4th suspect arrested as UK truck deaths case probe deepens

LONDON (AP) — A fourth person was arrested in connection with the deaths of 39 people found in the back of a container truck in southeastern England, British police said Friday as the investigation into one of the country’s worst human smuggling cases geared up.Police said a 48-year-old man from Northern Ireland was arrested Friday at England’s Stansted Airport on suspicion of manslaughter and conspiracy to traffic people. The arrest came after police arrested a man and a woman

World NewsOct. 26, 2019

Over a million protesters demand Chile president's resignation

SANTIAGO (AFP) -- More than one million people took to the streets in Chile Friday for the largest protests in a week of deadly demonstrations demanding economic reforms and the resignation of President Sebastian Pinera.The leader told the thronging masses that he had "heard the message" in a post on Twitter, characterizing the protests in a positive light and as a means towards change. Demonstrators carrying indigenous and national flags sang popular resistance songs from the 1973-90

World NewsOct. 26, 2019

Death toll rises to 8 as heavy rains hit typhoon-battered eastern Japan

TOKYO (Reuters) - The death toll from torrential rains that caused flooding and mudslides in eastern Japan rose to eight on Saturday, with a further four missing, public broadcaster NHK reported, just two weeks after the region was hit hard by a powerful typhoon.Landslides ripped through waterlogged areas in Chiba and Fukushima prefectures, in eastern and northeastern Japan, which were inundated by their third rainstorms in six weeks. In some places, a month’s worth of rain unleashed by a

World NewsOct. 26, 2019

[Newsmaker] G-Dragon discharged from military

G-Dragon, the leader of K-pop boy band BIGBANG, was discharged from the military Saturday, bracing himself for a return to show business. Meeting with media and fans in front of the Ground Operations Command in Yongin, south of Seoul, G-Dragon, whose real name is Kwon Ji-yong, thanked his fans for their support. Some 3,000 fans came to the military base to greet the 31-year-old singer.   "I want to thank all the fans who have been waiting for me," said Kwon, using a megaphone

PerformanceOct. 26, 2019

About 130,000 iPhone 11s sold on 1st day in S. Korea: industry

Some 130,000 units of Apple Inc.'s new iPhone models are believed to have been set up on the first day of sales in South Korea, industry insiders said Saturday.Apple released its iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max in South Korea on Friday, targeting consumers looking for premium phones available in 4G LTE models.  The estimated figure is 30 percent more than the previous iPhone models -- the iPhone XS, Max and XR -- launched November 2018, according to industry sources. However,

TechnologyOct. 26, 2019

New S. Korean ambassador to US vows to beef up alliance

WASHINGTON -- South Korea's new ambassador to the United States, Lee Soo-hyuck, on Friday vowed to beef up the alliance between Seoul and Washington, saying their relationship must be future-oriented to achieve denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. "The South Korea-United States alliance is the basic axis of our foreign relations," Lee said in his inauguration ceremony at the South Korean Embassy in Washington D.C. "The alliance should satisfy today's mutual

Foreign AffairsOct. 26, 2019

S. Korea could hold talks with Japan next month on trade row

South Korea and Japan could sit down for a second round of talks next month in a move to work out their differences over Tokyo's export restrictions, a top official has said.Sung Yun-mo, minister of trade, industry and energy, made the comments in a recent brief comment to Yonhap News Agency on Thursday. Sung did not provide a specific time frame. The talks are part of a dispute settlement process under rules of the World Trade Organization.Earlier this month, the two neighbors failed to reach a

Foreign AffairsOct. 26, 2019

[Newsmaker] Court approves arrest warrant for ex-conglomerate chairman over sexual assault charges

A Seoul court on Saturday approved an arrest warrant for Kim Jun-ki, former chairman of DB Group, over alleged sexual assaults. The Seoul Central District Court approved the arrest warrant, saying among other things that the charges are significant and there is a possibility of Kim attempting to destroy evidence.Kim, 74, is suspected of sexually assaulting his personal secretary multiple times between February and July in 2017. She filed a complaint later that year. He was also accused in early

Social AffairsOct. 26, 2019

S. Korean wins gold at youth weightlifting competition in Pyongyang

South Korea's Yeom Da-hoon set an Asian record as he won a gold medal at a continental youth weightlifting competition in Pyongyang on Friday. Yeom was the top performer in the men's 89-kilogram division in the 2019 Asian Youth & Junior Weightlifting Championships after clearing a combined total of 358 kilograms. Yeom, a son of the 1990 Asian Games weightlifting gold medalist Yeom Dong-chul, was third in the snatch at 160kg, but became the overall leader after lifting 198kg in the clean

More SportsOct. 25, 2019

Moon says he ‘will not hurry’ in naming justice minister

President Moon Jae-in said Friday that he will not hurry to name a new justice minister, adding that a nomination could affect the prosecutorial reform process by introducing a new variable. The post of justice minister has been vacant since Cho Kuk stepped down amid criminal investigations into his wife, Chung Kyung-shim, and other members of his family. “Prosecutorial reform measures are being implemented and there is the question of whether bills on the fast-track process will be made i

PoliticsOct. 25, 2019

Moon says Kumgangsan tours cannot continue in past form

President Moon Jae-in said Friday that tours to North Korea’s Kumgangsan cannot be revived in the form they took before they were discontinued. The comment came hours after the Ministry of Unification revealed that the North had informed the concerned South Korean parties of its intentions to remove facilities from the mountain resort. “(The North Korea’s demands) could go against public sentiment, and such elements may damage inter-Korean relations,” Moon said at a

North KoreaOct. 25, 2019

NK leader’s idea of denuclearization matches that of US: Moon

President Moon Jae-in said Friday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s idea of denuclearization matches that of the US and Seoul.Speaking at a meeting with the Cheong Wa Dae press corps, Moon said Kim has made it clear that his idea of denuclearization is the same, but that this outcome can only be achieved if the North’s conditions are met.  “Between the two Koreas, the term complete denuclearization is used, and what complete denuclearization means is the same as the d

North KoreaOct. 25, 2019

Hotel Shilla acquires 44% stake in US duty-free retailer 3Sixty

South Korea's Hotel Shilla Co., which operates leading duty-free store Shilla Duty Free, said Friday it has acquired a 44 percent stake in US duty-free specialty retailer 3Sixty for $121 million. The acquisition is expected to help Shilla Duty Free make inroads into the American market. Under the deal with 3Sixty, Hotel Shilla could exercise its option to buy another 23 percent stake in the US firm in 2024. 3Sixty, one of the world's leading in-flight duty-free retailers, operates duty-free

IndustryOct. 25, 2019

Seoul promises ‘creative solution’ to Pyongyang’s Kumgangsan demands

North Korea on Friday sent official statements to the South demanding the removal of South Korean-built facilities from the Kumgangsan resort, the Ministry of Unification said.  According to the ministry, the statements were sent both to the ministry and to Hyundai Group early Friday. Hyundai Group is the South Korean company that led the development and operation of the resort at the North Korean mountain.In the statement, the North said a new “international tourism and culture zone&

North KoreaOct. 25, 2019

Kakao suspends online comments for entertainment articles after Sulli’s death

South Korea’s major internet company Kakao said Friday that it would prevent users from posting malicious comments on its online entertainment news articles, pledging also to overhaul its search engine functionalities to address cyberbullying.During a press conference at its headquarters in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, Kakao’s co-chiefs Yeo Min-soo and Joh Su-yong said the company would suspend its online comment service for entertainment news next month. The measure came after mo

TechnologyOct. 25, 2019

USFK chief observes Korean army drill

US Forces Korea unveiled on Friday a photograph of its commander observing a firing drill by a South Korean artillery brigade in a frontline training ground in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province. Gen. Robert Abrams, commander of USFK and the Combined Forces of Command, visited the South Korean army’s 5th Artillery Brigade at Rodriquez Range along with Gen. Choi Byung-hyuk, deputy commander of CFC, for a live fire demonstration on Oct. 23, USFK said in a Facebook post with a photo of the two and Ge

DefenseOct. 25, 2019

Samsung heir’s bribery retrial begins

Samsung Group’s de facto chief Lee Jae-yong’s retrial began Friday at a high court, after the top court ordered a review of his bribery sentence in connection with a corruption scandal that led to the ouster of former President Park Geun-hye in 2017. Grim-faced, Lee, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, appeared before the appeals court at 9:29 a.m. to attend the first hearing, 627 days after he was released from prison when an appeals court suspended his sentence. In August, t

Social AffairsOct. 25, 2019

S. Korea to abandon developing nation status in future WTO talks

　The South Korean government decided Friday that it would not seek special treatment reserved for developing countries in future negotiations at the World Trade Organization. The decision followed allegations from US President Donald Trump that some countries were unfairly taking advantage of developing nation status. 　During a nationally televised address in the morning, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said the government would no longer seek developing nation privileges

IndustryOct. 25, 2019

Will iPhone 11 overcome lack of 5G?

US smartphone vendor Apple on Friday started rolling out the 11th edition iPhone that only supports the 4G Long Term Evolution network, unlike its archrival Samsung Electronics that is pushing for 5G models in its own turf. The iPhone 11 went on sale in the Korean market via the country’s three mobile carriers, which all held promotional events for those who had made preorders.  Three different models of the iPhone 11 are available in Korea: iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro

TechnologyOct. 25, 2019

Prosecutors probe former liberal politician Rhyu Si-min

The prosecution embarked on an investigation into writer and YouTuber Rhyu Si-min for allegedly spreading false information during his YouTube show.According to the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday, a civic group filed a complaint with the prosecution on Tuesday against the former lawmaker on several charges, including libel and obstruction of official duties.The group -- its name roughly translatable to the committee on the measures for the people’s livelihood --

Social AffairsOct. 25, 2019