WJSN to kick off Japan tour

K-pop girl group WJSN, also known as Cosmic Girls, is set to go on a Japan tour for the first time since the band’s debut. The tour -- titled “Would You Like? Zepp Tour in Japan” -- kicks off in Tokyo on Aug. 17 and will also involve concerts in Osaka and Nagoya on Aug. 24 and 25, respectively.  According to Starship Entertainment, the band’s management agency, WJSN has been enjoying great popularity in Japan. The K-pop act has performed at KCON Japan, a Korean cultu

PerformanceJune 26, 2019

‘Sommeliers are no longer just about serving good wine’

Though sommeliers are evaluated on their expertise on wine and service skills, for hotel sommeliers, there are other qualities to consider, too. Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas’ sommelier Yoo Seung-min, 43, was recognized for his competence in May, being honored as the Asia Winner of Sommelier of Stelliers. The Stelliers is formally known as the Hotelier Awards. Hoteliers from more than 100 hotels from 19 countries participated in the event, competing in 19 different categories related

FoodJune 26, 2019

Posco to invest W20b to support smart factories for SMEs

South Korea’s top steelmaker Posco said Wednesday it will invest a total of 20 billion won ($17.3 million) for the next five years to help small and midsized companies construct smart factories.The funds will go toward the construction of new smart factories as well as consulting programs for SMEs. Each SME can benefit from 20 million won to 100 million won in subsidies to build their own smart factories. Through consulting, Posco will also help SMEs find ways to improve manufacturing proc

IndustryJune 26, 2019

Daewoo E&C ramps up security with next-gen system

South Korea’s leading construction firm, Daewoo Engineering and Construction, said Wednesday that it has upgraded its five-zone security system, dubbed the 5ZSS, as part of its strategy for the new Prugio apartment complexes.In line with the firm’s five-zone clean air system, or 5ZCS, which filters out fine dust, the newly upgraded 5ZSS takes a systematic approach to crime and accident prevention by using advanced technologies tailored for each of an apartment complex’s five zo

IndustryJune 26, 2019

Korean Air plants trees in Mongolian desert

South Korea’s largest air carrier by fleet size, Korean Air said Wednesday the company has planted 5,000 maple trees in a Mongolian desert located in Baganuur to fight regional desertification.Two hundred people including executives of Korean Air, staff of US carrier Delta Air Lines and local residents participated in the Global Planting Project that ran May 13-16, the company said. Delta Air’s participation was meaningful as it also marked the first anniversary of a joint venture be

IndustryJune 26, 2019

[Newsmaker] Cho Kuk mulled for justice minister

The presidential office has begun taking steps to appoint Cho Kuk, senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, as the next justice minister.Cheong Wa Dae is carrying out the basic vetting process, such as looking into Cho’s reputation. It considers him one of the strongest candidates for justice minister in the Cabinet reshuffle expected to take place as early as late July.Cheong Wa Dae has begun gathering basic data on Cho, such as his tax payment and immigration records, while Justi

PoliticsJune 26, 2019

Childbirths down 6.1% in April

The number of newborns in South Korea fell 6.1 percent in April from a year earlier, government data showed Wednesday, a sign of the continuing low birthrate that has plagued Asia's fourth-largest economy for more than a decade.The data compiled by Statistics Korea showed that 26,100 babies were born in April, compared with 27,800 babies tallied in the same month of 2018. It marks the lowest number of newborns reported for any April since 1981, when the statistics agency started compiling data o

Social AffairsJune 26, 2019

N. Korea says antagonistic US officials hindering denuclearization

North Korea on Wednesday accused US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other officials of "antagonism" toward Pyongyang, claiming they are preventing improvement in relations between the two sides and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. A spokesperson for the North's foreign ministry also warned that more sanctions on the communist nation would be an "outright challenge" to the joint statement signed by their leaders in Singapore last year, the Korean Central News Agenc

North KoreaJune 26, 2019

BTS to globally release third movie on its world tour

A new documentary film on K-pop band BTS' 2018 world tour will be globally released in Aug., the band's management agency announced Wednesday. "'Bring The Soul: The Movie' will have its global release on Aug. 7," Big Hit Entertainment said. The latest film is the third of its kind, following "Burn the Stage: The Movie" on the band's 2017 world tour and "Love Yourself in Seoul" on its 2018 concert in Seoul, which were released in Nov. and Jan., respectively."Bri

PerformanceJune 26, 2019

Japan unlikely to invite S. Korea to fleet review: Japanese media

Japan is unlikely to invite South Korea to attend a fleet review set to be held in October amid frayed relations between the two countries over history and other issues, Japanese media reported Wednesday.According to the Yomiuri Shimbun report, Japan's self-defense force plans to send invitations to the United States, Australia, India and China, but not to South Korea, for the Oct. 14 fleet review to be held in Sagami Bay, near Tokyo.Japan holds such a review every three to four years. The last

Foreign AffairsJune 26, 2019

Father-daughter border drowning highlights migrants' perils

MEXICO CITY (AP) -- The man and his 23-month-old daughter lay face down in shallow water along the bank of the Rio Grande, his black shirt hiked up to his chest with the girl tucked inside. Her arm was draped around his neck suggesting she clung to him in her final moments. The searing photograph of the sad discovery of their bodies on Monday, captured by journalist Julia Le Duc and published by Mexican newspaper La Jornada, highlights the perils faced by mostly Central American migrants fleeing

World NewsJune 26, 2019

N. Korea's official paper urges use of domestic goods to overcome sanctions

North Korea's official newspaper urged its citizens Wednesday to use domestically produced goods, rather than imports, to build a "self-reliant economy" in the face of global sanctions."To sort out problems arising in the process of economic development and make the sanction scheme of our enemies bear no fruit, it would be critical to boost a self-reliant economy," the Rodong Sinmun, the organ of the North's ruling party, said in an article. "One of important methods to

North KoreaJune 26, 2019

Moon, Saudi crown prince set to hold summit

President Moon Jae-in is set to hold a summit with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to discuss ways to expand economic cooperation and bolster bilateral ties.Moon and Prince Mohammed plan to hold a summit and an expanded meeting involving their aides later in the day, followed by a ceremony to sign a set of tentative agreements on cooperation and an official luncheon, according to the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae.Prince Mohammed is making his first trip to South

InternationalJune 26, 2019

Trump says he will meet with Kim 'at some point'

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un "at some point," further casting doubt on a possible summit during his trip to the peninsula this week.Trump will visit Seoul on Saturday and Sunday after attending a Group of 20 summit in Japan, prompting speculation that a Trump-Kim meeting could be arranged at the inter-Korean border.The last time they met was for their second summit in Vietnam in February. Both men walked away without a deal du

North KoreaJune 26, 2019

Trump says his letter to Kim was 'thank you' note

US President Donald Trump has said that his recent letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was a "thank you" note for wishing him a happy birthday.In an interview with The Hill on Monday, Trump was asked to share the details of Kim's letter to him earlier this month."Well, it was a very nice letter. It was actually a 'happy birthday' letter, if you want to know the truth," said the president, who turned 73 on June 14. "It was my birthday. He sent me a beautiful letter

North KoreaJune 26, 2019

US marks Korean War anniversary, says it should not be forgotten

The United States on Tuesday marked the 69th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, calling it a history that should be taught, not forgotten.The three-year conflict, which ended in an armistice and not a peace treaty in 1953, has sometimes been referred to as "The Forgotten War" in the English-speaking world because it received less public attention than World War II, which preceded it, or the Vietnam War, which succeeded it."The Korean War anniversary is a reminder of al

Foreign AffairsJune 26, 2019

New CEO Hussain Al-Qahtani spearheads S-Oil’s leap

Amid growing expectations about the future business of oil refineries in South Korea, the new chief of the local refining company S-Oil is expected to play a leading role in implementing its growth strategy aimed at enhancing profitability.S-Oil CEO Hussain Al-Qahtani, whose term started June 13, has begun overseeing major company work, to be marked by the inauguration ceremony of the S-Oil Onsan Refinery in Ulsan on Wednesday. The state-of-the-art facility houses a residue upgrading complex and

IndustryJune 26, 2019

Glimpse into S-Oil’s RUC/ODC project

S-Oil is slated to hold an inauguration ceremony Wednesday to celebrate the successful completion and beginning of operations of its residue upgrading complex and olefin downstream complex, or RUC and ODC, built at a cost of 5 trillion won ($4.3 billion). The RUC/ODC project, which began operations in November last year, relies on low-value residue oil as feedstock to produce high-value petrochemical products. “We believe increased production capacity of high-value products through th

IndustryJune 26, 2019

S-Oil broadens horizons with preeminent chemicals projects

South Korea’s leading oil refiner S-Oil is getting closer to its “Vision 2025,” in which it aspires to become the most competitive and admired energy and chemical company in the Asia-Pacific region. It is swiftly responding to rapid changes in the business environment brought on by the shale boom and emergence of electric vehicles. S-Oil, founded in 1976, has delivered phenomenal growth since Saudi Aramco’s investment in 1991 as the largest shareholder. Its crude refining

IndustryJune 26, 2019

NK newspaper reiterates desire for lasting peace on Korean Peninsula

A North Korean state newspaper on Tuesday reiterated Pyongyang's "firm" will for lasting peace on the peninsula and called on South Korea and the United States to thoroughly enforce joint declarations aimed at enhancing bilateral ties.The Minju Chosun, the daily of the North's Cabinet, carried an editorial titled "Let's safeguard peace and security of the Korean Peninsula," as the country marks the 69th anniversary of the outbreak of the 1950-53 Korean War."The firm conv

North KoreaJune 25, 2019