[Newsmaker] Entry ban on Korean American singer illegal: top court

The top court ruled Thursday that an entry ban on a Korean American singer who obtained US citizenship in an apparent attempt to evade military conscription here is illegal, paving the way for him to come to South Korea 17 years after it was prohibited.The Supreme Court found that refusing an entry visa to Steve Yoo, 43, who was a highly popular singer until the early 2000s and is better known as Yoo Seung-jun, is in violation of “administrative procedures.”　In 2002, the Ministry of

Social AffairsJuly 11, 2019

[Weekender] High diving: Plunging 27 meters in 3 seconds

Just the sight of a makeshift diving platform standing 27 meters tall beside a round pool of water is enough to give viewers goose bumps. Imagine athletes performing a death-defying plunge, doing somersaults and twists before hitting the water feet first. No wonder high diving has drawn the most attention from spectators during the 18th FINA World Aquatics Championships in Gwangju, South Korea, selling out 6,500 tickets in total. The organizing committee will add more tickets for high diving, al

More SportsJuly 11, 2019

[Newsmaker] Political heavyweight stripped of parliamentary seat after top court confirms jail sentence

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a lower court ruling ordering a jail term for a four-term opposition lawmaker, stripping him of his parliamentary seat.The top court sentenced Rep. Choi Kyung-hwan of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party to five years in prison for taking bribes worth some 100 million won ($84,990). He was also ordered to pay 150 million won in fines. Under the law, an elected official loses his or her post if sentenced to imprisonment without forced labor for criminal cas

PoliticsJuly 11, 2019

JTI Korea launches smoke and odor-free vapor Ploom Tech

Japan Tobacco International Korea, the local unit of a global tobacco manufacturer, announced Thursday the upcoming release of its odor-reduced tobacco vapor product Ploom Tech.The heat-not-burn vapor product, set to release on Monday next week is said to be the first vapor product to utilize hybrid technology, in which tobacco leaves are indirectly heated through vapor.According to JTI Korea, the liquid cartridge, which does not contain nicotine, is first heated at a low temperature to emit vap

IndustryJuly 11, 2019

UNICEF used S. Korea donations to buy aid for NK: report

The UN Children’s Fund used contributions from South Korea to buy drugs and nutritional support for the vulnerable in North Korea, Radio Free Asia reported Thursday.The South Korean government donated $8 million to the World Food Program and UNICEF early last month to support their work in North Korea. Some $3.5 million of the donation went to UNICEF. In response to RFA’s question on how Seoul’s donations were being used, UNICEF’s East Asia and Pacific regional office com

North KoreaJuly 11, 2019

[Weekender] Gwangju hopes to become ‘city of water sports’ via FINA championships: mayor

GWANGJU -- Gwangju Metropolitan City is well known as the site of the May 1980 Democratization Movement and a “city of gastronomy” for its savory dishes. The southwestern city is now poised to become a “city of water sports” as it hosts the 2019 FINA World Aquatics Championships.With a record 72,000 people -- professional and amateur athletes, members of the media and related officials -- from 193 countries participating, the 18th biennial championships look set to bolste

More SportsJuly 11, 2019

Seoul, Tokyo to hold working-level talks this week amid trade row

South Korea's trade ministry said Thursday it will hold working-level talks with its Japanese counterpart this week to discuss Tokyo's latest trade restrictions on key industrial materials.The talks in Tokyo on Friday will be the first of their kind since Japan implemented strict regulations last week on exporting the materials used for the production of chips and smartphones.Since last Thursday, the Japanese government has applied more complicated procedures for exporting fluorinated polyimide,

Foreign AffairsJuly 11, 2019

N. Korea's Hwasong-15 ICBM can strike anywhere in US mainland: USFK

The United States Forces Korea (USFK) has said that North Korea's Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is capable of reaching anywhere in the US mainland, its first official assessment of the long-range missile.The Hwasong-15 ICMB that the communist country test-fired on Nov. 29, 2017, has an estimated range of 8,000 miles, or 12,874 kilometers, which is "capable of striking any part of the continental US," according to the "2019 Strategic Digest," an annual p

North KoreaJuly 11, 2019

Exports down 2.6% in first 10 days of July

South Korea's exports fell 2.6 percent in the first 10 days of July mainly due to decreased shipments of semiconductors, one of the country's key items, customs data showed Thursday.The country's exports stood at $13.6 billion in the July 1-10 period, compared with $13.9 billion in the same period last year, according to the Korea Customs Service.  By product, exports of semiconductors and petroleum products fell 25 percent and 3 percent, respectively.Meanwhile, outbound shipments of passen

EconomyJuly 11, 2019

N. Korea's official newspaper highlights 'inseparable' relations with China

North Korea's official newspaper highlighted its "inseparable" relations with China on Thursday as they mark the 58th anniversary of signing a mutual defense treaty.The two countries signed the treaty on July 11, 1961, under which they are obliged to provide military and other assistance to each other, a deal seen as the bedrock of their strong alliance for decades. "Today's international environment requires the people of North Korea and China to work to advance the North Korea-C

North KoreaJuly 11, 2019

Trump names ex-NK envoy as ambassador to Indonesia

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday named a former envoy for North Korea as ambassador to Indonesia, the White House said.Sung Kim, currently the US ambassador to the Philippines, is well known in South Korea as a former top US envoy to Seoul and chief negotiator on North Korea's nuclear weapons program.In his current post, Kim also led working-level preparations for Trump's first summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore in June 2018.The South Korean-born career diplomat earli

Foreign AffairsJuly 11, 2019

Top diplomats of S. Korea, Japan hold phone talks over Japan's export curbs, NK

The top diplomats of South Korea and the United States have held phone talks to discuss Tokyo's recent export control measure against Seoul and diplomacy for North Korea's denuclearization, Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday.During the 15-minute talks with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday night, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha voiced concerns over Japan's restrictions on the exports of key high-tech materials to South Korea. Last week, Japan enforced the measure in an apparent

Foreign AffairsJuly 11, 2019

BTS' 'IDOL' music video hits 500 m YouTube views

The music video of K-pop super band BTS' hit song "IDOL" surpassed 500 million YouTube views Thursday, the band's fifth music video to accomplish the feat.The hypnotic music video off the band's previous album "Love Yourself: Answer," released in August last year, hit the milestone early Thursday morning, according to Big Hit Entertainment. BTS shortly released another version of the "IDOL" music video, featuring iconic American female rapper Nicki Minaj. The second

PerformanceJuly 11, 2019

UNC seeks to include Japan as official member: govt. sources

The US-led UN Command (UNC) is seeking to include Japan as an official member, multiple government sources said Thursday, a move likely to inflame public sentiment in South Korea amid renewed historical tensions with Tokyo.Should Japan participate as part of the UNC's "sending states," its membership would pave the way for its military involvement in the event of an armed conflict on the peninsula -- a scenario unthinkable for most Koreans harboring grievances stemming from Japan's 191

Foreign AffairsJuly 11, 2019

N. Korean media warn prolonged drought affecting rice, other crop growth

North Korean news media warned Wednesday that a prolonged, severe drought could seriously damage its harvests of rice and other crops this year."Drought and high temperatures have been persisting in the west coast and middle inland areas," the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in a report.The phenomenon is affecting crops in North and South Hwanghae and South Pyongan provinces, as well as the city of Nampo and other areas, according to the report. "In particular, ri

North KoreaJuly 10, 2019

S. Korea considers 120 bln won extra budget to cope with Japan's export curbs

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said Wednesday the government will seek parliamentary approval for more than 120 billion won (US$101 million) in extra budgetary funds to cope with the impact of Japan's recent restrictions on exports of high-tech materials."The government plans to politely request at least 120 billion won from the National Assembly for an early implementation (of the necessary measures)," the prime minister said in a parliamentary interpellation session. "I hope the opp

EconomyJuly 10, 2019

S&P cuts growth outlook for S. Korea's economy to 2 percent

Global rating agency Standard & Poor's has sharply slashed its growth forecast for South Korea's economy this year to 2 percent due to rising uncertainty about the global trade outlook and weaker consumption.The latest estimate represented a sharp downward revision from its previous forecast of 2.4 percent in April.S&P said high inventories, particularly in the electronics sector, and rising uncertainty about the global trade outlook will continue to weigh down production and private inv

EconomyJuly 10, 2019

[News Focus] China likely to benefit from Japan’s export curbs

If Japan-imposed restrictions on exports of key tech materials to South Korea are extended in the long term, the curbs would benefit China while hurting both the Korean and Japanese economies, according to experts on Wednesday. Industry and economic experts here say that China would benefit the most from the Korea-Japan spat, as Chinese players would get a chance to step into the broken supply chain of the global electronics industry that has been led by Korean companies. According to Cho Gyeong

IndustryJuly 10, 2019

[Graphic News] Games led sharp growth in Korea‘s cultural exports in 2017

　South Korea’s exports of cultural goods jumped about 47 percent year-on-year in 2017, led by games, K-pop and publishing, an official survey showed.　The combined overseas sales in nine culture and entertainment sectors reached about $8.81 billion, up 46.7 percent from the previous year, according to the annual content industry statistics published by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The figure compares with the country‘s overall export growth that year of 15.8 percent.　T

CultureJuly 10, 2019

Chip firms wary of criticizing Japan curbs

An emergency meeting with President Moon Jae-in was arranged on Wednesday with chiefs of the country’s major businesses to seek short- and long-term solutions to the problem of import-dependent manufacturing chains here, but it also appeared to have placed a burden on firms caught in the diplomatic crossfire between South Korea and Japan. Some industry observers raised concerns that it could send the “wrong signal,” instigating Tokyo to take additional restrictive measures.At t

IndustryJuly 10, 2019