Koreans' overseas card spending inches down in Q2

Overseas card spending by South Koreans slightly dropped from three months earlier in the second quarter, partly due to a decrease in the number of people going abroad, central bank data showed Thursday.In the April-June period, overseas card spending came to $4.67 billion, down 0.1 percent from $4.68 billion in the first quarter, according to the data from the Bank of Korea. On an annual basis, the second-quarter card spending overseas gained 0.1 percent, marking the slowest on-year growth at l

MarketAug. 22, 2019

Court rejects injunction against Hyundai Heavy's shareholders meeting over split-up plan

A Seoul court has rejected an injunction filed by Hyundai Heavy Industries' labor union seeking to nullify the company's split-up plan in its proposed merger with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, the shipbuilder said Thursday. Hyundai Heavy said the Seoul Central District Court on Wednesday turned down the injunction against its shareholders meeting that approved the company's split. The union has been claiming that the shareholders' meeting in Ulsan on May 31 didn't follow the prop

IndustryAug. 22, 2019

New young adult English novel to recount devastation of Japanese wartime sexual slavery

A young adult novel on Japan's wartime sexual slavery, which was recently translated into English, will hit the shelves in the United States and other countries this year to recount the devastation of the Japanese wartime atrocity, according to its publisher Thursday.The 248-page novel, "Trampled Blossoms: What They Stole from Grandma," written by Moon Young-sook and translated by David Carruth, will go on sale at the US online bookseller Amazon and through other global circulation cha

BooksAug. 22, 2019

SKT becomes world’s first to hit 1 million 5G subscriptions

Korea’s SK Telecom said Thursday that it became the first in the world to have over 1 million 5G subscribers for a single network service, vying against 28 other such telecommunication network services in the world.Yoo Young-sang, SKT’s executive vice president and head of the Mobile Edge Computing department, said, “Korea is a unique country that has all the facets that enable a 5G ecosystem such as the technology, the infrastructure, the service and the subscribers. “We

IndustryAug. 22, 2019

Gyeongbokgung to open its gates for autumn nights

Gyeongbokgung Palace will invite visitors to enjoy its grounds at night this coming autumn, opening its gates between 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. from mid-September until early November.According to Cultural Heritage Administration, the annual nighttime special tours of the Joseon-era palace will take begin Sept. 12 -- during the Chuseok Holidays -- and will conclude on Nov. 6. The hours will be extended from the usual 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., but only up to 4,500 people a day will be able to visit the pal

TravelAug. 22, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw(US)Opened Aug.14Action, Adventure Directed by David Leitch Ever since hulking lawman Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and lawless outcast Shaw (Jason Statham) first faced off in 2015’s Furious 7, the duo have swapped smack talk and body blows as they’ve tried to take each other down. But when cyber-genetically enhanced anarchist Brixton (Idris Elba) gains control of an insidious bio-threat that could alter humanity forever, these two sworn enemies

FilmAug. 22, 2019

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Muchangpo Mystic Sea Road FestivalA 1.5 kilometer path opens up across the sea from Muchangpo Beach to Seokdaedo Island when the tide goes out during this festival. Visitors can enjoy a wide range of attractions and hands-on programs such as celebratory performances, fishing with a torch, the Mystic Sea Road torch parade, barehanded fishing, catching manila clams, gathering razor shells and many more.It is open to all visitors, and is held until Sept. 1.For more information in Korean, English, J

TravelAug. 22, 2019

NK says it has no interest in talks if military threats continue

North Korea said Thursday it had no interest in dialogue as long as military hostilities continue, mentioning South Korea’s introduction of F-35A stealth fighters.A spokesperson for the North’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that South Korea violated inter-Korean agreements by continuing to bring in the high-tech weapons from the US.The statement came a day after two additional F-35A fighter jets arrived in South Korea, raising the total number of the stealth fighters in the co

North KoreaAug. 22, 2019

Trump vows again to help Apple against Samsung

US President Donald Trump vowed again Wednesday to help Apple in its competition against Samsung, citing the issue of tariffs. Trump told reporters on Sunday that Apple CEO Tim Cook expressed concern about the impact US tariffs on Chinese goods could have on his company's products, parts of which are manufactured in China.The president said he was "thinking about it" after Cook made a "very compelling argument" that Samsung won't have to pay tariffs because it is based in Sou

IndustryAug. 22, 2019

Vice foreign minister discusses Korea-Japan row with US officials

South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Lee Tae-ho met with US officials in Washington on Wednesday to discuss ongoing trade tensions between Seoul and Tokyo, as well as other mutual interests.Lee met with US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell and then with US Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth Keith Krach. His visit came days ahead of a Group of 7 summit in France, where Japan is expected to rally support for its position in the row. South Korea

Foreign AffairsAug. 22, 2019

S. Korea strikes FTA with Israel

South Korea has struck a free trade deal with Israel as part of efforts to strengthen economic ties with the Middle Eastern country and cope with the growing protectionism around the globe, Seoul’s Trade Ministry said Wednesday.In Jerusalem, Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee and her counterpart, Eli Cohen, declared their bilateral free trade agreement around three years after the two held the first round of negotiations in 2016.The deal is expected to take effect in the first half of 2020, as i

EconomyAug. 21, 2019

President Moon receives six new ambassadors to Seoul

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday welcomed six new foreign ambassadors and asked for their support for his peace initiatives involving North Korea. Moon received the credentials of envoys from Singapore, the Philippines, Brunei, Colombia, Bulgaria and Nicaragua during ceremonies at Cheong Wa Dae, according to a press release. Expressing gratitude for the countries’ support for peace on the Korean Peninsula, the president asked for their continued backing for the successful implementa

Foreign AffairsAug. 21, 2019

[Herald Interview] Sports bodies need to make own assessments of Fukushima: Greenpeace nuclear specialist

With less than a year to go until the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, concerns are growing over the safety of the baseball and softball venues in disaster-hit Fukushima.Seeking to break away from Japan’s association with high levels of radioactivity, the Abe government has branded the 2020 Olympics the “Recovery Games.”But health and environmental risks from high levels of radiation persist in parts of Fukushima after the 2011 nuclear meltdown.According to Shaun Burnie, a senior nu

Social AffairsAug. 21, 2019

Lack of information deters smokers from switching to alternatives: PMI study

A lack of information and confusion deter smokers from switching to alternative options such as heat-not-burn tobacco, according to industry data compiled by Philip Morris International released Wednesday.According to a survey conducted by research firm Povaddo on behalf of PMI, about 55 percent of adult smokers surveyed said they have the information they need about smoke-free products, while 4 in 5 respondents said they agree that a change in their smoking habits was needed.The survey was cond

IndustryAug. 21, 2019

[Graphic News] Samsung No. 2 patent holder in US in 2018

　Samsung Electronics ranked second in terms of the number of patents filed in the United States last year, a report by a US patent association showed.　 Samsung registered 5,836 patents in the US last year, trailing behind IBM with 9,088 patents, the Intellectual Property Owners Association said. 　Samsung’s rival LG Electronics was the seventh-largest patent holder with 2,473, moving up one notch from a year ago, the IPO said. (Yonhap)

World BusinessAug. 21, 2019

[팟캐스트] (314) 조국 가족 관련 부정부패 혐의 논란 / 케이팝 스타들의 노브라 논란

 진행자: 임현수, Paul Kerry1. Corruption allegations have Cho Kuk in a corner기사요약: 법무부 장관 후보자 조국이 청문회 전 가족과 관련된 부정부패 혐의로 곤혹을 치르고 있다.아이튠즈(아이폰): https://itunes.apple.com/kr/podcast/koliaheleoldeu-paskaeseuteu/id686406253?mt=2팟빵 (안드로이드): http://www.podbbang.com/ch/6638[1] Justice Minister nominee Cho Kuk is in a corner over mounting corruption allegations involving his family ahead of his confirmation hearing, which hasn’t even been scheduled yet. *nominee: 후보자*in a corner: 구석에 몰린, 곤란한*confirm

PodcastAug. 21, 2019

S. Korea, Britain adopt joint statement on post-Brexit cooperation

South Korea and Britain on Wednesday adopted a joint statement pledging continued close cooperation even after London's expected departure from the European Union (EU) in October, Seoul's foreign ministry said.In the statement, they committed to cooperation for the denuclearization and establishment of permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula, democratic principles, human rights, promotion of trade liberalization and a fight against weapons of mass destruction. Seoul and London have been seeking

Foreign AffairsAug. 21, 2019

Megan Fox says she felt gravity of the story in ‘Battle of Jangsari’

On Sept. 14, 1950, a day before the Battle of Incheon, 772 student soldiers landed on Jangsa-ri, North Gyeongsang Province, risking their lives and contributing to what eventually became the turning point of the Korean War.The story of middle and high school students who fought in the historic battle will be told in the upcoming film “Battle of Jangsari,” directed by Kwak Kyung-taek and Kim Tae-hoon and starring Kim Myung-min, Choi Min-ho and Hollywood actor Megan Fox.“I could

FilmAug. 21, 2019

[Jeffrey D. Sachs] Europe must oppose Trump

With Donald Trump due to visit Europe again for the G-7 summit later this month, European leaders have run out of options for dealing with the US president. They have tried to charm him, persuade him, ignore him, or agree to disagree with him. Yet Trump’s malevolence is bottomless. The only alternative, therefore, is to oppose him.The most immediate issue is European trade with Iran. This is no small matter. It is a battle that Europe cannot afford to lose.Trump is capable of inflicting gr

ViewpointsAug. 21, 2019