Relics of Paleolithic era found in N. Korea's southwest

Paleolithic fossils, stoneware and other remains have been found in North Korea's southwestern region, state media said Monday.Faculty and researchers of Kimilsung University found the remains -- five pieces of stone tools, three pieces of bone tools and 732 pieces of fossil bones -- dating back to the later period of the era near the Ryesong River, according to the Korean Central News Agency. The discovery marked the first time for relics of the Paleolithic age to be found near the Ryesong Rive

CultureJuly 29, 2019

Earth's 2019 resources 'budget' spent by July 29: report

PARIS (AFP) -- Mankind will have used up its allowance of natural resources such as water, soil and clean air for all of 2019 by Monday, a report said.The so-called Earth Overshoot Day has moved up by two months over the past 20 years and this year's date is the earliest ever, the study by the Global Footprint Network said.The equivalent of 1.75 planets would be required to produce enough to meet humanity's needs at current consumption rates. "Earth Overshoot Day falling on July 29 means th

World NewsJuly 29, 2019

Three North Koreans to be returned to North

The three North Koreans who crossed into South Korea in the East Sea will be returned to the North, the Ministry of Unification said Monday. The three North Koreans crossed into South Korean waters late Saturday on a wooden boat. The vessel was detected by South Korean Navy and towed into a military port in Gangwon Province on Sunday. “The government plans to return the North’s wooden boat and the crew across the Northern Limit Line in East Sea this afternoon,” the Unifica

North KoreaJuly 29, 2019

Japan's Abe unlikely to meet S. Korea's Moon at UN in Sept. - Sankei

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is unlikely to meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in during the United Nations general assembly in September, the Sankei newspaper reported, the latest sign of frosty relations between the key US allies.Abe will not hold talks with Moon unless Seoul takes constructive steps over World War-Two era forced labourers and other issues, the Japanese daily said on Monday.Abe will also forgo meeting Moon during other opportunities, including an Association of Southea

Foreign AffairsJuly 29, 2019

[Newsmaker] S. Korean Ko Jin-young wins Evian Championship for 2nd career LPGA major

South Korean Ko Jin-young has captured the Evian Championship for her second career LPGA major title, booking a return to the top of the world rankings in the process.Ko won the fourth major tournament of the 2019 season at 15-under 269 at the par-71 Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France, on Sunday, beating three players, including fellow Korean Kim Hyo-joo, by two strokes.Jennifer Kupcho of the United States and Feng Shanshan of China also finished at 13-under.This is Ko's fifth LPG

GolfJuly 29, 2019

S. Korean diplomat under police probe over alleged sexual harassment

A senior South Korean diplomat stationed in Japan is reportedly under police investigation for allegedly molesting a female subordinate employee.The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission has referred the case to the police after receiving a tip on the consul general's alleged sexual harassment, according to a foreign ministry official. "The commission has not revealed details of the incident to the ministry," the official said. The diplomat is known to be currently in South

Foreign AffairsJuly 28, 2019

[Graphic News] Worsening world hunger affects 821 million

　More than 821 million people suffered from hunger worldwide last year, the United Nations reported - the third year in a row that the number has risen.　After decades of decline, malnutrition began to increase in 2015, mainly because of climate change and war. Reversing the trend is one of the 2030 targets of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals that aim to improve the planet and its people.　But getting to a world where no one is suffering from hunger by then remains an “immense ch

World NewsJuly 28, 2019

[Gwangju 2019] FINA calls athletes' podium protests 'unfortunate'

The international swimming governing body on Sunday said athletes' podium protests against a fellow swimmer facing doping allegations at the world championships were "unfortunate."Cornel Marculescu, executive director of FINA, also said FINA is one of the world's leading sports organizations in the fight against doping, trying to dispel notions that it's more concerned about controlling athletes' behavior than the use of performance-enhancing substances in the sport. "We're here t

More SportsJuly 28, 2019

[Gwangju 2019] Chief organizer says Gwangju Worlds have been a success

The top organizer of the 2019 FINA World Championships in South Korea said Sunday that the 17-day aquatics competition have been successful in terms of performances and financial efficiency."After two weeks of an outstanding aquatics show, the 2019 Gwangju World Championships have finished the 17th day of competition," Lee Yong-sup, head of the organizing committee, said in a press conference.He said FINA, the international swimming governing body, recognizes the Gwangju championships

More SportsJuly 28, 2019

[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