Luxury hotels become battlefield of strawberries

January is here, which means luxury hotels in Korea are duking it out for social media publicity with photogenic strawberry buffets. It might seem as if spring has already arrived to some tourists, as Korea’s strawberry season starts not in late spring but midwinter. Right after Christmas and New Year’s, hotels move into strawberry buffet-mode, seizing the opportunity for some winter color by creating eye-catching, mouthwatering desserts.  Buffet stations typically have cakes, t

FoodJan. 10, 2020

[Weekender] A case for Korean millennials in the workplace

Millennials everywhere get a bad rap, and South Korea is no exception.As more millennials join the workforce, theories and assumptions about the millennial ways abound.Millennial workers have been called weak and entitled, or are portrayed as not trying hard enough. They also hold a reputation for being quitters and job-hoppers.But blaming the “millennial mindset” for traits seen in young workers can prevent us from seeing the whole picture, experts say. For today’s youths, get

Social AffairsJan. 10, 2020

Tehran challenges suggestion Iran missile downed Ukraine jet

TEHRAN, Jan  9, 2020 (AFP) - Iran, alluding to "doubtful scenarios", on Thursday challenged international suggestions that the Ukrainian airliner that crashed outside Tehran this week was mistakenly downed by an Iranian missile.The Iranian government, in a statement, urged Canada to share its information after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said "multiple" intelligence sources indicate that Iran shot down the Boeing airliner after it took off from Tehran on Wednesday, kil

World NewsJan. 10, 2020

US House votes to curb Trump war power on Iran

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- US lawmakers concerned about rushing to war with Iran adopted a measure Thursday aimed at reining in President Donald Trump's ability to take military action against the Islamic republic.The resolution was introduced by Democrats after Trump's order to kill an Iranian commander and retaliatory missile strikes by Tehran dramatically escalated tensions and raised fears of a devastating war between the two foes. The mostly symbolic but politically charged vote, 224 to 194, was l

WorldJan. 10, 2020

HBO to produce 'Parasite' miniseries

NEW YORK (AFP) -- HBO has secured the rights to adapt South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho's critical smash hit "Parasite" into a miniseries, the US cable channel said Thursday.Television companies vying to adapt the movie include Netflix, which produced Bong's 2017 hit "Okja," entertainment website Deadline Hollywood reported. A dark satire about the relationship between two families, "Parasite" has earned $130 million worldwide, picking up the coveted Palme d'Or at

FilmJan. 10, 2020

S. Korea squeeze past China to open Olympic men's football qualifying tournament

South Korea opened their Olympic men's football qualifying campaign with a 1-0 victory over China on Thursday.Second-half sub Lee Dong-jun scored in the dying seconds of the otherwise dull match, as South Korea defeated China by the narrowest of margins to begin Group C action at the Asian Football Confederation U-23 Championship at Tinsulanon Stadium in Songkhla, Thailand.Lee, the 2019 MVP in the second-tier K League 2, converted a pass from his Busan IPark teammate Kim Jin-kyu for the last-gas

Olympic GamesJan. 10, 2020

Assembly passes eased data regulation, introduces prosecution reform bill

South Korea's parliament on Thursday passed three bills intended to ease regulations on the use of personal information, despite objection from privacy advocates, as the country strives to catch up in the fiercely competitive data economy. The National Assembly approved a total of 198 non-contentious proposals, long pending due to partisan wrangling, including the expansion of pension benefits for vulnerable people, legislation to promote a hydrogen economy and laws to better support youth, smal

PoliticsJan. 10, 2020

S. Korea closely monitoring tension in Middle East: finance minister

South Korea is closely monitoring tensions in the Middle East, although a conflict between the United States and Iran is not escalating, Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said Friday. Hong said volatility at local financial markets showed signs of easing as the US and Iran moved to defuse tension, but uncertainties remain. The government is "closely monitoring the situation and will take actions if necessary," Hong told a meeting with economy-related ministers.  However, Hong said ther

EconomyJan. 10, 2020

Trump meets top Seoul official amid NK tensions

US President Donald Trump met with the top national security advisers of South Korea and Japan in Washington on Wednesday, the White House said, as nuclear talks between Washington and North Korea remain deadlocked.Trump met briefly with Chung Eui-yong, director of Cheong Wa Dae's national security office, and his Japanese counterpart, Shigeru Kitamura, and noted that the two countries are among the strongest US allies in the Indo-Pacific, according to a White House readout sent late Wednesday.T

North KoreaJan. 10, 2020

PM regrets chief prosecutor's behavior over personnel reorganization

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon expressed regret Thursday over the prosecutor general's failure to comply with due procedure ahead of the announcement the previous day of a personnel reshuffle of senior prosecutors, which affected most of his close aides.On Wednesday, the justice ministry announced the reassignment of 32 senior prosecutors, including those who are close to Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl and leading probes in high-profile scandals involving former Justice Minister Cho Kuk and other

PoliticsJan. 9, 2020

S. Korea defeats Kazakhstan to top group at Olympic women's volleyball qualifying tournament

South Korea beat Kazakhstan to win its group in the preliminary round of the Olympic women's volleyball qualifying tournament on Thursday.Lee Jae-yeong put up 18 points, helping world No. 9 South Korea past the 23rd-ranked Kazakhstan 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 25-21) for its third straight victory in Pool B at Korat Chatchai Hall in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. South Korea didn't drop a set during the preliminary stage.The winner of this tournament will compete at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Both Sout

Olympic GamesJan. 9, 2020

Finance minister vows more support for SMEs to increase exports

Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said Thursday the government will provide more support for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to increase their exports this year. Hong made the remarks as he visited a ventilator maker in the city of Hwaseong, south of Seoul, earlier in the day.South Korea's exports have dropped for 13 consecutive months since December 2018. Hong said the government expanded its contract-based loan guarantees for SMEs to 200 billion won (US$172 million) this year, compa

EconomyJan. 9, 2020

[Graphic News] US troops stationed across the Middle East

　Iran fired missiles Wednesday at Iraqi bases housing the US military, officials in Washington and Tehran said, in the first act of the Islamic Republic’s promised revenge for the US killing of a top Iranian general.　Across the Middle East, these threats have put on high alert the bases, ports and other installations where US troops are based or pass through.　The US has tens of thousands of military personnel at bases and aboard ships across the Middle East, as well as arrangements with va

World NewsJan. 9, 2020

MMCA confident about holding largest-ever Paik Nam-june exhibition, despite nagging issues

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art is preparing to host an archival exhibition this year dedicated to South Korea’s pioneering media artist Paik Nam-june. The show, set to be the largest of its kind, will coincide with the start of a three-year project to restore the artist’s monumental media work “The More the Better.” “We almost have set up the archival exhibition of Paik Nam-june, but some complicated issues with the owner of Paik’s col

Arts & DesignJan. 9, 2020

[David Fickling] Iran’s freaking out the oil market. It shouldn’t

It’s often said that the best time to buy is when there’s blood on the streets. The best time to sell oil, by contrast, is when the world’s gas tanks look empty. That’s reason to temper the fear and excitement driving the oil market -- even in the face of Wednesday’s Iranian rocket strike on two joint US bases in Iraq, which sparked the biggest intraday rally for Brent crude since a September attack on a Saudi production facility.There are first- and second-order ef

ViewpointsJan. 9, 2020

[Leonid Bershidsky] Putin now needs to rethink Mideast plan

Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, killed last week by a US drone in Baghdad, has been credited with persuading Russian President Vladimir Putin to intervene militarily in Syria in 2015, a claim the Kremlin denies. Regardless of the truth of that particular story, though, the inevitable escalation following Soleimani’s death has the potential to change Putin’s calculus in the region.Commenting on Soleimani’s demise, the Russian Defense Ministry praised his “indisputable contr

ViewpointsJan. 9, 2020

Samsung Electronics shares hit all-time high on recovery hopes

Samsung Electronics shares hit a record high Thursday on expectations of a faster-than-expected recovery in global chip demand and prices. The world's largest chipmaker closed at 58,600 won ($50.53), up 3.17 percent from the previous session's close.The adjusted stock price is the tech giant's highest since it was listed on the Seoul bourse in 1975. The previous record was 57,220 won on Nov. 1, 2017.  Samsung Electronics' preferred stocks jumped 3.64 percent to a yearly high of 48,400 won.

MarketJan. 9, 2020

[Monitor] Ups and downs in chaebol leaders’ stock assets

Incumbent as well as titular leaders of South Korea’s major conglomerates saw changes in their stock assets over the past several years, according to data released by corporate tracker Korea CXO Institute.While the asset value of stocks held by ailing Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee has doubled since 2011, it has reduced by half for Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Mong-koo.The stock assets were tracked between August 2011 to Jan. 2. The stock assets of late LG Group Chairman Ko

IndustryJan. 9, 2020

KOMSCO holds over 800 IP assets as of 2019

The state-run Korea Minting and Security Printing & ID Card Operating Corp. added 69 new intellectual property assets in 2019, bringing its total to 830, officials said Thursday. The affiliated technology research institute applied for 77 IP registrations, including 32 patents, 17 design rights, 16 computer programs, and nine trademarks in 2019. Of them, 69 were approved by the Korean Intellectual Property Office.The accumulated IP assets of KOMSCO as of end-December were up 9.1 percent from

MarketJan. 9, 2020