Seoul urges Tokyo to accept WTO's ruling on Fukushima seafood ban

South Korea's trade minister has urged Japan to accept the World Trade Organization's decision that upheld Seoul's import restrictions on Japanese seafood following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Seoul's trade ministry said Friday.During an informal trade ministerial gathering at the WTO held in France earlier this week, South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee said the final verdict from the organization's appellate body should be respected, according to the ministry.Yoo claimed it is al

InternationalMay 24, 2019

Chinese minister plays down inter-Korean railway project

LEIPZIG, Germany -- Chinese Transport Minister Li Xiaopeng on Thursday said that China is not going to be involved in an inter-Korean railway project, saying it is “their own business.”When asked about China’s role in facilitating the project of reconnecting the railroad between South and North Korea, he said the project should be carried out by both countries, clearly indicating that China won’t be involved.“Reconnecting the railway network between two Koreas is th

MobilityMay 23, 2019

Hydrogen tank explosion kills 2 in Gangneung

A hydrogen tank explosion killed two people and left six injured in the eastern city of Gangneung in South Korea, the firefighting authorities said Thursday. One was seriously injured and five others suffered minor injuries when the hydrogen tank blew up at Gangwon Technopark, a factory-type venture complex, in Gangneung, 240 kilometers east of Seoul, a spokeswoman at Gangwon Fire Headquarters said over the phone."We immediately deployed firefighters to the scene after receiving a call at 6

Social AffairsMay 23, 2019

[Weekender] An eerie reminder of precarious peace at DMZ Peace Trail

Don’t take the Gangbyeonbuk highway during rush hours in Seoul.That was what I screamed in my mind as the bus took the road fare more traveled, an agonizingly slow path eastward, toward Gangwon Province, where the government recently decided to open a new section of the Demilitarized Zone to civilians.The DMZ Peace Trail in Cheorwon County, Gangwon Province, some 90 kilometers from the capital, is the second of the project located at the inter-Korean border, which the authorities hope will

TravelMay 23, 2019

[Graphic News] ‘Avengers: Endgame’ becomes most-viewed foreign film in S. Korea

　 “Avengers: Endgame” became the most-watched foreign film in South Korean history, with 13.4 million admissions, its distributor said.　The latest Marvel superhero flick set the record at around noon on Sunday, Walt Disney Company Korea said based on a real-time box-office tally from the Korean Film Council.　The previous No. 1 was “Avatar” (2009), which sold 13.30 million tickets from 2009 to 2010.

Life&CultureMay 23, 2019

Blizzard receives award for youth support

Game publisher Blizzard Entertainment Korea received an award from the state-run Korea Student Aid Foundation on Thursday for supporting youths. Blizzard -- known for hit games “Starcraft,” “World of Warcraft,” “Hearthstone” and “Overwatch” -- has been providing scholarships and overseas training for youths who dream of careers in information technology and games.Since 2014, it has run the corporate social responsibility program Realize Your Dream

IndustryMay 23, 2019

Exit Daejeon announces W14.2b startup funding agreement

DAEJEON -- Startups from across South Korea, global startup community leaders and representatives of Daejeon Metropolitan City flocked to Daejeon Convention Center Thursday to mark the end of the three-day Exit Daejeon 2019 event. Located some 140 kilometers south of Seoul, Daejeon served as a venue where local startups were given an opportunity for more international exposure. In the meantime, global startup community organizers like Slush and Junction, as well as early-stage startup investors

TechnologyMay 23, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘A Boy and Sungreen,’ a pleasant and loveable coming-of-age story

Director Ahn Ju-young’s first feature film is not a masterpiece, yet it has a strange appeal to it.The narrative and the plot are a bit plain, and I felt like Ahn dropped the ball a bit in the climax, but it is well-cast, the two leads are fantastic and work extremely well together and the tone of the film is adorable. The small-budget film is getting barely any exposure, and without any big names and standout effects will likely drown rather quickly in sea of blockbuster films. But I feel

FilmMay 23, 2019

S. Korea holds memorial service for ex-President Roh

Wearing yellow visors, a color that symbolizes former President Roh Moo-hyun, thousands of mourners gathered in his rural hometown Thursday to commemorate the 10th year since his death.First Lady Kim Jung-sook and high-ranking political and government officials were also among those who attended a memorial service held at the Bongha Village in Gimhae, some 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul."Your politics started with integration of people. The path on which President Roh walked was the jour

PoliticsMay 23, 2019

US closely watching for N. Korea’s possible financial sanction violations

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said President Donald Trump has firm willingness to implement sanctions against North Korea, in another signal that the country will not pursue sanctions relief in order to resume nuclear talks. “The president is determined that we continue our efforts to enforce both the UN sanctions and the US sanctions against North Korea,” he said at the US House Committee on Financial Services on Tuesday. Mnuchin said sanctions are effective leverage to

North KoreaMay 23, 2019

[News Focus] Korea’s farming population decreases 42% since 2000

SEJONG -- South Korea saw the number and percentage of population engaged in agriculture continue to drop, though the number of urbanites returning or turning to farming has notably increased over the past decade.According to Statistics Korea, the number of farm population (farming-household population in official) stood at 2.31 million as of 2018, which is a decline by about 750,000 individuals in the 2010s, compared to 3.06 million in 2010. Further, given 4.03 million recorded in 2000, th

Social AffairsMay 23, 2019

[David Ignatius] Trump confronts China's tech threat

Huawei’s name is often translated in English as “Chinese excellence.” The Trump administration last week embarked on a campaign to rebrand the tech giant, in effect, as a “Chinese threat” and check its expansion in the West. The Huawei assault may be the Trump administration’s most important long-term strategic decision, because it confronts China’s technological challenge to America head on. The goal is to prevent Huawei from dominating 5G wireless comm

ViewpointsMay 23, 2019

Naver chooses 4 Asian countries as outposts for V Live service expansion

 　South Korean tech giant Naver said Thursday it will focus on four Asian countries in expanding its K-pop livestreaming service, as part of efforts to boost its global profile starting with the region with better business outlook. 　During a press conference in central Seoul, Naver V Live’s chief Park Sun-young said it had chosen Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and Japan as strategic countries for expansion and would encourage local pop stars and influencers to participate in the V Live

TechnologyMay 23, 2019

[Photo news] Paving the way to Myanmar

 

MarketMay 23, 2019

‘Competition laws should be more flexible in digital era’

The South Korean antitrust watchdog will be more flexible in enforcing competition laws with the emergence of new services and products in the digital era, its chief said following a meeting with large companies Thursday. Fair Trade Commission Chairman Kim Sang-jo held a closed-door policy meeting with top executives from 15 companies, including Hanjin, CJ, Kumho Asiana, Kolon, OCI and Kakao -- the nation’s largest companies ranking from 11th to 34th by assets.This is the fourth time Kim h

IndustryMay 23, 2019

Seoul to become first global city to use 5G network in public transit

　Following hype over how to incorporate the fifth-generation network into autonomous driving since the network began commercial service here last month, the initial step toward the futuristic goal is expected to take off in Seoul later this year. 　South Korea’s biggest mobile carrier SK Telecom and Seoul City government said Thursday they have agreed to develop 5G-based maps for self-driving. By the second half of this year, 1,700 vehicles will be used to create a map by providing real-tim

TechnologyMay 23, 2019

K-water hosts global forum to address water scarcity

DAEJEON -- Scientists, government officials and representatives of global environmental organizations gathered in Daejeon City on Thursday to discuss water shortage around the world and possible response measures at the 2019 International Drought Forum.Organized jointly by Korea Water Resources Corp., or K-water, the South Korean Ministry of Environment and Asia Water Council, the forum running through Friday touches upon a range of issues related to water scarcity, such as countermeasures by gl

IndustryMay 23, 2019

[Newsmaker] Moon replaces vice foreign, unification, defense ministers

President Moon Jae-in replaced vice ministers of diplomatic, defense and inter-Korean affairs simultaneously on Thursday amid a stalemate in the peace-building process and efforts to resolve a history dispute with Japan. He appointed Cho Sei-young, chancellor of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, as first vice foreign minister, according to Cheong Wa Dae.He is "a diplomat well-versed in Northeast Asia, especially Japan (issues) ... (He) is expected to lead the innovation of the Ministry

PoliticsMay 23, 2019

Inaugural Korea Fintech Week kicks off

The inaugural Korea Fintech Week event kicked off in Seoul Thursday, bringing together more than 50 local startups and 2,500 attendees to share business ideas and clinch new investment opportunities.The three-day event taking place at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul through Saturday is organized by the Financial Services Commission, Financial Supervisory Service and Fintech Center Korea.The CEOs of fintech operators, including mobile payment platform Kakao Pay, personal finance managem

MarketMay 23, 2019