Most Popular
-
1
AI textbook bubble could burst, expert warns
-
2
Ex-presidential official’s leaked phone call rattles conservative bloc
-
3
Food tycoon Paik Jong-won's Theborn Korea pushes toward IPO
-
4
Samsung tightens its belt amid crisis winds
-
5
Pay debate plagues foreign nanny pilot
-
6
North Korean trash balloons cross border day after Seoul military parade
-
7
K-pop star lip-syncing controversy flares up again
-
8
35% of S. Koreans view unification 'unnecessary'
-
9
Prosecution closes 'Dior bag' case amid opposition uproar
-
10
Man escapes DUI charges by downing bottle of soju while pulled over
-
Korean beauty YouTubers reach out to global viewers
South Korean beauty YouTubers are reaching out to global viewers with their witty remarks, compelling content and professional makeup skills. The beauty gurus have garnered hundreds of thousands of YouTube subscribers, teaching everything about hair, makeup and nails to both makeup experts and total novices. For instance, Park Soo-hye, better known as Ssin, is one of the most sought-after Korean beauty experts on the video-sharing site. She has more than 640,000 subscribers to her YouTube channe
Arts & DesignSept. 23, 2015
-
Caffe Bene appoints new CEO
Coffee shop franchise operator Caffe Bene on Wednesday appointed Choi Seung-woo as the company’s new CEO. Choi, who graduated from Seoul National University and has served as CEO of Woongjin Food, has been commissioned to put Caffe Bene on the global map. Founder and chairman Kim Sun-kwon, who had worked as the CEO, will now focus on projecting the overall direction and vision to open 10,000 outlets around the world by 2020. “In order to bring up Caffe Bene to the level of global franchise corp
IndustrySept. 23, 2015
-
Assembly audit staggers past midway point
The National Assembly finished on Wednesday the first half of its annual inspection into government agencies, as lawmakers came under public scrutiny for their below-standard performance. Scheduled to return to the Assembly on Oct. 1 after a recess during the Chuseok holiday, lawmakers have faced mounting criticism for engaging more in political bickering than in professional debates over policies. Observers said the lawmakers also failed to address the dysfunctional nature of the audit, despit
PoliticsSept. 23, 2015
-
A taste of tradition, history and elegance
Restaurant Woonamjung (Woonamjung)For a taste of Korean tradition and history infused with a modern elegance, visit the Woonamjung restaurant located in Kangwon Land, Korea’s only casino open to locals and located in Gangwon Province. Woonamjung is an authentic, traditional Korean restaurant that is run by a descendant of the Joseon royal court chef and specializes in court cuisine. The menus, which consist of the basic Woonam course, a special menu for feasts and a diverse array of seasonal dis
FoodSept. 23, 2015
-
Korea to retest fuel economy of Audi A3, A7
The government said Wednesday that it will retest the fuel economy of diesel-powered Audi A3 and the new A7 cars as early as in November in response to the escalating emission-fixing scandal involving Volkswagen Group.The move came after the top global carmaker conceded that its 11 million diesel vehicles used software to evade emissions controls, far more than the 482,000 cars found in the United States.The new Audi A3 “The two models are the only diesel cars of the group among dozens of sam
MobilitySept. 23, 2015
-
[Herald Review] Bon Jovi returns to Seoul after 20 years
A thundering crowd of 14,000 fans greeted the classic American rock band Bon Jovi as they took to the stage in Seoul for the first time in 20 years Tuesday night.After opening the concert with “That’s What the Water Made Me” from their 2013 album “What About Now,” Bon Jovi got the crowd roaring with “You Give Love a Bad Name” from their 1986 album “Slippery When Wet,” the record that rocketed them to stardom. That song was followed up by “Born to Be My Baby,” and front man Jon Bon Jovi took a br
PerformanceSept. 23, 2015
-
Hanwha buys car plant automation company
Hanwha Energy has bought SIT, a plant automation company, from Seoul-based private equity fund firm SkyLake, the company said Wednesday.Hanwha completed its buyout deal with SkyLake for about 130 billion won ($109.4 million), reportedly beating out KyungDong City Gas and Kiturami Boiler.Industry insiders said the latest acquisition would help Hanwha Group reinforce its automation system in the manufacturing sector, including its affiliates Hanwha Techwin, Hanwha L&C and Hanwha Chemical.SIT was e
IndustrySept. 23, 2015
-
Park to expound unification vision in N.Y.
South Korean President Park Geun-hye will deliver her vision of peaceful unification as an ultimate resolution for peace on the Korean Peninsula during her four-day visit to New York later this week, her top aide on foreign affairs said Wednesday.Park is scheduled to give three keynote speeches while attending the United Nations General Assembly and the Sustainable Development Summit, according to Ju Chul-ki, senior presidential secretary for foreign affairs. The president will seek global coope
PoliticsSept. 23, 2015
-
Danish cultural treasure discovered at Korean ambassador’s residence
The Korean Embassy in Denmark marked the renovation of the ambassador’s residence in a traditional Danish “Rejsegilde” ceremony, uniting the two cultures in a rustic, picturesque setting. The renovation led to a startling discovery when a long wall inside the building was torn down to make way for a reception hall. As the wooden panels covering the wall were taken down, colorful rectangular openings resembling Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier’s characteristic windows appeared. The wall was de
Foreign AffairsSept. 23, 2015
-
Two living masters of Korean art
Art has always been about challenging existing norms and practices. For artists, defying accepted art practices often means finding new possibilities of art, thereby expanding the standard boundary of art. Artists Lee Seung-taek and Ha Chong-hyun are two pioneers in this respect. Challenging established art practices has been their lifetime task. When Koreans were used to seeing art as pretty paintings and sculptures, Lee and Ha experimented with nontraditional materials to challenge typical vis
PerformanceSept. 23, 2015
-
North Korea, policy conundrum for China
China appears to be facing a tough strategic decision over how to handle North Korea, amid growing U.S. pressure to tame its wayward ally that has hinted at the possibilities of a long-range rocket launch and another nuclear test.In response to the continuing calls from Washington to play the role of a “responsible stakeholder” in regional security, Beijing has been agonizing over ways to curb Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions and provocative acts.But solutions to the issues remain elusive, as the N
Foreign AffairsSept. 23, 2015
-
Foreign workers’ average wages meager
Nearly 70 percent of foreign workers in South Korea receive less than 2 million won ($1,700) in monthly wages with the intragroup salary disparity being as wide as 53-fold, a report showed Wednesday.Statistics submitted by the National Tax Service to Rep. Lee In-young showed that of the 479,527 reported foreign workers, 323,100 were subject to taxation. The total payroll reached 9.45 trillion won. The number of those subject to taxes had increased by 138 percent since 2008, while the total wages
NationalSept. 23, 2015
-
Shinhan listed in global index for 3 years straight
Shinhan Financial Group chairman Han Dong-woo shakes hands with officials at Shinhan’s Creative Financial Plaza in April. (Shinhan Financial Group)Shinhan Financial Group has become the first Korean finance firm to be listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index World for three consecutive years, the group said on Wednesday. As the longest-running global sustainability benchmarks worldwide, the DJSI World is the global leg of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices, launched in 1999. It is used to
Sept. 23, 2015
-
Watchdog shares policies on fighting corruption
The head of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission attended an international ombudsman meeting to share South Korea’s policies for handling civil complaints, the state-run anticorruption body said Wednesday.ACRC chairman Lee Sung-bo introduced the organization’s e-People system at the board of directors meeting of the International Ombudsman Institute in Windhoek, Namibia, where representatives of ombudsman institutions in 91 countries across the world were present. The e-People system,
NationalSept. 23, 2015
-
BOK chief hints at no additional rate cut
South Korea’s central bank chief showed skepticism over the growing predictions in the market that the Bank of Korea would conduct a benchmark rate cut once more next month. In a meeting with private economists Wednesday, BOK Gov. Lee Ju-yeol said his earlier remarks at the National Assembly did not hint that the bank was considering slashing the interest rate further from the current record low of 1.5 percent. Bank of Korea Governor Lee Ju-yeol. (Yonhap) Lee had told lawmakers during the parl
Sept. 23, 2015
-
[Editorial] Chinese characters
The decision on whether to use Chinese characters in conjunction with Hangeul in elementary school textbooks has been pushed off until next year amid much heated discussion. The Education Ministry, which has been pushing to have Chinese characters included in elementary school textbooks used by third-year students and up, appears to have relented for now to its opponents, who vehemently opposed the plan. The use of Chinese characters with Hangeul in textbooks was abolished in 1970, but argument
EditorialSept. 23, 2015
-
[Editorial] ‘Bestowing’ Chuseok treats
On Sunday, the Blue House announced that President Park Geun-hye is granting all lower-ranking military servicemen two days of leave and “bestowing” special snacks for military personnel on the occasion of Chuseok. There is no doubt that the nearly 560,000 military servicemen who will get the unprecedented extra holidays will welcome the surprise gift. The holidays are being given in recognition of the efforts of the military servicemen during last month’s heightened inter-Korean military tensio
EditorialSept. 23, 2015
-
Yuhan-Kimberly leads flexible work culture
Yuhan-Kimberly, the country’s leading producers of tissue and personal care products, continues to evolve its flexible work culture in order to enhance productivity and competitiveness. The company has adopted what it calls a “Smart Work” approach since 2011, offering its employees the freedom to choose their working time and locations with the responsibility to meet business needs. “A growing number of enterprises have started realizing the necessity of new ways of working in order to proactive
IndustrySept. 23, 2015
-
[Andres Sheng] Currency upheavals point to different pivot to East
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States marks an important stage in Sino-U.S. relations, the most critical of current geostrategic relationships. It comes at a crucial time in global economics, as the U.S. Federal Reserve debates whether to raise interest rates and the world’s financial markets (and exchange rates) are already reeling from worries stirred up by China’s decision to move the renminbi rate in a more flexible direction.Chinese historians will recall that until the
ViewpointsSept. 23, 2015
-
Allies discuss N.K. nuclear, missile threats
Senior diplomatic and security policymakers of South Korea and the U.S. gathered Wednesday in Seoul to assess the possibility of North Korea’s launch of a long-range rocket and other provocations, and explore ways to better ward them off. The two-day Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue was led by Seoul’s Deputy Defense Minister Yoo Jeh-seung, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretaries of Defense Abraham Denmark and Elaine Bunn, each in charge of East Asia policy and nuclear and missile defense. Other
North KoreaSept. 23, 2015