Seoul to get more of Mika

South Korean fans have waited four years for Mika, and they just could not get enough of the singer.Mika will be holding an extra concert on March 4, after the tickets for the British singer-songwriter’s March 5 solo concert sold out in just three minutes. Both concerts will be held at the Jamsil Arena in southern Seoul. The Seoul concerts are part of his worldwide “Revelation Tour” that started in November, following the release of his fifth studio album “My Name Is Mich

PerformanceJan. 7, 2020

Mideast tension to have limited impact on S. Korea: ministry

Dispelling concerns about the economic ramifications of the latest US-Iran conflict, the Ministry of Economy and Finance said Tuesday that the geopolitical tensions would have limited impact on domestic oil supplies.Acknowledging the increased level of volatility, however, it said it would consider the release of the country’s strategic oil reserves if necessary. “So far, there have been no setbacks in trade and shipments of Middle Eastern crude oil (for South Korea),” sai

EconomyJan. 7, 2020

Trademark for ‘Pengsoo’ still available to EBS

The Korean Intellectual Property Office on Tuesday released a statement to dispel the latest concerns that the trademark for “Pengsoo,” a YouTube celebrity penguin character, may be acquired by an irrelevant third party.“An increasing number of third parties have been submitting trademark applications (ahead of the original content creators), seeking to make profits,” the IP office said.“Following news reports related to the Pengsoo trademark issue, we felt the need

MarketJan. 7, 2020

[Kim Seong-kon] Zombies and factional scuffles in “Kingdom”

Netflix’s original series “Kingdom” is a zombie drama set in the Joseon era right after the Japanese invasions of Korea between 1592 and 1598. Adapted from the webcomic “The Kingdom of the Gods,” the series depicts Joseon society presumably in the late 16th or early 17th century when factional brawls were undermining the kingdom. The story unravels an intricate web of power struggles between Prime Minister Cho Hak-ju, the father of Queen Cho, and other Cabinet minis

ViewpointsJan. 7, 2020

[CES 2020] SK hynix boasts advanced memory solutions

SK hynix said Tuesday it will showcase its latest memory chip solutions at the world’s largest annual tech show in Las Vegas. The memory product lineup of SK hynix at the Consumer Electronics Show this year includes its next-generation DRAM products, as well as other memory solutions related to future businesses that utilize artificial intelligence, augmented reality, virtual reality, automotive, internet of things, big data and 5G.The company, whose business profile heavily relies on

TechnologyJan. 7, 2020

[News Analysis] Moon seeks renewed role in inter-Korean relations amid nuclear deadlock

With denuclearization talks between the United States and North Korea showing no sign of progress, South Korean President Moon Jae-in is seeking a greater role, renewing a push for better inter-Korean ties, analysts said Tuesday. 　　In his New Year’s address earlier in the day, Moon emphasized the importance of inter-Korean exchanges, while expressing hope to see North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Seoul. 　He also expressed commitment for resuming two major inter-Korean projects that have be

North KoreaJan. 7, 2020

[CES 2020] Samsung unveils life companion bot Ballie

LAS VEGAS -- A small spherical yellow robot, called Ballie, stole the show during a keynote speech by Samsung Electronics’ CEO in Las Vegas on Monday. The South Korean tech giant unveiled its brand new personal care robot, declaring artificial intelligence to be the future of personalized care. Kim Hyun-suk, chief executive officer of Samsung’s consumer electronics division, shared the stage with the ball-shaped bot that rolled around the stage during his keynote speech at the Consum

TechnologyJan. 7, 2020

Prosecution steps up probe into 2015 Samsung merger

Prosecutors on Tuesday summoned a former CEO of Samsung C&T, as part of its ongoing investigation into the firm’s alleged accounting fraud during its 2015 merger with its sister company Cheil Industries.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office initially planned to question Kim Shin, who headed Samsung C&T from 2010 and 2018, on details of the controversial merger but sent him back due to an attorney issue. The prosecution suspects that Samsung C&T deliberately

Social AffairsJan. 7, 2020

Defense chief reiterates military readiness for any NK provocation

Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo on Tuesday reiterated that South Korea stands fully prepared for any provocation by North Korea, amid growing speculation concerning Pyongyang’s “new strategic weapon.” Appearing on a radio channel operated by the ministry, he said the military is taking the situation seriously and is ensuring watertight military readiness for any emergency. “I’d say this with confidence that we are ready for whatever unfolds.” A week earl

North KoreaJan. 7, 2020

Moon pledges to continue reform drive, improve ties with neighbors

During his New Year’s address on Tuesday, President Moon Jae-in pledged to continue his reform drive and revitalize the economy while seeking to improve ties with neighboring countries including North Korea. Moon also called for inter-Korean cooperation to establish conditions that would allow North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to visit the South. Furthermore, the president once again highlighted his administration’s drive to establish peace on the peninsula. However, unlike his pr

PoliticsJan. 7, 2020

Foreigners subject to tightened mortgage rules: regulator

South Korea said Tuesday that foreigners are also subject to tightened mortgage rules in a move to plug any possible loopholes in its efforts to stabilize home prices.The Financial Supervisory Service said the tightened mortgage rules are being applied to both South Koreans and foreigners.Under last year's measures, mortgage loans will be banned when buying a house worth over 1.5 billion won ($1.3 million) in "speculative and overheated speculative" areas, and the loan-to-value ratio f

EconomyJan. 7, 2020

[CES 2020] Hyundai foresees personal air vehicle by 2028

Hyundai Motor envisions a future of mobility where people can hop on a personal air vehicle and transfer to a specialized vehicle that doubles as a restaurant or even a clinic, its chief said Monday.Speaking at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Vice Chairman Chung Euisun unveiled a smart mobility vision for hubs that link aerial vehicles with specialized ground transportation. “We have thought deeply about what is significant when it come

MobilityJan. 7, 2020

Ateez kicks off new year with ‘Answer’

Rising K-pop act Ateez is already out with a new single -- “Answer” -- continuing its bombastic sonic style into the new year. The brand new single fronts the act’s “Treasure Epilogue: Action to Answer EP,” the last segment to Ateez’s “Treasure” album series that began with its October 2018 debut. Blending powerful hip-hop elements and melodious electronic dance music sounds, “Answer” is reminiscent of the band’s previous releases

K-popJan. 7, 2020

Moon’s shareholder engagement push to empower pension funds

South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday called for the swift revision of laws to allow institutional investors to ramp up shareholder engagement in the domestic market. This, he stressed, would prevent abuses of power in the business world. In his New Year’s speech, Moon urged the government to amend the Capital Markets Act and the Commercial Act, saying the proposed changes were critical to ensure fairness in the domestic market.“Fairness is the backbone of innovation and incl

MarketJan. 7, 2020

Warm winter continues in Korea

Unusually warm weather continued in South Korea on Tuesday, with the country not yet having witnessed the first freezing of the Han River and the record-low snowfall disrupting municipalities’ plans for winter events. Seoul had received 23 milliliters of rain as 3 p.m. on Tuesday alone, with more rain expected through Wednesday. 　The daily low on the southern resort island of Jeju rose to an all-time high of 18.5 degrees Celsius, higher than the island’s 30-year January average of 14

Social AffairsJan. 7, 2020

S. Korea’s current account surplus grows to $6b in Nov.

South Korea’s current account surplus came to $5.97 billion in November, marking a surplus for the seventh consecutive month, amid sluggish exports, data from the Bank of Korea showed Tuesday.The central bank’s preliminary data showed that the nation’s current account surplus in November grew $840 million. It recorded a surplus in May 2019 after posting a deficit in the previous month. The surplus in November marks the first on-year surplus growth in nine months.  The grow

EconomyJan. 7, 2020

Science Ministry to invest W420b in original bio tech

The Ministry of Science and ICT said Tuesday it will invest 420 billion won ($360 million) in 2020 in the development of original technologies in the biologics field.The budget is 10 percent higher than the 380 billion won allocated last year, and above the 349 billion won in 2018. This year, the Science Ministry will give more support to the domestic bio industry, to gain competitiveness in research and development for novel drugs, medical devices and precision medicine such as neuroscience. It

IndustryJan. 7, 2020

[News Brief] Seoul Light draws nearly 1 million people

Nearly 1 million people made their way to “Seoul Light,” a nighttime light show held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza from Dec. 20 to Friday, the city government said Tuesday. The event, which featured a mix of colorful light projected onto public buildings, as well as cultural events, exhibitions and food trucks, attracted 866,603 people, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Design Foundation.  The estimate, based on surveillance camera footage, was up 59 perc

Social AffairsJan. 7, 2020

Positive outlook for Korean shipbuilders in 2020 with new sulfur cap

Korean shipbuilders, which secured over a third of new orders placed around the globe last year, are expected to lead the global industry in 2020 as well, especially with the new maritime cap regulating sulfur emissions, according to industry sources on Tuesday.Five prominent Korean shipbuilding companies recorded a combined $26.2 billion in 2019, fulfilling 81 percent of annual targets, industry data showed.Hyundai Heavy Industries won $12 billion in new orders to build 135 ships, achieving som

IndustryJan. 7, 2020