[Weekender] Busan beckons

There are many reasons to love Busan -- the cobalt blue sea, milder weather, delectable food, ultraconvenient mega shopping malls and jaw-dropping oceanfront skyscrapers. The picturesque Gwangan Bridge and the skyline full of luxurious skyscrapers along Haeundae Beach give a stunning first impression, similar to those of other maritime cities such as Hong Kong and Singapore. But if there’s one thing that sets South Korea’s second-largest city of 3.4 million apart from other tourist d

TravelNov. 15, 2019

S. Korean football attackers hold themselves accountable for 2nd straight 0-0 draw

BEIRUT -- South Korean attacking aces Son Heung-min and Hwang Ui-jo took the blame for their team's second straight scoreless draw in the World Cup qualifying campaign on Thursday. South Korea couldn't get one past Lebanon as they ended up in a 0-0 draw in Group H action in the second round of the Asian qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Beirut. The match at Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium in Beirut was played behind closed doors for security concerns, arising from nationwide protests

SoccerNov. 15, 2019

Moon meets Pentagon chief at Cheong Wa Dae

South Korean President Moon Jae-in met with US Defense Secretary Mark Esper at Cheong Wa Dae on Friday, as the Pentagon chief has openly pressed Seoul to renew a military information-sharing agreement with Tokyo and increase its financial contribution to American troops on its soil.Esper visited the presidential compound soon after having bilateral talks with South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo at the ministry's headquarters in Seoul. A Cheong Wa Dae official earlier informed reporter

Foreign AffairsNov. 15, 2019

Key UN committee condemns North Korean violations of rights

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- A key UN committee approved a resolution Thursday condemning North Korea's widespread human rights violations which may amount to crimes against humanity -- a decision denounced by the country's UN mission as "politically motivated" and based on "fabrications."The resolution, sponsored by the European Union and joined by the United States and others, was approved by consensus by the General Assembly's human rights committee, with a bang of the chai

North KoreaNov. 15, 2019

S. Korea, Japan to hold working-level talks ahead of GSOMIA expiry

South Korea and Japan were set to hold working-level diplomatic talks on Friday ahead of the planned expiration of a military intelligence-sharing pact between the two neighbors. Kim Jung-han, director-general for Asian and Pacific affairs at the foreign ministry, will meet his Japanese counterpart, Shigeki Takizaki, in Tokyo, Seoul's foreign ministry said. They last held talks in Seoul on Oct. 16.  His trip comes as the General Security of Military Information Agreement is set to expire on

Foreign AffairsNov. 15, 2019

Samsung's smartphone share in Japan nearly triples in Q3

Samsung Electronics Co.'s share in the Japanese smartphone market nearly tripled in the third quarter from a year earlier thanks to robust sales of new models, industry data showed Monday. The Korean tech giant shipped about 500,000 smartphones in Japan in the July-September period to take up 6.7 percent of the country's smartphone market, according to the data compiled by Strategy Analytics.  The third-quarter figure was sharply up from 2.4 percent from a year ago, while slipping from the

IndustryNov. 15, 2019

N. Korea says it sent ultimatum to S. Korea over Mount Kumgang project

North Korea sent an ultimatum to South Korea earlier this week that it will unilaterally remove the South-built facilities from its Mount Kumgang resort unless Seoul tears them down on its own, Pyongyang's official news agency reported Friday.The North's tough stance suggests little room for inter-Korean negotiations that South Korea has sought in an effort to keep the long-suspended tour project that was considered one of the most tangible symbols of inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation.

North KoreaNov. 15, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful(Korea)Opened Nov. 7Crime, ActionDirected by Lee KhanA boy who is all alone in the world stumbles across a man named Heo Il-do (Kim Sung-kyun), who trains him as a Go player to facilitate his high-stakes gambling scams. The boy, later known as “Gwi-soo” (Kwon Sang-woo), grows up to be a masterful Go player with a vengeful heart and he hunts down those who have wronged him, including the nation’s best professional Go player, whose actions led to th

FilmNov. 15, 2019

[Travel Bits] Festivals and sights across Korea

Chrysanthemum Exhibition of the Garden of Morning Calm Visitors to the Chrysanthemum Exhibition can enjoy the blazing fall foliage of nearby Chungnyeongsan and the golden waves created by the pine trees, as well as the myriad fully bloomed chrysanthemums covering just about every corner of the 330,000-square-meter outdoor garden. The festival runs through Nov. 24 and is open to visitors of all ages.For more information in Korean, English, Japanese or Chinese, visit www.morningcalm.co.kr.Seoul La

TravelNov. 15, 2019

Shopping for herring: Marketplaces in Busan

Busan’s vitality is best captured in markets BUSAN -- The port city of Busan has long been a hub for exports and imports. While it relinquished its status as a gateway city to Incheon long ago, it is still a place where one can find a variety of products from in and out of the country. This has given rise to a number of large markets that draw not just merchants and shoppers but tourists too. Here are some of the markets worth visiting in Busan.Jagalchi MarketOne of the most well-known fis

TravelNov. 15, 2019

NK nuke envoy voices willingness to meet US, but presses for solution

North Korea's top nuclear envoy said Thursday he is willing to meet with his US counterpart if Washington unveils a fundamental solution to the nuclear impasse by a year-end deadline.Kim Myong-gil said US nuclear envoy Stephen Biegun has proposed nuclear talks with North Korea in December via a third country. "If the negotiated solution of issues is possible, we are ready to meet with the US at any place and any time," Kim said in a statement carried by the Korean Central New

North KoreaNov. 14, 2019

[INTERVIEW] Eric Nam talks about first English album, hopes of winning over global fans

Although he doesn’t make as many TV appearances as he used to, Eric Nam’s musical career is in full swing -- more than ever, in fact. Over the past few years, the 30-year-old Korean American singer has made himself known both in the K-pop scene and elsewhere with world tours, genre-bending music and high-profile collaborations with world-renowned acts. But he decided to get more intimate with his global fans with his first English album, “Before We Begin.” “I’

K-popNov. 14, 2019

Mamamoo drops 2nd full-length album, 'reality in BLACK'

Roaring four-piece K-pop girl band Mamamoo dropped its second full-length album, "reality in BLACK," Thursday, returning to smash the music scene.     The 11-track album, the group's first full-length since "Melting" nearly four years ago, is fronted by brassy, girl-crush number, "HIP," but also carries the band's signature soulful vocal works.      With "HIP," the vocals-oriented band threw away their hand-held microphon

PerformanceNov. 14, 2019

N. Koreans deported according to 'principles' and 'standards': official

GANGHWA ISLAND -- Last week's deportation from South Korea of two North Koreans accused of killing 16 fellow fishermen was carried out in accordance with appropriate "principles and standards," a high-ranking unification ministry official said. The two men in their 20s were sent back to the North through the truce village of Panmunjom last week, five days after they were captured near the eastern inter-Korean sea boarder. Three days of investigation found that they had been fleein

North KoreaNov. 14, 2019

S. Korea to conduct anti-fine dust exercise Friday

 The South Korean government will conduct an anti-fine dust exercise this week in an effort to minimize damage from the air pollution, officials said Thursday.    The exercise, slated for Friday, will involve the presidential office, a few ministries and 17 major city and provincial governments to test policy measures to cope with the fine dust air pollution which tends to be worse from December to March.     "The exercise is aimed at comprehensi

Social AffairsNov. 14, 2019

G-Star 2019 sees record attendance from 36 countries

BUSAN -- Korea’s annual game exhibition G-Star 2019 kicked off Thursday with a record number of participants at Bexco in Busan.The event had 3,208 booths representing 691 companies from 36 countries, the biggest so far for the 15-year-old industry showcase and an 8.2 percent growth from a year earlier, the organizers said. G-Star runs through Sunday, at two halls respectively holding business-to-consumer and business-to-business booths.On the sidelines of the exhibit are G-Con game co

IndustryNov. 14, 2019

Icelandic game company CEO says he prepared for Korean market for 20 years

BUSAN -- Icelandic game company CCP’s CEO Hilmar Petursson said at G-Star 2019 on Thursday that the launch of the Korean-language version of Eve Online was a 20-year dream come true. CCP, acquired in 2018 by South Korean game company Pearl Abyss, officially launched the game in Korea concurrently with the opening of the annual game exhibition here.“It’s a proud moment for all of us and especially for me, because I have been preparing for this moment for 20 years,” Peturss

IndustryNov. 14, 2019

Unification minister meets Hyundai Group chairwoman over Kumgangsan tours

South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul met with Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun on Thursday to discuss the controversy surrounding the plans to dismantle its facilities at the Kumgangsan tourist resort in North Korea. The ministry has held a series of talks with Hyundai Asan -- the inter-Korean business unit of Hyundai Group, which holds a 50-year license to operate a tour program to the scenic Kumgangsan -- since North Korean leader Kim Jong-un last month ordered the removal of

North KoreaNov. 14, 2019

South Korea, US top military commanders discuss GSOMIA, OPCON transfer

The top military commanders of South Korea and the United States discussed the allies’ military readiness and the security situation on the Korean Peninsula at the 44th Military Committee Meeting in Seoul on Thursday.South Korea’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Park Han-ki and his US counterpart Gen. Mark Milley were joined by some 20 officials from South Korea and 17 officials from the US, including US Indo-Pacific Command Commander Adm. Philip Davidson and US-ROK Combin

DefenseNov. 14, 2019

[EYE] A treasure house of antique books

On the bustling main street of Insa-dong -- which once symbolized Korean traditional culture, but is now crowded with souvenir shops -- visitors nonchalantly pass by a store that holds centuries-old treasures.Tongmunkwan, the oldest bookstore in South Korea, keeps its door closed most of the time.  Stepping inside, one is instantly overwhelmed by its massive collection of antique books, stacked from floor to ceiling, and the thick smell of old volumes. The oldest here is from the late Gorye

CultureNov. 14, 2019