Hanjin KAL proxy fight looms as new investor comes to light

Hanjin KAL, the holding company of South Korea’s No. 1 air carrier Korean Air, is likely to face a proxy fight over its management, after it welcomed affiliates of builder Bando Group as major stakeholders.Eyes are fixed on whether Bando will act in favor of either of late Hanjin Chairman Cho Yang-ho’s scions in the shareholders meeting in March.Incumbent Chairman Cho Won-tae’s tenure is set to expire by March 2020. The successor’s reappointment appears to be facing uncer

MarketJan. 12, 2020

Green Cross eyes W200b acquisition of EMR software vendor

A consortium led by South Korean biopharmaceutical company Green Cross has been selected as the preferred bidder for the majority stake sale of UBCare, the nation’s No. 1 electronic medical records system vendor. The investor group, composed of Green Cross and Synaptic Investment, is looking to buy some 52 percent stake in UBCare from venture capital firms STIC Investment and Kakao Investment, according to investment banking sources on Friday. The shares are roughly valued at 200 billion w

MarketJan. 12, 2020

[Newsmaker] Hacking of top celebrities prompts rumors, warnings

Several South Korean celebrities whose phones were recently hacked are struggling to prevent the spread of their photos and rumors on the internet and messenger apps. Some have issued warnings of legal action. Earlier on Thursday, the police said they had launched a probe into a case where about 10 celebrities, including famous actors and members of K-pop groups, allegedly had their phones hacked. The police said the hacker blackmailed the victims by threatening to leak their personal data.

FilmJan. 12, 2020

Teacher nabbed for showing preschoolers ‘gory’ video

A Canadian English teacher at an after-school private tutoring service in Sejong is accused of showing preschoolers a video about cannibalism.According to the Sejong Police Station, the Canadian in her 20s on Wednesday showed a class of 6- and 7-year-olds a YouTube clip in which severed human body parts were visible as acts of cannibalism took place.In fact, the clip, made by a BBC science program, shows an attempt to use samples from a presenter's leg to mimic the taste of human flesh, rat

Social AffairsJan. 12, 2020

[Feature] Private museums face difficulties in managing national treasures

Baik In-san, chief curator of the Kansong Art and Culture Foundation, felt a sense of relief when the organization decided to build a new storage facility with government funds worth 4.4 billion won ($3.78 million) for its artifacts, including 12 national treasures. However, concerns lingered about how the private museum could preserve the artifacts well. “The government funds were like rain in a drought because we had some financial difficulties with artifacts management,” Baik said

CultureJan. 12, 2020

Alarm raised over high job-related fatality rate among postal workers

Scores of employees at the national postal service either killed themselves or died on the job in the past five years.According to statistics released by Korea Post on Sunday, 29 workers at the service run by the Ministry of Science and ICT took their own lives between 2015 and 2019. Twenty-one of them were mail carriers.Reasons for the suicides included family troubles, financial difficulties, depression, drinking and long-term illness. In 12 cases, the motives were unknown.   Over th

Social AffairsJan. 12, 2020

Sephora opens 3rd shop in Sinchon

Sephora opened its third shop Friday in Sinchon, a trendy university district, in collaboration with Hyundai Department Store. The 232-square-meter store is located on the first floor of Hyundai Department Store’s U-Plex. Last year, French luxury conglomerate LVMH’s Sephora launched its first store in Parnas Mall in the posh district of Gangnam in October and its second shop in Lotte Young Plaza in the Myeong-dong shopping district in December.The multibrand cosmetics store in Sincho

ConsumerJan. 12, 2020

Hyundai targets sales of 1m cars annually in US by 2025

The US subsidiary of South Korean auto giant Hyundai Motor said Sunday it aims to sell 1 million units annually by 2025, on the back of rapid sales of the new Genesis model and sport utility vehicles. While the once-lucrative US market has seen total car sales fall by 1.1 percent last year to 17.08 million units due to global protectionism and sluggish global economy, sales of recreational vehicles inched up 2.8 percent, increasing its ratio in total sales to 71.9 percent in 2019 from 69.1 perce

MobilityJan. 12, 2020

Samsung, SK hynix stocks to rally on chip market recovery: analysts

Shares of Samsung Electronics and SK hynix -- South Korea’s largest chipmakers -- which hit record highs last week should gain momentum this year on the back of the global semiconductor market’s recovery, according to analysts. Samsung shares closed at 59,500 won ($51.20) Friday, outperforming the previous all-time high of 58,600 won the previous day.Meanwhile, its crosstown rival SK hynix shed 0.1 percent from the previous trading to close at 98,900 won, failing to extend its rally

MarketJan. 12, 2020

[From the Scene] LG’s digital signage displays spruce up Topgolf in US

LAS VEGAS -- Satiating the demands of all things golf for lovers of the game at a Topgolf chain in Las Vegas is a unique display solution designed by South Korea’s LG Electronics. At the sports entertainment venue, where people play golf, have drinks and food and watch sports games, some 120 55-inch LCD commercial displays made by LG are vertically mounted at the three-floor golf zone of the venue, playing three different video contents on a single screen.At Topgolf, a player scores points

TechnologyJan. 12, 2020

KCDF appoints head of Korea exhibition for Milan Design Week

The Korea Craft & Design Foundation has appointed Kang Jae-young of Mangrove Artworks as the artistic director of the Korea exhibition that will be showcased at Milan Design Week 2020 in April. Kang, an expert in craft exhibition, was formerly a curator at Whanki Museum and the Korea Ceramic Foundation. While directing multiple exhibitions -- including the 25th anniversary exhibition of Kim Whan-ki in 1999 -- she also served as a co-curator for the Nanjing Triennale in China. During Mil

Arts & DesignJan. 12, 2020

[Herald Interview] ‘Philips has same DNA as Korea in innovation’

LAS VEGAS -- Roy Jakobs, head of the personal health business of Royal Philips, believes today’s innovation is not just about individual products. Innovation involves building a new ecosystem and gaining the trust of consumers, and he believes South Korea is on the same page as the Amsterdam-based electronics maker. “In terms of high standards required for innovation, Philips has the same DNA as Korea,” Jakobs said in an interview with The Korea Herald during the Consumer

TechnologyJan. 12, 2020

BTS' 'Idol' becomes 6th music video to top 600m YouTube views

The music video of BTS' song "Idol" reached 600 million YouTube views Sunday, becoming the band's sixth video to accomplish the milestone.The music video of "Idol," the lead track of BTS' repackaged album "Love Yourself: Answer" released in 2018, achieved the feat early Sunday morning, according to the band's management agency, Big Hit Entertainment. The music video, which won the Music Video of 2018 at the E! People's Choice Awards, grabs the eyes with its impressi

PerformanceJan. 12, 2020

S-Oil CEO, employees participate in New Year’s hiking trip

South Korea-based oil refinery S-Oil said Sunday that it conducted a New Year’s hiking event which was attended by its CEO and employees to share New Year’s resolutions and reinforce their commitment.S-Oil CEO Hussain A. Al-Qahtani was joined by some 200 employees comprised of team leader-level managers, new employees and officers and hiked on Cheonggyesan on Saturday, the company said.  During the hiking trip, Al-Qahtani told employees, “Uncertainties that we face today r

IndustryJan. 12, 2020

S. Korea set to unveil new history textbooks following yearslong controversy

South Korea's education ministry is expected to introduce new history textbooks in March, sources said Sunday, following a yearslong debate on the controversial textbooks that were authored by the conservative Park Geun-hye administration.The textbooks authored and published under the disgraced former president had been criticized for their right-leaning values and alleged attempts to distort facts related to her late father Park Chung-hee's 18-year dictatorship. Two years after her appointment

Social AffairsJan. 12, 2020

Lotte says Honey Butter Almonds sees high sales among foreigners

Lotte Mart said Sunday it will open two Honey Butter Almonds stores, following the snack’s popularity among foreign customers. According to the company, Honey Butter Almonds was recorded as the most popular snack product by foreign customers, posting the highest sales in the previous two years, with sales rising by 18.2 percent in 2018 and 7.9 percent in 2019 at Lotte Mart outlets. To meet the trend, Lotte Mart said it will open two Honey Butter Almonds stores in Seoul Station and Gim

ConsumerJan. 12, 2020

[Feature] Soju goes ‘newtro’

Soju is going “newtro.” With the trend -- a combination of “new” and “retro” -- sweeping the South Korean retail scene, liquor makers have brought back new versions of discontinued soju. These products are especially popular with consumers in their 20s and 30s, according to the industry. In April 2019, liquor maker HiteJinro -- which leads the soju market with its signature Chamisul -- introduced a new version of its old soju brand Jinro, dubbed “Jinro I

ConsumerJan. 12, 2020

Court to begin review of ex-president's graft scandal

A Seoul court is set to begin a review this week of its ruling over disgraced former President Park Geun-hye, who was impeached in 2017 following a bribery scandal that rocked the country.Park was impeached midterm in March 2017 on allegations she and her close friend abused their power and received billions of won in bribery from top conglomerates, including Samsung and Lotte.The Seoul High Court is scheduled to begin the retrial Wednesday, roughly five months after the country's top court orde

Social AffairsJan. 12, 2020

Shake Shack rolls out Roasted Garlic Mushroom Burger

Shake Shack will roll out the limited-edition Roasted Garlic Mushroom Burger in South Korea on Monday. According to the chain’s Korean operator SPC Group, the burger is the first new menu item of the year.  It comprises Angus beef patty, deep-fried shallots and Portobello mushroom, topped with garlic mayonnaise sauce and provolone cheese inside a potato bun, the company said. It will be priced at 8,900 won ($7.66).Along with the new burger, Roasted Garlic Mayo Fries will be available

ConsumerJan. 12, 2020

Pharma firms flock to JP Morgan Healthcare Conference 2020

SAN FRANCISCO -- Samsung BioLogics CEO Kim Tae-han and Celltrion Chairman Seo Jung-jin are among the South Korean C-level officials making presentations at the 38th JP Morgan Healthcare Conference being held from Monday through Thursday. Both the executives have been invited to speak on Wednesday at the Grand Ballroom at the Westin St. Francis Hotel, that can accommodate some 800 people.Kim and Seo are joining the likes of global big pharma firms such as Bristol-Myers Squibb, Novartis, Merck, Ro

TechnologyJan. 12, 2020