Prosecutors request arrest warrant for wife of ex-justice minister

Prosecutors asked a Seoul court Monday to issue an arrest warrant for the wife of ex-Justice Minister Cho Kuk on 11 charges related to her daughter‘s college admission and an investment in a private equity fund.The request came about two months since the prosecution started investigating Cho’s family over allegations regarding the forgery of a college presidential citation, a dubious financial investment and academic favors. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office sought an ar

Social AffairsOct. 21, 2019

Arrest warrants issued for 4 college students for breaking into US envoy’s residence

A Seoul court issued warrants for the arrests of four college students on Monday on charges of breaking into the US ambassador’s residence.Seventeen members of a progressive college student group used ladders to climb over the wall of the residence of US Ambassador Harry Harris in central Seoul on Friday.After reviewing the results of a preliminary probe, prosecutors formally requested the court permit the arrest of seven of them. The Seoul Central District Court approved prosecutors&lsquo

Social AffairsOct. 21, 2019

Fine dust measures enforced as dust season begins

South Korea is expected to see a high level of particulate pollution, leading the government to take preliminary anti-dust measures for the first time this autumn and launch a monthlong crackdown on diesel car emissions Monday. Preliminary reduction measures -- proactive measures to prevent air pollution from getting worse the next day -- went into effect from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday in Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province as levels of PM2.5 -- ultrafine airborne particles smaller than 2.5 micro

Social AffairsOct. 21, 2019

UNC’s authority on giving permission to enter DMZ should be reviewed: minister

Regulations should be revised on the United Nations Command’s authority to give entry permission into the Demilitarized Zone, Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul said Monday. During a parliamentary inspection session, Kim said the system should be revised to allow South Korea’s entry into the DMZ for nonmilitary purposes, while maintaining the area safely, as Rep. Chun Jung-bae pointed out there have been several cases where the UNC rejected entry requests into the area for “unc

North KoreaOct. 21, 2019

Emails suggest SuperM’s Korean sales counted for Billboard charts

Emails between a South Korean record importer and a US record dealer reveal that SuperM’s debut record, released only in the US, was sold here with an assurance that the sales will be reflected in the US charts.In the conversation, obtained by The Korea Herald, record importer Hani Music secured a supply of records from a dealer that reports sales to Nielsen SoundScan, which powers the Billboard music charts. The company previously said they sold at least “thousands of copies”

K-popOct. 21, 2019

[Graphic News] Nearly 15% of foreigners in S. Korea illegal immigrants

　About 15 percent of the foreign residents in South Korea are undocumented immigrants, with Thais forming the biggest national group, a report showed.　A total of 370,889 foreigners were staying in South Korea without permission as of July, 15 percent of the entire population of foreign nationals residing in the country, according to a report by the Ministry of Justice, submitted to Rep. Lee Eun-jae of the Liberty Korea Party.　Of the undocumented foreigners, the number of Thai residents reached 1

Social AffairsOct. 21, 2019

6 out of 10 Korean job seekers want to be YouTubers: survey

　About 6 out of 10 South Koreans wish to make a living -- or at least supplement their income -- by creating content and uploading it on YouTube, a survey showed Monday.　According to the survey of about 3,500 job seekers by job search agency Saramin HR, more than 60 percent of the respondents said they wanted to become professional or amateur YouTube content creators.　Respondents in their 20s coveted the job the most, with 71 percent of people in this age group consisting of YouTube hopefuls. Am

TechnologyOct. 21, 2019

Samsung starts selling Galaxy Fold in Korea

 　Samsung Electronics began selling its first foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Fold, to Korean consumers Monday, aiming to boost its popularity ahead of the expected release of the iPhone 11 later this week. 　With a 2,398,000 won ($2,042) price tag, the Galaxy Fold can be purchased at retail centers from Samsung and local mobile carriers. Consumers can also order the smartphone online through the Samsung website.　While the coveted foldable smartphones hit the local market last month, they we

IndustryOct. 21, 2019

[Diplomatic circuit] Italy chamber boasts regionally certified cuisine

The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Korea organized its first True Italian Taste event at Lotte Hotel in Seoul on Wednesday, seeking to better acquaint the Korean market with flavors of the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy.The lunchtime demonstration was hosted by the organization’s Secretary-General Jacopo Giuman and featured a masterclass with chef Roberto Carcangiu from Italy.“We want to (make) aware the people about what is real, authentic Italian,” Giuman said,

Diplomatic CircuitOct. 21, 2019

House of BTS offers special experience for fans

BTS’ pop-up store in Seoul, called “House of BTS,” has opened its doors to fans, offering them a unique and exciting experience related to the K-pop juggernaut. Taking over a three-story building in the posh district of Gangnam, southern Seoul, the pop-up was crowded with fans from all over the world Monday morning, many of whom waited in a long queue for hours before the store opened at 10 a.m. Mainly decorated in pink, inspired by BTS’ hit “Boy With Luv,

K-popOct. 21, 2019

[Therese Raphael] Johnson has campaign slogan ready

There was very nearly a bedtime Brexit tale that went something like this: And so, finally, the porridge was just right, Parliament ate up Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal and then, satisfied, went to bed. The end.Of course, lawmakers didn’t eat up and this interminable story isn’t over. Saturday’s parliamentary session instead served up another helping of thin gruel to those British voters who just want the whole thing resolved. Rather than the prime minister getting a vote o

ViewpointsOct. 21, 2019

[Elizabeth Drew] Will Trump be removed from office?

For the first time, reasonable people in the United States have begun to speculate that President Donald Trump could be convicted by the Senate and thus removed from office. The likelihood is still low, but Trump’s position is weakening, and opinion polls are steadily moving against him. It is widely assumed that the House of Representatives will vote to impeach him, sending the question of his presidency to the Senate, where a two-thirds vote is needed and Republicans hold a majority.Trum

ViewpointsOct. 21, 2019

Korean firms to launch all-in-one ID verification app

 　South Korean mobile carriers, smartphone makers and financial firms have joined hands to simplify and decentralize the cumbersome online identity verification process.　The decentralized ID service -- to be launched on a trial basis this year -- named Initial, will essentially verify an individual’s identity without tangible documents like graduation or employment certificates, and enable taking out loans or applying for jobs, through a single mobile app. 　This is the second endeavor

TechnologyOct. 21, 2019

[Herald Review] 2019 Grand Mint Festival features more band music

The 13th Grand Mint Festival took place at Olympic Park, eastern Seoul, over the weekend, with a heavier emphasis on band music than ever before.The all-genre music festival featuring K-pop artists, rock bands, hip-hop artists and more had a total of 50 acts in this year’s lineup. According to the festival, this year the main focus was band music. As with previous editions, “space hero” Minty was the festival mascot, appearing on all the festival posters as well as its mer

PerformanceOct. 21, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] Top investment official from Philippines urges S. Korea to consider country as manufacturing base

Philippine Board of Investments Gov. Napoleon Concepcion urged South Korean companies to consider the Philippines as a manufacturing base, rather than a market for finished goods, on the grounds that doing so will boost synergy between the two countries. “Most Korean companies and investors look at the Philippines as a market for finished products. But we also need the transfer of technology (from Korea). If some of Korea’s manufacturing can be done in the Philippines, it can also co

Diplomatic CircuitOct. 21, 2019

[Photo News] Omani Embassy raises cultural awareness

RAISING CULTURAL AWARENESS – Oman’s Ambassador to South Korea Mohamed Alharthy (first row, third left) and Corea Image Communication Institute President Choi Jung-wha (first row, fourth left) pose for a photo after an event held at the Omani Embassy in Seoul, Oct. 15. Alharthy gave an introduction on Oman, including its more than 5,000-year-old culture. during the event organized by CICI which also included a presentation by Geum Key-sook, a professor at Hongik University, on the bea

Diplomatic CircuitOct. 21, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] ASEAN delegation relishes ASEAN-Korea Train, future of ASEAN-Korea

Video shot and edited by Kim So-mee SUNCHEON, South Jeolla Province -- Some 200 participants representing South Korea and the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations gathered at the lobby of Paradise Hotel, Busan, in the early morning of Thursday beaming with excitement about the second day of the three-day train trip across the country ahead of the ASEAN-Korea special summit in November.After a jam-packed day of a six-hour train ride, a visit to the temple Bulguksa, wh

Diplomatic CircuitOct. 21, 2019

SK hynix develops 3rd Gen. 10-nm memory chips

SK hynix, the world’s second-largest memory chip provider, announced Monday it has completed development of the third generation of DDR4 DRAM with the industry’s highest density and power efficiency, along with a plan to start mass production next year. The Korean chipmaker has developed a 16-gigabit DDR4 on 10-nanometer technology process, known as 1Z-nm, with productivity improved from the previous 1Y-nm generation by 27 percent. Considering that 16-gigabit DRAM is the industry&rsq

TechnologyOct. 21, 2019

Bong Joon-ho's 'Parasite' racks up $1.3m over weekend in US

Cannes-winning black comedy "Parasite" racked up nearly $1.3 million over the weekend in the United States, industry data showed Monday.Directed by eclectic South Korean auteur Bong Joon-ho, the film, released stateside on Oct. 11, ranked 11th at the US box office during the Friday-Sunday period, with a cumulative total of $1.8 million, according to data from Box Office Mojo. It is now being screened in 33 theaters in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco

FilmOct. 21, 2019