LG Uplus partners with Nreal to launch AR glasses in early 2020

LG Uplus Corp. said Thursday it has signed an exclusive deal with mixed reality display developer Nreal to launch augmented reality glasses in South Korea in early 2020.The Korean telecom operator unveiled Nreal Light AR glasses by the Beijing-based startup to show off its AR applications on LG Electronics Inc.'s 5G smartphone V50S ThinQ.AR overlays digital content on top of the real world and is primarily experienced via a wearable glass device, a head-mounted display or through smartphone appl

IndustryNov. 21, 2019

S. Korea's exports down 9.6 % in first 20 days of November

South Korea's exports fell 9.6 percent in the first 20 days of November mainly due to decreased shipments of semiconductors and ships, customs data showed Thursday.The country's exports stood at $28.2 billion in the Nov. 1-20 period, compared with $31.2 billion in the same period last year, according to the Korea Customs Service.The average daily exports -- which reflect working days -- also declined 9.6 percent on-year to $1.82 billion.By product, exports of semiconductors and ships fell 23.6 p

IndustryNov. 21, 2019

Ex-Justice Minister Cho refuses to open up during questioning　

On Thursday morning, ex-Justice Minister Cho Kuk appeared before the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office for a second round of questioning. He reportedly refused to open up, just as he had the first time on Nob. 14. At the time, Cho denied all charges against him, saying he would “reveal the truth in court” once prosecutors indict him. The former justice minister faces corruption charges involving his family and charges of abuse of power. He did not

Social AffairsNov. 21, 2019

S. Korea to scale down operation of coal plants over winter

South Korea's industry ministry said Thursday it will scale down the operations of local coal plants to 80 percent of their capacity starting in December in a broader effort to deal with a spike in fine dust here.The ceiling will come into effect from December to February 2020, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. It marks the first time for South Korea to limit the operation of coal power plants over the winter. The move came as South Korea has been making efforts to reduce

IndustryNov. 21, 2019

Biegun says no country gets 'free ride' on shared defense burdens

WASHINGTON -- US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun said Wednesday that South Korea is an important US ally but no country gets a "free ride" on shared defense burdens.Biegun, who has been nominated as deputy secretary of state, appeared to underscore Washington's position in ongoing negotiations with Seoul over sharing the costs for the upkeep of 28,500 American troops stationed in South Korea. The latest round of talks was cut short this week after Seoul apparently

Foreign AffairsNov. 21, 2019

NK vice FM renews calls for US to drop 'hostile policy'

SEOUL/MOSCOW -- A senior North Korean diplomat on Wednesday renewed calls for Washington to drop its "hostile policy" against Pyongyang, saying denuclearization could be discussed again in future talks only after such a policy is abolished.First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui made the remarks after meeting senior Russian officials, including Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in Moscow. She arrived in the Russian capital for the two countries' inaugural strategic dialogue on bilateral

North KoreaNov. 21, 2019

Biegun believes NK can still make choice to denuclearize

WASHINGTON -- US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun said Wednesday that he has not seen concrete evidence that North Korea plans to dismantle its nuclear weapons program but believes Pyongyang can still make that choice.Biegun made the remark before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee during a confirmation hearing on his nomination as deputy secretary of state.He said the belief is shared by US President Donald Trump, who "remains of the view" that North Korean

North KoreaNov. 21, 2019

Britain's Prince Andrew to 'step back from public duties' after Epstein furore

LONDON (AFP) -- Prince Andrew on Wednesday said he was cancelling his public engagements, as the outcry over his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein showed no sign of abating.Queen Elizabeth II's second son has been under pressure since a television interview broadcast Saturday in which he defended his links to the disgraced financier, who was found dead in a New York prison in August.An increasing number of organisations and initiatives backed by Prince Andrew have said they

World NewsNov. 21, 2019

Hong Kong rights bill clears US Congress, heads to Trump

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- US lawmakers Wednesday overwhelmingly approved legislation that supports human rights and democracy in Hong Kong and also backs the territory's anti-China protesters, sending the measure opposed by Beijing to President Donald Trump.The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act passed the House of Representatives by 417 to 1, one day after the Senate unanimously passed the measure, provoking an outcry from Beijing.The bill requires the US president to annually review the favora

World NewsNov. 21, 2019

Son of former German president stabbed to death in Berlin

The son of former German president Richard von Weizsaecker was stabbed to death while he was giving a lecture at a hospital in Berlin where he worked as a head physician, police said Wednesday.A 57-year-old German man is in custody after he jumped up from the audience at the Schlosspark-Klinik and attacked Fritz von Weizsaecker with a knife on Tuesday evening.An off-duty police officer in the audience who tried to stop the attack was seriously wounded and had to undergo surgery. Von Weizsaecker

World NewsNov. 20, 2019

A Hong Kong protester on why he won't surrender to police

Pale and thin, a teenager wandered the nearly deserted campus of Hong Kong Polytechnic University at about 1 a.m. Wednesday. He hugged his body with his arms, whether because of the chill in the air or gnawing worry he felt was unclear.Only a handful of protesters remain at "Poly U," which hundreds occupied for several days, fighting pitched battles with police in the surrounding streets. Now, authorities have cut off the campus and are arresting anyone who comes out.The teen, who woul

World NewsNov. 20, 2019

E-commerce giant Alibaba raises $11 billion in share listing

The Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has raised at least $11 billion in a share offering in Hong Kong, netting the city's biggest offering since 2010 despite recent political turmoil.Alibaba said Wednesday that it has set the price for the offering at 176 Hong Kong dollars ($22.50) per share. The price is a 2.9% discount for the closing price for its shares traded in New York. It's also below the original maximum offer price of $188 Hong Kong dollars.The company's shares are due to begin trading

World BusinessNov. 20, 2019

Liberty Korea Party chairman starts hunger strike

Main opposition Liberty Korea Party Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn began a hunger strike Wednesday to protest President Moon Jae-in’s foreign and domestic policies. Hwang demanded Moon extend the military intel-sharing pact with Japan and scrap his income-led growth economic initiative. He urged Moon to withdraw disputed fast-tracked bills, including election and anti-corruption body proposals, which Hwang said serve the ruling party’s interests. “I now go on indefinite hunger strike

PoliticsNov. 20, 2019

[Graphic News] Over half of Americans favor Trump impeachment: poll

　A slim majority of Americans believe President Donald Trump should be impeached and removed from office for his controversial Ukraine actions, according to the first poll after the launch of public hearings in the US Congress.　Fifty-one percent of those asked said they think Trump should be tried and convicted in the US Senate, while another 6 percent favor impeachment but not removal, according to the ABC News-Ipsos poll released.　That appeared to represent an increase from before the hearings

World NewsNov. 20, 2019

BTS off to New Zealand on ‘Bon Voyage’

The fourth season of BTS’ travel show “Bon Voyage” was unveiled on Tuesday evening, with the seven bandmates seen preparing for their trip to New Zealand.In the first episode, released exclusively via Weverse, the members got together at a Chinese restaurant in August, to brainstorm and prepare for the trip that took place in September. The members were supposed to do some research on New Zealand before the meeting. They discussed what they wanted to do there while eating

K-popNov. 20, 2019

BTS chosen Variety’s Hitmaker of the Year

BTS was chosen as Variety’s Hitmaker of the Year, becoming the first South Korean act to attain the honor as it swept up prizes and stayed on the Billboard 200 for a year. Variety, an influential US entertainment magazine, announced that it had selected BTS as “Group of the Year” on Tuesday (US time), elaborating that “the record-breaking septet has solidified their status as global superstars, rounding out one of the largest stadium tours of the year and releasing a stri

PerformanceNov. 20, 2019

Security cooperation still possible even after GSOMIA ends, says Moon

As an intelligence-sharing pact with Japan is set to expire at midnight Friday, South Korean President Moon Jae-in underscored that Tokyo has given Seoul just cause to terminate the agreement. Speaking at a televised question-and-answer session Tuesday, Moon also said he would work until the last minute with Japan to avoid the termination of the 2016 General Security of Military Information Agreement -- but that Tokyo still has to act first to normalize trade.In August, Korea announced its decis

Foreign AffairsNov. 20, 2019

Railway union launches indefinite walkout nationwide

The unionized workers of state-run rail operator Korail and its affiliated companies began an indefinite strike at 9 a.m. Wednesday.A crowd bustled in front of the ticket boxes at Seoul Station on Wednesday afternoon, several hours after the Korean Railway Workers’ Union started their general walkout. Three to four Korail staff were ushering customers to the self-service kiosks while many stood confused, waiting for help. Seo Jung-min, 32, who travels to Seoul from Busan at least twic

Social AffairsNov. 20, 2019

Unique ondol found at Gyeongbokgung pavilion

Designated Treasure No. 1761, Hyangwonjeong -- a two-story hexagonal pavilion on a small artificial island in the middle of a pond on the northern grounds of Gyeongbokgung -- was built by King Gojong around the time of the construction of the royal couple’s private quarters, between 1867 and 1873. The Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea on Wednesday unveiled the unique floor heating system found at the pavilion. Korea’s traditional heating system ondol generates warmth using di

CultureNov. 20, 2019

With Samsung’s lead, Korean TV makers dominate global market

South Korean manufacturers claimed nearly half of the global TV market as of the third quarter of this year with Samsung Electronics’ solid lead in the large premium TV segment, according to market data on Wednesday. Recent data from market researcher IHS Markit showed that Samsung and LG accounted for a combined 46.2 percent of the global market in terms of sales value in the third quarter. The combined share of the two Korean TV makers stood at 48.1 percent in the second quarter. Samsung

TechnologyNov. 20, 2019