FM Kang calls for 'mold-breaking' diplomacy amid uncertainty in global politics

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on Monday called for a "mold-breaking" diplomatic strategy to navigate the convoluted global politics marked by growing uncertainty from an intensifying Sino-US rivalry.Kang made the call during the Strategic Coordination Meeting on Foreign Affairs, a gathering of government officials and scholars that was launched in July to discuss policy strategies amid tensions between Washington and Beijing over trade, maritime security and other issues.Stressing &q

Foreign AffairsDec. 30, 2019

National Assembly to vote on controversial bill to set up corruption probe unit

The National Assembly is set to vote on a contentious bill to set up a separate unit to probe corruption by high-ranking public officials Monday, amid protests from lawmakers of the main opposition party.A plenary session for a parliamentary vote is scheduled at 6 p.m.The vote comes about eight months after the ruling party-led bloc placed related prosecution reform bills on a legislative fast track in late April, along with an electoral reform bill.The establishment of the proposed corruption p

PoliticsDec. 30, 2019

S. Korea to be without Europe-based youngsters for Olympic football qualifiers

South Korea will not have the services of a pair of Europe-based players for the upcoming Olympic men's football qualifying tournament.The Korea Football Association announced Monday that Valencia CF midfielder Lee Kang-in and SV Darmstadt 98 midfielder Paik Seung-ho will not be available for the under-23 national team for the 2020 Asian Football Confederation U-23 Championship, which will run from Jan. 8-26 in Thailand. This event will also serve as the Asian qualifying tournament for the 2020

SoccerDec. 30, 2019

Korea's Q3 labor productivity down on increased input

South Korea's labor productivity slightly fell in the third quarter from a year earlier, due mainly to an increase in the input of labor in the service segment, data showed Monday.The country's productivity index stood at 109.4 in the July-September period, down 0.7 percent from a year earlier, according to the Korea Productivity Center, a local industrial tracker.The index is calculated by comparing the added value and output with the amount of labor allocated for the production. A higher numbe

IndustryDec. 30, 2019

Alternative military service for conscientious objectors to begin next year

South Korean men who refuse to fulfill their mandatory military service due to religious or personal beliefs will be allowed to serve three years of alternative duty at local correctional facilities starting next year, the defense ministry said Monday.By law, all able-bodied South Korean men must carry out military service for about two years in a country that faces North Korea across one of the world's most heavily fortified borders.Violators are punished with prison terms. On Friday, the Natio

DefenseDec. 30, 2019

Govt. to grant special pardons to over 5,000 people to mark new year

The government on Monday said it will grant special pardons to 5,174 people, including conscientious objectors, minor offenders and activists, ahead of the new year.The move, set to go into effect Tuesday, includes 1,879 conscientious objectors, 267 who have been convicted for breaching the election law, as well as three political and labor activists, the justice ministry said in a press release. The government said the special pardon is aimed at relieving the burden of convicts whose livelihood

Social AffairsDec. 30, 2019

Duty-free sales hit new monthly high in Nov.

Sales at South Korean duty-free stores hit a new monthly high in November, industry data showed Monday, mainly on the back of China's annual shopping festival.The combined sales of local duty-free shops reached 2.29 trillion won ($1.98 billion) last month, compared with the previous monthly record of 2.24 trillion won in September, according to the data from the Korea Duty Free Shops Association. The sales increase was due to increased travelers from China during its Singles' Day that fell on No

IndustryDec. 30, 2019

US flies surveillance plane over Korean peninsula: aviation tracker

The United States flew another surveillance aircraft over the Korean Peninsula on Monday, an aviation tracker said, the latest in a series of flights to monitor North Korea amid concerns Pyongyang could launch long-range rockets.The US Air Force RC-135W Rivet Joint was spotted flying over South Korea at 31,000 feet, according to Aircraft Spots. Earlier, the tracker said an E-8C, or JSTARS, was spotted flying at 31,000 feet over the peninsula on Sunday. The US has been intensifying its surveillan

DefenseDec. 30, 2019

Singer-songwriter Younha to release music featuring BTS' RM

South Korean singer-songwriter Younha will release a new album next week that includes a track featuring RM, a member of K-pop boy band BTS, her management agency said Monday. The five-track album, "Unstable Mindset," is set to hit major online music stores next Monday, C9 Entertainment said.  Of the five tracks, the first, "Winter Flower," is a collaborating song, featuring RM, according to C9.The second, "Black Cloud," is the lead track of "Unstable Mind

PerformanceDec. 30, 2019

S. Korea mobilizes extensive tax actions for economic momentum in 2020

In line with its all-out efforts to revitalize the economy by any means in the upcoming year, South Korea will introduce a set of new tax rules to reinforce sanctions for delinquent taxpayers and expand tax reduction benefits for innovative small-sized businesses, the Ministry of Economy and Finance said Monday.In a pan-government policy brochure titled “Things to change in 2020,” the government listed key policy changes that will take shape in 2020, many of them slated to take effec

EconomyDec. 30, 2019

[Newsmaker] 3.5 magnitude quake hits southeastern city

A 3.5 magnitude earthquake hit the country's southeastern region early Monday in the seventh-strongest quake to occur on the Korean Peninsula this year, the weather agency saidThe quake occurred shortly after midnight at 00:32 a.m. at some 15 kilometers northeast of Miryang in South Gyeongsang Province, with a depth of 20 km, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.Tremors were felt across the province, but there were no reported damages. The local fire office received 26 calls on w

Social AffairsDec. 30, 2019

US says it has many 'tools' to deal with NK 'Christmas gift'

WASHINGTON -- US National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien warned North Korea Sunday that the United States has many "tools in its toolkit" to respond to any major provocation and will use them to demonstrate its disappointment.Brien made the comments in an interview with ABC amid concerns North Korea could be preparing to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile to express its frustration over stalled denuclearization talks with the US.North Korea's regime has set the end of the ye

North KoreaDec. 30, 2019

NK party meeting discusses 'offensive measures' to ensure sovereignty, security

North Korea has discussed "offensive measures" to ensure the country's sovereignty and security during the second-day session of a major party meeting, state media reported, amid concern Pyongyang could ditch negotiations with the United States and restart major weapons tests.In Washington, National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien warned the North against any provocations, saying the US will be "extraordinarily disappointed" in such cases and will demonstrate its disappointme

North KoreaDec. 30, 2019

Korea's industrial output gains 0.4% in November

South Korea's industrial output growth accelerated in November, supported by a modest gain in the service sector, data showed Monday. The November industrial output rose 0.4 percent from a year earlier, rebounding from a 0.4 percent decline in October, with both retail sales and facility investment growing from a month earlier in November, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. The data showed the production in the mining, manufacturing, gas and electricity industries declined

EconomyDec. 30, 2019

US stops operating surveillance flight on N. Korea: aviation tracker

The United States stopped operating a surveillance flight around the Korean Peninsula, an aviation tracker said Sunday, as North Korea did not follow through on its threat to deliver a "Christmas gift."Aircraft Spots tweeted earlier Sunday that "there is no RC-135S Cobra Ball operating" over the waters off South Korea for the first time in nearly five days.The US had carried out a surveillance mission over the East Sea from Tuesday through Saturday in an apparent move to moni

North KoreaDec. 29, 2019

[Graphic News] Top 10 records in 2019

 　The hottest month, the fastest marathon, the wildest auction prices ... here is a look back at 10 new records in 2019.　1. Record temperatures　Temperatures in July 2019 were the hottest ever recorded globally at an average of 16.75 degrees Celsius for the planet, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced.　A heat wave in Europe the same month reset several record highs: 42.6 degrees for Paris, 41.5 degrees for Germany and 38.7 degrees in Britain.　2. Facebook fine　Face

World NewsDec. 29, 2019

Bithumb faces W80b taxation, despite lack of assessment standards

South Korea’s tax agency has handed down more than 80 billion won ($68.9 million) in taxation on the market’s top cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb, raising controversies on the lack of assessment standards.According to industry insiders, Vidente, the largest shareholder of Bithumb, announced Saturday via DART -- the Financial Supervisory Service’s electronic disclosure board -- that the National Tax Service has forced Bithumb to pay foreign customers’ withholding taxes wor

MarketDec. 29, 2019

Hyundai Capital’s car-sharing service helps digitalization of rental firms

Hyundai Capital’s car-sharing service Deal Car has partnered with local small and medium-sized rental firms to help them digitalize their operations and platforms. According to the consumer financial service providing unit of Hyundai Motor Group, Deal Car has noticed key hurdles that traditional rental businesses now face in the digital age, including the struggle to find a digital alternative to face-to-face interactions for booking and passing of car keys. Through the partnership, Deal C

MarketDec. 29, 2019

All eyes on Pyongyang as Kim opens key party meeting

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un chaired the first part of a key ruling party meeting in Pyongyang on Saturday, amid speculation that the communist state may proclaim a “new path” in the face of stalled disarmament talks with the US Attended by key party and military officers, the fifth plenary session of the seventh Central Committee of the Workers’ Party discussed details regarding building of the state and its defense, the North’s official Korean Central News Agency sa

DefenseDec. 29, 2019

[Trudy Rubin] During holidays, here’s how to help refugees

On Dec. 20, in a grim prelude to Christmas, China and Russia vetoed cross-border aid deliveries from Turkey and Iraq to millions of desperate Syrian civilians.Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused the two countries of having “blood on their hands.” He’s correct, since Russian planes continue to bomb hospitals and markets in rebel-held areas of Syria. What Pompeo didn’t say was that tens of thousands of those refugees are Kurds driven from their homes when President Donal

ViewpointsDec. 29, 2019