners, as bilateral relations have slumped to the lowest levels since normalizing diplomatic ties in 1965.“The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has published the revision of the nation’s trade controls on strategic items in an official gazette and it took effect from Wednesday,” said the ministry spokes

IndustrySept. 17, 2019

Trump Says US, Japan Reach Initial Agreement on Tariffs

President Donald Trump said his administration has reached an initial trade accord with Japan over tariffs and that he intends to enter into the agreement in coming weeks.In a notice to Congress on Monday, Trump also said the US will be entering an “executive agreement” with Japan over digital trade.There was no mention by Trump if he’ll end his threat to slap tariffs on Japanese auto imports as part of the trade deal.“My administration looks forward to continued collabor

InternationalSept. 17, 2019

Stocks mixed, oil down as markets await news on Saudi plant

World shares were mixed on Tuesday and oil prices eased back pending updates on restoring output at a Saudi Aramco oil processing plant damaged by an attack over the weekend.Chinese benchmarks led declines in Asia after the credit ratings agency Moody's downgraded Hong Kong, citing its recent political turmoil.  Germany's DAX lost 0.2% to 12,362 after the ZEW index of economic confidence dropped again in September, pointing to the likelihood of a brief recession before a pick-up at the end

InternationalSept. 17, 2019

N. Korea chased off Japanese fishing boats in late August: KCNA

North Korea's coast guard chased off Japanese fishing boats illegally operating in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) late last month, Pyongyang's state media reported Tuesday, rebutting Tokyo's claims that armed North Korean boats had trespassed in its own zone. "The expulsion of the Japanese ships from our zone is a just and righteous exercise of our sovereign rights," North Korea's foreign ministry was quoted as saying by the English-language report of the Korean Central News Agency

North KoreaSept. 17, 2019

Samsung, LG spar over picture quality of 8K TVs

South Korean tech giants Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics sparred again Tuesday, questioning the picture quality of 8K TVs, undermining each other’s technological prowess. LG once again accused Samsung of exaggerated, misleading marketing of its 2019 QLED 8K TVs and demanded more details.Since the IFA trade show in Berlin, Germany, earlier in September, LG has been slamming Samsung’s 8K TVs as failing to meet globally agreed standards that require minimum 50 percent contrast mo

TechnologySept. 17, 2019