[Anniversary Special] ‘Japan’s export curbs hint at changing Seoul-Tokyo trade model’

Japan’s decision to remove South Korea from its list of trusted export partners in late July brought the relations between the two neighboring countries to a new low. Tensions stemming from the bilateral trade row served as a stark reminder that old wounds run deep and both sides will always have to deal with their complicated histories marked by the 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule of Korea. But according to local experts, the latest dispute is also a sign of changing trade dynamics between

EconomyAug. 14, 2019

Korea remembers WWII sex slavery survivors on second memorial day

Some 300 government officials, activists, historians and citizens came together Wednesday for commemorating the second memorial day for World War II sexual slavery survivors at the Kim Koo Museum in Yongsan, Seoul.The government last year designated Aug. 14 Comfort Women Memorial Day. On that day in 1991, Kim Hak-soon, a South Korean victim of sex slavery, came forward and gave testimony on Japan’s wartime crimes.   Gender Equality Minister Jin Sun-mee said at the Wednesday event

Social AffairsAug. 14, 2019

Japan beats Korea in most biz sectors except chips, smartphones: report

In light of the aggravating trade dispute between South Korea and Japan, a report showed Wednesday that significant revenue gaps remain in most industrial sectors between the two countries. According to Seoul-based market research firm CEO Score’s survey on highest-grossing companies across 15 sectors as of last year, the revenue of Korea’s top three companies was only half of that of their Japanese competitors. In the business categories ranging from semiconductors to telecommunicat

IndustryAug. 14, 2019

LIG Nex1 chief wins industrial merit award

South Korean defense and aerospace company LIG Nex1 chief Kim Ji-chan received the government’s top award for his contribution to the country’s defense industry development, the company said Wednesday. During a ceremony held at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, Kim was awarded the Order of Industrial Service Merit, also known as “Silver Tower,” the country’s second-highest decoration for a businessperson. He was recognized for his decades-long efforts

IndustryAug. 14, 2019

[Anniversary Special] Searching for lost land: S. Korea seeks to retrieve property seized by Japan

When Korea was under Japan’s colonial rule from 1910 to 1945, many Koreans lost their houses and land to the Japanese. A significant portion of Korean property was forcefully taken by the Japanese military and sold cheaply to its residents.The fledging Korean government, established in 1948, pledged to retrieve the property from the Japanese as promptly as possible. However, some has still not been returned to the government. With Korea ratcheting up pressure on Japan amid an escalating tr

IndustryAug. 14, 2019

Seoul eyes massive spending for infrastructure to revitalize economy

Seoul eyes massive spending for infrastructure to revitalize economySouth Korea's finance minister said Wednesday the government plans to spend a whopping 16.5 trillion won ($13.5 billion) on social infrastructure projects this year, in a bid to revitalize the economy, which has been losing steam due to falling exports. Government infrastructure spending over the July-Dec. period is to include 5.1 trillion won on public housing projects and 5.2 trillion won on railroads, according to Hong Nam-ki

EconomyAug. 14, 2019

Seoul City govt blamed for fish mutations in Han River

A group of fishermen from Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, claimed Tuesday that the Seoul Metropolitan Government has been polluting nearby waters by dumping unpurified sewage water into the Han River, leading to fish mutations.The fishermen said that water reclamation centers have been illegally dumping wastewater into the Han River and should take responsibility for the contamination. Foul scent and algal bloom have worsened in the river, especially in the downstream area around the cited facilities

Social AffairsAug. 14, 2019

[Anniversary Special] 21 years after ‘Japanese invasion,’ Korean pop culture stronger than ever

JYP Entertainment said Monday that Twice has received platinum certification in the Japanese market for its fourth and fifth singles, meaning the girl group has sold at least 250,000 copies of every single released in the country.Since South Korea opened its gates to Japanese pop culture in 1998, the two countries have exchanged cultural content. But over the past years, South Korea has been more successful in selling its content to Japan than vice versa.According to the Korea Creative Content A

CultureAug. 14, 2019

[Herald Interview] Park Seung-gun still pushing the envelope

Pushbutton will grace the runway in London once again, having established itself as an internationally sought-after fashion brand based in Seoul. Named after a line in Madonna’s catchy 2003 dance hit “Hollywood” -- “Push the button, don’t push the button” -- the label is led by creative director and founder Park Seung-gun. It will present a new collection on Sept. 17 at London Fashion Week Spring-Summer 2020.  It is the brand’s third time on the cat

Arts & DesignAug. 14, 2019

[Anniversay Special] ‘Human rights, free trade key to overcoming diplomatic row with Japan’

South Korea should target Japan’s “abandonment” of the universal values of human rights and free trade to resolve their escalating dispute, according to professor of Japanese studies Lee Won-deog. Meanwhile, he said, a tit-for-tat response to its retaliatory export restrictions is not a wise strategy.“Given the asymmetry of their economies, a more effective way of pressing Japan is to take actions that follow the universal values or norms,” Lee, a professor at Kookm

Foreign AffairsAug. 14, 2019

Anti-Abe rallies to sweep Seoul on Liberation Day

Rallies denouncing the Shinzo Abe administration for Tokyo’s economic retaliation against Seoul are set to take place Thursday on Liberation Day, along with events reflecting on the 74th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japan’s colonial rule.A movement for joint action to resolve the wartime forced labor and other historical issues with Japan -- set up by some 10 civic groups, including Movement for One Korea and the Center for Historical Truth and Justice -- will begin a

Social AffairsAug. 14, 2019

S. Korea to acquire more anti-missile radars, interceptors to counter NK threats

South Korea plans to add two more ground-based anti-missile early warning radars and build three Aegis-equipped destroyers in the next five years in an effort to better detect and intercept incoming missiles from North Korea, the defense ministry said Wednesday.The plan was one of the key projects that the ministry unveiled in its five-year defense blueprint for 2020-2024 amid heightened concerns about North Korea's missile capabilities in the wake of a series of test-firings of what Pyongyang c

DefenseAug. 14, 2019

S. Korea begins process to remove Japan's trusted trade partner status

South Korea's trade ministry on Wednesday started the process to drop Japan from its list of trusted trading partners, in a tit-for-tat move amid the growing trade row between the two Asian neighbors.Early this week, the South Korean government decided to revamp the categorization of its trading partners into three groups from the current two, placing Tokyo in the in-between group.The ministry said the reclassification of its trade partners will go into effect after gathering public opinion for

IndustryAug. 14, 2019

Ship suspected of carrying coal spotted at N. Korean port: report

A cargo ship suspected of carrying coal has been spotted at a North Korean port, a US broadcaster said Wednesday, raising the possibility of a violation of global sanctions on Pyongyang.The 110-meter-long ship was spotted docked at the North's western port of Nampo along with plenty of black materials nearby in a satellite photo taken Tuesday by the U.S. Earth imaging company Planet Labs, according to Voice of America (VOA). The ship was first seen at the port in a satellite photo taken Saturday

North KoreaAug. 14, 2019

[Newsmaker] Dismembered body found in Han River

A dismembered body has been found in the lower reaches of the Han River in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, local police said Wednesday.According to Goyang Police Station, the bare torso of a dead man was found floating in the river near the southern-end of Magok Railway Bridge around 9:15 a.m. Monday by an employee of Hangang Operations Office. The body was missing its head and limbs.Police said the torso, presumed to belong to a man between his 20s and 50s, is believed to have been disposed not long

Social AffairsAug. 14, 2019

Five feared dead or injured in elevator crash at construction site

Three workers were killed and three others injured in a construction elevator crash in the eastern city of Sokcho on Wednesday, fire authorities said.The hoist with four workers aboard plummeted from the 15th floor at an apartment building construction site in the city, 210 kilometers east of Seoul, at 8:28 a.m. Three of them were killed, and another is in serious condition with multiple fractures, they said. Two Uzbek workers who were on the ground were also hurt. Those injured were rushed to a

Social AffairsAug. 14, 2019

Seat occupancy on flights to and from Japan drops over trade row

The number of air passengers on routes between South Korea and Japan dipped during the peak summer vacation season amid an escalating bilateral trade spat, government data showed Wednesday.The passenger load factor for flights to and from Japan averaged 71.5 percent during the first week of August, down from84.5 percent from a year earlier, according to the data from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The average seat occupancy rate came to 75.7 percent for the last week of July

IndustryAug. 14, 2019

Moon urges measures against Japan's Dokdo claim, handling of radioactive water: source

President Moon Jae-in has instructed South Korean government officials not to sit idle on Japan's territorial claims over Dokdo and potential release of radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean, an informed source said Tuesday.His call came amid unrelenting trade and diplomatic disputes between the neighboring countries. Tokyo started the fight with export restrictions, and Seoul hit back with similar retaliatory measures. Adding to the uproar among South Koreans over Japan's export curbs, appar

Foreign AffairsAug. 14, 2019

Job additions hit 18-month high in July

The number of new jobs in South Korea rose to their highest in 18 months in July on the back of a rise in employment in the health care, food and leisure-related sectors, with the jobless rate up slightly to 3.9 percent, government data showed Wednesday.  The number of employed people in Asia's fourth-largest economy came to 27.38 million, up 299,000 from a year earlier, according to the data from Statistics Korea.   It was the highest on-year leap since the 334,000 increase

EconomyAug. 14, 2019

US concerned by NK missile development: senior official

The United States is concerned by North Korea's missile development and will continue to call out the regime for its missile tests, a senior US official said Tuesday.Andrea Thompson, under secretary of state for arms control and international security, was commenting in light of North Korea's five rounds of short-range ballistic missile tests since July 25. Experts say the regime has been advancing its weapons capabilities despite a commitment by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to work toward de

North KoreaAug. 14, 2019