[Herald Review] ‘Start-up,’ a loveable disappointment that fails to take off

[Honestly, Choi Jeong-yeol’s “Start-up” is a film that I would’ve loved to like. The film had such loveable characters and felt so likeable, yet both the narrative and comedy kept falling short.Perhaps the best way to describe it is that it is a poor-man’s version of “Exit,” a 2019 action comedy which blended just a hint of drama with three tablespoons of suspense, two cups of laughter, awesome characters and a whole bunch of creative settings to conjure

FilmDec. 15, 2019

BOK may hold off further rate cut amid easing US-China tension

Following signs of a thaw in US-China trade tension, speculation is building that South Korea may slow its pace of monetary easing, in step with the growing possibility of a global economic upturn.Though the world’s top two economies face a bumpy road ahead, their latest reconciliatory move is expected to ease uncertainties -- especially for Asia’s fourth-largest economy, which is highly dependent on trade.After Washington and Beijing announced their phase one agreement Friday to red

EconomyDec. 15, 2019

Japan sees exports to Korea fall, but Korean firms unaffected

Six months after Japan’s restrictions on exports to South Korea, its exports to Korea fell by 14 percent on-year, while South Korean export to Japan dropped by 7 percent, indicating Japan’s larger damage in outbound shipments, data showed Sunday. According to the governments and industries in two countries, from July to October, Japan’s export shipments to Korea came at around $15 billion, which fell by 14 percent on-year. Over the same period, South Korean export shi

IndustryDec. 15, 2019

Senior diplomats of S. Korea, China, Japan met ahead of trilateral summit

BEIJING -- Senior diplomats from South Korea, China and Japan met in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu last week to prepare for the countries' trilateral summit later this month, China's foreign ministry said Sunday.During the talks Friday among Seoul's Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Gunn, Beijing's Vice Foreign Minister Luo Zhaohui and Tokyo's Senior Deputy Foreign Minister Takeo Mori, the officials exchanged opinions regarding the preparations for the upcoming summit, according to the mini

Foreign AffairsDec. 15, 2019

Woods sets Presidents Cup record, Americans make their move

MELBOURNE (AP) -- Tiger Woods set the Presidents Cup record for most victories and set the tone for his US team Sunday at Royal Melbourne.Woods seized control around the turn against Abraham Ancer and won, 3 and 2, in the first of 12 singles matches. The Americans need to win singles for the first time in 10 years to overcome a two-point deficit against the International team.Woods went 3-0 for the week as the first playing captain since Hale Irwin at the inaugural Presidents Cup in 1994. His si

GolfDec. 15, 2019

LG Uplus to invest W2.6tr after takeover of No. 1 cable TV operator

LG Uplus Corp., South Korea's No. 3 mobile carrier, on Sunday said that it plans to invest 2.6 trillion won ($2.2 billion) over the next five years to offer upgraded services after the country's science ministry approved its acquisition of the country's top cable TV operator.The Ministry of Science and ICT approved the telecom operator's acquisition of a 50 percent-plus-one-share stake in CJ Hello Co. from CJ ENM Co., a deal valued at 800 billion won. The acquisition will make LG Uplus the No. 2

IndustryDec. 15, 2019

Govt. approves merger of LG Uplus-CJ Hello merger

The merger between South Korean mobile carrier LG Uplus Corp. and cable and budget phone operator CJ Hello Co. received final approval from the government Sunday in a development that could lead to more investment and growth in the local telecom and broadcasting sector.The conditional permission follows a detailed review of the market impact of the transaction, with emphasis placed on the benefits to the industry as a whole and improvements in rights and convenience for consumers, the Ministry o

IndustryDec. 15, 2019

Top US negotiator in defense cost-sharing talks arrives in S. Korea

The top US negotiator in defense cost-sharing talks with South Korea arrived in Seoul on Sunday for a fresh round of negotiations this week over the sharing of the cost for the upkeep of American troops here, with the two sides still being far apart. Upon arrival at Incheon International Airport earlier in the day, James DeHart of the US State Department did not answer reporters' questions, such as his prospect of progress in the Special Measures Agreement that stipulates the allies' sharing of

DefenseDec. 15, 2019

2 pending S. Korean WTO complaints affected by dispute-body impasse

Two out of South Korea's six complaints pending at the World Trade Organization will be left in limbo due to the suspended operation of its dispute settlement body, according to a local think tank Sunday.Earlier this week, the WTO Appellate Body shut down as it failed to meet the minimum quorum of three judges after the United States blocked the appointment of new ones in line with President Donald Trump's protectionism drive.Asia's No. 4 economy currently has six trade disputes pending at the G

IndustryDec. 15, 2019

One-on-one talks between S. Korean, Japanese FMs in Spain seem unlikely: officials

One-on-one talks between S. Korean, Japanese FMs in Spain seem unlikely: officialsA bilateral meeting between the top diplomats of South Korea and Japan is unlikely to take place on the sidelines of the multilateral gathering in Spain this week as they have yet to arrange their schedule, officials said Sunday. The two countries have been working to set up a one-on-one meeting between Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi, on the margins of the foreign mi

Foreign AffairsDec. 15, 2019

Samsung to supply 4G, 5G telecom solutions to Canada

Samsung Electronics Co. said Sunday it has won a deal to supply fourth-generation and fifth-generation network equipment to Videotron, a Canadian telecom firm."Starting in early 2020, Samsung will deliver 4G LTE-A solutions across Quebec and Ottawa," the company said in a statement."Samsung will increase efficiency in accelerating the expansion of 5G service coverage to match the pace with Canada's 5G commercial launch, which is expected to take place in late 2020," it added.

IndustryDec. 15, 2019

Demand for luxury cars increasing in S. Korea: data

The demand for luxury cars in South Korea increased sharply in 2019 from a year earlier, data showed Sunday, despite the overall decrease in the sales of imported cars here.Sales of imported luxury cars with price tags of 300 million won ($255,972) or higher reached 360 units over the January-November period, posting a threefold growth on-year, according to the data compiled by the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association. The number of cars with a 200 million-won level price ta

IndustryDec. 15, 2019

KT to offer WiFi service with upgraded privacy protection

KT Corp., a major South Korean telecommunication company, said Sunday its WiFi service will have upgraded security with encryption-based privacy protection technology. KT said it will apply a technology that protects International Mobile Subscriber Identity for Android phones to its 130,000 wireless zones nationwide. IMSI is a unique number that identifies a subscriber in the wireless world. KT said its system will encrypt IMSI and will protect users' data on their mobile devices and at WiF

IndustryDec. 15, 2019

N. Korea raps officials for 'leadership flaws' amid economic drive

North Korea's cabinet has rapped officials for "flaws" in leadership and strategies that undermine its national push for economic development, urging them to work hard to achieve goals set in a five-year economic development scheme.The North made the call during an extended cabinet meeting it recently convened to review the work that has been done over the past four years and to discuss what measures should be taken for next year, the cabinet newspaper Minju Choson reported Saturday. &

North KoreaDec. 14, 2019

N. Korea conducts 'another crucial test' at satellite launch site

North Korea said Saturday that it will use the new technologies it recently tested to develop a strategic weapon to counter the US nuclear threat, escalating tensions with the US ahead of its year-end deadline.Pak Jong-chon, chief of the North Korean military's General Staff, also said North Korea has "stored up a tremendous power" and the military is fully ready to put into action any decision of leader Kim Jong-un."The priceless data, experience and new technologies gained in th

Foreign AffairsDec. 14, 2019

Multiple pileups on highway kill at least 7, injure more than 30

Two massive pileups occurred within moments on a highway in the country's southeast early Saturday, killing at least seven people and injuring 32 others, officials said. The first crash occurred at about 4:40 a.m., when some 10 vehicles, including cargo trucks, collided on a highway en route to Youngcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, 301 kilometers south of Seoul.Some 20 other vehicles that had followed behind crashed successively.Six people died, and 14 others were wounded, according to the

Social AffairsDec. 14, 2019

Single-member families account for nearly 30 pct of S. Korean households

The number of one-person families continued to rise last year, accounting for nearly 30 percent of all households in South Korea, amid the fast-spreading trend of people remaining single, government data showed Saturday.  Households consisting of a single member totaled 5.85 million in 2018, compared with 5.62 million the previous year, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.This accounted for 29.3 percent of all households in the country last year, the data showed. The percenta

EconomyDec. 14, 2019

LG honorary chairman dies at age 94

LG Group Honorary Chairman Koo Cha-kyung died Saturday at age 94, the company said. Born in 1925, Koo took the helm at LG at the age of 45 following the death of his father and LG founder, Koo In-hwoi, and led the conglomerate for 25 years.  He handed over the group's leadership to his eldest son and late Chairman Koo Bon-moo, who died in May this year. Koo Cha-kyung is the grandfather of the current Chairman Koo Kwang-mo. As LG chairman, Koo put an emphasis on growing the conglomerate into

IndustryDec. 14, 2019

Russia provides 1,355 tons of refined oil to N. Korea in Oct.

Russia provided 1,355 tons of refined oil to North Korea in October, the Voice of America (VOA) reported Saturday.The figure is far much less than the 2,136 tons Moscow reported it shipped to the communist state the previous month. According to the U.N. Security Council website, Russia has provided a cumulative 25,057 tons of refined oil in the January-October period. The U.N. began asking member countries to report the supply, sale and transfer of all refined petroleum products to North Korea i

Foreign AffairsDec. 14, 2019

PyeongChang invites tourists to trout and snow festivals

PyeongChang, the venue of the 2018 Winter Olympics, is gearing up to host two winter festivals to attract tourists from home and abroad.The county government of PyeongChang, about 180 kilometers east of Seoul, said Friday it is putting the finishing touches on the 13th PyeongChang Trout Festival and the 28th Daegwallyeong Snow Festival.The trout festival will take place from Dec. 21 to Feb. 2, 2020, while the snow festival is scheduled for Jan. 10-19, county officials said, stressing that easier

Life&CultureDec. 14, 2019