2 Japanese defense attaches recalled after secretly obtaining military secrets: report

Two Japanese defense attaches in South Korea have returned back to their home country after they were found to have obtained classified military information, a local daily reported Tuesday. According to Dong-A Ilbo, the Japanese defense attaches obtained 54 classified military documents on information related to North Korea from a former official of the Korea Defense Intelligence Command and 20 documents from a North Korean defector.  Following the prosecution’s indictment of the info

DefenseJuly 16, 2019

Seo Dong-joo wins 2019 LMoA Young Artist Award

Artist Seo Dong-joo has won the 2019 LMoA Young Artist Award, the Lotte Museum of Art’s annual award for an up-and-coming artist in South Korea. Seo, the winner of the inaugural award, will be given 20 million won ($16,949) toward his next projects. He will also hold a preview exhibition later this year at the Lotte Museum of Art, where he will introduce new works. Next year, Seo will have two separate exhibitions where his new and past works will be shown. Seo, 37, received a bachelor&rsq

Arts & DesignJuly 16, 2019

[Graphic News] UN: 464,000 people killed in homicides in 2017

　A UN report says some 464,000 homicides were recorded around the world in 2017, far more than the number killed in armed conflicts and terrorist attacks.　The Global Study on Homicide 2919, published Monday by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, also had good news. 　While the total number of people who suffered violent deaths has increased over 25 years, the global population has grown faster, so the risk of being killed in a homicide has declined.　The report says there were 7.2 homicides per 100,

World NewsJuly 16, 2019

[News Focus] Does Korea-Japan dispute put trilateral cooperation with US at risk?

The worsening diplomatic row between South Korea and Japan has raised concerns that it may threaten security cooperation among Seoul, Washington and Tokyo.On July 4, Japan raised the ante with economic retaliatory measures as tensions heightened over the use of forced labor by Japanese companies during the country’s 1910-45 colonization of the Korean Peninsula.  Japan’s announcement of restrictions on exports of items used by South Korean chip and smartphone companies ignited an

Foreign AffairsJuly 16, 2019

Sol Beach Hotel & Resort Jindo opens

Sol Beach Hotel & Resort Jindo, Daemyung Resort’s latest and 17th resort branch, is opening on Friday. Located in Jindo, South Jeolla Province, it is the third of Daemyung’s Sol Beach brand, which is themed as a beachside resort. This particular resort is themed after the Provence region of southeastern France, which sits by the beaches of the Mediterranean Sea. The new resort has 576 guest rooms, four restaurants, a cafe, five ballrooms, and an infinity pool.The hotel section ha

TravelJuly 16, 2019

Ex-lawmaker found dead on mountain in western Seoul: police

Former legislator Chung Doo-un was found dead Wednesday afternoon at a mountain in Hongeun-dong, a neighborhood in Seoul’s western district of Seodaemun, according to police. Seoul Emergency Operations Center said Chung’s wife called police at around 4 p.m. after finding a note he had left behind. Police located him 30 minutes into their search at the mountain near an apartment where he used to live.Chung served as vice mayor of Seoul from 2000-2003, when eventual President Lee Myung

PoliticsJuly 16, 2019

[Robert J. Fouser] Improving relations between South Korea and Japan

South Korea and Japan are at it again. On July 1, the Japanese government decided to restrict exports to South Korea of three products used in semiconductor and smartphone manufacturing. It argued that the products could be used for making weapons if they fell into North Korean hands. The action caused an uproar in South Korea, and people accused Japan of using the issue to weaken the Korean economy. Neither country appears willing to negotiate a solution to address complaints on both sides.Rela

ViewpointsJuly 16, 2019

[Kim Seong-kon] Five things we should do to overcome crisis

Watching Korea helplessly caught in the vortex of international crises and domestic turbulence these days, one cannot but ponder how Korea can survive in these difficult times. Of course, it will not be easy to overcome the hardship, and yet we should try hard to survive and even thrive, turning the crisis into an opportunity. What, then, should we do? First, we should promote and maintain good relationships with neighboring countries and allies, especially with Japan and the United States. This

ViewpointsJuly 16, 2019

South Korea’s eco-friendly car exports take off

South Korean exports of environment-friendly cars, such as hybrid and electric vehicles, soared over the seven years ending last year as global demand shifted away from combustion-engine cars, industry data showed Tuesday. The data from the Korea Automobile Manufacturer Association showed that from 2012 to 2018, the country’s automotive exports fell by an annual average of 4.2 percent, but exports of eco-friendly cars rose by an average of 33.1 percent per year.A total of 196,000 eco-

MobilityJuly 16, 2019

Korail launches travel package to Chuncheon for foreigners

Korail is launching a travel package deal for foreigners that includes a round-trip train ticket, a taxi ride and admission to major tourist spots in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. According to Korail, the “Dream Tour Cheongchun” package, which will be launched Saturday, will operate until the end of the year. It was jointly developed by the state-run railroad service, Gangwon Province and Chuncheon City.Priced at 36,000 won ($30.50) per person on weekdays and 44,000 won on weekends, t

TravelJuly 16, 2019

12 years a dispute: Who owns ‘people’s words’?

 Supreme Court ruling seeks to end quarrel over ownership of version of ‘Hunminjeongeum’In September 1446, Sejong the Great published the document “Hunminjeongeum” -- meaning “proper sound for teaching the people” -- which describes the Korean writing system Hangeul.The original manuscript of the book carries a preface written by the Joseon king, footnotes about the content and explanations on how Sejong created Hangeul to help commoners learn to read and

CultureJuly 16, 2019

Doosan, Ceres team up for power system’s commercial use

South Korean energy-to-industrial equipment company Doosan Corp. has agreed with UK-based Ceres Power to develop solid oxide fuel cell power systems for commercial buildings here, the companies said Tuesday.The two signed a collaboration and licensing agreement to jointly develop SOFC power systems targeted at the Korean commercial buildings market, in which the two see business potential alongside the Korean government’s plan of increasing the use of fuel cell electric systems in autos, f

IndustryJuly 16, 2019

Hanwha Total co-CEO elected as Korea head of CCE

Jean-Marc Otero del Val, co-CEO of Hanwha Total Petrochemical, a 50-50 venture between South Korean conglomerate Hanwha and French petrochemical firm Total, has been elected as a representative of French Foreign Trade Advisors’ Korea division, the company said Tuesday. The advisory group, Les Conseiller du Commerce Exterieur, has more than 2,600 members in 145 countries where French companies have made inroads. The organization’s branch in Korea is operated by executives of French fi

IndustryJuly 16, 2019

[News Analysis] Doubts cloud Seoul’s decision to take Japan trade row to WTO

Japan’s latest moves to curb exports of key materials used in South Korea’s high-tech industry is to be an agenda at the World Trade Organization’s General Council meeting next week amid mixed forecasts about the results. The Moon Jae-in administration announced Sunday that it planned to use the upcoming meeting to explain its stance on Tokyo’s decision to apply stricter export rules for three materials used for producing chips and displays, and to remove South Korea from

IndustryJuly 16, 2019

Moon defends PM’s overseas trips

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday highlighted the role of the prime minister in diplomatic affairs, saying the country needs to operate a “two-top” system of summit diplomacy.  “With the demand for summit diplomacy increasing rapidly, it has become difficult for the president to handle it alone. Therefore there is a need for the president and the prime minister to divide the roles to work on summit diplomacy together,” Moon said. Moon added that due to his government&

PoliticsJuly 16, 2019

Yoon Seok-youl appointed chief prosecutor, against opposition

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday appointed Yoon Seok-youl as the new prosecutor-general, running headlong into fierce criticism from the opposition. Yoon’s term as prosecutor-general will begin July 25, replacing Moon Moo-il as the country’s top prosecutor.  With Moon forging ahead with Yoon’s appointment, the president has now appointed 16 individuals to high-level posts without the parliament adopting a confirmation hearing report. Under the law, a large number of high-l

PoliticsJuly 16, 2019

[Herald Interview] How Facebook addresses beautification

　Over the past few years since tech companies introduced a series of camera apps, beautification apps have become some of the most sought-after items for smartphone users around the world, users in South Korea being no exception. 　With special effects filters and colorful stickers, the advanced camera technology can make us over for the small screen, allowing us to project the image we want. But some of the features, such as skin whitening, have prompted criticism over biased beauty standards. 　

TechnologyJuly 16, 2019

Asking job applicant’s personal information now illegal

From Wednesday, prospective employers cannot ask job seekers for information unrelated to the positions they are being hired for.The Employment Ministry said Tuesday that a revised hiring law prohibits employers from collecting information irrelevant to job performance and engaging in behavior that may hurt fairness in employment practices.Asking about a job applicant’s weight, height, place of birth, marital status and assets is subject to a fine of up to 5 million won ($4,200) under the

Social AffairsJuly 16, 2019

LG launches world’s first capsule-type beer brewing machine

LG Electronics announced on Tuesday the commercial launch of the world’s first capsule-type automated beer maker in line with the growing home-brewing trend. The LG HomeBrew machine will be rolled out with a retail price tag of 3.99 million won ($3,390) in South Korea, including the price of receiving after-sales service for up to three years and 10-year warranty for the core inverter compressor. After inserting one capsule and water into the double-metal cylindrical machine, consumers can

TechnologyJuly 16, 2019