Assembly speaker to put reform bills to floor discussion in Dec.

National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang said Tuesday he will put the controversial prosecution reform bills to floor discussion on Dec. 3. Moon’s decision comes as a compromise between the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, which have been divided over when the parliament should deliberate on the four bills fast-tracked in April amid fierce opposition from the Liberty Korea Party. The Democratic Party said the parliament should begin discussing

PoliticsOct. 29, 2019

[Advertising Awards] SK Innovation pursues green strategy for sustainable growth

PRINCIPAL AWARDS/ GRAND PRIZESK INNOVATIONBy Lim Su-kilHead of PR OfficeI would like to express my sincere gratitude to all who joined and supported SK Innovation’s corporate PR campaign, “Our innovation is natural,” that embodied our attitude toward the environment.Under the campaign’s slogan, we sought to convey our management strategy of “green balance” that aims to uphold the values of nature, while at the same time carrying a message that the firm’s

IndustryOct. 29, 2019

[Advertising Awards] SK Holdings promotes happiness through social campaign

CREATIVE AWARDS/ GRAND PRIZESK HOLDINGSBy Hong Kyung-pyoVice president of brand management SK has been pursuing ways to generate social value for greater happiness for all. Social value that aims to solve various problems together with cooperation between society and business is the new growth engine for our community. This year’s “OK! SK” campaign is designed to provide better understanding of SK’s efforts in creating social value. In this campaign we described the

IndustryOct. 29, 2019

[Advertising Awards] SK Telecom goes global with 5G roaming connectivity

CORPORATE PR AWARDS/ GRAND PRIZESK TELECOMBy Yong Chul-yoonExecutive vice president of Communication CenterEarlier this year, SK Telecom’s innovative roaming service Baro won the best mobile technology breakthrough award in Asia at the 2019 Asian Mobile Awards. The event, held as part of this year’s Mobile World Congress in Shanghai, is Asia’s most prestigious award for the mobile and telecommunication industry. It is hosted by the GSM Association, which runs the annual MWC.&nb

IndustryOct. 29, 2019

[Advertising Awards] Shinhan Card’s new advertisement highlights gratitude for customers

CREATIVE AWARDS/ GOLD PRIZESHINHAN CARDBy Kim Il-bongGeneral manager of Brand CommunicationWe would first like to thank our customers who have always had faith in us. Shinhan Card is honored that The Korea Herald has recognized its “My DIY series: Deep Making Deep Taking Card” advertisement. With the beginning of a new digital era, Shinhan has deeply considered ways to provide customized services through technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence. The “Deep

MarketOct. 29, 2019

Seoul’s office space market to remain strong despite dampening factors

Despite the slowing economy and pessimistic growth outlook, Seoul’s commercial real estate market is expected to maintain its momentum throughout 2019-2020, according to key global real-estate service providers here.Both CBRE Korea and JLL Korea said in their recent quarterly real estate reports that the vacancy rate for Seoul’s grade A offices would remain in the single digit as of the third quarter this year. CBRE’s figure came to 8.9 percent, down 1.5 percentage point on-qua

IndustryOct. 29, 2019

NK rejects dialogue offer, insists on discussing Mount Kumgang issue in writing

North Korea rejected South Korea's offer for working-level talks about the fate of a long-suspended joint tour program to Mount Kumgang, insisting on discussing the matter in writing, the unification ministry said Tuesday. Saying that it is "unnecessary" to hold such a face-to-face meeting, the North insisted on discussing the removal of South Korea-built facilities at the mountain on its east coast through the exchange of documents as it earlier proposed, according to the ministry.On

North KoreaOct. 29, 2019

Asiana starts regular Kaohsiung, Phu Quoc routes

Asiana Airlines said Tuesday it has converted the irregular Incheon-Kaohsiung and Incheon-Phu Quoc operations into regular routes.The flights to Kaohsiung in Taiwan will be operated seven times a week, and the flights to Phu Quoc, Vietnam, will be operated four times a week. Asiana said it held a ceremony at the Incheon International Airport’s Terminal 1 to celebrate the launch of the new regular routes on Monday. By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com)

IndustryOct. 29, 2019

[Advertising Awards] Switching to the age of personal advertising media

We are now facing the biggest turn in history. What we are confronting is a fundamental change, in which everything we thought was true over the past 100 years is on the verge of collapse. The advertising industry can be no exception. It is now more likely than ever that the basic principles of advertising -- those set forth in marketing textbooks for decades -- will undergo changes.Rise of millennials, evolution of personal mediaAdvertising is a means of communication that delivers creative con

IndustryOct. 29, 2019

Cut the card: Smartphone service to provide digitized ID

　With a view to enhance the efficiency of public services, the government said Tuesday citizens will soon be able to store digital versions of their important documents, including identification cards, in smartphones for verification.　During a joint press briefing in Seoul, the Ministry of Interior and Safety and other related agencies announced extensive plans for the digital transformation. The government pledged to use advanced technology in improving its public services and social welfare pr

IndustryOct. 29, 2019

Top NK official accuses US of aggravating tensions on peninsula

North Korea on Tuesday continued to pressure Seoul and Washington, accusing the allies of raising tensions and saying their policies will determine the future of the peninsula. Speaking at the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Azerbaijan, Choe Ryong-hae, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly, accused the US of aggravating the situation on the peninsula. “The Korean Peninsula situation is at a critical juncture, whether the situation rides on the current of eas

North KoreaOct. 29, 2019

[Advertising Awards] Woongjin Coway prioritizes clean, healthy lifestyle

MARKETING AWARDS/ GOLD PRIZEWOONGJIN COWAYBy Kim Hyoung-kwonMarketing division director and executive directorWe appreciate being selected for The Korea Herald’s Advertising Awards this year. Woongjin Coway is a life care company that aims to create a healthy and convenient lifestyle. We are doing our best to make our customers enjoy a safe living environment including water, air and sleep. Amid growing public concerns over fine dust particles each year, air purifiers have become

IndustryOct. 29, 2019

Hyundai, Taavura forge partnership for future mobility

South Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor and Israeli mobility firm Taavura have forged a partnership to seek business opportunities in future mobility, the companies said Tuesday.Established in 1955, Taavura is a logistics service firm that transports ground and air cargo and also imports and distributes vehicles as well as providing public transportation services. The Israeli company has been seeking to transform into an innovative company in the Middle East, expanding its business to information te

MobilityOct. 29, 2019

SNU still using more energy than other buildings in Seoul

Seoul National University buildings consumed the most energy in Seoul, figures from the Seoul Metropolitan Government showed Tuesday.SNU used 53,195 tons of oil equivalent in 2018, ranking No. 1 on a list of energy-consuming buildings in the capital, according to data on energy use in buildings in Seoul.　A ton of oil equivalent is a unit of energy, defined as the amount of energy released by burning 1 metric ton (1,000 kilograms) of crude oil.　The country’s top university, which has 132,18

Social AffairsOct. 29, 2019

[Herald Interview] YCH to start over as newbie in global fashion scene

Despite the fact that it has been only three years since he launched his own label, designer Yoon Choon-ho is an established name in the fashion scene here.Yoon, a graduate of Istituto Marangoni in Milan, is widely known for having starred in fashion-related TV shows “Project Runway Korea” and “New Sold Out.” The 37-year-old also headed fashion label Arche prior to YCH.  This September, his presence became more internationally established, following his debut at Lon

Arts & DesignOct. 29, 2019

Hyundai Oilbank patents manufacturing process for Very Low Sulfur Fuel Oil

Hyundai Oilbank has developed and patented an original manufacturing process for its Very Low Sulfur Fuel Oil, the company said Tuesday.Sales of Hyundai Oilbank’s new fuel will begin in November as a preemptive solution to the imminent application of IMO 2020. IMO 2020 is the new guideline from the International Maritime Organization that caps the sulfur level in marine fuel oil at 0.5 percent starting Jan. 1, 2020. It calls for over 80 percent reduction of sulfur emissions from the marine

IndustryOct. 29, 2019

Next-generation Audi A6 debuts with high hopes

The eighth-generation Audi A6 sedan that was launched recently is expected to boost the German carmaker’s market share and augment its premium brand image here, according to a top Audi Korea executive Tuesday. The new Audi A6 45TFSI Qauttro and its premium version model which were launched on Oct. 23 saw their first upgrade in eight years.  “The midsized premium sedan segment sees the fiercest competition in South Korea among imported vehicles. We expect to deliver Audi’s

IndustryOct. 29, 2019

HHI-DSME merger gets approval in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan’s competition authority has recently notified its approval of the merger between the world’s two largest shipbuilders, said Hyundai Heavy Industries on Tuesday. According to HHI, the Kazakhstan government approved the tie-up with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering after comprehensively reviewing the definition of related markets and evaluating competition limitations.This is the first approval for the tie-up as the plan is currently undergoing a review in five ot

IndustryOct. 29, 2019

Chinese military plane enters KADIZ after prior notification for first time

A Chinese military plane entered South Korea's air defense identification zone after sending prior notification on Tuesday, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said, in a turnaround from China's practice of breaching the zone without notice.The plane, believed to be Y-9 transport aircraft, sent advance notices before entering the South Korean air defense identification zone twice over waters near the country's southern island of Jeju. It stayed in the zone for about 77 minutes in total, according to the o

DefenseOct. 29, 2019

S. Korea willing to discuss with N. Korea safety issue for individual trips to Mount Kumgang

South Korea is willing to discuss ways to guarantee the safety of tourists to North Korea's Mount Kumgang in a step toward allowing individual visits to the mountain if Pyongyang agrees to hold talks about a long-suspended joint tour program to the mountain, an official said Tuesday.South Korea made the proposal Monday to hold working-level talks, three days after Pyongyang asked Seoul to come and remove its resort facilities at Mount Kumgang, a follow-up on leader Kim Jong-un's order for their

North KoreaOct. 29, 2019