[Supalak Ganjanakhundee] ASEAN should guarantee safe return of Rohingyas to Myanmar

ASEAN has a lot of work to do for the sake of its own relevancy as Myanmar and Bangladesh make another attempt to repatriate thousands of Muslim Rohingyas to strife-torn Rakhine state while the situation on the ground remains unsafe.The authority in Myanmar’s capital Naypyitaw announced last week that Myanmar would accept 3,450 refugees from the list of 22,000 provided by Bangladesh earlier this month, as the first batch of people to resettle in Myanmar.It is not known publicly how the lis

ViewpointsAug. 25, 2019

[David Ignatius] An obvious proviso for readmitting Russia to G-7

As the G-7 gathers this weekend in Biarritz, President Donald Trump has expressed hope for the return of Russia, the missing guest at the table. But any consideration of this issue requires dealing with his least favorite subject -- Russian cyber-meddling in US elections. The stark reality is that the United States is now fighting a low-level cyberwar to combat Kremlin political interference and other malign actions. US Cyber Command launched this “hunt forward” campaign last summer

ViewpointsAug. 25, 2019

[Behind the Wheel] Korando gasoline upgrades style, sophistication

The name Korando, SsangYong Motor’s signature sport utility brand and the oldest such brand in Korea, has represented power, firmness and masculinity for the last 37 years. The all-new Korando that returned to the market early this year after an eight-year hiatus, however, flips the common image of the SUV on its head. It is stylish and sophisticated, yet affordable. The Korando gasoline model, launched six months after the 2.0-liter diesel version, showed no major flaws throughout the med

MobilityAug. 25, 2019

S. Korea beats China to finish 3rd at Asian women's volleyball tourney

Host South Korea finished third at the Asian Women's Volleyball Championship on Sunday with a straight-set victory over China. South Korea took care of China 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-22) at Jamsil Arena in Seoul for its second consecutive third-place finish. At the biennial event in 2017, South Korea also prevailed over China to take the third spot.South Korea is a first-time host of the Asian championship, which was inaugurated in 1975. The country has never won the event, with seven runner-up fin

More SportsAug. 25, 2019

Japan must show ‘sincere, consistent contrition’ toward Koreans: US scholar

An op-ed piece on the trade row between Korea and Japan, published Aug. 11 by the Washington Post, has grabbed the spotlight in both nations. Written by Gregg A. Brazinsky, a professor of history and international affairs at George Washington University in the US, the piece blamed the bilateral spat on Japan’s lack of apology for past wrongdoings.  Specializing in East Asian history and diplomacy, the scholar is an expert on Korea’s international relations and has written two bo

Foreign AffairsAug. 25, 2019

North Korea boasts test-firing of newly developed ‘super-large multiple rocket launcher’

North Korea on Sunday boasted the successful test-firing of what it called a “newly developed super-large multiple rocket launcher,” a day after it fired two projectiles into the East Sea. Releasing pictures of the new weapon system, the state-run daily Rodong Sinmun said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un highly praised the new system after overseeing the test-firing.“The test-fire proved that all the tactical and technological specifications of the system correctly reached the p

North KoreaAug. 25, 2019

Does 52-hour workweek rule create more jobs?

Despite the government’s efforts to create more jobs by mandating companies to cut their employees’ maximum weekly work hours to 52 hours, it has not contributed to creating more jobs, a report claimed Sunday. According to a survey by corporate research firm CEO Score, those who adopted the 52-hour workweek rule last year saw their annual hiring increase by up to 1.8 percent compared to a year earlier. But the growth was almost the same as the time when the policy was not implemented

EconomyAug. 25, 2019

BOK likely to freeze base interest rate amid Japan factor, uncertainties

With growing economic uncertainties and ongoing trade tensions with Japan, the South Korean central bank is highly likely to freeze the base interest rate at an upcoming meeting of its Monetary Policy Board, market analysts said Sunday. The Bank of Korea is slated to hold its rate-setting Monetary Policy Board meeting Friday. On July 18 the central bank cut the country’s policy rate to 1.5 percent, citing mounting external uncertainties. It has also lowered its growth outlook for

MarketAug. 25, 2019

Record numbers: BTS hits milestone with 2nd Gold record in US

BTS has added more accolades to its already impressive resume, becoming the first South Korean act to win two Gold certifications in the US market with its “Map of the Soul: Persona” album.Recent data from the Recording Industry Association of America confirmed that the boy band’s sixth EP had received Gold certification as of Aug. 22, a little over four months after its April 12 release. The RIAA grants recognition to albums based on the number of sales: 500,000 or more for Go

PerformanceAug. 25, 2019

Police to summon K-pop star Seungri, YG Entertainment chief over gambling charges

Police plan to summon this week Seungri, a former member of popular K-pop boy band BIGBANG, and the former chief of the band's music label on charges of overseas gambling, according to officials Sunday. Seungri and Yang Hyun-suk, the former CEO of YG Entertainment, were booked by the police earlier this month on charges of gambling in a foreign country and securing gambling money in violation of the country's Foreign Exchange Transaction Act. Cable network JTBC earlier reported that Yang an

Social AffairsAug. 25, 2019

GS Group braces for low-growth era at strategic meeting

GS Group Chairman Huh Chang-soo called for preemptive measures to respond to the sluggish economy at a strategy meeting held on Saturday and Sunday. Under the theme “Strategies for Growth in Low-Growth Era,” the meeting was attended by some 60 CEOs and managers of group affiliates, the firm said.“I hope this conference will be the first step in providing insights amid the changes and uncertainties we are facing in the low-growth era,” Huh remarked.At the two-day meeting,

IndustryAug. 25, 2019

Binggrae offers variations of steady-seller ‘Banana Flavored Milk’

South Korea’s food and beverage giant Binggrae has multiple signature brands under its belt, and the underlying theme of most of them is that the firm stays true to its original brand image. Most prominent of them is the market’s No. 1 processed milk “Banana Flavored Milk,” with its unique taste and bottle shape.Since its launch in 1974, the beverage has been considered a popular substitute for milk, and thereby responsible for 80 percent of the market specific to banana-

IndustryAug. 25, 2019

Posco advocates plastic reduction with environmental campaign

South Korean steelmaker Posco announced Sunday the launch of its second #SteelSaveEarth campaign starting Aug. 28 to raise awareness on the detrimental effects of single-use plastic waste on the environment.The campaign was first launched in April to encourage the use of reusable and recyclable steel products as an alternative to plastic. The upcoming campaign will focus on the harm of plastic waste in the marine environment, the company said.Posco’s Clean Ocean Volunteer Group, consisting

IndustryAug. 25, 2019

Line Man gains traction in Thailand

BANGKOK -- Line Man, an on-demand service platform of Thailand’s most popular messenger app Line, is making inroads in the local market by providing a variety of services, including food delivery, taxi-hailing, parcel and convenience goods, with a large subscriber base, according to a top company executive. Line, a subsidiary of Korean internet search giant Naver, launched its messenger app in Thailand in 2012 and has grown into a leading social media platform with 44 million users out of

IndustryAug. 25, 2019

Kia’s Soul EV picked ‘most competitive compact EV’ by Auto Zeitung

Kia Motors said Sunday its subcompact crossover Soul EV has been picked as the most competitive compact-size electric vehicle by German automotive magazine Auto Zeitung, beating rivals including BMW’s i3s and Nissan’s Leaf e+.  Soul EV received the highest marks in most evaluation categories including body, driving comfort, powertrain and environment/cost, except in driving dynamics, winning 2,989 out of 5,000 points. BMW’s i3s and Nissan’s Leaf e+ received 2,894 poi

MobilityAug. 25, 2019

[Newsmaker] S. Korea launches Dokdo defense drill amid tension with Japan

The South Korean armed forces launched a two-day military exercise to defend the easternmost islets of Dokdo on Sunday amid growing tensions over trade and their shared history, in a show of its staunch defense stance against Japan's repeated claims to sovereignty over the cluster of rocks in the East Sea.The Navy announced that the drill involves Navy, Air Force and Army forces, such as naval warships and aircraft, as well as Army and Marine Corp troops."Indeed, it's an exercise to guard o

DefenseAug. 25, 2019

N. Korea says it tested new super-large multiple rocket launcher

North Korea said Sunday that it has successfully tested a 'new' super-large multiple rocket launch system the previous day under the guidance of leader Kim Jong-un. Kim "guided the test-fire of newly developed super-large multiple rocket launcher on Saturday," the Korean Central News Agency said. "The test-fire proved that all the tactical and technological specifications of the system correctly reached the preset indexes."The KCNA added that Kim underscored the need to push

North KoreaAug. 25, 2019

S. Korea falls to Japan in semifinals at Asian women's volleyball tourney

Host South Korea lost to Japan in the semifinals of the Asian Women's Volleyball Championship on Saturday, coming up short in a bid to claim its first continental title on home court.Japan rallied after dropping the first set for a 3-1 (22-25, 25-23, 26-24, 28-26) victory at Jamsil Arena in Seoul and moved on to Sunday's final. It will face the winner of the other semifinal clash between Thailand and China, scheduled for later Saturday.The loser of that match will take on South Korea in the thir

More SportsAug. 24, 2019

Cheong Wa Dae says it never used Japan's intel in analyzing NK missiles under Moon

South Korea never used Japan's intelligence in analyzing North Korea's missile launches under the current Moon Jae-in administration, a senior official at the presidential office said Saturday, amid concerns over possible limits in countering the North's threats with the termination of an intel-sharing deal between Seoul and Tokyo. The official made the remark after North Korea fired two projectiles believed to be short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea earlier in the day, marking the s

DefenseAug. 24, 2019