Moon stresses people’s role in democracy

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday stressed the importance of the role the public played in the country’s democracy and promised the government’s support in achieving “better democracy.”  Speaking at a ceremony in Busan to commemorate the Busan-Masan Democratic Protests of 1979, Moon also stressed the need for the government’s “power organizations” not to lose sight of democracy, an apparent barb aimed at the prosecutors’ office. “Our de

Social AffairsOct. 16, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] ASEAN-Korea Train Launch

ASEAN-KOREA TRAIN LAUNCH -- (From first, from fifth left to right) Secretary-General of the ASEAN-Korea Center Lee Hyuk, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy of Brunei Ahmaddin Abdul Rahman, KOICA President Lee Mi-Kyung, Minister of SMEs and Startups Park Young-sun and Myanmar’s Minister for Information Pe Myint pose at the launch ceremony of the three-day ASEAN-Korea Train: Advancing Together program, which started its journey at Seoul Station on Wednesday. (ASEAN-Korea Center)

Foreign AffairsOct. 16, 2019

GS Group chairman calls for return to fundamentals amid uncertainties

GS Group Chairman Huh Chang-soo on Wednesday opened the fourth-quarter GS Group executive meeting with words of caution, calling for the company to return to fundamentals amid uncertainties. “Once the fundamentals are strengthened, a proper growth path will appear,” Huh said, citing a passage from the Analects of Confucius. The meeting was attended by some 150 executives and staff members of GS affiliates.During the meeting, Huh rolled out three key paths that GS Group should take du

IndustryOct. 16, 2019

Supreme Court finalizes suspension of FSC restriction on Samsung BioLogics

The Supreme Court of South Korea upheld earlier rulings to suspend the Financial Services Commission’s restrictions on Samsung BioLogics, citing fear of irreparable damage to the company.　Samsung BioLogics shares on Wednesday jumped just shy of 4 percent to 339,000 won ($285). The Supreme Court’s decision is in line with the earlier ruling from the High Court, which had declared at end-May, “If, according to the suggested restriction, an FSC-appointed auditor replaces top finan

IndustryOct. 16, 2019

[Herald Interview] Twinny to challenge global robotics heavyweights

In the global race for automation in logistics, unmanned mobile robots are playing an important role, largely with the assistance of an underlying system that varies from QR codes on the floor to beacon sensors on walls and wearable devices.South Korean startup Twinny is one company that is moving the other way by weaning its mobile robotic solutions off the system. By becoming independent, its robots can precisely locate themselves, detect a human to follow and execute the order-picking process

TechnologyOct. 16, 2019

Rival parties meet over bills to reform prosecution

Political parties launched a meeting Wednesday to discuss how to handle key bills designed to reform the prosecution amid partisan wrangling over the timing of their passage at parliament.The controversial bills that were placed on the fast track in late April refer to proposals to set up an independent unit to probe corruption allegations by high-ranking public officials and to give more investigative authority to police.The meeting brought together the floor leaders of the ruling Democratic Pa

PoliticsOct. 16, 2019

'League of Legends' to be available on mobile devices

US game developer Riot Games said Wednesday that its massively popular e-sports game "League of Legends" will be available on both mobile devices and consoles.It marks the first time since the game's launch in 2009 that the new version, called "League of Legends: Wild Rift," is coming to platforms other than computers.  The new game will be similar to the original version, although the user interface and buttons will be adjusted for mobile screens, the company said. Play

TechnologyOct. 16, 2019

S. Korea, Australia hold vice-ministerial talks on bilateral ties

Senior diplomats of South Korea and Australia held talks in Seoul on Wednesday and discussed joint efforts to boost bilateral cooperation in a range of areas including economy and regional security, the Australian Embassy in Seoul said. Yoon Soon-gu, deputy minister for political affairs at Seoul's foreign ministry, met with his Australian counterpart, Richard Maude, deputy secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Indo-Pacific Group, the embassy said in a release.  Officia

Foreign AffairsOct. 16, 2019

LG Innotek develops first Qualcomm chip-based module for cars

LG Innotek announced Wednesday the company has developed a communications module for automobiles based on Qualcomm’s 5G chip as the first in the world. The 5G communications module, a combination of a communications chip, memory and radio frequency circuit, is a component that enables transmission of data between a vehicle and 5G base station. The module, as small and slim as a credit card, will enable sharing of real-time traffic information, precise location measurement and communication

TechnologyOct. 16, 2019

Korea’s largest lithium-ion battery show kicks off

InterBattery, the country’s biggest trade show for lithium-ion battery makers, kicked off Wednesday for a three-day run, drawing around 100 domestic and foreign companies to showcase their newest energy solutions. South Korea’s three leading battery manufacturers LG Chem, Samsung SDI and SK Innovation took part in the show to boast about their technological prowess by installing sizable exhibition booths that displayed a range of products from small batteries for IT devices and autom

TechnologyOct. 16, 2019

Korean Air, Raytheon partner for ISTAR military solution

South Korean full-service carrier Korean Air said Wednesday that it had partnered with US weapons and military electronics firm Raytheon to cooperate on the Korean military’s Intelligence Surveillance Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) solution. ISTAR is used for missions such as disaster monitoring, border security and protection against ballistic missiles, as well as to track mobile ground targets. The British Royal Air Force is one of Raytheon’s clients, using it o

IndustryOct. 16, 2019

7th case of African swine fever in wild boar found near inter-Korean border

South Korea said Wednesday that a seventh wild boar found dead near the border with North Korea has tested positive for African swine fever.The confirmation came a day after the wild boar carcass was found in the central border town of Cherwon, the Ministry of Environment said.The deadly animal disease has been detected in seven dead wild boars near the border, including two in Cherwon, about 90 kilometers north of Seoul. South Korea has begun to mobilize hundreds of soldiers and civilians to hu

Social AffairsOct. 16, 2019

SK Global Chemical showcases eco-friendly materials at K Show 2019

SK Global Chemical said Wednesday it is participating in a plastic and rubber trade fair in Germany to promote its packaging and automotive materials globally.According to the chemical affiliate of energy giant SK Innovation, it is taking part in this year’s K Show in Germany’s western city of Dusseldorf from Wednesday to Oct. 23.  The firm’s two key businesses are being promoted via separate booths with different themes: one-stop packaging solutions and eco-friendly, ultr

IndustryOct. 16, 2019

Crew from North Korean ship fall overboard near Japan: NHK

TOKYO (Reuters) -- Crew of a suspected North Korean ship fell overboard in the East Sea near Noto Peninsula, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported on Wednesday, citing government sources.It was not clear if the broadcaster was referring to a member of the crew, more than one member of the crew or the vessel's entire crew. No further details were available in the NHK report. Japan's Coast Guard could not immediately confirm the report when contacted by Reuters.This month, Japan rescued about 6

North KoreaOct. 16, 2019

Defense minister meets with US Pacific Air Forces commander

Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and US Pacific Air Forces commander Gen. Charles Brown agreed Wednesday to boost cooperation between the two countries' air forces for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the defense ministry said Wednesday.The meeting took place in Seoul as Brown was in South Korea to attend the Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition underway at Seoul Airport in Seongnam, south of Seoul, from Tuesday to Sunday."Minister Jeong and Commander Brown s

DefenseOct. 16, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘Rambo’ series wheezes to an exhausted end in ‘Last Blood’

Old soldiers never die; they simply fade away. And old heroes die hard, leaving a bitter taste in our mouths.I always thought of the “Rambo” franchise as one of those series that went downhill after the iconic first film, and “Rambo: Last Blood” -- which seems to be the last one -- does nothing to change that. While the ’80s action by one of my childhood heroes was somewhat satisfying, it became routine a few scenes in.The film picks up where the events of the previ

FilmOct. 16, 2019

[팟캐스트] (322) 조국 이슈로 묻힌 국정감사, 빌보드 정상에 오른 슈퍼엠

진행자: 윤민식, Paul Kerry1. Cho Kuk’s resignation dominates parliamentary audit of Justice Ministry기사요약: 조국 법무부 장관의 사퇴에도 불구하고 그를 둘러싼 여야간의 정쟁은 계속되고 있다. 장관이 빠진 국정감사 기간에 야권은 그를 향한 비난 공세를 이어갔으며, 여당은 이를 "정치공세"로 규정했다.아이튠즈(아이폰): https://itunes.apple.com/kr/podcast/koliaheleoldeu-paskaeseuteu/id686406253?mt=2팟빵 (안드로이드): http://www.podbbang.com/ch/6638[1] The parliamentary audit of the Justice Ministry, held Tuesday without the minister, was dominated by political wrangling over Justice Minist

PodcastOct. 16, 2019

[Newsmaker] KBS reporters slam sexual harassment on Rhyu’s show

KBS reporters on Wednesday called on former liberal politician Rhyu Si-min to take responsibility for inappropriate remarks made by a guest on Rhyu’s YouTube show.During the live broadcast of the show “Alileo” on Tuesday, a reporter said prosecutors had leaked information about the investigation into former Justice Minister Cho Kuk’s family to a KBS reporter because they liked her.“Prosecutors spilled out everything because they liked the KBS reporter. … They

PoliticsOct. 16, 2019

[Herald Interview] Is it a go or a no for Korean bio investment?

The South Korean bio market is not faring well, or so the media here says, fanning anxiety among individual investors. But PMG Investment Solutions’ Head of Healthcare Investment Kwon Myoung-ok brushes that idea aside with a light chortle. “Failure is in the nature of biotech research and development,” Kwon said in an interview with The Korea Herald at the Korea Bio office in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. “The foreign big pharmas with 100 to 200 years of h

IndustryOct. 16, 2019

Second to top Billboard, SuperM proves K-pop’s growing potential in US

Propelled by the decadeslong expertise of K-pop powerhouse S.M. Entertainment, coupled with the distribution network of Capitol Music Group, SuperM scored a No. 1 on the main Billboard albums chart with its debut album.Billboard said on its official website Monday that the septet’s debut album, “SuperM: The 1st Mini Album,” topped the Billboard 200 for the week of Oct. 19.Until Monday, BTS had been the only K-pop music act that had topped the main Billboard albums chart, scorin

PerformanceOct. 16, 2019