[Elizabeth Drew] What’s behind America’s mass shootings?

After every mass shooting in the United States, Americans and others around the world are confronted with the question of what lies behind this distinctly American horror. Though total gun deaths in the US have actually declined over time, mass shootings (those with at least four victims) have become deadlier and more frequent. Some have had an especially strong emotional impact on the country.The back-to-back mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, on the first weekend of August are

ViewpointsAug. 15, 2019

Nation-led dance company’s Swing-styled contemporary dance to rerun

The Korea National Contemporary Dance Company will stage its production “Swing” between Aug. 30 and Sept. 1 at Seoul Arts Center.“Swing” is a contemporary dance piece of the state-run dance company’s Director Ahn Sung-soo. It had its premiere in April last year and received a positive response.  “Swing,” an hourlong performance, features Ahn’s swing-styled choreography in which he has also combined different types of movements, like the ones y

PerformanceAug. 15, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘Jesters: The Game Changers’ yield disappointing results, despite intriguing setup

In the 2006 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, defending champion Josh Smith put down tape well-beyond the free-throw line to indicate that he would jump from there. Had he succeeded in doing so, the leap would have been an unimaginable feat. His jump, however, was well inside the tape, to the dismay and confusion of the frenzied crowd. To me, the disappointment brought by director Kim Ju-ho’s “Jesters: The Game Changers” was like Smith’s weird bluff. The period piece had pumped up e

FilmAug. 15, 2019

Statue of ‘comfort women’ pulled from Japan exhibit finds new home

MADRID (Reuters) -- A Spanish businessman has bought a statue symbolizing women forced to work in Japanese military brothels which was removed from an exhibition in Japan after organizers received threats over the piece. The “Statue of a Girl Of Peace” symbolizes the “comfort women”, a euphemism referring to women, many of them Korean, forced into the brothels before and during World War II. Estimates vary, but historians say thousands of women may have been involved

Arts & DesignAug. 15, 2019

Luxury hotels introduce ‘K-cocktail’ drinks

As more and more tourists join the trend and “go local,” more luxury hotels here are introducing cocktails infused with a Korean vibe.The Park Hyatt Seoul’s premium vinyl music bar, The Timber House, is getting ready to welcome guest bartender Demie Kim from Alice Cheongdam, a hip cocktail bar in southern Seoul. Kim will introduce guests to the “K-cocktails” that have earned him fame -- not to mention a prize at world-class cocktail competition La Maison Cointreau 2

FoodAug. 15, 2019

[From the scene] Anti-Abe rallies dominate central Seoul on Liberation Day

Thousands of citizens from South Korea and Japan on Thursday urged the Shinzo Abe administration to apologize to Korean victims forced to work for Japanese occupiers during a rally in central Seoul, marking the 74th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japan.  Despite heavy rain, an estimated 3,000 people gathered at Seoul Plaza to denounce the Abe administration for failing to admit to its past wrongdoings during its 1910-45 colonialization of Korea as historical issues are st

Social AffairsAug. 15, 2019

SK Group-led global alliance to standardize measurement of social contribution of firms

A global alliance of multinational companies led by South Korea’s SK Group will standardize the measurement of businesses’ contribution to society in the next three years, officials said Thursday.Taking the leadership of the project, SK in partnership with German chemical firm Basf, has launched a nonprofit organization in Frankfurt to start developing a methodology for measuring the value of social contribution made by private entities. Named Value Balancing Alliance, the organizati

IndustryAug. 15, 2019

Moon urges Japan to choose ‘path of dialogue and cooperation’

President Moon Jae-in said Thursday that Seoul will cooperate with Tokyo if it retracts its recent trade restrictions, stressing the importance of international cooperation and free trade. “Within the realm of the international division of labor, if any country weaponizes a sector where it has a comparative advantage, the peaceful free trade order will inevitably suffer damages,” Moon said in his Liberation Day speech. “Better late than never. If Japan chooses the path of

PoliticsAug. 15, 2019

ICT Ministry initiates discussion on taxing YouTube

The South Korean government has started its review of measures to levy a tax on global online video platform YouTube, according to related authorities Thursday. The Ministry of Science and ICT recently requested Korea Legislation Research Institute to recommend the so-called “You Tube taxation” that will impose new levies on over-the-top media services. The institution will look into global trends of taxing such digital content providers, including a similar case in France. The minis

TechnologyAug. 15, 2019

[News Focus] Single-person households on the rise in S. Korea

SEJONG -- Ten years ago in July 2009, the number of single-person households was 6.08 million in South Korea, which took up 31.7 percent of the total households.Compared to a mild increase in the number of households over the past decade, the number of single-person households has surged by more than two million to post 8.33 million as of July 2019.According to the Ministry of Interior and Safety, they account for 37.3 percent of the total 22.31 million households across the country.They exceede

Social AffairsAug. 15, 2019

Clash of the titans: Samsung Galaxy Fold, LG V50S to debut at IFA

Global smartphone makers are anticipated to go head-on in September, with some strategically unveiling their latest models at the annual trade show, the Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA) 2019, from Sept. 6 to 11 in Berlin, Germany.LG Electronics announced that it will introduce its new dual-screen smartphone V50S at the annual consumer electronics show, while industry watchers predict Samsung Electronics is likely to display its foldable phone Galaxy Fold for consumers to experience it firsth

IndustryAug. 15, 2019

S. Korea’s credit card spending on Japanese brands halves amid boycott

South Korean consumers cut back their credit card spending on products sold by Japanese brands here by nearly 50 percent as of end-July, a report by the nation’s financial watchdog showed Thursday.According to the report released by an opposition lawmaker, the combined card spending plummeted to 4.9 billion won ($4 million) in the fourth week of July, from 10.2 billion won in the last week of June. On-year, the combined credit card spending on Japanese products sold in Korea, fell 48 perce

MarketAug. 15, 2019

[Eye Plus] Japanese colonial history in Korea at a glance

On Thursday, a national holiday marking Korea’s independence from Japanese colonial rule on Aug. 15, 1945, the Museum of Japanese Colonial History in Korea was very crowded with visitors wanting to better understand the history of the two neighboring countries amid a deepening diplomatic and trade rift. The two-story museum, which sits in a small alley in Yongsan, central Seoul, opened in August last year through donations from the public, civic groups and academics. It exhibits the h

CultureAug. 15, 2019

SK Innovation secures W800b green loan for EV battery

SK Innovation said it has secured an 800 billion won ($650 million) green loan to expand its investments in electric vehicle batteries. The company said it secured the funds through several financial organizations, including the Korea Development Bank, KEB Hana Bank and Bank of America, without giving further details. A green loan is a new lending activity aimed at making sustainable investments and reducing the impact on the environment with lower interest rates. SK Innovation said the fun

IndustryAug. 15, 2019

Seoul yet to decide on sending Cheonghae Unit to Strait of Hormuz

The Ministry of National Defense Ministry said Thursday that it has not yet decided on sending the anti-piracy Cheonghae Unit to the Strait of Hormuz in response to Washington’s request to forge a coalition against Iran’s military activities amid heightened tensions with Tehran.“Sending (Cheonghae Unit) to the Strait of Hormuz has not been decided. … We are considering various ways to protect our vessels in the area, and are closely observing the situation,” the mi

DefenseAug. 15, 2019

Bolton says NK missile launches violate UN resolutions, threaten allies

US National Security Adviser John Bolton has said that North Korea's recent short-range missile launches violate UN resolutions and pose threats to South Korea, Japan and American troops in Asia, the Voice of America reported. Since July 25, the North has launched a series of short-range projectiles, including ballistic missiles, five times to protest the ongoing South Korea-US combined military exercise, which it sees as a rehearsal for an invasion."The latest test of a missile we denomina

North KoreaAug. 15, 2019

S. Korea expresses 'deep concerns' over Abe's offering to controversial war shrine

South Korea on Thursday expressed "deep concerns" over Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ritual offering to a war shrine seen as a symbol of Japan's imperialistic past.Abe sent the offering to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine via an aide to mark the country's 1945 surrender in World War II, Kyodo News reported. It marked the seventh consecutive year for him to send an offering to the shrine on the Aug. 15 day of surrender since taking office in December 2012.Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide

World NewsAug. 15, 2019