[News brief] Foreign worker in Pocheon found dead, stabbed in neck

Police found the body of a foreign worker in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, on Monday, with stab wounds to the neck.The body of the 30-year-old Nepalese man was found around 7:30 p.m. on Monday in front of a dormitory inside an industrial complex in the city, according to Pocheon Police Station. A colleague discovered the man bleeding on the floor and reported to the police. Security camera footage showed the man stabbing himself several times in the neck, police said. While there was no sign of fo

Social AffairsDec. 10, 2019

[Newsmaker] Big Hit denies rumored disputes with BTS

Big Hit Entertainment has denied a recent report that the agency and BTS have been in dispute over profit distribution and the renewal of a contract. On Monday, broadcast station JTBC’s “News Room” aired a report that said the band and its members’ parents have been looking into taking legal action against the agency. A few hours after the news was broadcast, the agency released a statement saying, “The report is groundless.” “BTS and the members&rs

PerformanceDec. 10, 2019

S. Korean An Byeong-hun determined to make most of new opportunity at Presidents Cup

MELBOURNE -- As a last-minute addition to the International Team at this week's Presidents Cup, South Korean golfer An Byeong-hun said Tuesday he is keen on capitalizing on his second chance.An was named as an injury replacement for Jason Day of Australia on Nov. 30, as International captain Ernie Els went with the South Korean just weeks after leaving him off the team.The Presidents Cup pits a team of a dozen non-European international players against the United States. This year's competition

GolfDec. 10, 2019

Kakao Bank launches mobile version of piggy bank

Kakao Bank, an internet-only bank subsidary of Kakao, announced Tuesday the launch of a savings product that automatically saves only small change daily.Through the Coin Box service, users can save money easily, according to company officials. When users open Coin Box and select a coin-collecting service, small change under 1,000 won (84 cents) that was previously saved in deposit and savings accounts will be automatically transferred the next day on weekdays. The service reinterprets

MarketDec. 10, 2019

NK lauds leader’s ‘achievements’ in military affairs, diplomacy

North Korea’s official newspaper on Tuesday lauded this year’s “achievements” by the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, in military affairs and diplomacy in an apparent bid to consolidate internal unity amid rising tensions with the US. The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the country’s Workers’ Party, said in a commentary titled “Our party’s record of revolution in 2019 will be long remembered in history” that hostile forces maneuv

North KoreaDec. 10, 2019

Finance minister urges lawmakers to pass 2020 budget bill

Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki called for lawmakers to approve next year's budget bill on Tuesday, when the parliamentary session ends. South Korea is seeking a total of 513.5 trillion won ($430.2 billion) in budget spending for next year, a 9.3 percent hike from 2019. The National Assembly already missed the Dec. 2 deadline to pass the budget bill due to political battles. This year marked the fifth straight year the National Assembly has missed the legal deadline, as the partisan standoff over k

EconomyDec. 10, 2019

Big Hit denies report it is in profit dispute with BTS

BTS’ agent Big Hit Entertainment on Tuesday flatly denied a report that the label and BTS members are in a legal dispute over profit-sharing. On Monday evening, local cable TV network JTBC reported that the K-pop group had reached out to a large law firm in Seoul to pursue legal action against Big Hit over how profits are distributed. The news was broadcast as part of the channel’s flagship current affairs show “Newsroom.” Shortly after, however, Big Hit issued a lengthy

K-popDec. 10, 2019

Defense minister: N. Korea conducted rocket engine test at Dongchang-ri site

Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo confirmed Tuesday that North Korea tested a rocket engine in what the regime called a "very important test" at its western satellite launching station over the weekend, calling on the communist country to stop such military acts.Jeong's remark, made in Sydney after a meeting of the foreign and defense ministers of the two countries, represented the first time that a government official has confirmed what the North tested Saturday at the Sohae Satellite

North KoreaDec. 10, 2019

Heroism, devastation after deadly N. Zealand volcano eruption

WHAKATANE (AFP) -- Tales of heroism, devastation and horrifying injuries emerged Tuesday after New Zealand's smouldering White Island volcano exploded, killing an estimated 13 people.Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said five people had died and eight more were presumed dead after Monday's eruption, while dozens of injured had been airlifted to hospitals across the country.Among the 47 people caught on the island during the sudden eruption were tourists from Australia, the United States, Britain, C

World NewsDec. 10, 2019

Parliament passes children safety bills in plenary session

South Korea's parliament passed uncontested bills, including those on children safety, in its morning plenary session Tuesday, without reviewing the budget bill and other contentious bills on electoral and prosecution reform.Among the 16 bills that were passed in the morning session were those on children's road safety. The bills, each named after the two boys who died from safety accidents, are aimed at reinforcing road safety by mandating surveillance cameras in school zones to prevent speedin

PoliticsDec. 10, 2019

‘Virtual Play’: Genie Music VR service lets you see Mamamoo up-close

Streaming service Genie Music launched a new virtual reality-powered video service on Tuesday with girl group Mamamoo’s ultra-high resolution performances as the platform’s first project.The Korean streaming giant’s new platform, dubbed “Virtual Play,” uses all the latest VR technology to present a 360-degree, 3D, 8K ultrahigh resolution experience.  Speaking at a press conference in Seoul, Cho Hoon, CEO of Genie Music, explained the name was inspired by the co

K-popDec. 10, 2019

[Herald Review] U2’s 1st outing in Seoul a gift after long wait

As incredible as it sounds, U2 -- one of biggest names in rock history -- has never had a huge following in Korea. The disparity between the band’s international fame and popularity in Korea, among other things, has prevented U2 fans in the country from enjoying the group’s music live. That was until the Seoul leg of the Joshua Tree Tour 2019 in Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Sunday, held in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of one of their best-received albums, “The Joshua T

PerformanceDec. 10, 2019

Seoul expands purchases of eco-friendly cars amid new energy drive

South Korea's public organizations increased their purchases of eco-friendly cars, including hydrogen fuel cell automobiles, this year in line with a new energy drive that centers on cutting the use of fossil fuels, data showed Tuesday.Eco-friendly cars accounted for roughly 70 percent of the combined cars purchased by public organizations this year, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The survey was conducted on 211 institutions.The figure marks a sharp increase from 56.6 p

IndustryDec. 10, 2019

US sends another surveillance plane over S. Korea: aviation tracker

The United States again flew a surveillance aircraft over the Korean Peninsula, an aviation tracker said Tuesday, the latest in a series of flights to monitor North Korea amid growing concern Pyongyang may be gearing up for a long-range rocket launch. The E-8C aircraft, or JSTARS, was spotted over the Korean Peninsula at 33,000 feet, Aircraft Spots said on its Twitter account without specifying the exact time of the operation. It also did not upload photos showing the flight route.As a platform

DefenseDec. 10, 2019

S. Korea most affected by US-China trade spat: report

South Korea may have been hit the hardest among major economies by the protracted trade dispute between the United States and China due to its high dependence on exports to the countries, a report said Tuesday.The US and China are the world's largest importers of South Korean products with shipments to China accounting for more than one-quarter of South Korea's overall exports last year, according to the report from the Woori Finance Research Institute.In 2018, shipments to China accounted for 2

EconomyDec. 10, 2019

'Parasite' earns three Golden Globe nominations

South Korean director Bong Joon-ho's black comedy "Parasite" was nominated in three categories for the upcoming 2020 Golden Globe Awards, organizers said Monday.In the nominations for the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards to be held at Beverley Hills on Jan. 5 next year, "Parasite" was listed in the categories of Best Foreign Language Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay. It is the first time that a South Korean film has made it to the final list of the Golden Globe Awards,

FilmDec. 10, 2019

US, North Korea on collision course as New Year deadline looms

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- Tensions are quickly rising between the United States and North Korea, which has ramped up pressure as it demands concessions by President Donald Trump's administration by the end of the year.The United States called a UN Security Council meeting for Wednesday on North Korea's series of rocket launches, the latest return to antagonism as diplomacy languishes.Monday's announcement came two days after North Korea claimed to have carried out a "very important" but othe

North KoreaDec. 10, 2019

US asks UN to discuss risk of N.Korea 'provocation'

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- The United States on Monday called a UN Security Council meeting this week on the risk of North Korean "provocation" as Pyongyang demands US concessions by a year-end deadline.The United States, which holds this month's presidency of the Security Council, is scheduling the session instead of a planned meeting on human rights in North Korea, one of the world's most authoritarian states.This week's meeting will provide "a comprehensive update on recent developmen

North KoreaDec. 10, 2019

Ex-Daewoo Group chief Kim Woo-choong dies at 82

Former Daewoo Group Chairman Kim Woo-choong, once touted as one of the most successful businessmen in South Korea, died late Monday at age 82, an organization affiliated with the now-defunct conglomerate said.Kim, the founder of the trading-to-automobile conglomerate, died of a chronic disease at a local hospital late Monday night, according to Daewoosky Institute, which represents former employees of Daewoo Group.He launched Daewoo Corp. in March 1967 to export textiles to Southeast Asian marke

PeopleDec. 10, 2019