[David Ignatius] Is a weary public tuning out?

You could say many things to describe a week in which President Trump got in a snit about buying Greenland, called the Federal Reserve chairman an “enemy,” reversed his position repeatedly on China and rebuffed European allies by saying he’s ready to invite Russia to a global summit at one of his Florida golf resorts.But “exhausting” would be the word at the top of my list after Trump’s whirling-dervish performance. Yes, I’m shocked, confused, sometimes

ViewpointsAug. 29, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Tune in for Love(Korea)Opened Aug. 28Romance, DramaDirected by Jung Ji-wooIn the year 1994 as singer Yoo Yeol hosts radio show “Yoo Yeol’s Music Album” for the first time, Hyeon-woo (Jung Hae-in) happens to run across Mi-su (Kim Go-eun) at a bakery where she works. Throughout the next decade, fate keeps pulling Hyeon-woo and Mi-su together and pushing them apart again as they try to figure out life on their own, and with each other.Metamorphosis(Korea)Opened Aug. 21Horror, Thri

FilmAug. 29, 2019

[Newsmaker] Defense Ministry says Korea-US alliance remains strong

Seoul’s Defense Ministry maintained Thursday that it was closely working with the United States, following the remarks by US defense leaders expressing disappointment over South Korea’s decision to withdraw from an intelligence-sharing pact with Japan.The United States has been vocally critical of South Korea’s decision to terminate the General Security of Military Information Agreement with Japan. “As we have told you before, defense minister and the US Secretary of

DefenseAug. 29, 2019

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Everland’s ‘Blood City’ Halloween festival　Everland theme park will hold the latest edition of its zombie-themed Halloween festival “Blood City” from Friday through Nov. 17Parts of the theme park will be decorated in a horror theme, with around 100 actors dressed as zombies, clowns and other monsters dispatched around the park. Performances will be available and various photo spots will be arranged, including at the recently unveiled “Raptor Ranger” attr

TravelAug. 29, 2019

Indie-AniFest 2019 to celebrate past, present of animation

Organizers for the 15th Korea Independent Animation Film Festival on Thursday introduced this year’s opening film, the “relay animation” project and other programs for the annual festival.The Indie-AniFest, hosted by the Korean Independent Animation Filmmakers Association and organized by Indie-AniFest Executive Committee will take place at CGV Myeongdong Station Cine Library on Sept. 19-24. It features animation films produced in Asian countries -- or have at least one Asian c

CultureAug. 29, 2019

Multicultural Family Music Broadcasting celebrates 11th anniversary

Multicultural Family Music Broadcasting celebrated on Wednesday its 11th anniversary at its broadcasting station in Seodaemun, Seoul.The broadcaster was launched by Woongjin Foundation, a public service foundation chaired by former Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Shin Hyun-woong, with Korea’s growing migrant population as target audience. According to the foundation, there are currently about 2.37 million migrants in Korea. The Multicultural Family broadcasts are available in

CultureAug. 29, 2019

[Advertorial] Hyundai E&C’s Hillstate Eco-Ansan Jungang Station go on sale

Hyundai Engineering & Construction said Thursday it will start offering newly constructed Hillstate Eco-Ansan Jungang Station for sale in September.Hillstate Eco-Ansan Jungang Station, located in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, is a complex of three 23-story apartment blocks with a total of 702 units. Unit sizes range from 20 square meters to 57 square meters, Hyundai E&C said. According to Hyundai E&C, the complex offers many merits, including proximity to Jungang Station on Subway Line N

IndustryAug. 29, 2019

S. Korea online video services face uphill battle against Netflix

Despite their efforts to compete with global video-sharing platforms, South Korea’s online video services are suffering from a drop in subscribers, while global rivals like Netflix and YouTube are enjoying persistent rises, data showed Thursday.According to a market research firm Nielson Koreanclick, some 29.98 million people here had subscribed to YouTube, Netflix and TikTok as of July. The number was an increase of about 15.5 percent from the same period a year earlier. In the meantime,

TechnologyAug. 29, 2019

Famed skater Lee Sang-hwa, singer Kangnam to marry this year

Former South Korean star speed skater Lee Sang-hwa and singer Kangnam will tie the knot in the fall this year, their management agencies said Thursday.They will hold their wedding on Oct. 12 at a Seoul hotel, according to Lee's Bonboo Entertainment and Kangnam's Dmost Entertainment.They first met on SBS' reality show "Law of the Jungle" in September last year and became a couple. They confirmed their relationship in March. Lee, 30, is the most successful athlete in South Korean speed s

PeopleAug. 29, 2019

South Korea, Japan find no changes in stances over history, trade row

Senior officials from the South Korean and Japanese foreign ministries were not able to make progress during their talks in Seoul on Thursday, as they kept their stances unchanged after the two countries delivered blows to each other in the form of trade and military measures over Tokyo’s wartime forced labor. Kim Jung-han, Foreign Ministry director-general for Asian and Pacific affairs, met with his Japanese counterpart Kenji Kanasugi following Tokyo’s official downgrading of Seoul

Foreign AffairsAug. 29, 2019

S. Korea's top court orders review of ex-president Park's graft case

South Korea's Supreme court on Thursday overturned part of an appeals court ruling in the bribery case of Samsung Group's de facto chief Jay Y. Lee, who had been given a two-and-a-half-year suspended sentence for seeking favour from the country's ex-leader.The Supreme Court said the interpretation by the Seoul High Court on what constituted bribes by Samsung to then-President Park Geun-hye was too narrow. The case centred on whether three horses donated by Samsung Group for the training of the c

PoliticsAug. 29, 2019

Israeli TV series tops Seoul International Drama Awards

Israeli TV series “On the Spectrum” won the Grand Prize at the 2019 Seoul International Drama Awards.The awards ceremony for the 14th edition of the event was held at the Grand Peace Hall at Kyung Hee University in central Seoul on Wednesday.  “On the Spectrum” is a 10-part comedy series about three roommates, each diagnosed with a disorder on the autistic spectrum. Rather than depicting those afflicted to be talented with an exceptional ability in mathematics or sci

TelevisionAug. 29, 2019

SK Broadband introduces kiosks for pharmacies

SK Broadband said Thursday it had teamed up with pharma marketing company Online Pharm to introduce electronic kiosks for pharmacies.The stand called On Kiosk, which provides Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese services, will be able to process simple drug prescriptions, offer guidelines for drug intake, and provide a queuing system for consultations.  The kiosks will be able to take over routine tasks, allowing pharmacists to focus more on providing health consultations. It is also equip

TechnologyAug. 29, 2019

[Photo News] Orion’s Kkobuk chip sold in Costco stores around US

An American shopper looks aty Orion’s corn soup-flavored snack Kkobuk Chip, marketed as Turtle Chips in the US, in a Costco store. The South Korean snack and confectionary company said sales of Kkobuk Chip will begin at Costco’s 20 main branches including the San Fransisco store, and expand distrubtion to other major retailers including Sam’s Club and Walmart. (khnews@heraldcorp.com)

IndustryAug. 29, 2019

Hyundai Motor introduces new commercial vehicles Pavise, County EV

South Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor Group on Thursday unveiled two new mass-produced commercial vehicles, midsized truck Pavise and electric bus County EV, under a plan to complete its commercial vehicle lineups by 2025. In 2017, Hyundai Motor has introduced its first-ever zero emission electric bus, called Elec City, and test-operated it during the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. According to Hyundai Motor, it plans to release 17 types of eco-friendly commercial vehicles by 2025, un

MobilityAug. 29, 2019

Chronology of major events leading to sentencing trial for ex-President Park, Samsung heir Lee

The following is a chronology of major events leading to the Supreme Court's Thursday ruling of former President Park Geun-hye and Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong. 2016Oct. 24: Cable channel JTBC unveils Park's confidante Choi Soon-sil's tablet PC indicating her meddling in state affairs.Oct. 27: The prosecution forms a special investigation team.Oct. 29: Citizens launch an anti-Park weekend rally. Park's aides reject prosecutors' search of the presidential officeOct. 30: Choi is detained after return

PoliticsAug. 29, 2019

[News Focus] Gloom hangs over Samsung again

As South Korea’s top court on Thursday ordered a review of the second ruling on the bribery case involving Lee Jae-yong, Samsung Electronics is again put at risk of losing its de facto leader at a critical time for the tech giant to push forward with new investments in technologies and jobs, amid harsh global trade and market conditions.  　The Supreme Court dismissed the appeals court’s ruling that had cut Samsung heir Lee’s sentence from five years to 2 1/2 years and susp

IndustryAug. 29, 2019

Hyundai Card stays ahead of curve with new premium card packaging

A year since its launch of the Green, an online application-only credit card targeting young customers, Hyundai Card has decided to take a step further and adopt a new packaging for its premium cards, the firm said Thursday.The credit card operator recently unveiled a “book-themed” package for its premium card lines – the Black, the Purple and the Red – dubbed “the Book,” with each packaging embodying the unique traits of each line.  The firm said that it

MarketAug. 29, 2019

[News Focus] Kospi loses more than 100 points in a month

SEJONG -- Stock prices on the nation’s first-tier bourse have been on a bearish run amid the trade war between South and Japan that began late last month.The Kospi has stayed under 2,000 points for the 18th consecutive trading session since August 2, when it fell to 1,998.13 from 2,017.34 a session earlier.The benchmark index closed at 1,941.09 on Aug. 28, down 8.8 percent or 189.53 points from two months earlier in June 28, when it reached 2,130.62. It also marked more than a 100 point dr

EconomyAug. 29, 2019