Former finance minister to head Samsung Electronics’ board

Former Finance Minister Park Jae-wan was appointed as the new board chair of Samsung Electronics, becoming the first outside director to head the tech giant’s board of directors, the company said Friday. Park, 64, has been an outside director for the tech behemoth since March 2016. Park served as the minister of labor from 2010 to 2011 and minister of finance from 2011 to 2013, both times in the Lee Myung-bak administration. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Seoul Nati

IndustryFeb. 21, 2020

China, Russia supply combined 53,000 tons of refined oil to N. Korea last year

China and Russia supplied around 53,000 tons of refined oil to North Korea last year despite tough sanctions restricting trade with Pyongyang, a United Nations report showed Friday. According to the report disclosed by the UN Security Council (UNSC) on its website, China and Russia shipped 22,730 tons and 30,180 tons of refined oil, respectively, to the North last year. Their combined 53,000 tons, or 418,000 barrels, represented about 83 percent of the UNSC-imposed maximum annual ceiling of

North KoreaFeb. 21, 2020

Seoul stocks extend losses late Friday morning on virus woes

South Korean stocks extended losses late Friday morning amid rising concerns over the fast spreading novel coronavirus in the country. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 25.94 points, or 1.18 percent, to 2,169.56 as of 11:20 a.m. The index started weak, tracking overnight Wall Street losses, and struggled to move upward. The index took a further hit after South Korea reported 52 new cases of the new coronavirus Friday morning, raising the total number of infections i

MarketFeb. 21, 2020

Two Australian evacuees from Japan ship have coronavirus

SYDNEY (AFP) -- Two Australians evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship have tested positive for coronavirus, authorities said Friday, raising questions about Japan's policy of allowing evacuees to return home after testing negative. "We have two people who are positive for the COVID-19 virus. Those two people have mild illness," said Dianne Stephens, acting chief health officer for the Northern Territories. Hundreds of people have been allowed to leave the ship after testin

World NewsFeb. 21, 2020

Military fighting coronavirus after first armed forces infections confirmed

The military is making all-out efforts to prevent the new coronavirus from spreading further into the barracks, officials said Friday, after the country's first infections in the armed forces were confirmed. Earlier in the day, a Navy sailor on the southern island of Jeju was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 in the first such case among service personnel here. Following the confirmation, the Navy has checked the temperature of all personnel at the base where the infected sailor served a

DefenseFeb. 21, 2020

Trump scoffs at 'Parasite's' Oscar win

COLORADO SPRINGS (AFP) -- President Donald Trump on Thursday scorned the best picture Oscar for South Korean film "Parasite," asking how a foreign movie could get the honor. "How bad was the Academy Awards this year?" Trump asked the crowd at a packed reelection campaign rally in Colorado Springs, Colorado. "We got enough problems with South Korea, with trade. On top of it, they give them the best movie of the year?" Trump asked in disbelief. "Parasite,&quo

FilmFeb. 21, 2020

Former Hanjin executives support current chairman, denounce KCGI coalition

Following the Hanjin Group labor union’s endorsement of Chairman Cho Won-tae last week, former executives have also stepped up to support the current management, according to their statement Friday. Issued in the name of the former executive council, they said, “We fully trust and support the current management centering on Chairman Cho.” The group consists of about 500 retirees who served as executives at the group. “Despite the challenging business environment,

IndustryFeb. 21, 2020

Schools asked to report foreign students' visits to China amid virus outbreak

As part of its efforts to combat the new coronavirus, the government has asked elementary and secondary schools nationwide to verify and report their foreign students' record of visiting China and their current whereabouts, the Ministry of Education said Friday. All elementary, middle and high schools were asked to submit a monitoring report on their non-Korean students by Friday dictating whether they have recently traveled to China, including Hong Kong and Macau, and where they were staying

Social AffairsFeb. 21, 2020

Seoul city to ban rallies, Shincheonji church services to curb virus

As part of drastic measures to curb the sprawling new coronavirus, the Seoul city government on Friday said it will be banning rallies and closing down Shincheonji church services. "We plan to ban use of Seoul plaza, Cheonggye plaza and Gwanghwamun plaza to protect the elderly who are susceptible to contagious diseases," Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon said in a press briefing Friday, referring to places where massive weekend rallies take place. "The city will notify organizations th

Social AffairsFeb. 21, 2020

[Newsmaker] Virus-infected hospital staff stoke concerns over further transmission to patients

Some nurses at a hospital here have contracted the new coronavirus, fueling fears that more virus cases will be identified, public health officials said Friday. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), and public health authorities in North Gyeongsang Province said Thursday that five nurses at the psychiatric ward at Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, have all tested positive for COVID-19. The country's first death from the virus was reported

Social AffairsFeb. 21, 2020

Creators of 'Crash Landing on You' explains making the film

SEOUL (AP) -- "At first, we were even told not to use the word 'Chairman'" an honorific title alluding to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, according to Joo Dong-man, a props manager, recalling the painstakingly meticulous process of re-creating the life in North Korea on screen for South Korean viewers. Joo was part of the crew for the drama "Crash landing on you," South Korea's biggest recent hit about the story of a billionaire heiress who accidentally paraglides to North

TelevisionFeb. 21, 2020

Airlines to suspend more flights over coronavirus

South Korean airlines said Friday they will reduce more routes and ask employees to take unpaid leave as the spread of the novel coronavirus is impacting travel. With no clear end in sight for the COVID-19 outbreak, local airlines began to suspend or reduce their flights early this month to adjust to weak demand on domestic and international routes. Korean Air Lines Co., the country's biggest airline, said it plans to gradually begin halting services on seven additional routes to Asian citi

MobilityFeb. 21, 2020

S. Korea steps up containment efforts as virus cases jump to 208

South Korea said Friday the new coronavirus is in the initial stage of a full-blown outbreak, but stressed that it is still "manageable," although the number of infections has almost quadrupled in just three days. The country reported 104 new cases of the novel coronavirus as of 7 p.m. on Friday, bringing the total number of infections to 208, the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said. Most new infections have been traced to church services in the southeas

Social AffairsFeb. 21, 2020

New threats emerge in outbreak while China voices optimism

BEIJING (AP) -- Chinese health officials expressed new optimism Thursday over the deadly virus outbreak while authorities in South Korea's fourth-largest city urged residents to hunker down as fears nagged communities far from the illness' epicenter. The confidence voiced by China's government came as it reported a reduced number of new infections. But doubts remained about the true trajectory of the epidemic as China again changed its method of counting and new threats emerged outside the cou

World NewsFeb. 21, 2020

Iran announces 3 new cases of new virus after 2 deaths

TEHRAN (AP) -- Iran said Thursday that three more people have been infected with the new virus that originated in central China, following an announcement the day before that two people had died of the illness caused by the virus in the Iranian city of Qom. All schools and universities, including religious Shiite seminaries, were shut down in the holy city of Qom, according to the official IRNA news agency. Other news reports said Iran had recently evacuated 60 Iranian students from Wuhan, th

World NewsFeb. 21, 2020

New BTS album 'Map of the Soul: 7' set to rock global music scene

K-pop phenomenon BTS will drop a new album, "Map of the Soul: 7," Friday evening, rocking the world music scene once again. The upcoming 20-track album is the second part of its "Map of the Soul" album series, following "Map of the Soul: Persona," released in April last year. Like its predecessor, "7" is a soul-searching musical journey, inspired by concepts developed by Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung like the persona. The new album is led by main tra

K-popFeb. 21, 2020

Cho Hee-sook Asia’s Best Female Chef of 2020

Cho Hee-sook has been named Asia’s Best Female Chef of 2020 by the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, one of the most influential groups in the cuisine industry in Asia. Cho, who owns Hansikgonggan in Seoul, a Michelin-starred Korean restaurant specializing in royal court cuisine, started her culinary arts career more than 20 years ago. She has worked at five-star hotels in Seoul and in 2005, she was appointed executive chef at the South Korean Embassy in Washington. “I s

PeopleFeb. 21, 2020

[Eye Plus] Inside a mountain fortress

Sitting 480 meters above sea level, Namhansanseong is a mountain fortress 25 kilometers southeast of Seoul. The fortress stretches 12 kilometers, and is said to have been built during the Unified Silla Kingdom in the seventh century. Namhansanseong’s significance as a fortress emerged in 1624 when King Injo designated the city to serve as an emergency capital and administrative center in the Joseon era in times of war. Namhansanseong is protected dually under the Cultural Heritag

CultureFeb. 21, 2020

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Corpus Christi (Poland) Opened Feb. 13 Drama Directed by Jan Komasa Daniel (Bartosz Bielenia) experiences a spiritual rebirth during his time in a youth detention center and the 20-year-old decides to become a priest. However, his criminal record prevents him from attending a seminary. Upon being released on parole, he is sent to a small town to work. Here, Daniel dresses up as a priest and inspires the local parish, which had been struggling to heal from a tragic accident. 1917 (US) Opened

FilmFeb. 21, 2020

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and Packages

Spring flounder returns to Millennium Hilton Seoul Genji, within Millennium Hilton Seoul, presents a spring promotion for March and April featuring flounder. Flounder, a variety of flatfish considered a great delicacy, is enjoyed in spring. The five-course set menu starts off with egg custard as an appetizer, followed by a spring vegetable salad with flower cake, and flounder sashimi. Mugwort hotpot cooked with flounder and abalone follows, accompanied by steamed rice and Japanese pickles.

FoodFeb. 21, 2020