Korea will discuss US boycott of Huawei with China, US, if needed

The government will discuss national security concerns over the use of Huawei Technologies’ equipment with related countries if necessary, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday as US ambassador to Korea stepped up calls to boycott the Chinese telecom giant.  “Regarding Huawai’s equipment issue, the government will be seeking a way that would respect corporate autonomy and wouldn’t impact the security of military communications,” a ministry official told

Foreign AffairsJune 13, 2019

S-Oil appoints Hussain Al-Qahtani new CEO

South Korean oil refiner S-Oil appointed Hussain A. Al-Qahtani as new CEO during its general shareholders meeting, the firm said Thursday. Before joining the firm, Al-Qahtani, 52, served as president and CEO of Saudi Aramco Shell Refinery Company from 2016. Throughout his 29-year career at Saudi Aramco, Al-Qahtani has assumed key roles in production, engineering and projects building expertise and leadership skills, according to the firm. The new Saudi Arabian CEO majored in chemical engine

IndustryJune 13, 2019

[Herald Interview] S. Korea's top IP official vows to create user-friendly patent system

 　South Korean companies will experience faster, more predictable and applicant-friendly patent system in the future both here and overseas as efforts are underway to create an efficient and transparent ecosystem, the country’s top intellectual property official said on Thursday.　During his interview with The Korea Herald, Intellectual Property Office Commissioner Park Won-joo said top IP officials from five major countries agreed to streamline patent registration processes for applic

TechnologyJune 13, 2019

US ready for talks with N. Korea, but not in a hurry

The US State Department said Wednesday that it is ready to hold working-level talks with North Korea on relinquishing its nuclear arsenal after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent a letter to US President Donald Trump, the first direct contact between the two leaders in months. During a press briefing, US State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus reaffirmed that the country is seeking to achieve lasting peace and the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.“Here at the State D

North KoreaJune 13, 2019

Liberty Korea Party pins parliamentary standstill on presidential office

Main opposition Liberty Korea Party on Thursday accused the presidential office of causing the standstill at the National Assembly amid pressure from ruling and minor opposition parties for the conservative party to cooperate to open the June extraordinary session. “How can we resume the parliament when Cheong Wa Dae is ruining (cooperation), ridiculing and pressuring the main opposition?” said Liberty Korea Party floor leader Rep. Na Kyung-won in an urgent debate on the supplementar

PoliticsJune 13, 2019

[Newsmaker] Witness accuses YG of collusion with police

YG Entertainment’s Yang Hyun-suk faced allegations Thursday that he pressured a witness to change his testimony in an attempt to cover up iKON leader B.I’s alleged use of an illegal drug.  The witness filed a report Tuesday with the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission claiming the investigation into B.I’s alleged drug use was dismissed due to corrupt ties between police and YG, according to local media. B.I, 23, whose real name is Kim Han-bin, bought the hallucinog

Social AffairsJune 13, 2019

Doctors deny covering up cause of newborn’s death

Doctors on trial for attempting to conceal the death of a newborn dropped by the medical team denied all charges in the first hearing Thursday.Prosecutors said the defendants – a gynecologist surnamed Moon, 52, and pediatrician surnamed Lee, 65, – face charges of deleting records after the infant died from the drop and issuing a faulty medical certificate.The defendants’ attorney denied both charges, claiming they had neither directed the record’s removal nor had any invo

Social AffairsJune 13, 2019

[Hong Seok-in] What’s so public about Korea’s Public Diplomacy?

Listed among Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2019, Korea’s seven-member boy band BTS can count 19 music videos with more than 1 million views on YouTube and three hit songs ranked No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart as just a few of its accomplishments. When BTS releases a new single, fans immediately translate their lyrics into various languages. Some take it a step further, learning Korean to understand the song in its original form. In September 2018, BTS spoke

ViewpointsJune 13, 2019

Thai teen detained for attempting to smuggle meth

An 18-year-old from Thailand has been detained for attempting to smuggle large quantities of methamphetamine and yaba -- a mix of meth and caffeine -- into the country.According to Busan District Prosecutors’ Office and Busan Main Customs on Thursday, the teenager was detained for violating the narcotics law.Prosecutors said the suspect arrived at Gimhae International Airport on a plane from Thailand on June 2, carrying 1 kilogram of meth and 14,118 yaba tablets in her luggage. Authorities

Social AffairsJune 13, 2019

Korean Air family members get suspended jail terms for smuggling

The widow and eldest daughter of the late Korean Air Chairman Cho Yang-ho on Thursday received suspended prison terms for smuggling luxury goods into South Korea through company planes. 　The Incheon District Court sentenced Cho Hyun-ah, 45, the former Korean Air vice president, to eight months in prison suspended for two years. She must pay a fine of 4.8 million won ($4,060) and forfeit 63 million won. 　The late chairman’s wife, Lee Myung-hee, 70, was handed a six-month jail term susp

Social AffairsJune 13, 2019

Moon's call for inter-Korean summit in June feeds speculations

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday expressed hopes on meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in the coming weeks, further fueling speculation surrounding inter-Korean and US-North Korea dialogue. “I am prepared to meet Chairman Kim at any time. In the end, whether we meet, or setting the time of the meeting, is down to Chairman Kim’s choice,” Moon said at the Oslo Forum on Wednesday. “President Trump is visiting Korea at the end of June, and if possible, meeting Chairman

North KoreaJune 13, 2019

Trekking across backbone of Korean Peninsula

Bukhansan presents beautiful scenery a hop, skip and a jump away from SeoulThe Korean Peninsula is a land where myriad of mountain ridges decorate its bumpy surface. In ancient times, this presented a challenge to agricultural communities, but it also provided natural barricades.Today, the country’s mountains are a place to enjoy hiking, a sanctuary from hectic city life and a source of beautiful scenery.The Korea Herald recently visited three mountains within driving distance of Seoul --

TravelJune 13, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Parasite(Korea)Opened May 30Drama, Black ComedyDirected by Bong Joon-hoThe Kims, a poor, jobless family of four, work their way into the wealthy glamorous Park family by landing jobs via deceitful means. They earn the affection of the Parks, who are worlds apart from them and yet somewhat alike. Their new way of life is turned upside down when an unexpected visitor comes knocking on the door, kicking off a series of unexpected events.Aladdin(US)Opened May 23Adventure, Comedy, Family Directed by

FilmJune 13, 2019

LG Chem ties up with Geely to break into China’s EV market

LG Chem announced Thursday its first joint venture with China’s No. 1 automaker Geely Auto Group for the production of electric vehicle batteries, with a plan to secure capacity of 10 gigawatt-hours by late 2021. The South Korean battery manufacturer said it signed a contract with the Chinese automaker on the establishment of the joint venture, with an equal amount of financial investments from each company, at Geely’s research center in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, on Wednesday. Under

TechnologyJune 13, 2019

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Everland Rose Festival Launched in 1985, the long-running Everland Rose Festival opens every year in May. This year it continues until Sunday. At a 20,000-square-meter rose garden, visitors can see various kinds of flowers while enjoying the amusement park.It is held inside Everland, South Korea’s largest theme park, in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, and is open to visitors of all ages.To find out more, including admission fees and how to get there, visit everland.com for information in Korean

TravelJune 13, 2019

Top IP offices forge patent cooperation system in ‘Industry 4.0’ era

INCHEON -- The world’s top five intellectual property offices have agreed on cooperation to improve the global patent system in step with technological changes brought by the “fourth industrial revolution,” the Korean Intellectual Property Office said Thursday.The annual gathering of IP5, which kicked off Tuesday in Songdo, Incheon, under KIPO’s chairmanship, came to an end Thursday after three days of deputy- and head-level conferences, business roundtables and individua

IndustryJune 13, 2019

GC Pharma launches company in US

GC Pharma and affiliate GC LabCell said Thursday they have jointly established a cell therapy development company called Artiva Biotherapeutics. Artiva Biotherapeutics was launched in March in San Diego, the US, with GC Pharma and GC LabCell holding 56.67 percent and 37.77 percent stakes, respectively. “This research and development body is to globalize the cell treatment being developed centering on GC LabCell,” a representative from GC Pharma said.Artiva Biotherapeutics will focus

IndustryJune 13, 2019

Foreigners residing over 6 months must subscribe to state health insurance from July

All foreigners who stay in South Korea for six months or longer will be required to sign up for the country's health insurance program to prevent them from receiving medical treatment and leaving without paying insurance fees, the operator of the state medical insurance scheme said Thursday.Under the new rules that take effect July 16, all foreigners, including Korean expatriates residing in the country, should pay over 110,000 won ($93) per month, according to the National Health Insurance Serv

Social AffairsJune 13, 2019