[Newsmaker] Obstetrician accused of performing abortion at 34 weeks

An obstetrician was detained on allegations of performing an abortion on a woman who was 34 weeks pregnant and killing the fetus after it survived the procedure.The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Tuesday that the 60-something obstetrician faces charges of murder and performing an abortion. According to police, the fetus allegedly survived the hysterotomy abortion, which involves opening the uterus through an abdominal incision, at a hospital in Seoul in March. Police suspect the obst

Social AffairsOct. 29, 2019

Monsta X Party: 9 bangers to fire up the dance floor

Monsta X has had a busy year, entering uncharted territory for a K-pop act by appearing on a number of high-profile TV shows as well as collaborating with pop heavy hitters like French Montana and Steve Aoki.And the seven-piece group is back again with its new album “Follow: Find You.”The septet became the first K-pop act to perform at the iHeart Radio Music Festival this year and performed on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” in September. Behind its growing popularity is its u

K-popOct. 29, 2019

Samsung SDI Q3 net up slightly on equity gains

Samsung SDI Co., a major battery maker in South Korea, said Tuesday its third-quarter net profit increased slightly due to gains from equity ties with its affiliates. Net profit for the July-September period stood at 217.3 billion won ($186 million), compared with 214 billion won from a year earlier, the company said in a regulatory filing. Sales rose 1.8 percent on-year to 2.56 trillion won in the third quarter, but operating profit plunged 31 percent on-year to 165 billion won in the cite

IndustryOct. 29, 2019

BTS brings historic world tour to close with finale in Seoul

K-pop superband BTS' more than one-year-long globe-trotting concert journey will come to a successful close Tuesday with the finale show in Seoul, the capital of the septet's home country.The final edition of BTS' three-day concerts in Seoul, set for Tuesday evening at Seoul Olympic Stadium, caps the sensational "Love Yourself" world tour and its extension, "Love Yourself: Speak Yourself." The concert tour kicked off in Seoul in August 2018 to promote the band's career-making

PerformanceOct. 29, 2019

China’s aid to NK this year tops W41b until Aug.

China granted over 41 billion won ($35.2 million) worth of aid to North Korea in the first eight months of this year amid a stalemate in denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang, according to sources Tuesday.Its aid to North Korea is lkely to surpass that of last year, as more could be delivered in the fourth quarter following President Xi Jinping’s visit to Pyongyang in June, they noted.Chinese maritime customs statistics showed that Beijing’s aid to Pyongyang amounte

North KoreaOct. 29, 2019

Camarata Chamber Singers win national choir award

The Camarata Chamber Singers won the “Best of the Best” Presidential Award at the 23rd National Choral Competition in Daejeon.The multicultural choir was among 40 that entered Saturday’s national choral competition, the only amateur competition recognized with a presidential award. Sixteen choirs made it to the final, where they each sang twice, with at least one Korean song. The Chamber Singers sang “Nyon Nyon” by Jake Runestad, and Aeo-rang, based on a North Korea

PerformanceOct. 29, 2019

Joshua Wong disqualified from local HK elections

HONG KONG (AP) -- Hong Kong authorities have disqualified pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong from upcoming local council elections. Wong on Tuesday sent a copy of a letter notifying him of the disqualification to media. The government issued a statement saying that the nomination of a candidate, whom it did not identify, had been ruled invalid.  Wong became known as the young face of Hong Kong's 2014 "Umbrella Movement" protest movement. He has been less prominent in the current p

World NewsOct. 29, 2019

Fine dust advisory in effect in Seoul

A fine dust advisory was issued for Seoul at 5 a.m. Tuesday as yellow dust particles traveling from China and Mongolia blanketed South Korea, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said. The average level of PM10 -- fine airborne particles smaller than 10 micrometers in diameter -- was 125 micrograms per cubic meter as of 8 a.m. in 25 districts across Seoul, according to the National Institute of Environmental Research. The heavily polluted air is the result of yellow dust from northeastern China and

Social AffairsOct. 29, 2019

Bronx steps in 'Joker' movie become a tourist attraction

NEW YORK (AP) -- Move over, Rocky, there's a new stairway to climb.A set of outdoor steps in the Bronx has become a tourist attraction in recent weeks since the release of the movie "Joker."The stairs are between two buildings on Shakespeare Avenue, about a half-mile from Yankee Stadium. In the movie, lead actor Joaquin Phoenix dances as he goes down the steps, wearing a bright red suit and clown makeup.These days, neighborhood residents using the steps are being joined by tourist

FilmOct. 29, 2019

Subway Line No.2 to halt for 10 minutes around 3 p.m.

Seoul Subway Line No. 2 will halt operation for 10 minutes at 3:10 p.m. on Tuesday for disaster drill conducted in southwest part of Seoul. Seoul Metro said it would conduct a disaster safety drill between 3 p.m.-4 p.m. at the Hyundai Department Store near Sindorim Subway Station on Subway Line No. 2. The drill will involve anti-terrorism and fire exercises, according to the companyThe exercise will involve a situation in which a terrorist installs a bomb in the subway approaching Sindorim Stati

Social AffairsOct. 29, 2019

Seoul stocks open higher on Wall Street gains

Seoul stocks opened higher Tuesday, taking a cue from gains on Wall Street and growing hope for a trade deal between the United States and China. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index moved up 6.52 points, or 0.31 percent, to reach 2,100.12 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Wall Street advanced Monday, encouraged by a wave of better-than-expected earnings results by major companies. Tech shares gained. Market behemoth Samsung Electronics edged up 0.39 percent, and No. 2 chipmake

MarketOct. 29, 2019

[Herald Interview] ‘S. Korea can be a gateway to Asia’: FKCCI Managing Director

Amid a steady rise in the number of French entrepreneurs tapping into Korea, the new managing director of the French-Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry said South Korea can become a gateway to Asia on the back of a host of factors that makes it an appealing business location.“South Korea has a lot of assets for foreign companies with highly qualified labor, supportive policies, an extensive network of FTAs and FEZs. Korea can be seen as a convenient base for investment and to establis

Diplomatic CircuitOct. 29, 2019

[Diplomatic circuit] Korean Cultural Center in Spain sheds light on ‘women’s perspective in film’

The Korean Cultural Center in Spain, in conjunction with the Embassy of Spain in Colombia, introduced four films directed by women at its second Korean & Latin American Film Screening, which took place Oct. 15-24.“The Korean & Latin American Film Screening evening is a project planned by the Korean Cultural Center in Spain. Last April Argentina was selected as the guest country of honor, followed by Colombia,” Yi Chong-yul, director of the Korean Cultural Center in Spain, sai

Diplomatic CircuitOct. 29, 2019

[Diplomatic circuit] US ambassador’s residence reopens to public after trespassing incident

Habib House, the US ambassador’s residence in central Seoul, reopened to the public last weekend a week after a group of protesters climbed the wall into the compound earlier this month.“We opened Habib House grounds to the public today. Terrific event! Partnered with Seoul City to showcase this wonderful historic treasure in the heart of Seoul. Thank you Seoul Metropolitan Agency for powerful support,” US Ambassador to Seoul Harry Harris said on social media Saturday.A group o

Diplomatic CircuitOct. 29, 2019

[Diplomatic circuit] Former top US diplomat highlights pet’s role in two-way public diplomacy

Former top US envoy to Seoul Mark Lippert’s tenure here ended in early 2017, but he remains South Koreans’ most beloved former US ambassador for his friendly personality, his open-mindedness, his fondness for learning the Korean language and, most importantly, his basset hound Grigsby.Lippert, who continues to champion public diplomacy, said public diplomacy is a form of two-way communication, as shown through the popularity of “ambassa-dog” Grigsby. “Public diploma

Diplomatic CircuitOct. 29, 2019

Japan, South Korea to study fund to ease wartime forced labour issue: Kyodo

TOKYO (Reuters) -- The South Korean and Japanese governments are studying plans for a joint economic programme involving companies from both countries that aims to ease strains over the issue of forced Korean labour in World War Two, Kyodo news reported on Monday.However, the Japanese government will not provide any money to the programme, in line with its position that claims overforced labour were settled in a 1965 treaty, Kyodo said, citing unnamed sources. Japanese foreign ministry spok

Foreign AffairsOct. 29, 2019

IS chief Baghdadi buried at sea by US military

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- US officials said Monday that the body of Islamic State group chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was buried at sea as fresh details surfaced about the US special forces operation that led to his death over the weekend.Syrian Kurds claimed to be a key source of the intelligence that led Americans to Baghdadi after years of tracking the brutal jihadist leader behind a five-year reign of terror across much of Iraq and Syria.And an unnamed US military dog became a unlikely hero of the ra

World NewsOct. 29, 2019

N. Korea's No. 2 urges US to drop hostile policy to move nuclear talks forward

North Korea's No. 2 leader urged the United States to drop its hostile policy toward Pyongyang before seeking denuclearization talks, saying the current situations surrounding the Korean Peninsula are at a "critical crossroads," Pyongyang's state media said Tuesday.In a speech at the Non-Aligned Movement summit held in Azerbaijan, Choe Ryong-hae, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, also criticized South Korea for relying on outsiders in cross-border issues and

North KoreaOct. 29, 2019

Envoy for North Korea expected to get No. 2 State Dept. job

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The US special envoy for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, is expected to be nominated as early as this week to be second-in-command at the State Department, officials said Monday.Two Trump administration officials and a congressional aide familiar with the selection process said the White House is expected to nominate Biegun to be the next deputy secretary of state in the coming days. The officials were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonym

World NewsOct. 29, 2019