[Leonid Bershidsky] Germany should just drop NATO’s 2 percent spending goal

On Wednesday, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, the likely successor to Chancellor Angela Merkel, took over as Germany’s defense minister. In a speech to parliament outlining her priorities, AKK, as she is known, said she would “hold fast” to the goal of increasing the country’s defense spending to 2 percent of economic output -- but that Germany would aim to attain military spending of 1.5 percent gross domestic product by 2024, when North Atlantic Treaty Organization member s

ViewpointsJuly 28, 2019

[David Ignatius] US ally in Syria faces new threats

KOBANI, Syria -- In the direct and disciplined voice of Gen. Mazloum Abdi, the commander of the Syrian Kurdish militia, you can hear the determination that has made the Kurds a great partner for America, and one of the extraordinary survival stories of the Middle East. Mazloum quietly enumerates the sacrifices made by his group, known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, in the obliteration of the Islamic State here: 11,000 of his fighters were killed, 24,000 were wounded, and many thousands of civi

ViewpointsJuly 28, 2019

[News Focus] Korea overtakes US in youth unemployment

SEJONG -- South Korea saw its youth unemployment rate reach 10.4 percent in June 2019, up more than 1 percentage point from 9 percent a year earlier.The number of jobless people aged between 15 and 29 increased from 388,000 to 453,000 over the corresponding period, according to Statistics Korea.The youth unemployment rate exceeding 10 percent is arousing social worries, as it was 8.4 percent a decade ago (in June 2009) and 8 percent five years ago (in June 2014).Though the Moon Jae-in administra

EconomyJuly 28, 2019

Two productions shed light on life of anti-Japanese fighter

In time for the Aug. 15 national holiday Liberation Day, which marks the end of Japan’s occupation of Korea in 1945, two cultural productions are to greet local audiences, shedding new light on the life of an anti-Japanese hero Hong Beom-do. Sejong Center, deploying all of its seven arts troupes and their 300 members, is to re-create the last days of Hong (1868-1945) in a music-infused dramatic play, tentatively titled “Independence Fighter at Theater,” on Sept. 20-21.  &

PerformanceJuly 28, 2019

Woo Jaeghil Art Museum in Gwangju dedicated to singular artist

GWANGJU - Woo Jaeghil Art Museum in Ullim-dong, Gwangju, a quiet area near Mudeungsan National Park, is surrounded by trees, hills and mountains.The museum, which opened in 2001 as a private museum, underwent a major renovation and reopened in 2014. The new building is designed by renowned architect Seung Hyo-sang. “The museum first took off as a personal workshop for artist Woo Jae-ghil. But the museum had more than enough space for the artist, so we decided to use the museum also as

Arts & DesignJuly 28, 2019

S. Korean fishermen held in North Korea return home

A Russian fishing vessel and its crew, including two South Koreans, held by North Korea have returned home, the Ministry of Unification said Sunday. The South Korean fishermen were held in North Korea along with 15 Russian crew members, after their ship Xiang Hai Lin 8 was seized by North Korea’s coast guard in the country’s northeastern waters on July 17.  The Russian crab fishing boat arrived in Sokcho in South Korea’s Gangwon Province at about 1 p.m. on Sunday, after ha

North KoreaJuly 28, 2019

N. Korean fishing boat being probed for ‘mistakenly’ crossing into South

A North Korean fishing boat carrying three passengers crossed the marine border into South Korea in the East Sea late Saturday, Seoul’s military said Sunday. The boat has been towed to a South Korean military port for investigation.According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the wooden boat was first spotted about 5.5 kilometers above the Northern Limit Line, the de facto maritime border, at around 10:15 p.m. on Saturday. It started moving down in a straight line to cross the NLL at 11:21 p.m.

North KoreaJuly 28, 2019

[Herald Interview] ‘S. Korea should not just commemorate, but also record war history’

While the Korean Peninsula remains divided, the war that led to the division is now only a faint memory in the minds of the elderly. But Rami Hyun, a photographer, is putting the spotlight on the aged veterans who dedicated their youth fighting for a free country here. Holding a firm belief that the history should be recorded, Hyun takes pictures of veterans who fought in the 1950-1953 Korean War.   “I wish to record the reality of the war. There are a lot of commemorating events, but

DefenseJuly 28, 2019

Police accelerate probe into collapse of club balcony in Gwangju

Police on Sunday are speeding up the investigation into a collapse of a balcony inside a nightclub in Gwangju, which killed two people and injured 16, including eight foreign athletes competing at the world swimming championships a day earlier. A task force dedicated to investigating the accident called in one of the three co-owners of the club for questioning to see whether there was any professional negligence, according to Gwangju Seobu Police Station.Two of the co-owners and a club official

Social AffairsJuly 28, 2019

Financial groups see earnings boost in H1 despite sluggish market

South Korea’s major financial groups posted record-breaking earnings during the first half of the year, notwithstanding external challenges that have weighed down the overall market, industry data showed Sunday. Shinhan Financial Group and KB Financial Group, the nation’s top two banking groups in terms of assets, logged 1.91 trillion won ($1.6 billion) and 1.84 trillion won in net profit, respectively, according to their recent earnings announcements.Runners-up Hana Financial Group

MarketJuly 28, 2019

[From the Scene] Posco steels itself for green car era

SONGDO, Incheon – As vehicles increasingly shift from gasoline to electric power, attention is turning to whether lighter materials such as carbon fiber reinforced polymers and aluminum will replace steel in car parts, frames and bodywork. But South Korean steel giant Posco thinks there is hope for steel yet. It is aiming to keep carmaker clients by offering lighter but stronger kinds of steel. The strategy comes thanks to a highly engineered marketing solution devised by its research and

IndustryJuly 28, 2019

Hyundai Glovis opens first SE Asia office in Vietnam

Hyundai Motor Group’s logistics arm Hyundai Glovis is widening its overseas presence by opening its first Southeast Asian office in Vietnam.Hyundai Glovis Vietnam, which was launched Thursday, will serve as a bridgehead for the company to expand its business in the region, the firm said.The company will focus on transporting automotive and nonautomotive products such as food, cold chain products, textile and clothing. It will also supply auto parts to a local factory which has an annual ou

IndustryJuly 28, 2019

Lotte Duty Free opens third store in Vietnam

Lotte Duty Free said Sunday that its third duty-free store in Vietnam has opened at Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport, a year after its second outlet was launched in Nha Trang. Spanning over 506 square meters, the store inside the departure area in Hanoi Airport sells perfumes, cosmetics, liquor, tobacco, food, and more, from 90 brands. It also exclusively sells products from 21 brands including South Korea’s History of Whoo. The duty-free operator said it expects sales at t

IndustryJuly 28, 2019

[Advertorial] Citibank Korea participate in 22nd Habitat volunteer program

Citibank Korea said Sunday it has carried out its 22nd annual charity and volunteering program “Citi Building Hope and Home” through its partnership with Habitat for Humanity Korea.The South Korean unit of the international banking giant said employees and their families visited a Habitat building site in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, from Tuesday to Friday, to deliver donations and build homes for the homeless. The program has so far been joined by some 1,700 employees and th

IndustryJuly 28, 2019

Juventus accused of breach of contract for benching Ronaldo in Seoul exhibition

Italian football champions Juventus breached an agreement when they benched superstar Cristiano Ronaldo in an exhibition match against South Korean league All-Stars, a local organizer of the match claimed Saturday.Some 63,000 fans at Seoul World Cup Stadium went home disappointed Friday night, as Ronaldo did not play in a 3-3 draw between Juventus and K League All-Stars. TheFasta, the agency responsible for the event with Juventus, released a statement Saturday claiming that it didn't know about

SoccerJuly 28, 2019

[Newsmaker] Foreign swimmer arrested for alleged sexual harassment

A foreign swimmer participating in the FINA World Championships in Gwangju was arrested Sunday for alleged sexual harassment.Gwangju Seobu Police Station in the southern metropolitan city said it has arrested the swimmer, 22, on charges of sexually harassing an 18-year-old woman at a club around 3 a.m. Sunday. The woman called police immediately and the swimmer, whose identity was withheld, was arrested on the spot.The swimmer, accompanied by an attorney from his native country, is said to be de

Social AffairsJuly 28, 2019

S. Korea speeds up efforts to file compliant with WTO on Japan's export curbs

The South Korean government is speeding up preparations to file a complaint with the World Trade Organization as Japan is moving to remove Asia's fourth-largest economy from its "whitelist" of trusted trading partners, sources said Sunday."We plan to file a complaint with the WTO on a date convenient for South Korea," Deputy Trade Minister Kim Seung-ho said last week after returning home from Geneva, where he participated in a WTO meeting to win support from the international

EconomyJuly 28, 2019

Daily trading volume on main bourse hits lowest in 30 months

The daily average trading volume at South Korea's main bourse reached the lowest level in 30 months in July, data showed Sunday, as investors' sentiment was hurt by the global trade disputes.As of Friday, the daily average trading volume on the main bourse reached 4.3 trillion won ($3.63 billion), which marked the lowest level since 4.1 trillion won posted in January 2017, according to the Korea Exchange.The figure marked a sharp decrease from May last year, when the figure reached a record high

EconomyJuly 28, 2019

N. Korean military's fishing boat 'mistakenly' crosses sea border into S. Korea

A fishing boat apparently operated by North Korea's military has been towed into a South Korean port for investigation after sailing across the inter-Korean sea border, the military authorities here said Sunday.Three North Koreans, one wearing the communist nation's military uniform, were aboard the 10-meter-long wooden boat, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It was first spotted sailing in waters 5.5 kilometers north of the Northern Limit Line in the East Sea at around 10:15 p.m. on Satur

North KoreaJuly 28, 2019