[Francis Wilkinson] Democrats must win the war for truth

Poor old Robert Mueller.“Mr. Mueller seemed to expect that the system would work as it had in the past,” noted a news analysis last week in the New York Times. Former special counsel Mueller scrupulously followed legal and institutional rules as well as his own professional and personal code of ethics.As a result, the Times pointed out, a bit wistfully, the way the paper’s travel section might pine for the heyday of Palm Springs or old Havana, the old ways were swept aside, and

ViewpointsJune 3, 2019

Minister pins hope on int’l cooperation to find missing tourists

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa pledged Monday to enhance cooperation with European countries to find the missing South Korean tourists who were on board a boat that collided with a cruise ship on the Danube River in Budapest last week. Twenty-one people are still missing. Seven have been confirmed dead, and seven others were rescued.“We will further strengthen cooperation with the Hungarian government and the coastal countries, such as Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria, to achieve substantial

Foreign AffairsJune 3, 2019

[Diplomatic Circuit] Moon to make state visit to Sweden June 14-15

President Moon Jae-in will make a state visit to Sweden from June 14-15 at the invitation of His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, the Embassy of Sweden in Seoul said. The president will lead a delegation comprising South Korean government ministers and business representatives. First Lady Kim Jung-sook will be joining him on the trip. As a part of his eight-day Nordic visit, which begins June 9, Moon will also visit Finland and Norway.The upcoming trip is “a part of his efforts

Diplomatic CircuitJune 3, 2019

South Korea’s websites ‘unfriendly’ to people with disabilities: survey

　Most South Korean websites have designs that are too complicated for disabled people to navigate, a government study showed Monday, despite mounting calls for the government and companies to ensure equal access to internet use. 　According to research by the Ministry of Science and ICT on 1,000 websites operated by private entities in 2018, about 75 percent of them failed to meet the government’s standards for web accessibility. 　The standards aim to remove barriers for disabled people whe

TechnologyJune 3, 2019

[Newsmaker] Seniors behind wheel prompt safety concerns

In light of a recent series of fatal car accidents involving elderly drivers, calls are growing to revamp policies and issue conditional licenses for seniors. Last month, two died and 11 were injured after a 75-year-old man drove into a crowd celebrating Buddha’s Birthday at the temple Tongdosa in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province.According to police, the driver, surnamed Kim, testified he had accidently stepped on the accelerator pedal, sparking concerns about elderly drivers on the road

Social AffairsJune 3, 2019

KCCI hosts annual photo competition on life, work

The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the nation’s largest group representing small and large businesses, is hosting an annual photo competition from Monday to Sept. 24. Under the theme of “Businessmen’s Workplace and Life,” panelists will look for photos that capture unexpected scenes at workplaces and people with stories. They expect creative pieces that are high in photographic quality. “Last year, we had a record number of 4,500 applicants, and intere

MobilityJune 3, 2019

Korean Air succession still under discussion: chairman

The succession of South Korea’s largest air carrier is still under discussion, said Cho Won-tae, the new chairman of Hanjin Group and CEO of Korean Air, on Monday, in an indication of ongoing family differences after his father’s sudden death in April.During a press conference on the sidelines of the annual general meeting of the International Air Transport Association, Cho said his late father had often emphasized the “harmony of the family” and that he was still in disc

IndustryJune 3, 2019

Korea’s wealthy most concerned about inheritance: data

South Korea’s wealthy are more concerned about inheritance issues than generating profit from financial products in terms of asset management, data compiled by Samsung Securities showed Monday.The data was based on 1,630 cases of regular consulting with the firm’s clients who have over 3 billion won ($2.6 million) deposited in the firm for investment.  Of the clients, 30.2 percent acknowledged that inheritance issues were their priority concern, while 30 percent chose collecting

MarketJune 3, 2019

BOK chief urges for economic resilience amid prolonged trade war impact

The chief of South Korea’s central bank on Monday urged the nation to build economic resilience to external shock factors, amid the prolonged US-China trade conflict and its negative impact. He also reiterated the need for structural reform to rev up the country’s growth potential and job creation capacity. “Global economic linkages have been slowing lately due to the impact of the trade dispute (between Washington and Beijing),” said Lee Ju-yeol, governor of the Bank of

EconomyJune 3, 2019

[Trending] Han Sun-kyo insults reporters, invites criticism

A lawmaker representing South Korea’s main opposition Liberty Korea Party sparked uproar on social media Monday after he insulted reporters at the National Assembly.As he was leaving a party committee meeting, party Secretary-General Han Sun-kyo referred to reporters sitting on the ground as “wiping the floor.” They were sitting on the floor to be closer to party Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn, who was holding an unofficial press briefing. Han’s remark came as a shock as Hwang ha

PoliticsJune 3, 2019

[News Focus] Samsung viewing current situation as ‘new crisis’

Understanding the latest circumstances as a “new crisis” phase for Samsung Electronics, the top conglomerate in Korea appears to be seeking measures to tackle a series of challenges looming large over the tech giant, according to industry sources Monday. The sense of urgency within Samsung has been felt across the business community, as recent remarks made by Vice Chairman and heir apparent Lee Jae-yong went public. On Saturday, Lee appeared in the lobby of Samsung’s semiconduc

TechnologyJune 3, 2019

Hyundai Heavy fails to conduct due diligence on Daewoo Shipbuilding

Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. on Monday failed to conduct its first on-site inspection of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co.'s main shipyard here due to fierce union opposition, heralding a bumpy road ahead for the merger of the world's top two shipbuilders. The unionized workers at Daewoo Shipbuilding's Okpo shipyard in Geoje, 350 kilometers south of Seoul, denied entry to a group of officials from Hyundai Heavy and the state-run Korea Development Bank. To prevent a violent clash b

IndustryJune 3, 2019

'Parasite' to be screened with English subtitles

"Parasite," the winner of the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival, will be screened with English subtitles at South Korean cinemas for foreign audiences starting this week, operators said Monday.CGV, the country's largest multiplex operator, owned by retail giant CJ Group, will screen the black comedy with English subtitles from Monday at its theaters in Yongsan, Yeouido, Shinchon and four other locations in Seoul, as well as two in Gyeonggi Province. "We decided to off

FilmJune 3, 2019

Health Ministry assigns W1.3b for developing robotic health care

The Ministry of Health and Welfare has secured 1.3 billion won ($1.1 million) for developing care robots for the elderly and disabled, the ministry said Monday.The ministry-affiliated National Rehabilitation Center held a care robot symposium Monday in the Gangbuk district of Seoul, ahead of the launch of the care robot research and development project. The multiphase project will commence this year in anticipation of the growing aging population and increases in demand for elderly care, ac

Social AffairsJune 3, 2019

Ban Ki-moon to visit China this week to discuss fine dust problem

Former UN chief Ban Ki-moon, now serving as chairman of the National Council on Climate and Air Quality, plans to visit China this week for discussions on how to reduce fine dust air pollution, the council said Monday.Ban and ranking officials from South Korea's environment-related agencies will be in Hangzhou, eastern China, on Tuesday and Wednesday for a meeting with China's environment minister and other officials, it said.The South Korean officials were invited by China's Minister of Ecology

Social AffairsJune 3, 2019

No. of fried chicken stores dwindle at faster pace

Fried chicken continues to reign supreme as the main food delivery item in South Korea and many newer outlets are being launched, but more of them are closing each year, data by KB Financial Group showed Monday.KB Research under KB Financial Group released a detailed analysis of the fried chicken business, indicating that in the past four years, despite the rise in chicken consumption the business is becoming oversaturated. Compared to 2013 when the average per capita consumption of fried chicke

IndustryJune 3, 2019

Gyeonggi Province going all-out to prevent ASF entry

Gyeonggi Province, some of whose towns border North Korea, is endeavoring to guard against the possible influx of African swine fever as the animal epidemic recently broke out in the North. Last week, the North reported the outbreak of the disease at a farm in its northern Jagang Province bordering China to the World Organization for Animal Health. "We've beefed up monitoring of three border towns -- Gimpo, Paju and Yeoncheon," a provincial official said Monday.  Chances are low t

Social AffairsJune 3, 2019

Partisan tensions dim outlook for extra parliamentary session in June

Rival parties bickered over which side should be blamed for a failure to normalize parliament on Monday, dimming the outlook for the full operation of the National Assembly at an extraordinary session in June.Under parliamentary law, an extra session automatically convenes on the first days of February, April and June, and on Aug. 16. But, for its full-fledged operation, political parties should reach a deal on a detailed schedule. The parliament has not been working for more than two months ami

PoliticsJune 3, 2019

Active participation from big game firms needed on gaming disorder issue: lawmaker

Big-name game firms should take a more active role in the discourse surrounding local adoption of the World Health Organization’s 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases, or ICD-11, which classifies gaming disorder as a health condition, Rep. Kim Byoung-gwan of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea said Monday. Prior to joining the National Assembly, Kim was head of the game venture firm Webzen.Speaking at a panel discussion at the Korea Internet Corporations Associati

IndustryJune 3, 2019