Although the famous maxim says “Seeing is believing,” it is amazing how many precious things in life are, in fact, invisible. Take air, for example. Without air, we cannot survive and will die in a few minutes, yet we take it for granted because it is invisible. If something is not visible, we forget about it and do not appreciate it fully. Not only is air invisible, but so is wind. We enjoy a pleasant cool breeze, but we cannot see it. “Who has seen the wind?” British po

ViewpointsAug. 27, 2019

South Korea already faces a turbulent security situation, with North Korea firing off missiles and relations with Japan at its lowest point. Now, the South’s closest ally is pressuring the government to pay more money for its troops stationed here. Ever since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a cease-fire, the United States has maintained troops in South Korea to defend its ally and to keep China and Russia in check.With negotiations on cost-sharing for US troops here set to begin next month

DefenseAug. 27, 2019

Health authorities of Korea and Vietnam are seeking to expand collaboration to boost the adoption of affordable health care and facilitate medical exchanges during an upcoming visit to Vietnam by a delegation led by Vice Minister of Health and Welfare Kim Gang-lip.Kim and the ministry’s 11 policy directors and chief officers are visiting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh from Tuesday to Thursday to discuss bilateral health care projects with Vietnamese counterparts, including Deputy Minister of Social

Social AffairsAug. 27, 2019

South Korea's Cabinet approved the government's plan to clinch a military intelligence-sharing pact with Thailand on Tuesday to enhance defense cooperation with the Southeast Asian country.The approval, at a Cabinet meeting hosted by Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, is aimed at building an institutional framework to exchange military secrets between the two nations. So far, South Korea has clinched the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) with 21 countries, including the United

DefenseAug. 27, 2019

Hanmi Pharmaceuticals on Tuesday said its work to develop novel drug pipelines was continuing at a steady pace as part of the company’s ongoing efforts to enter the world stage. Hanmi currently has about 30 innovative novel drug pipelines, including potential treatments for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, better known as fatty liver disease, as well as some rare incurable diseases. Hanmi shares had recently tumbled upon news of successive decisions by big global pharmas to return licensing r

IndustryAug. 27, 2019

Hyundai Motor Group unveiled Tuesday a prototype of a foldable electronic scooter that can be charged by using electricity from Hyundai and Kia Motor vehicles.According to Hyundai Motor, the latest e-scooter will be built into Hyundai and Kia Motor vehicles and can be automatically charged by using electricity generated from driving a vehicle. Hyundai’s e-scooter runs on a 10.5Ah lithium-ion battery, allowing a 20 kilometer range on single charge. The top speed will be 20 kilometers per ho

MobilityAug. 27, 2019

Hyundai Glovis, the logistics arm of Hyundai Motor Group, said Tuesday that it has opened a logistics office in Chongqing, central China, to expand its base in the mainland. By opening an additional office there, the company said it has secured a total of 14 logistics points in China, including offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.According to the company, Chongqing serves as a major industrial base, as the Trans-China Railway en route to European countries including Germany passes thr

IndustryAug. 27, 2019

Seoul could reconsider its decision on the General Security of Military Information Agreement if Japan reverts “unjust measures,” Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said Tuesday. This is the second time in as many days that Lee has spoken of the possibility, in an apparent message to Tokyo. “There are about three months until Nov. 23, when GSOMIA expires. I think it is possible that a solution could be found in that time, and Japan’s unjust measures could be reversed and we

PoliticsAug. 27, 2019

Swedish carmaker Volvo’s third-generation midsized premium sedan the New V60 launched in South Korea on Tuesday, billed by the company as a reasonably priced model with an iconic Scandinavian design.The carmaker said the New S60’s exterior had been completely redone for the first time in eight years. Its vertically arranged front grille and Thor’s hammer-style LED headlights give the New S60 a stronger, bolder and sportier look, the firm said.Compared with its predecessor, the

MobilityAug. 27, 2019

The prosecution on Tuesday raided universities, a medical center and other facilities as part of an investigation into a series of allegations involving Justice Minister nominee Cho Kuk and his family, less than a week before the parliamentary confirmation hearing on Cho is to be held. 　The Seoul Central Prosecutors’ Office conducted search and seizure operations simultaneously at some 20 locations, including five universities -- including Korea University and Pusan National University&rsq

Social AffairsAug. 27, 2019

Police are set to summon Big Bang star Seungri and Yang Hyun-suk, former head of K-pop entertainment house YG Entertainment, for questioning on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, on charges of overseas gambling.  Seungri, 29, formerly of K-pop boy band Big Bang, and Yang, 50, former chief producer and founder of YG Entertainment, are under investigation on suspicions that they gambled in a hotel casino in Las Vegas. Gambling is illegal in Korea, and Korean citizens are held to the countr

Social AffairsAug. 27, 2019

Market analysts and investors said Tuesday it has become clearer that Samsung Display will invest in quantum dot organic light-emitting diodes as the next-generation display technology to replace liquid-crystal displays. “Samsung Display is likely to stop its LCD production at the Gen 8.5 line in Asan in the coming months and covert the LCD business to large-size QD-OLED panel business phase by phase,” said Kim Dong-won, an analyst at KB Securities. Such expectations were raised afte

TechnologyAug. 27, 2019

South Korea’s consumer sentiment came to 92.5 in August, the lowest indicator readout since January 2017, data released by the Bank of Korea showed Tuesday as global trade issues continued to weigh on the economy. According to the central bank, the composite consumer sentiment index dipped 3.4 points on-month to well below the baseline of 100, which means consumers are decidedly pessimistic compared with average readings between 2003 and 2018. The BOK cited a number of risks to explain the

EconomyAug. 27, 2019

 The private meeting between SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and Posco Chairman Choi Jeong-woo two weeks ago has raised the possibility that the two conglomerates may partner for battery development.The two met in Seoul on Aug. 13, both companies confirmed Tuesday without elaborating. They were accompanied by 10 top management officials from the groups’ energy, chemical and telecom units.  According to local reports and industry insiders, those who attended included SK E&S CEO

IndustryAug. 27, 2019

Samsung Electronics has retained its top position in terms of brand value, a report by a British industry tracker showed Tuesday.According to Brand Finance, the brand value of Samsung Electronics was 83.2 trillion won ($68.6 billion) this year, down 6.3 percent from a record high of 88.8 trillion won last year. The brand rating of the world’s largest memory chip and smartphone maker dropped to AAA from AAA+, it added.The tech giant’s parent company, South Korea’s largest conglo

IndustryAug. 27, 2019

Super Junior on Tuesday announced that it will hold a standalone concert in October in Seoul, its first since 2008 to feature all nine members. All the band’s musicians have now been discharged from the military after fulfilling their mandatory military service.The promotional image released for “Super Junior World Tour -- Super Show 8” showed that the Seoul concert will be held Oct. 12-13 at the KSPO Dome at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, southern Seoul. Tickets will be available

PerformanceAug. 27, 2019

Some 60,000 students of elementary, middle and high schools said they had been victims of school violence, according to a survey released by the Education Ministry on Tuesday.This is about 1.6 percent of the 3.72 million students, from fourth graders to high school seniors, who took part in the monthlong survey in April, up from 1.3 percent (50,000 students) last year and 0.9 percent (37,000 students) in 2017. There are about 4.1 million fourth graders through high school seniors here. Psycholog

Social AffairsAug. 27, 2019

Proving its massive success on the American pop scene once again, K-pop boy band BTS has picked up two trophies at the annual MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) held in New Jersey, the United States.The septet won in two categories -- best group and K-pop -- out of the five it was nominated for in the awards ceremony held at New Jersey's Prudential Center on Monday (US time). The other categories BTS was nominated for were art direction, collaboration and choreography. Currently on its first-ever off

PerformanceAug. 27, 2019

HDC Hyundai Development Co. said Tuesday it plans to develop a new underground square near Yongsan Station, under a build-transfer-operate agreement signed with the Yongsan District Office. Build-transfer-operate refers to public or private entities’ financing of private firms to build and operate a facility. The Yongsan District Office and HDC signed the agreement on Dec. 20 last year to build the 22,505-square-meter underground square.According to the company, the square will connect to

IndustryAug. 27, 2019