S. Korea moves one step closer to hosting 2024 Winter Youth Olympics

South Korea has inched closer to hosting the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games, following a proposal made by a new panel at the International Olympic Committee.At a press conference following the IOC Executive Board meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Thursday (local time), IOC President Thomas Bach said the Executive Board will soon initiate "a targeted dialogue" with South Korea as the "preferred host" of the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics, following the recommendation from the

North KoreaDec. 6, 2019

LG Chem, GM to set up EV battery JV in US

LG Chem Ltd., South Korea's leading chemical company, said Friday it will establish a 50:50 joint venture with General Motors to build a battery cell assembly plant in the world's most important automobile market amid a global push for zero emissions.LG Chem and GM said they will invest up to a total of $2.3 billion through the joint venture company.The joint venture will set up a battery cell assembly plant in the Lordstown area of northeast Ohio. Groundbreaking is expected to take place in mid

IndustryDec. 6, 2019

Prosecutors grill whistleblower in election-meddling probe

Prosecutors grilled Vice Mayor of Ulsan Song Byung-gi on Friday over Cheong Wa Dae’s suspected meddling in regional elections last year. Song’s home, office and car were also raided by prosecution agents at around 8:50 a.m. the same day.Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office launched the operation after it was revealed Thursday that Song had informed the presidential office about alleged wrongdoings by associates of then-Ulsan Mayor Kim Gi-hyeon, a conservative candida

PoliticsDec. 6, 2019

Brothers roast small-batch brews for coffee lovers

In hopes of attracting more like-minded coffee geeks, brothers Ko Tae-young and Ko Young-soo have expanded to Seoul’s Sinsa-dong with Vinter Coffee Bar, which soft-opened in late November and features five single-origin coffees roasted by the brothers themselves.“We wanted to focus on coffee,” said Tae-young, 32, of their newest perch. The brothers started roasting coffee as a hobby and gifting it to peers. Their hobby blossomed into a business with the opening of Vinter C

FoodDec. 6, 2019

[Weekender] Experimental musicians bring Korean instruments to global audience

K-pop has become synonymous with the idea of Korean music on a global scale recently, but genres extend much wider here. One of the most fascinating and experimental musical genres that is gaining traction in Korea has its roots in gugak, Korea’s traditional music. With a unique blend of old and new, East and West, young gugak musicians are making global strides, performing at international music festivals, signing with global labels and racking up rave reviews from foreign media.Here

PerformanceDec. 6, 2019

[Eye plus] Once a ghetto, now tourist hot spot

Gamcheon Culture Village, a hilltop village in Busan’s Saha district, is a tourist hot spot, drawing an increasing number of visitors.Camera-toting tourists from Korea and elsewhere explore terraced rows of small houses, painted in pastel colors, and labyrinth-like alleys, with some so narrow only one person can pass at a time. The town has hidden gems as well -- murals, sculptures, installation art, galleries and eateries.Among its recent visitors was Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who

TravelDec. 6, 2019

[Weekender] Hot to trot

In Korea’s music history, 2019 may be remembered as the year of a global K-pop explosion. But on the home turf of BTS, Blackpink and other popular idol groups, the year’s biggest breakout star came from an unlikely music genre: trot.  Once ridiculed as music for grannies, the oldest form of Korean popular music is seeing a resurgence, evident from the stellar rise of trot diva Song Ga-in. Song was crowned “Ms. Trot” in a smash-hit TV audition show of the same title t

PerformanceDec. 6, 2019

JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul named chain’s best hotel in Asia Pacific

JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul was named the best-performer of the hospitality group’s more than 750 properties in the Asia-Pacific region, the hotel said Wednesday.  The global hotel chain recognized the Seoul hotel for its large increase in sales, number of visitors and efforts to adjust to the rapidly evolving trends of the hospitality industry, it explained. “This award further underscores our commitment to putting our customers first, and our efforts to become the lead

TravelDec. 6, 2019

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and Packages

Christmas Eve party at InterContinental Seoul Coex InterContinental Seoul Coex is hosting a party on Christmas Eve with jazz performances and wine. Guests will be able to enjoy activities such as making Christmas wreaths, wine tasting and tarot reading from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm.Afterward, a seven-course dinner will be offered with wine and a mellow jazz performance. It costs 180,000 won per guest to attend the party. The “Salon de Noel Room Package” includes an overnight stay for two p

FoodDec. 6, 2019

Defense cost-sharing talks fail to yield concrete result amid US demand for hefty rise: Seoul negotiator

South Korea's top negotiator in defense cost-sharing talks with the United States has said the allies have failed to produce a concrete result in this week's negotiations as Washington's demand for a sharp increase in Seoul's share remains unchanged.Jeong Eun-bo made the remarks Thursday following the fourth round of talks in Washington on Tuesday and Wednesday over how to share the cost of stationing the 28,500-strong US Forces Korea under the cost-sharing accord, called the Special Measures Ag

DefenseDec. 6, 2019

NSC vows cooperation with neighboring countries for progress on nuclear talks

South Korea's National Security Council on Thursday reviewed unfolding developments on the Korean Peninsula and vowed to beef up cooperation with neighboring countries to push the nuclear negotiations between the United States and North Korea forward, the presidential office said. In the weekly session of the NSC's standing committee, its members also reviewed the results of last week's special summit between South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states in Busan, 450

North KoreaDec. 5, 2019

FSS directs banks to pay up to 80% compensation to DLF customers

The financial watchdog on Thursday directed local banks to compensate up to 80 percent of the losses suffered by customers due to their controversial sale of derivative-linked funds earlier this year. The Financial Supervisory Service held its dispute settlement committee meeting to review six representative cases of investor damages due to miselling -- three from Woori Bank and three from KEB Hana Bank.“In the past cases of misselling (of financial products), the compensation rate was usu

MarketDec. 5, 2019

What went wrong at MAMA 2019

K-pop Twitter was set abuzz Wednesday night as the 2019 Mnet Asian Music Awards went down at Nagoya Dome in Japan.BTS swept up nine awards, including the top three prizes -- Album of the Year, Artist of the Year and Song of the Year -- while Itzy and TXT took home Best New Female Artist and Best New Male Artist, respectively. While fans cheered on their favorite acts’ achievements, many viewers thought the show came across as rushed and lacking in energy. It had already faced criticism ove

K-popDec. 5, 2019

[Graphic News] Online shopping purchases rise in October

　Purchases made using the internet and mobile devices in South Korea grew in October, government data showed, reflecting the popularity of smartphones, fast delivery and convenient payment options. 　Transactions made with computers, smartphones and tablets reached 11.8 trillion won ($9.9 billion) in October, up 17.3 percent from a year earlier, according to data from Statistics Korea. This was attributed to increased demand for food, clothes and daily necessities, the agency said. (Yonhap)

BusinessDec. 5, 2019

Exhibition brings Middle East closer to Korea

Middle Eastern countries often face negative stereotypes among Koreans. But Seoul Museum of Art’s “Gohyang: Home” offers a closer look at nations in the region, beyond the stereotypes shaped and fueled by negative press.The exhibition consists of works of art that address social, political and historical issues, such as the history of the Crusades, the ongoing conflict between Palestine and Israel, the war in Afghanistan, myths of Arab nations and the lives of ordinary people,

Arts & DesignDec. 5, 2019

S. Korea aims to become 3rd-largest cosmetics exporter by 2022

South Korea aims to become the third-largest cosmetics exporter in the world by 2022 through extensive investment in research and development and concerted marketing efforts, the government said Thursday.The country's makeup products are globally competitive, with growth buoyed by popularity of the Korean Wave and the growing reputation of K-beauty as being high quality yet affordable, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said.It said despite such gains, there is room for improvement, with South K

IndustryDec. 5, 2019

Antitrust watchdog opposes revised bill over ride-hailing operator Tada

South Korea's antitrust regulator on Thursday voiced its opposition to a revised bill that would significantly restrict the business of ride-hailing operator Tada.The Fair Trade Commission said it will convey its stance to a parliamentary subcommittee later in the day as lawmakers begin deliberations on the revised bill.Tada, the Korean word for "ride," was launched in October 2018 and has rapidly grown to become Korea's leading ride-offering service. It offers ride-hailing services wi

IndustryDec. 5, 2019

Finance minister calls for passage of budget bill

Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki urged officials on Thursday to make efforts to help the National Assembly approve next year's budget bill by next Tuesday, when the parliamentary session ends. South Korea is seeking a total of 513.5 trillion won ($431 billion) in budget spending for next year, a 9.3-percent hike from 2019. The National Assembly missed a Monday deadline to pass the budget bill due to political battles. This year marked the fifth straight year the National Assembly has missed the lega

EconomyDec. 5, 2019

[Letter to the Editor] Key factors to consider when choosing a nursing hospital

Nursing hospitals get asked most frequently about the amount charged for hospitalization fees. The reason appears to be that the patient’s children usually pay for the hospitalization fees. If the patients themselves pay the fees, they might ask about hospital facilities or services rather than costs. As the patient’s children bear the cost for the most part, the inquiry about the fees remains the top priority.Simply put, bills for nursing hospitals are specified under the comprehens

ViewpointsDec. 5, 2019

[Jean Pisani-Ferry] UK and EU should prevent mutual assured damage

Nothing can be taken for granted in the United Kingdom these days, but it is now very likely that 2020 will be the year when Brexit finally happens. A majority of UK citizens will probably be relieved to bring this seemingly endless agony to a close, while most European leaders will likely be glad not to have to argue over another postponement. But questions will remain.To the question of “Who lost Britain?” the answer must be, first and foremost, Britain itself. Whatever mistakes th

ViewpointsDec. 5, 2019