[ASEAN-Korea Summit] Korea, Vietnam pledge cooperation on ASEAN, global issues

President Moon Jae-in held a summit with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Seoul on Wednesday, and discussed ways to improve bilateral ties. After their meeting, three memorandums of understanding and a revised version of a treaty to prevent double taxation were signed by both sides. Moon welcomed the rapid development of South Korea-Vietnam relations and called for further strengthening cooperation. According to Seoul’s presidential office, Moon requested the Vietnam

Foreign AffairsNov. 27, 2019

[Graphic News] 1 in 5 Seoul households live with a pet: data

　One in 5 households in Seoul have a pet and the number of homes that have embraced cats is on the rise, data showed.　Some 20 percent of the surveyed households said they were living with a pet as of 2018, compared with 18.8 percent in 2014, according to data from the Seoul Metropolitan Government.　The survey was conducted in September last year on 20,000 households in the city. The poll had a margin of error of 0.47 percentage point and a 95 percent confidence level. 　The number of households w

Social AffairsNov. 27, 2019

Fresh allegations tie ex-justice minister to power abuse

Embattled former Justice Minister Cho Kuk is facing fresh allegations of power abuse. In addition to the corruption scandal involving his family, Cho is suspected of wrongly suspending the internal inspection of a senior official in 2017 and pushing for a police investigation to influence the Ulsan mayoral election in 2018. Cho was a senior presidential secretary at both times. Yoo Jae-soo, the senior official who is a former Busan vice mayor for economic affairs, attended the arrest warrant h

PoliticsNov. 27, 2019

[팟캐스트] (328) 한아세안 특별정상회담 막 내려/ 카카오, 카뱅 최대주주 등극

진행자: 임정요, Kevin Lee Selzer1. Korea, ASEAN adopt joint vision for cooperation기사 요약: 부산에서 열린 한아세안 특별 정상회담에서 참가국들 자유무역을 약속했다.아이튠즈(아이폰): https://itunes.apple.com/kr/podcast/koliaheleoldeu-paskaeseuteu/id686406253?mt=2팟빵 (안드로이드): http://www.podbbang.com/ch/6638[1] BUSAN – The ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit wrapped up Tuesday with the leaders agreeing to expand economic, political and social cooperation among the countries. *wrap up: 끝마치다*expand: 확장하다[2] “Advancement of the ASEAN is Korea&

PodcastNov. 27, 2019

[Newsmaker] North Korean merchant vessel accidentally crosses maritime border: JCS

A North Korean merchant vessel crossed the de facto maritime border into South Korean waters in the Yellow Sea on Wednesday and was headed northward and expected to fully cross the de facto maritime border into the north around midnight, Seoul’s military said. According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the military detected an unidentified ship that crossed the Northern Limit Line and entered South Korean waters on the northwestern side of Baengnyeong Island at 6:40 a.m. At around 12:30 p.m.,

North KoreaNov. 27, 2019

US flies spy plane over S. Korean capital areas: aviation tracker

A US reconnaissance plane flew over Seoul and surrounding regions, an aviation tracker said Wednesday, on an apparent mission to collect intelligence regarding North Korea.The plane, believed to be an RC-135V, was detected in the skies above South Korea's capital city and Gyeonggi Province "on task over the Korean Peninsula," Aircraft Spots posted on Twitter.  It did not specify the exact time of the operation.The flight came amid lingering concerns that the North could conduct ad

DefenseNov. 27, 2019

[Mark Buchanan] Gene editing might alter DNA, but destroy humanity

Biologists recently revealed a new form of the gene-editing tool known as Crispr that allows researchers to make precise changes to almost any element of DNA, permanently altering cellular biochemistry. It could help treat tens of thousands of diseases linked to variations in a single gene and lead to the creation of better antibiotics.　 The latest development, called prime editing, is more accurate than older Crispr methods, which sometimes alter genomic DNA in the wrong places. The new method

ViewpointsNov. 27, 2019

[Leonid Bershidsky] Why London has banned Uber — again

London first banned Uber under its buccaneer of a founding chief executive officer, Travis Kalanick -- and now for a second time under Kalanick’s successor, Dara Khosrowshahi, who was meant to be the adult in the room. Though the ban won’t be a popular decision among Londoners and many will call it disproportionate, it shows Uber Technologies has more fundamental problems than the temperament of its top managers.In September 2017, Transport for London, the UK capital’s transpor

ViewpointsNov. 27, 2019

Seoul struggles to deal with Pyongyang’s demolition plan in Kumgangsan

South Korea is struggling to find a way to deal with the North’s decision to tear down its facilities at Kumgangsan tourism complex, as the regime continues to be reticent. Despite repeated requests to discuss the issue through a face-to-face meeting, a North Korean propaganda site Uriminzokkiri said Wednesday that the country’s decision to demolish the facilities -- built by the South Korean government and companies -- in the tourist zone on its east coast remains unchanged. &l

North KoreaNov. 27, 2019

15,000 imitations of BTS character goods seized in Incheon this year

Customs officials in Incheon, west of Seoul, said Wednesday they have cracked down on huge amounts of imitation goods that infringe on the trademark rights of BTS, a globally popular South Korean boy band.According to Incheon Main Customs, about 15,000 fakes of BTS' BT21 character products originating from China and other countries were detected at the port of Incheon in the first 10 months of this year. BT21 is a registered trademark of BTS.The BT21 imitations caught by the Incheon customs offi

Social AffairsNov. 27, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] KAI eyes ASEAN as key market for growth

Backed by diplomatic ties between South Korea and Southeast Asia, the nation’s sole aircraft manufacturer Korea Aerospace Industries is stepping up efforts to expand the sale of advanced aircraft to the region, touting its technological strengths and cost effectiveness.Taking the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit in Busan this week as an opportunity to showcase its cutting-edge aircraft to leaders of Southeast Asian countries, KAI said it hopes to contribute to expanding cooperation with defe

IndustryNov. 27, 2019

[News Brief] Fire hits chemical factory in Yeosu

A fire that started at a chemical factory in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, around 10 a.m. on Wednesday was contained in around three hours. A whole block of five prefab buildings in the city’s southern end were demolished from the blaze, the authorities stated. Around 30 people were evacuated with no reported casualties.The fire which started at a lubricant storage warehouse inside the factory spread quickly to nearby furniture stores, the fire authorities said. Black fumes covered the sky

Social AffairsNov. 27, 2019

[News Brief] Appeals court upholds 30-year sentence for internet cafe murderer

An appellate court on Wednesday upheld a 30-year prison sentence for a man who brutally killed a part-time worker at an internet cafe in western Seoul.The Seoul High Court handed down the sentence to Kim Sung-soo, 30, convicted of the murder of the 20-year-old. On Oct. 14, 2018, Kim stabbed the victim some 80 times in the body and face. Kim later stated that he had stabbed the victim because the victim had been rude to him.  The prosecution had sought a life sentence for Kim at both the low

Social AffairsNov. 27, 2019

[News brief] Norovirus outbreak reported in Gyeonggi Province elementary school

A student at an elementary school in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, was confirmed to be infected with norovirus on Wednesday. Siheung Public Health Center said Wednesday that health authorities had launched an epidemiological probe last week after some 50 students at an elementary school showed signs of food poisoning.  Since Friday, 52 students have been absent or left school early due to stomach pain and diarrhea.One student tested positive for norovirus, according to the regional institute

Social AffairsNov. 27, 2019

[Newsmaker] Seoul mayor vows to restrict ‘excessive’ rallies

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon on Tuesday vowed to restrict excessive protests that “threaten public good,” amid complaints over weekend rallies that have dominated Gwanghwamun Square for several months.　He also held politicians accountable for failing to contain the deep ideological division that has led to rallies by both supporters and opponents of the Moon Jae-in administration. 　“The right to public assembly and demonstration is a very basic human right granted by the Constitut

Social AffairsNov. 27, 2019

S. Korea’s money supply-to-GDP higher than OECD average

South Korea’s money supply to gross domestic product ratio came to 151.5 percent last year, higher than the Organization for Economic Cooperation Development average, data from the World Bank and Korea Center for International Finance showed Wednesday. The country’s high money supply-GDP ratio -- a measure of financial deepening -- indicates economic activity has been sluggish this year, with stagnant real estate investments and bank deposits, despite growth in the volume of currency

EconomyNov. 27, 2019

KB Insurance teams up with Cafe24 on e-commerce insurance

KB Insurance, a unit of KB Financial Group, said Wednesday that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with global e-commerce platform Cafe24 to provide comprehensive insurance services for e-commerce merchants.The deal was signed by KB Insurance Chairman and CEO Yang Jong-hee and Cafe24 CEO Lee Jae-suk at the KB Insurance headquarters in Seoul.  Through the newly formed partnership, both firms plan to roll out more insurance and financial services for e-commerce merchants, in cooperat

MarketNov. 27, 2019

50,000 won bills last 3 years longer than 10,000 won bills: BOK

South Korean banknotes have different lifespans, with the most valuable bills circulating for three more years on average than smaller bills, according to data from the Bank of Korea earlier this week.The central bank said 50,000 won bills, Korea’s largest denomination, had an average lifetime of 162 months, while 10,000 won bills lasted only about 127 months. The lifespan of a banknote is the period of time between the note’s issuance by the BOK and its return to the bank due to dam

MarketNov. 27, 2019