EXO's Chen to get married

EXO’s Chen announced Monday afternoon that he will be getting married, hinting that his wife-to-be is also pregnant with his child. In a handwritten letter sent through his agency SM Entertainment, the singer said he has a “girlfriend who he would like to spend the rest of his life with.”He also said a “blessing has arrived” to him, hinting that his soon-to-be-wife is pregnant. “I don’t know where to begin and I’m so nervous and shaky. But I d

K-popJan. 13, 2020

[From the scene] LG’s large-screen OLED TVs increasingly popular in US

LAS VEGAS -- At the TV section of Best Buy Arroyo Crossing Parkway in Las Vegas -- the largest electronics retail chain in the US -- South Korea’s LG Electronics boasts its organic light-emitting diode TV lineup on its display wall next to competitors like Sony and Samsung Electronics. Among others, the latest 88-inch LG Signature OLED Real 8K model with the official 8K Ultra HD logo granted by US Consumer Technology Association stood out, capturing the attention of visitors with its stunn

TechnologyJan. 13, 2020

Presidential office ups pressure on prosecution

The friction between the presidential office and the prosecution is deepening, with both sides accusing the other of wrongdoings in the developments surrounding high-profile investigations. On Monday, the presidential office revealed that it had referred a petition claiming that human rights violations occurred in the investigation into former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk to the National Human Rights Commission.  In making the revelation, the presidential office said that the commission said

PoliticsJan. 13, 2020

EXO's Chen breaks surprise marriage news, hints at fiance's pregnancy

Chen, a member of K-pop boy band EXO, made a surprise announcement Monday that he will get married soon, hinting that his fiance is pregnant."Chen decided to get married after getting into a precious relationship," EXO's management agency, SM Entertainment, said.  SM did not provide further details about the finance, only saying that she is not in show business. It also did not provide the exact date or location of the wedding, adding that the ceremony will be a closed affair amon

PerformanceJan. 13, 2020

MPyC to evolve into multigenre music festival

The biannual festival Music in PyeongChang (MPyC) festival hopes to carry on the legacy of the PyeongChang Olympics with programs that embrace diversity and peace. The event’s organizers announced the program for the winter edition of the festival on Monday at Four Seasons Seoul in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, with festival artistic director and pianist Son Yeol-eum, Gangwon Art & Culture Foundation Chairman Kim Sung-hwan and Feelgood Kim, the foundation’s new CEO, in attendance.&

PerformanceJan. 13, 2020

Goldman Sachs, SK to jointly invest W50b in cold warehouse operator

Global investment bank Goldman Sachs and SK Holdings said Monday they plan to jointly invest 50 billion won ($43.3 million) in Belstar Superfreeze, a South Korean entity that develops and operates cold warehouses powered by liquefied natural gas.Belstar in the first tranche will raise 25 billion won funding each from Goldman Sachs and the holding company of conglomerate SK Group. The two investors may opt to invest an additional 12.5 billion won each within a year. Now controlled by US

MarketJan. 13, 2020

Mundipharma partners with Samsung Bioepis for Hong Kong, Taiwan

UK-based Mundipharma said Monday it has secured a partnership with Korea’s Samsung Bioepis to commercialize its first-wave biosimilar candidates in Taiwan and Hong Kong.The partnership covers Samsung Bioepis’ biosimilar candidates in the field of immunology and oncology, including SB5 (adalimumab), SB4 (etanercept), SB3 (trastuzumab) and SB8 (bevacizumab). Mundipharma will be the exclusive commercialization partner, while Samsung Bioepis will remain responsible for clinical developme

TechnologyJan. 13, 2020

[Feature] Weekend rallies in central Seoul a headache for residents

Protesters chanting anti-government slogans and marching with loudspeakers in traffic lanes closed off for them have become a common sight on Saturdays in central Seoul in recent years. 　In a country where street demonstrations paved the way for democracy, this may be seen as a sign of great strides in freedom of expression. 　But complaints are growing in rally-prone areas in central Seoul, namely Gwanghwamun Square and the vicinity of the presidential office. 　“We came here to have lunch,

Social AffairsJan. 13, 2020

[From the Scene] Amorepacific shines at CES 2020 with K-beauty tech

LAS VEGAS -- Throngs of visitors from global cosmetics firms flocked to a suite on the 29th floor of the Venetian, where South Korean cosmetics behemoth Amorepacific privately offered them an opportunity to check out its latest skin care technologies during the Consumer Electronics Show last week. Although the company didn’t set up an open exhibition booth to trumpet its prowess, its first participation in the world’s biggest tech show was deemed successful as its global competit

TechnologyJan. 13, 2020

K-pop stars temporarily leaving music scene over anxiety disorders

At the height of their high-profile K-pop careers last year, Kang Daniel and Mina, a member of sensational girl group TWICE, temporarily left show business, complaining of anxiety and other mental disorders. The Japanese K-pop star, Mina was suffering from an anxiety disorder and suspended her stage career amid her group's globe-trotting concert tour in July. Kang abruptly withdrew from the public eye in early December due to depression and a panic disorder, one week after his second music relea

PerformanceJan. 13, 2020

‘Beasts Clawing at Straws,’ awakens characters’ animal spirits

Director Kim Yong-hoon compared his first commercial movie, a crime noir with a touch of black comedy, to a “400-meter relay race between the eight characters,” clawing after a cash-filled Louis Vuitton bag. “The story unfolds, not with one or two main characters taking the lead, but with all the casts passing the baton to each other throughout the movie,” Kim said during a press conference for “Beasts Clawing at Straws” held Monday in Seoul. Based on Keis

FilmJan. 13, 2020

McDonald’s to hire 600 permanent employees this year

McDonald’s said Monday it will hire a total of 600 permanent employees this year, the biggest number since it entered the Korean market in 1988. According to the burger chain, the figure comprises about 200 restaurant managers for duties such as customer management, quality checks and human resources management.  The remaining 400 permanent employees will be hired for McDonald’s new position of restaurant shift manager. Only temporary staff working at the company can apply for t

ConsumerJan. 13, 2020

Hyundai Heavy Industries uses AI to create ‘smart’ vessels

Hyundai Heavy Industries, South Korea’s leading shipbuilder, said Monday that it had developed an optimal vessel operation system by equipping its generator-engine model with advanced information and communication technologies. According to HHI, it utilized artificial intelligence and its own Hyundai Intelligent Equipment Management Solution to enhance its independent Hi-Touch Marine and Stationery Engine and cut fuel expenses by over 10 percent.  HiEMS and AI collect and analyze the

IndustryJan. 13, 2020

K-pop stocks likely to gain traction on improved Seoul-Beijing ties: analysts

Big-cap K-pop stocks are projected to rally again this year given positive Seoul-Beijing relations and the return of some big players, analysts here said Monday.Shares of the three biggest entertainment agencies in South Korea -- YG, S.M. and JYP -- were volatile in 2019, weighed down by a sex-bribery scandal involving Seungri, former member of K-pop boy band Big Bang. The scandal broke out early last year leading to a turmoil in the industry. Of the three, YG Entertainment is expected to see th

MarketJan. 13, 2020

[Monitor] Asset values of Samsung Electronics’ shareholders soar

Samsung Electronics’ share price has skyrocketed on the back of a rosy outlook for this year’s semiconductor business and revitalized smartphone market, giving a boost to the asset value of major shareholders, according to data from the Korea Exchange.Since December last year, the value of shares held by Chairman Lee Kun-hee and the National Pension Service rose by 2 trillion won and 6 trillion, respectively, in a month.　(khnews@heraldcorp.com)

IndustryJan. 13, 2020

Ulsan vice mayor again summoned in election-meddling scandal

Song Byung-gi, the Ulsan vice mayor suspected of illegally intervening in the 2018 mayoral election in the southeastern city, was called in by Seoul prosecutors on Monday for his first questioning after a court rejected a pretrial detention warrant for him about two weeks ago.Song, Ulsan's vice mayor for economic affairs, arrived at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office in southern Seoul in the morning to be questioned about charges of conspiring with several presidential aides to influe

Social AffairsJan. 13, 2020

Aging society drags actual interest rate down 3% over 20 years: BOK

South Korea’s growing longevity has had the effect of lowering the country’s actual interest rate by 3 percent over the past 20 years, central bank data showed Monday.According to the latest report issued by the Bank of Korea’s Economic Research Institute, Asia’s fourth-largest economy saw its ratio of senior citizens -- those aged 65 or older compared to those aged 20 to 64 -- soar to 19.4 percent in 2015 from 9.6 percent in 1995.In a causal relationship with such demogr

EconomyJan. 13, 2020

[Exclusive] Gender issues cost Deloitte Consulting place in Asia-Pacific unit: sources

Deloitte Consulting Korea has failed to join Deloitte Asia Pacific, a single business entity that combines the operations of the global consulting firm in the region, partly due to gender disparity at its Seoul office, sources told The Korea Herald.Formed in September 2018, the firm’s Asia-Pacific umbrella combines operations in China, Japan, Southeast Asia and Australia as a unified business unit. India is expected to join the alliance this year, while Korea is still excluded from th

MarketJan. 13, 2020

Visa Korea to launch new services amid changing fintech landscape

Visa Korea on Monday announced plans to launch new services this year, in an effort to grow its presence in the emerging segments of big data and contactless payment solutions.To help its corporate clients strengthen their marketing strategies, Visa Korea said it would provide marketing solutions based on big data analytics technology for a more diverse range of businesses. The global payment giant currently has a team of 500 data analysts and consultants who offer insights into data-based marke

MarketJan. 13, 2020

Korea's minting agency sees sales rise 9.1% in 2019

South Korea's state-run minting agency said Monday its sales rose 9.1 percent on-year in 2019, as it expanded overseas sales of gold and silver bar products. The Korea Minting, Security Printing & ID Card Operating Corp. reported sales of 524.6 billion won ($454.1 million) last year, the company said in a statement. It was the first time that annual sales of KOMSCO had exceeded 500 billion won, according to the statement. The agency has sought to bolster its overseas sales of gold and s

EconomyJan. 13, 2020