New US defense chief to visit S. Korea in Aug. amid reports on burden-sharing talks

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper will visit South Korea next month as part of a trip to Asia, the Pentagon said Tuesday.Esper's trip comes as the United States reportedly wants Seoul to increase its contribution to the upkeep of 28,500 American troops stationed in its Asian ally's territory.The new defense secretary, who took office last week, will leave Friday on a trip to Hawaii, Sydney, Auckland, Tokyo, Ulaanbaatar and Seoul, the Pentagon said in a press release.  During his stay in Seoul

Foreign AffairsJuly 31, 2019

US says it is aware of reports of NK missile launch

The United States is aware of reports of a missile launch from North Korea and will continue to monitor the situation, a State Department spokesperson said Tuesday ahead of the expected resumption of denuclearization negotiations with the regime.The response comes after South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea had fired multiple unidentified projectiles into the East Sea early Wednesday (Seoul time), six days after it launched two short-range ballistic missiles into the waters. "

North KoreaJuly 31, 2019

[Breaking] N. Korea fires multiple unidentified missiles off east coast: JCS

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast Wednesday, South Korea's military said, the second such launch in less than a week. The first missile was launched at 5:06 a.m., and the second at 5:27 a.m., from the Kalma area in the North's eastern port of Wonsan, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.Both are estimated to have flown about 250 kilometers at an approximate altitude of 30 km, the JCS said, adding that the South Korean and US militaries are analyzing more d

North KoreaJuly 31, 2019

Kia workers vote to go on strike over wages

Unionized workers at Kia Motors Corp. on Tuesday voted to go on strike over wages, raising concerns of production losses at a time of rising demand for some models.  In the companywide vote, 83 percent of the 26,290 workers who cast a ballot supported a walkout after management refused to accept the union's wage demands in talks held July 23.Kia's 29,545-member union demanded an increase of 123,526 won(US$105) per person in basic monthly pay for the one-year period that ends in March in 202

Social AffairsJuly 30, 2019

UN grants sanctions exemption for transfer of funds to NK for humanitarian activities

The United Nations Security Council has granted a sanctions exemption to an Italian company for the transfer of funds to support the European Union Food Security Office's humanitarian assistance projects in North Korea, its website showed Tuesday.A UN committee overseeing sanctions approved the waiver for Agriconsulting SA -- which was awarded an "EU tender for providing technical support for food-related matters" to the North - on July 1, according to the UN website.AESA plans to spen

Foreign AffairsJuly 30, 2019

[Graphic News] Medicine exports hit record high in 2018

　Exports of medicine and medical supplies reached a record high in 2018, government data showed.　Outbound shipments of locally manufactured medicines and medical supplies stood at $4.67 billion last year, up 14.8 percent from the previous year, according to the data by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. 　Medicine exports have been increasing at an annual rate of 17.9 percent since 2014, the data showed. (Yonhap)

BusinessJuly 30, 2019

Democratic Party invites NK delegation to late President Kim Dae-jung anniversary event

South Korea’s ruling party has invited a North Korean delegation to an event marking the 10th death anniversary of former President Kim Dae-jung on Aug. 18, a lawmaker said Tuesday. Rep. Kim Han-jung of the Democratic Party delivered the invitation to the delegation -- including Kim Yo-jong, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s sister -- to Ri Jong-hyok, vice chairman of the Korea Asia-Pacific Committee, during a peace forum in Manila, the Philippines.  The two met during the Inter

PoliticsJuly 30, 2019

Seoul, US agree on ‘rational and fair’ defense cost-sharing negotiations: Cheong Wa Dae

South Korea and the United States have agreed to negotiate in a “rational” and “fair” way for a defense cost-sharing deal, Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday, denying local news reports that Washington had suggested a specific amount for the renegotiation. “(South Korea and the US) have not yet discussed the specific amount (for the cost-sharing deal). We agreed to negotiate in a rational and fair direction,” a presidential official told reporters. The statement

DefenseJuly 30, 2019

[News focus] No easy way out for Seoul-Tokyo deadlock

The conflict between South Korea and Japan over trade and historical issues is likely to intensify in the coming days, but prospects of a diplomatic solution remain unclear. Foreign Affairs Minister Kang Kyung-wha said in a Cabinet meeting Friday that there is “significant” possibility of Japan removing Korea from its whitelist of trade partners. Such a move will result in Japanese firms requiring government approval for individual shipments to Korea of most materials and produc

Foreign AffairsJuly 30, 2019

US blacklists North Korean for supporting nuclear program

The US Treasury Department on Monday slapped a sanction on a North Korean man for allegedly evading trade restrictions by importing and exporting goods to support the regime’s weapons program.The move came amid growing skepticism over the US president’s North Korea policy, with last week’s short-range ballistic missiles tests by the North and a delay in resumption of denuclearization talks. Kim Su-il, who works in Vietnam, was blacklisted by the US Department of the Treasu

North KoreaJuly 30, 2019

Home appliances boost LG’s record Q2 revenue

Despite lackluster smartphone sales, LG Electronics marked record second-quarter revenues, with its home appliances division propping up the company’s performance. LG said Tuesday that it marked consolidated revenue of 15.6 trillion won ($13.2 billion) and 652 billion won in operating profit between April and June, resulting in a 4.1 percent increase in revenue and 15 percent fall in operating profit on-year. The figures were led by performances from the home appliances and mobile communic

IndustryJuly 30, 2019

[Kim Seong-kon] Rereading Richard Kim’s ‘The Martyred’ in 2019

When I first came across Richard Kim’s “The Martyred” in 1967, I was an intellectually adventurous and emotionally vulnerable college freshman. At the time, I was intrigued and mesmerized by the novels of Albert Camus and Fyodor Dostoevsky. “The Martyred,” too, was a thought-provoking novel that resonates with Camus’s nihilistic existentialism and saturated with a philosophical rigor comparable to Dostoevsky.The story of is set in Pyongyang, the capital city o

ViewpointsJuly 30, 2019

[Robert J. Fouser] An effective response to the global populist wave

Last spring, a Korean friend used the phrase “things people can still do” in broad conversation about business and current events. Last week, I was reminded of the phrase when I took a ride in a driverless car for the first time. There was a driver, but he was there as a backup in case something went wrong. The car had no steering wheel and the driver had very little to do except start it after the passenger was safely seated. It handled curves and corners better than most drivers an

ViewpointsJuly 30, 2019

[Herald Interview] For blockchain business success, S. Korea firms should open up more to ‘outsiders’

   　Ranging from internet companies to manufacturing-focused conglomerates, Korean companies have been rolling out series of blockchain-based business plans. 　The country’s two leading online service providers, Naver and Kakao, have launched their own blockchain ledgers and digital currencies. Samsung Electronics has introduced a blockchain-powered wallet, where users can store cryptocurrencies to purchase apps at its flagship Galaxy S10 phones. 　But, in the eyes of Korea&rs

TechnologyJuly 30, 2019

Long-term smokers eligible for state lung cancer screening

Long-term heavy smokers aged between 54 and 74 are eligible for National Health Insurance-covered lung cancer screenings, starting from Monday.　The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Tuesday that individuals aged 54-74 with a smoking history of at least 30 pack-years can test for lung cancer under a state health plan every two years. A pack-year is equivalent to tobacco intake of one pack of 20 cigarettes per day over a one-year period. The screening will cost the examinee 10,000 won ($8.5

Social AffairsJuly 30, 2019

[News Focus] Korea falling behind in GDP, exports

SEJONG -- South Korea is one of the few developing countries whose economy expanded sufficiently over the past decades to compete with advanced nations in Europe.Korea achieved the world’s 10th-largest gross domestic product in 2005. It was 28th in 1980, ranked behind Indonesia (21st), Iran (20th) and Saudi Arabia (14th).As exports in sectors such as semiconductors and automobiles greatly contributed to its GDP, there have been predictions that the nation could consistently become one of t

EconomyJuly 30, 2019

[Herald Review] Good intentions, poor execution make ‘The Battle: Roar to Victory’ painful to watch

Every once in a while we get what I like to call “face-palm movies”: Films with great intentions and worthy causes that are made so poorly that I end up feeling guilty for hating them. “The Battle: Roar to Victory,” a film about one of the most glorious moments in Korea’s history of fighting for independence from Japan, is one that should have sparked nationalistic pride and a sense of victory, but instead is bogged down by a number of questionable directing choices

FilmJuly 30, 2019

S. Korea, US in talks over new Pentagon chief Esper's possible trip to Seoul

South Korea and the United States are in talks over a possible visit to Seoul by new US Defense Secretary Mark Esper as part of his first Asia trip since taking office last week, a government official here said Tuesday.Esper is considering taking a five-nation trip to East Asia next month, which would include stops in South Korea and Japan, the official said, noting that when he visits Seoul has yet to be decided. "I understand that (the two sides) are making the final coordination (over th

Foreign AffairsJuly 30, 2019

‘Bad Guys’ reunite once again, this time on the big screen

“Unleash the mad dogs again” is the go-to phrase pushed by promoters for “Bad Guys: The movie,” as OCN’s popular picaresque crime drama “Bad Guys” is slated to be remade as a film set for a September release.Directed by Son Yong-ho, the upcoming film features many of the original cast reprising their characters, from the muscle-bound simpleton of a gangster Park Woong-cheol to Oh Gu-tak, a police official with a reputation for being relentless and ruthle

FilmJuly 30, 2019