US says 'only viable path' for peace is 'complete' Korean Peninsula denuclearization

WASHINGTON -- The "only viable path" toward lasting peace is through the "complete" denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, a State Department spokesperson said Friday, after North Korea made a rare disclosure of a uranium enrichment facility this week. The spokesperson made the remarks, renewing calls for Pyongyang to return to "constructive" dialogue and reaffirming America's "ironclad" security commitment to South Korea and Japan. The North'

PoliticsSept. 14, 2024

NK leader meets top Russian security official on 1st anniv. of Vostochny summit: KCNA

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has met with the head of Russia's Security Council in Pyongyang and vowed to deepen the bilateral ties between the two countries, state media said Saturday. The meeting came on the anniversary of a rare summit between Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin last year at the Vostochny Cosmodrome space center in Russia's Amur region, during which Kim pledged his "full support" for Moscow. During their talks Friday, Kim and Sergei Shoigu, secreta

North KoreaSept. 14, 2024

BOK likely to cut key rate in November: analysts

South Korea's central bank is likely to cut its policy rate in November, rather than in October, as it wants to be confident of a slowdown in household debt increase amid moderating inflation, analysts have said. The Bank of Korea has only two rounds of its monetary decision meetings left this year in October and November. Last month, the BOK kept interest rates unchanged at 3.5 percent, the highest level in about 16 years, for the 13th straight time. The central bank delivered seven cons

EconomySept. 14, 2024

US stresses reconnaissance efforts for Korean Peninsula after NK uranium enrichment site disclosure

The United States on Friday highlighted it has "devoted" more intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets for security on the Korean Peninsula, after North Korea made a rare disclosure of a uranium enrichment facility this week. White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby commented on the North's nuclear facility, saying that the US continues to monitor developments in the recalcitrant regime's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. The North&#

North KoreaSept. 14, 2024

Daewoong unveils new Indonesian stem cell facility with GMP certification

South Korean drug maker Daewoong Pharmaceutical has announced the launch of a new stem cell plant in Indonesia, marking the 20th anniversary of its entry into the Indonesian market. The facility is set to drive large-scale research and development projects in collaboration with local pharmaceutical and biotech industries, according to the firm. The stem cell plant, established by Daewoong Biologics Indonesia -- a subsidiary of Daewoong Pharmaceutical -- will begin full-scale operations following

IndustrySept. 13, 2024

Suwon FC terminate contract with banned midfielder Son Jun-ho

Suwon FC announced Friday they have terminated their contract with Son Jun-ho, three days after the Chinese Football Association slapped the midfielder with a lifetime ban for match fixing. The CFA banned Son for participating in illegal transactions and manipulating matches while playing for Shandong Taishan FC in the top Chinese league from 2021 to 2023. Son was detained by the Chinese police in May 2023 over bribery allegations and was released in March this year. In a teary press conferenc

SoccerSept. 13, 2024

Doctors reject participation in govt.-led consultative body amid standoff over medical school quota hike plan

Doctors and medical professors announced a decision Friday not to join a consultative body proposed by the government and the ruling party to resolve the monthslong medical standoff, saying that it is "premature" to do so unless the government changes its course. Earlier this month, the government and the ruling People Power Party proposed the establishment of a joint consultative body involving rival parties and the medical community to discuss the government's medical reform plan tha

Social AffairsSept. 13, 2024

Yoon visits hospitals ahead of Chuseok holiday amid doctors' walkout

President Yoon Suk Yeol visited hospitals in Seoul on Friday to encourage medical staff and reaffirm the government's commitment to carry out health care reform measures to enhance essential medical services. The visit to two public emergency hospitals, the Seoul Medical Center and National Medical Center, came a day before the five-day Chuseok holiday to address concerns about potential disruptions in medical services amid a prolonged walkout by trainee doctors. It marks his second hospita

PoliticsSept. 13, 2024

[Herald Review] Ryoo Seung-wan asks what justice is in “I, the Executioner”

Ryoo Seung-wan, an established filmmaker in Korea known for bringing witty, high-adrenaline action to the big screen, has returned with “I, the Executioner,” a sequel to the 2015 mega-hit cop movie “Veteran.” The first film in the series follows veteran detective Seo Do-cheol (Hwang Jung-min) as he takes down corrupt chaebol heir Jo Tae-oh (Yoo Ah-in). “I, the Executioner” – known as “Veteran 2” here -- follows Do-Cheol, as he teams up with r

FilmSept. 13, 2024

Food conglomerates to refine strategies during Chuseok

During the five-day Chuseok holiday, leaders of food and distribution conglomerates are anticipated to refine their management strategies for the second half of the year, focusing on enhancing profitability in a challenging business environment. With the industry grappling with a downturn intensified by high prices and interest rates, the primary aim will be to devise measures to bolster profitability and navigate the performance crisis in the months ahead. According to industry sources on Frida

IndustrySept. 13, 2024

Kia joins forces with Geotab, 42dot to streamline PBV fleet management

Kia has joined forces with Canadian fleet data provider Geotab and Hyundai Motor Group’s software arm 42dot to create an advanced fleet management system for its new line of purpose-built vehicles. This collaboration, formalized in a memorandum of understanding signed Friday at Geotab’s headquarters in Canada, marks an important step in developing solutions for businesses that manage large vehicle fleets. Kia’s PBVs are commercial electric vehicles designed to be customizable.

MobilitySept. 13, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Stray Kids Hyunjin becomes face of Cartier

Hyunjin of Stray Kids has been chosen as brand ambassador for jeweler Cartier. He graced the cover of men’s magazine Esquire Korea’s October issue, draped in the accessories from the French jewelry house, which had previously appointed Jisoo of Blackpink and V of BTS to represent its campaigns. The dancer and rapper has shown affinity for Cartier, wearing its jewelry on a number of occasions and attending an event hosted by the jeweler. The news set the idol’s fans abuzz, cel

K-popSept. 13, 2024

Daegu Homeplus gets fresh look with enhanced features, new brands

South Korean discount chain Homeplus announced Friday that it reopened its Chilgok branch in Daegu earlier this month, in an aim to refresh the branch into a leading regional shopping complex. The Homeplus Mega Food Market at Chilgok is the only large-scale retailer serving northern Daegu, separated from the bustling southern part of the city by the Geumho River. Homeplus expects the renovated store to be a central hub for the local community, offering an exceptional shopping, dining and enterta

CompaniesSept. 13, 2024

Japanese-Korean romances surge to leverage audiences and funds

Dramas depicting intercultural romances between Japanese and Korean characters are all the rage right now, amid efforts to draw in a broader audience and leverage larger production budgets, according to industry officials, Friday. In Japan, hit romance fantasy series "Eye Love You" lit up the schedules in the early part of the year. The drama depicted the love story of Yoon Tae-oh (Chae Jong-hyeop), a Korean graduate student in Japan, and Yuri (Fumi Nikaido), a CEO with the ability to

TelevisionSept. 13, 2024

Highway trash spikes during Chuseok

Ahead of the massive exodus expected ahead of Chuseok, one of the biggest traditional holidays in South Korea, the amount of trash dumped on highways per day during the autumn holiday is found to be more than twice the average per day during the rest of the year, new research showed. According to data released by Democratic Party Rep. Min Hong-chul on Friday obtained from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, a total of 47,737 metric tons of garbage was collected from private and

Social AffairsSept. 13, 2024

Former Ador CEO files injunction to remain as director after her current term

Former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin, filed for an injunction Friday to be reinstated as a director at the company after her term ends Nov. 2. Anticipating that the Ador board will not renew her term, Min’s legal representative law firm Sejong and her PR firm, Macoll Consulting Group, announced that they had submitted a petition to the Seoul Central District Court, requesting an extraordinary general shareholders’ meeting and Min's reappointment as an internal director. Previously, Ador

K-popSept. 13, 2024

MBK spices up yearslong feud over Korea Zinc

MBK Partners, a big-name private equity house based in South Korea, has stepped into the ongoing management dispute involving the country’s leading zinc smelter Korea Zinc, siding with its rival Youngpoong Group. Youngpoong Group’s owning family, the Chang clan, which holds a combined 33.1 percent shares in Korea Zinc, teamed up with MBK Partners by signing a shareholder agreement Thursday, in an agreement to jointly exercise voting rights on the shares. The two also agreed on a ca

IndustrySept. 13, 2024

Mercedes-Benz Korea CEO might appear at government audit, industry reports

In the aftermath of the massive fire caused by a Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle in August, Mathias Vaitl, CEO of the German auto giant’s Korean unit, might appear for next month's government audit, industry insiders said Friday. Given the severity of the incident that took out an apartment complex parking lot and over 100 vehicles in Incheon on Sept. 1, the Land Infrastructure and Transport Committee of the National Assembly is reportedly considering calling Mathias as a key witness f

MobilitySept. 13, 2024

Pledis Entertainment partners with Jeju Island to produce ‘K-Pop Jeju Content’

Pledis Entertainment and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province on Friday announced a partnership to produce K-pop content featuring the island’s unique features. Pledis, a subsidiary of entertainment giant Hybe, and Jeju Island held a signing ceremony for the memorandum of understanding at Hybe’s Yongsan headquarters to promote K-pop content related to Jeju. Pledis CEO Lee Da-hye, Jeju Gov. Oh Young-hun, and other representatives from both sides attended the ceremony. Pledis Entertain

TravelSept. 13, 2024

NK unveils images of uranium enrichment facility for 1st time

North Korea made an unprecedented media disclosure of its uranium enrichment facility on Friday, with its leader Kim Jong-un inspecting rows of centrifuges in a clear display of the reclusive regime's nuclear ambitions. According to North Korea's state media outlets, Kim had inspected a control room of a uranium enrichment facility, and expressed satisfaction, after he was briefed about the technology North Korea had developed for the facility's centrifugal separators, sensors and controllers. T

PoliticsSept. 13, 2024