[Weekender] How far off is the ‘cashless society’?

For 35-year-old office worker Kim Seong-soo, carrying a wallet loaded with cash or plastic is a thing of the past.  In Pangyo Techno Valley, where he works, he can easily buy a cup of coffee and get a haircut without any cash or cards -- as long as he brings his phone.The tech cluster, located south of Seoul in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, is often called the South Korean equivalent of California’s Silicon Valley. To access any service in the area, all Kim needs to do is place his pho

TechnologyAug. 16, 2019

[Weekender] The life and death of Korean won

South Korean banknotes and coins begin life at a factory in Gyeongsan, just outside Daegu. They are then transported to the Bank of Korea’s vault in Seoul, heavily guarded by armed security officers, to enter the money circulation cycle. In its lifespan as a medium of exchange, the banknotes and coins travel around at varying speeds, with some -- 1,000 won bills in particular -- changing hands numerous times before exiting circulation. However, some coins spend most of their time sitt

EconomyAug. 16, 2019

Trump: NK leader called within 10 minutes after DMZ tweet

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called him "within 10 minutes" after he tweeted an invitation to meet at the inter-Korean border in June. Trump was talking about his use of Twitter as a messaging platform when he cited the tweet he sent to Kim on June 29 right before he traveled to South Korea."When I was flying to South Korea, I had the idea: You know what? I'm going to South Korea, right next to North Korea, right where the border, ri

North KoreaAug. 16, 2019

N. Korea says it has no intention to talk with S. Korea

North Korea said Friday that Pyongyang has no intention to talk with South Korea again, calling it a "senseless" hope to expect talks to be resumed when Seoul's joint military exercise with the United States is over. The spokesperson of the North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country issued a statement, calling South Korean President Moon Jae-in an "impudent guy rare to be found" and dismissing his Thursday speech to celebrate the liberation from the Japan

North KoreaAug. 16, 2019

NK raises military tension on peninsula: NSC

2 unidentified projectiles flew 230 kilometers with peak altitude of 30 km: JCSNorth Korea fired two unidentified projectiles into the East Sea on Friday, South Korea's military said, the sixth such launch in about three weeks.The firing came along with a warning that North Korea could end dialogue with South Korea in apparent protest against the Seoul-Washington military exercise and Seoul's defense plan, announced earlier this week, to outline its five-year major weapons procurement projects.T

North KoreaAug. 16, 2019

Typhoon Krosa passes over East Sea

Typhoon Krosa, the season's 10th typhoon, reached the East Sea after landing on the Japanese city of Hiroshima earlier in the day, Seoul's weather agency said Thursday. The typhoon, which reached Hiroshima at around 3 p.m., arrived over the East Sea as of 6 p.m., the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said.The agency said the speed of the typhoon, which was around 25 to 33 kilometers per hour, weakened as it traveled through Japan.Typhoon Krosa is expected to reach its closest point to So

Social AffairsAug. 15, 2019

Ex-US Rep. Honda visits shelter for sexual slavery victims

Former US Rep. Mike Honda paid a visit to a shelter that houses South Korean women who were forced into sexual enslavement by Japan on Thursday.Honda met two victims at the shelter and expressed hope that they will be able to receive an apology from the Japanese government, according to an official from the shelter. The House of Sharing, just outside of Seoul, opened in 1992 for the victims who were forced into sexual enslavement by the Japanese military during Tokyo's 1910-45 brutal colonial ru

Foreign AffairsAug. 15, 2019

[Graphic News] Serena still highest-paid woman in sports

　US tennis superstar Serena Williams topped Forbes magazine’s list of the highest-paid women in sports for the fourth straight year.　The business publication calculated that the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion earned $29.2 million in the 12-month period ending June 1 -- with just $4.2 million of that coming from prize money.　Japan’s Naomi Osaka, who burst to international stardom with a stunning upset of Williams in the 2018 US Open final and went on to win the Australian Open in

SportsAug. 15, 2019

Chinese-speaking K-pop stars side with mainland China against protesters

As Hong Kong citizens intensify their protests against a bill that would allow extraditions to mainland China, Chinese-speaking K-pop stars are showing their support for the “One China” policy via social media.Lay of EXO ended a modeling contract with Samsung Electronics because, according to the agency representing him in China, the company’s global website does not adhere to the policy, which holds that the territories of Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macao belong to the state of Chi

PerformanceAug. 15, 2019

[Newsmaker] Controversy brews over Cho Kuk’s ties to socialist group

Cho Kuk, former senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, sought to fend off criticism over his involvement in the South Korean Socialist Workers’ Alliance in 1991, saying it had been a way to “stand against a dictatorial government and pursue economic democracy.”“Cho Kuk in his 20-somethings was inexperienced and fell short, but sought to walk along with public agony with a passionate heart,” Cho said Wednesday morning at a temporary office in Jongno, centra

PoliticsAug. 15, 2019

Typhoon Krosa forecast to pass over East Sea

Typhoon Krosa, the season's 10th typhoon, is forecast to pass over the East Sea after landing on the Japanese city of Hiroshima earlier in the day, Seoul's weather agency said Thursday.The typhoon was moving north at a speed of 30 kilometers per hour from about 290 kilometers east-southeast of Osaka, Japan, as of 3 p.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Administration said.Typhoon Krosa is expected to move across Japan to the East Sea, passing near South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo.

Social AffairsAug. 15, 2019

[Elizabeth Drew] What’s behind America’s mass shootings?

After every mass shooting in the United States, Americans and others around the world are confronted with the question of what lies behind this distinctly American horror. Though total gun deaths in the US have actually declined over time, mass shootings (those with at least four victims) have become deadlier and more frequent. Some have had an especially strong emotional impact on the country.The back-to-back mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, on the first weekend of August are

ViewpointsAug. 15, 2019

Nation-led dance company’s Swing-styled contemporary dance to rerun

The Korea National Contemporary Dance Company will stage its production “Swing” between Aug. 30 and Sept. 1 at Seoul Arts Center.“Swing” is a contemporary dance piece of the state-run dance company’s Director Ahn Sung-soo. It had its premiere in April last year and received a positive response.  “Swing,” an hourlong performance, features Ahn’s swing-styled choreography in which he has also combined different types of movements, like the ones y

PerformanceAug. 15, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘Jesters: The Game Changers’ yield disappointing results, despite intriguing setup

In the 2006 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, defending champion Josh Smith put down tape well-beyond the free-throw line to indicate that he would jump from there. Had he succeeded in doing so, the leap would have been an unimaginable feat. His jump, however, was well inside the tape, to the dismay and confusion of the frenzied crowd. To me, the disappointment brought by director Kim Ju-ho’s “Jesters: The Game Changers” was like Smith’s weird bluff. The period piece had pumped up e

FilmAug. 15, 2019

Statue of ‘comfort women’ pulled from Japan exhibit finds new home

MADRID (Reuters) -- A Spanish businessman has bought a statue symbolizing women forced to work in Japanese military brothels which was removed from an exhibition in Japan after organizers received threats over the piece. The “Statue of a Girl Of Peace” symbolizes the “comfort women”, a euphemism referring to women, many of them Korean, forced into the brothels before and during World War II. Estimates vary, but historians say thousands of women may have been involved

Arts & DesignAug. 15, 2019

Luxury hotels introduce ‘K-cocktail’ drinks

As more and more tourists join the trend and “go local,” more luxury hotels here are introducing cocktails infused with a Korean vibe.The Park Hyatt Seoul’s premium vinyl music bar, The Timber House, is getting ready to welcome guest bartender Demie Kim from Alice Cheongdam, a hip cocktail bar in southern Seoul. Kim will introduce guests to the “K-cocktails” that have earned him fame -- not to mention a prize at world-class cocktail competition La Maison Cointreau 2

FoodAug. 15, 2019

[From the scene] Anti-Abe rallies dominate central Seoul on Liberation Day

Thousands of citizens from South Korea and Japan on Thursday urged the Shinzo Abe administration to apologize to Korean victims forced to work for Japanese occupiers during a rally in central Seoul, marking the 74th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japan.  Despite heavy rain, an estimated 3,000 people gathered at Seoul Plaza to denounce the Abe administration for failing to admit to its past wrongdoings during its 1910-45 colonialization of Korea as historical issues are st

Social AffairsAug. 15, 2019