S. Korea files WTO complaint over Japan’s export curb

　The South Korean government on Wednesday filed a complaint over Japan’s tighter export curbs with the World Trade Organization, accusing Tokyo of taking discriminatory measures against Korea for politically motivated reasons.　During a press briefing in Seoul, the country’s Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee said the Japanese government’s export controls targeting Korea violate WTO rules by regulating free trade for political purposes.　Early in July, Japan imposed export curbs on thr

TechnologySept. 11, 2019

[Lee Joo-hee] Taking things out of context: The case of LG vs. SK

In our everyday drudgery of overwhelming duties and innate thirst for praise, it is easy to fall into the pit of spontaneous buck-passing when things go south.And such a defensive mode quickly transpires into aggressive offense against the point of threat, plastered with the rationale of self-righteousness, when the stakes get higher.In such a progression, it is easy to get lost in the tit-for-tat and all the emotions, with the direct parties and spectators losing grasp of what it was really all

ViewpointsSept. 11, 2019

Senior diplomat to Cambodia relieved from position for sexual misconduct allegations

A South Korean diplomat stationed in Cambodia has been relieved from the post following allegations of sexual harassment against a female embassy employee, an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday,The diplomat, whose name and position have been withheld, was ordered to return to Korea and is currently undergoing an internal investigation by the ministry regarding the allegations. On Tuesday, several local news outlets quoting the ministry official reported that, according

Foreign AffairsSept. 11, 2019

[New Economic Non-order:2] Trump’s revival of trade protectionism pushes WTO to the brink

The Korea Herald is publishing a series of articles to look into the weakening of the global economic framework in light of fading liberalism and the rise of trade protectionism and nationalism. This is the second installment. -- Ed.The World Trade Organization was birthed in 1995 as an advocate of free trade, persuading global economies to lower trade barriers through yearslong rounds of negotiations. Though it has slowly been losing its clout in recent years, the WTO continued to shine as a be

EconomySept. 11, 2019

[IFA 2019] Home gardening gets smart with LED lights

BERLIN -- Large home appliances took the center stage at IFA 2019, but on the sidelines there were also sections that spotlighted health care, gaming and home gardening. Among those, Finnish company Plantui’s booth caught eyes with electronic plant pots emitting colorful lights.  Called the Smart Gardens, the Plantui devices are equipped with intelligent light-emitting diodes and automatic water pumping system, which allows anyone to grow fresh greens all year round, indoors.“We

IndustrySept. 11, 2019

Insurance consulting firm Rich&Co. hosts festival

Insurance consulting and services firm Rich&Co. said it hosted its “Reach the Future Festival” at Kintex, Ilsan, Tuesday, gathering 3,000 of its employees to discuss the company’s vision and future steps. Among the company’s services is the “Good Rich” app to integrate and manage one’s insurance subscriptions. (khnews@heraldcorp.com)

IndustrySept. 11, 2019

[팟캐스트] (317) 안희정 전 도지사 실형 선고 / 태풍 링링 피해

진행자: 손지형, Kevin Lee Selzer1. Prison term confirmed for ex-governor found guilty of rape기사요약: 비서 성폭행 혐의로 기소된 안희정 전 도지사에 대한 형이 징역 3년 6개월로 확정됨. 성인지 감수성 개념이 판결 결과에 영향.아이튠즈(아이폰): https://itunes.apple.com/kr/podcast/koliaheleoldeu-paskaeseuteu/id686406253?mt=2팟빵 (안드로이드): http://www.podbbang.com/ch/6638[1] 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 movem

PodcastSept. 11, 2019

Seoul files complaint with WTO over Tokyo's export curbs

South Korea filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization on Wednesday over Japan's export curbs, upping the stakes in the unprecedented trade row between the two Asian neighbors.The move came more than two months after Tokyo started restrictions of exporting three key industrial materials to Seoul, which are essential for the production of chips and displays, potentially dealing a harsh blow to Seoul's backbone technology industry."South Korea decided to file a complaint with the WTO

Foreign AffairsSept. 11, 2019

Apple cuts prices, ramps up services as iPhone 11 launches

CUPERTINO (AFP) -- Apple unveiled its iPhone 11 models Tuesday with a price cut for the most basic models while also laying out plans for streaming and gaming services as it bids to weather the slump in the global smartphone market.Price appeared to be a key consideration as the tech giant reduced the entry level price for the iPhone 11 to $699 and undercut rivals for its gaming and streaming television subscriptions.Apple unveiled three versions of the iPhone 11 including "Pro" models

World NewsSept. 11, 2019

Jobless rate hits 6-year low in August, job additions largest in nearly 3 years

South Korea's jobless rate hit a six-year low in August, and job additions increased the most in 29 months, government data showed Wednesday.The unemployment rate fell 1 percentage point on-year to 3 percent in August from a year earlier, also marking the lowest level for any August since 2013. The number of employed people reached 27.3 million in August, a rise of 452,000 from the same month in 2018, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. The number of jobs added is the largest sin

EconomySept. 11, 2019

Trump ousts hawkish Bolton, dissenter on foreign policy

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump on Tuesday abruptly forced out John Bolton, his hawkish national security adviser with whom he had strong disagreements on Iran, Afghanistan and a cascade of other global challenges.The sudden shake-up marked the latest departure of a prominent voice of dissent from the president's inner circle, as Trump has grown less accepting of advice contrary to his instincts. It also comes at a trying moment for Trump on the world stage, weeks ahead of the United N

World NewsSept. 11, 2019

S. Korea, UAE to join hands on overseas nuke reactor projects

South Korea's industry ministry said Tuesday it has agreed to join hands with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to secure new nuclear reactor projects overseas.The state-run Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) signed a memorandum of understanding with Barakah One Co. to jointly win nuclear reactor projects, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.Barakah One Co. is a joint venture established by KEPCO and the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp. South Korea has been building four react

IndustrySept. 10, 2019

GS E&C wins 276 bln-won order in Thailand

GS Engineering & Construction, a major builder in South Korea, said Tuesday it has secured a 275.5 billion-won ($231 million) order for a petrochemical plant construction project in Thailand. Under the deal with Thai firm HMC Polymers Co., GS E&C will build a polypropylene plant at a Map Ta Phut site in Rayong Province, Thailand. The company said it will take about 35 months to complete the polypropylene plant, which will have an annual capacity of 250,000 tons. GS E&C previousl

IndustrySept. 10, 2019

[Graphic News] 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. 　The combined net profit of eight card issuers, including Shinhan Card, Samsung Card and KB Kookmin Card, came to 940.5 billion won ($789 million) in the January-June period, down 2.7 percent from a year earlier, according to data released by the Financial Supervisory Service.　Earlier this year, the government cut credit card processing fees to

BusinessSept. 10, 2019

S. Korea’s SpaceX lunar project postponed to 2022

　The government’s plan to use a SpaceX projectile to search the orbit of the moon has been postponed to July 2022, the Science Ministry said Tuesday, amid lingering disputes over the projectile’s weight and design. 　During a press briefing in Sejong city, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced it had decided to delay the lunar projectile’s launch by 19 months. The projectile was supposed to be launched in December next year. 　According to the government, there had been dispu

TechnologySept. 10, 2019

Lawyers slam human rights commission probe of NK waitresses’ case

A group of South Korean lawyers said Tuesday it would challenge the National Human Rights Commission probe on 12 North Korean waitresses who reportedly defected here in 2016. The public human rights watchdog said Monday it found insufficient evidence to suspect state agencies intervened in the mass defection.Lawyers for a Democratic Society, more widely known by the Korean acronym Minbyun, had filed a petition with the human rights body Feb. 8 to look into the actions of South Korean authorities

Social AffairsSept. 10, 2019

Three foreign workers dead, another in coma after accident

Three migrant workers were found dead, and another one is in a coma, following an accident inside an underground tank at a fishery products processing factory in the eastern county of Yeongdeok on Tuesday, local fire authorities said. The four -- three Thais and one Vietnamese -- were found at the bottom of the tank at 2:30 p.m., according to the North Gyeongsang Province Fire Service Headquarters. The workers, whose names have yet to be made public, are believed to have suffocated while do

Social AffairsSept. 10, 2019

LG–SK dispute over job poaching extends to patent war

The months-long legal dispute between two South Korean electric vehicle battery makers over alleged poaching of employees with trade secrets is unfolding as an intellectual property battle with LG Chem preparing to file a countersuit against SK Innovation in the United States, according to industry sources Tuesday. LG Chem is currently mulling a lawsuit against its rival accusing it of infringing its patents related to EV batteries. This follows SK Innovation’s recent patent lawsuit agains

TechnologySept. 10, 2019

[Newsmaker] N. Korea’s short-range projectiles possibly ‘super-large MRLS’ or ATACMS: experts

North Korea on Tuesday fired two short-range projectiles from its northwestern area toward the East Sea, its 10th launch this year, South Korea’s military said. According to Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, Pyongyang fired the projectiles from Kaechon, South Pyongan Province, at 6:53 a.m. and 7:12 a.m., with one of the projectiles flying 330 kilometers east. The JCS did not provide further details such as the altitude and speed of the projectiles launched, saying it is analyzing the in

North KoreaSept. 10, 2019

The art of silk threads, sheet metal

Yeol, the Korean Heritage Preservation Society, will hold an exhibition inspired by traditional craftsmanship at Yeol Bukchonga in the neighborhood of Bukchon, central Seoul, from Sept. 18 to Oct. 18.Since 2013, Yeol has led an annual project that supports a master artisan and a young artist, showcasing their work in an exhibition. Silk thread master Lim Keum-hee and young metal artist Kim Sang-hoon were picked this year.  Lim, an artisan with 30 years of experience, practices dahoe, the tr

Arts & DesignSept. 10, 2019