S. Korea warns of retaliatory steps against Japan’s export curbs

　South Korea on Thursday delivered a stern warning to Japan regarding restrictions on exports of high-tech materials to Korea, calling Japan’s decision a breach of international law and vowing “corresponding steps” if necessary. 　“Japan’s export restrictions are a form of political retaliation that violate international law,” the National Security Council of the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said in a press release.　In the meeting, chaired by Presidential

EconomyJuly 4, 2019

[Breaking] 2 injured from wall collapse at construction site near Sinsa Station

Part of a building under construction near Sinsa Station in Seoul collapsed Thursday afternoon, crumbling on to cars parked nearby.  According to Seoul Seocho Fire Station, the exterior wall of a five-story building undergoing demolition suddenly crumbled around 2 p.m. that day. Two people were injured as the concrete wreckage fell on to several cars parked nearby. They have been transported to a nearby hospital.Local fire fighters are investigating for further damage and injuries. By Choi

Social AffairsJuly 4, 2019

[Newsmaker] Hanmi shares plummet after Janssen ceases clinical research

Hanmi Pharmaceutical shares nose-dived nearly 30 percent Thursday, following news that Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals has decided to return development and global commercialization rights of Hanmi’s diabetes treatment. Hanmi shares closed at 301,500 won ($258), down 27.26 percent or 113,000 won from a day earlier. Janssen, based in Belgium, had inked a license agreement for Hanmi’s investigational drug HM12525A in November 2015, for which Hanmi receive

IndustryJuly 4, 2019

N. Korea appears to have picked former Amb. to Vietnam as new chief nuke envoy: source

North Korea appears to have picked a former ambassador to Vietnam as its new chief nuclear envoy, a diplomatic source said, indicating the regime has effectively rounded out its team for upcoming working-level talks with the United States.During the impromptu summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on Sunday, Pyongyang notified Washington of the makeup of its team to be led by Kim Myong-gil, the source said.Kim Myong-gil, well

North KoreaJuly 4, 2019

WINNER stages seven-city tour in Japan

Four-piece K-pop boy band WINNER has started its sixth Japanese tour that will take it to seven cities, its management agency said Thursday.As the first leg of its "WINNER Japan Tour 2019," the group held a concert at Nakano Sun Plaza Hall in Tokyo on Wednesday, according to YG Entertainment. During the two-hour concert, WINNER performed 25 songs, including its latest number "Ah Yeah," "Really Really" and "Everyday.""We want to show our maturity on th

PerformanceJuly 4, 2019

2nd inter-Korean summit set precedent for DMZ meeting: Kim

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said that his second summit with President Moon Jae-in had set a precedent for his meeting with US President Donald Trump at the DMZ on Sunday, it was revealed Thursday. The comments by Kim were captured on video after his meeting with Trump on Sunday in Panmunjom.  In the video, Kim is heard saying to President Moon Jae-in that the North “referred to the precedent of meeting with the South without being constrained by formalities and location.” M

North KoreaJuly 4, 2019

Kolon Life Science apologizes for Invossa mislabeling, but insists drug was safe

The chief of Kolon Life Science on Thursday reiterated the safety of the now-banned joint inflammation treatment Invossa, while apologizing for the market confusion and credibility depreciation.　“As top representative, I deeply apologize on behalf of the company for causing worries and confusion to patients, investors and the medical circles,” said KLS CEO Lee Woo-suk in a press conference held at the Korea Press Center in downtown Seoul.　The disputed mislabeling of the substance in

IndustryJuly 4, 2019

Apple to take voluntary action to correct unfair practices in Korea

Apple has offered to take voluntary action to correct its business practices in the local telecom market, South Korea’s top antitrust watchdog said Thursday, after having previously accused the tech company of abusing its superior position and harming local mobile carriers. Apple applied for a consent order June 4, the Fair Trade Commission said, meaning the company has initiated a process to close a case early by voluntarily agreeing to take corrective action to restore order to the marke

IndustryJuly 4, 2019

Labor advocates boycott council for social dialogue, prevent vote from going ahead

A presidential council for social dialogue has been crippled due to boycotts by some of its members representing labor, halting discussion on a number of agenda items. The Economic, Social and Labor Council said Thursday that the mandates of four of its committees would expire this month.The committees responsible for improving the social safety net and for ensuring industrial safety and health will stop operating July 11 and 16, respectively. The other two committees, one responsible for improv

Social AffairsJuly 4, 2019

Prime minister: Detained Australian leaves North Korea

Australia's prime minister says an Australian student has been released from detention in North Korea.Prime Minister Scott Morrison told Parliament on Thursday that Alek Sigley had left North Korea and was "safe and well.''The 29-year-old Pyongyang university student lost contact with family and friends in Japan and Australia on Tuesday last week.Morrison's announcement was the first confirmation that he had been detained. (AP)

North KoreaJuly 4, 2019

Australian student released from North Korea in 'good spirits'

An Australian student who was detained in North Korea has been released and has safely left the country, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday.Alek Sigley, 29, who was studying in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, had been missing since June 25. Alarm was raised when the normally active social media user ceased all communication. Morrison interrupted Parliament to confirm that Sigley had been freed. He later said in a statement that Swedish authorities had helped secure the stud

North KoreaJuly 4, 2019

Cheong Wa Dae replaces two key communication secretaries

President Moon Jae-in replaced two senior secretaries for public relations Thursday.Jung Gu-cheol, standing auditor at the Korea Federation of Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises, was appointed Cheong Wa Dae secretary for public relations planning, succeeding Yu Min-yeong. Jung served as presidential secretary for domestic media from 2006-2008 under the Roh Moo-hyun administration.He has long worked in the media, having worked as a reporter at Media Today, a news outlet specializing press-relate

PoliticsJuly 4, 2019

Hyundai Home Shopping to launch 24/7 channel in Australia

Hyundai Home Shopping will start running an around-the-clock TV channel in Australia next month, a first for a South Korean home shopping business even as an increasing number of its rivals are tapping overseas markets.After making an AU$45 million ($31.65 million) investment in December last year to establish ASN, the home shopping operator said it would launch Open Shop on Aug. 1 on Channel 75. To ensure high broadcasting standards, the company has partnered with Seven Network, Australia&rsquo

IndustryJuly 4, 2019

Disney live-action ‘Little Mermaid’ to star a black Ariel

R&B singer Halle Bailey is to play Ariel in a live-action version of “The Little Mermaid,” she said Wednesday, in a rare casting of a black actress as a Disney princess.Bailey, 19, who rose to fame under the wing of pop queen Beyonce, said it was a “dream come true” to play the lead role. She tweeted a cartoon image of the princess in which the traditionally red-headed Ariel has dark skin, brown eyes and black hair. Director Rob Marshall said Bailey had been cast afte

FilmJuly 4, 2019

Seoul says now is time to focus on US-N. Korea talks

The government said Thursday that now is time to focus on talks between the United States and North Korea to build on progress made at a recent meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.The unification ministry made the remark, rejecting a local newspaper report that the government told the North about the need for an inter-Korean summit on the occasion of the Trump-Kim meeting at the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom on Sunday.  "The governmen

North KoreaJuly 4, 2019

North Korea: Trump tries to undermine peace with sanctions

North Korea’s UN Mission is accusing the Trump administration of deliberately trying to undermine peace efforts by pressuring all countries to implement UN sanctions. The mission said Wednesday that while the US is talking about dialogue it is "more and more hell-bent" on hostile acts.It cited a joint letter from the US, Britain, France and Germany on June 29 to UN member states calling for all North Korean workers abroad to be sent home _ the same day President Donald Trump prop

North KoreaJuly 4, 2019

[Photo News] Ernst Busch workshop

With the sponsorship of the Goethe Institut, the Seoul Institute of the Arts and Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts have collaborated to host a theater workshop themed around unification. A performance will be presented Thursday at the institute’s Red Door Theater, Ansan campus. Anyone can attend free of charge.

Social AffairsJuly 4, 2019

Moon reprimands national security advisor for undetected NK boat

President Moon Jae-in has reprimanded a national security advisor for security loopholes that allowed a North Korean boat to cross the eastern maritime border and float undetected in South Korean waters for several days, his office said Wednesday.Moon delivered a strong warning to Kim You-geun, deputy director of national security, over the security failure in the maritime border patrol, Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Ko Min-jung said in a text message to reporters.The measure reflects Moon's view t

DefenseJuly 4, 2019

Outage hits Facebook services worldwide

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) -- Facebook acknowledged Wednesday an outage affecting users in various parts of the world and said it was working on a fix.Online monitoring service DownDetector reported earlier the outage began around 1200 GMT and affected Facebook as well as its Instagram and WhatsApp services.#Facebookdown and #instagramdown were trending on Twitter as users around the world reported these apps were not functioning. Facebook said in a tweet: "We're aware that some people are having

World NewsJuly 4, 2019

North Korea says US ‘hell-bent’ on sanctions despite Trump-Kim meeting

North Korea complained on Wednesday after the United States sent a letter urging countries to send back North Korean workers as President Donald Trump was inviting Kim Jong Un to hold talks.  The North Korean mission to the United Nations said the letter sent to all UN member-states showed that the United States is “practically more and more hell-bent on the hostile acts” against North Korea, even though it is seeking dialogue. The mission said the letter from the United States,

North KoreaJuly 4, 2019