S. Korea in close talks with ASEAN for mega Asia-Pacific trade deal

South Korea will spare no efforts to help conclude a mega Asia-Pacific trade deal by the end of this year by forging deeper ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as the country strives to revitalize its ailing exports, Seoul's trade ministry said Tuesday.In line with the efforts, Yeo Han-koo, deputy minister for trade negotiations, plans to visit the headquarters of ASEAN in Indonesia on Wednesday to meet the regional bloc's Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi, according to the Minist

EconomyJan. 7, 2020

More liquidity to be funneled into small firms, merchants ahead of holiday

South Korea plans to inject more liquidity into smaller firms and merchants to help boost private consumption ahead of Lunar New Year's Day, the finance ministry said Tuesday. As part of the plan, the government will provide 36 trillion won ($30.7 billion) in financial support, up 3.3 trillion won from the previous year, the Ministry of Economy and Finance said in a statement. The government will also roll over 54 trillion won worth of debt owed by smaller firms and merchants, the ministry said.

IndustryJan. 7, 2020

US again flies surveillance aircraft over S. Korea amid tensions

The United States flew a surveillance aircraft over South Korea's capital areas on Tuesday, an aviation tracker said, amid simmering tensions over possible provocations by North Korea.An RC-135W Rivet Joint of the US Air Force was spotted in the skies above areas near the western port city of Incheon following similar operations by the aircraft the previous day, Aircraft Spots tweeted. Several other surveillance aircraft, such as the EP-3E and the RC-135S, have also been detected here often in r

DefenseJan. 7, 2020

Supreme leader emotional as Iran mourns top general

TEHRAN (AFP) -- Iran's supreme leader fought back tears as a sea of black-clad mourners paid homage Monday to the top commander assassinated in a US drone strike last week that has inflamed tensions across the Middle East.In a surprise move in Baghdad where the strike was carried out, the US military informed its Iraqi counterparts that it was preparing for "movement out of Iraq".Ayatollah Ali Khamenei choked up as he prayed over the remains of Qasem Soleimani, the slain head of the Re

World NewsJan. 7, 2020

Moon calls for inter-Korean dialogue on cooperation

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday called for inter-Korean dialogue to seek ways to increase cooperation, saying that the need for such measures has grown more urgent. “The need to seek practical measures to increase inter-Korean cooperation has become more pressing,” Moon said in his New Year address, saying that inter-Korean relations are backsliding amid US-North Korea denuclearization deadlock.  “An international solution is needed to uphold the three principles of disal

PoliticsJan. 7, 2020

N. Korean leader visits construction site in first 'field guidance' this year

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited a fertilizer factory under construction in his first "field guidance" of 2020, state media said Tuesday, in an apparent move to highlight his drive for a "self-reliant" economy to overcome global sanctions.The visit to the "Sunchon Phosphatic Fertilizer Factory" under construction north of Pyongyang came five days after state media reported that Kim paid his respects at the mausoleum of his late grandfather and father to mark

North KoreaJan. 7, 2020

World markets on edge as US-Iran tensions spark escalation fears

NEW YORK  (AFP) -- World markets were mixed after a tense trading day on Monday, with US equities ending higher and bucking a downward trend in Europe and Asia after the US killing of a top Iranian general Friday.Since he ordered a drone strike that killed Qasem Soleimani, US President Donald Trump has warned of a "major retaliation" if Tehran takes revenge, triggering a sell-off in stocks and a spike in crude prices."The new year has started with a bang in so far as volatili

World NewsJan. 7, 2020

Cho Kuk quizzed by prosecutors again in ex-vice mayor's bribery case

Cho Kuk, former justice minister and senior presidential secretary, was again questioned Monday over his suspected role in ending an inspection into bribery allegations involving a former Busan vice mayor.Cho underwent a 10-hour interrogation as a suspect at the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors Office before he was sent home at 8:30 p.m. Prosecutors are looking into suspicions that presidential officials deliberately closed an inquiry into bribery allegations of former Busan Vice Mayor Yoo Jae

Social AffairsJan. 7, 2020

US needs to be more flexible in nuclear talks with N. Korea: Moon adviser

WASHINGTON -- A special security adviser to President Moon Jae-in said Monday that the United States needs to show flexibility to break the impasse in nuclear negotiations with North Korea.Moon Chung-in spoke at a public seminar in Washington, saying the ongoing stalemate may force South Korea to break from its alignment with the US and pursue an independent path toward inter-Korean economic cooperation."The United States needs to be more flexible and realistic," he said at the Center

North KoreaJan. 7, 2020

Moon's top security adviser to visit US, hold 3-way talks with Japan

WASHINGTON -- President Moon Jae-in's top security adviser plans to visit Washington this week for three-way consultations with Japan following renewed threats from North Korea, diplomatic sources said Monday.Chung Eui-yong, director of Cheong Wa Dae's national security office, is scheduled to arrived in the US capital Tuesday and meet the following day with his American and Japanese counterparts -- Robert O'Brien and Shigeru Kitamura, according to the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity

Foreign AffairsJan. 7, 2020

S. Korean ambassador asks Trump to continue to show leadership on NK nuclear issue

WASHINGTON -- South Korean Ambassador to the United States Lee Soo-hyuck asked US President Donald Trump on Monday to continue to show leadership on the North Korean nuclear issue and Trump said in response that he would do so, his embassy said.Lee made the request during a White House ceremony to present his credentials to Trump, the embassy said in a press release. Lee was among six new ambassadors to present credentials, including those from East Timor, Thailand and Austria. "Ambassador

Foreign AffairsJan. 7, 2020

Korea's current account surplus widens to $5.97b in Nov.

South Korea's current account surplus grew from a year earlier in November as its service account deficit narrowed, while its primary income account surplus expanded, central bank data showed Tuesday.The country's current account surplus came to $5.97 billion in the month, up $840 million from the same month last year, according to preliminary data from the Bank of Korea.November marks the seventh consecutive month the country's current account has been in black. The figure, however, marks a dro

EconomyJan. 7, 2020

N. Korea may push for advanced missiles: Seoul lawmaker

North Korea's "new strategic weapon," touted by leader Kim Jong-un last week, may be new versions of long-range ballistic missiles, a South Korean lawmaker said Monday, citing intelligence authorities.Rep. Lee Eun-jae of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party also said Seoul's intelligence officials believe North Korea has decided not to engage in nuclear talks, which entail negotiations toward its abandonment of nuclear weapons in exchange with the lifting of international sanctions.

North KoreaJan. 6, 2020

Five-month-old boy band X1 disbands amid vote-rigging scandal

X1, a South Korean boy band, decided Monday to disband amid a vote-rigging scandal involving a cable TV audition show, through which it debuted five months ago. In a brief press release, Starship Entertainment, MBK Entertainment and seven other management agencies representing its 11 members said they decided to disband the boy group. "We negotiated (the band's fate) among the members' talent agencies toward a consensus, but failed, so we decided to break up the band," according to the

PerformanceJan. 6, 2020

From League of Legends to Mariinsky, Sejong Center embraces diversity

In 2020, the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts hopes to offer its audience cutting-edge stage art in a less rigid manner. The center released the program for its 2020 season Monday, featuring 54 shows and 393 performances. Innovative, low-barrier productions are what stand out most.“This year’s slogan is to ‘enjoy Sejong,’ meaning that everyone can enjoy more than just performances at the Sejong Center,” the center’s CEO Kim Sung-kyu said at a press event

PerformanceJan. 6, 2020

[CES 2020] LG Electronics further enhances OLED TVs for cinema, sports, gaming

LAS VEGAS -- LG Electronics announced Monday the company would unveil a reinforced lineup of organic light-emitting diode TVs for 2020, including further-enhanced picture quality and art-inspired design breakthroughs, with the goal of bringing cinema, sports and gaming to life at home, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The world’s biggest provider of OLED TVs enhanced picture quality of its OLED models with the latest third-generation artificial intelligence Alpha 9 processor,

IndustryJan. 6, 2020

[News Brief] FDI in Seoul exceeds $10b for first time in 2019

Seoul attracted more than $10 billion in foreign direct investment for the first time last year on the back of growing popularity of K-beauty products, the city government said Monday.The amount of FDI in Seoul totaled $10.1 billion, a 12 percent increase from $9 billion in the previous year, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The previous record was set in 2016 when the city received $9.6 billion worth of investment commitments. Seoul accounted for 44 percent of the total FDI in So

Social AffairsJan. 6, 2020

[Newsmaker] Bong Joon-ho’s 20-year film director career

Born in Daegu in 1969, Bong Joon-ho is believed to have inherited artistic sensibilities from his family. His father was a pioneering graphic designer and his maternal grandfather the well-known novelist Park Tae-won, who wrote such masterpieces as “A Day in the Life of Kubo the Novelist.” By the time he was 15 years old, Bong knew he wanted to be a filmmaker. Bong graduated from Yonsei University, having majored in sociology. During his college years, Bong made his first short

FilmJan. 6, 2020

[Kay C. James] Pivotal issues America faces in 2020

As we head into the new year and the kickoff to the Roaring ‘20s 2.0 (and they will roar), policymakers will be faced with some incredibly important decisions. Several issues will take center stage, ones with the potential to significantly shape our future, from immigration reform to college loan debt.Certainly one of the biggest will be the Senate impeachment trial of US President Trump. Although the outcome is nearly certain -- there aren’t enough votes to remove the president from

ViewpointsJan. 6, 2020