LG Chem files additional lawsuits against SK Innovation

　LG Chem said Friday it has filed additional lawsuits against SK Innovation and its US affiliate, raising the stakes in a monthslong legal battle over electric vehicle battery patents.  　In a statement, LG Chem said SK Innovation and SK Battery America are infringing its patents for lithium-ion batteries. The lawsuits were filed Thursday with the US International Trade Commission and the US District Court of Delaware. 　The move came in response to SK Innovation’s Sept. 3 lawsuits alle

IndustrySept. 27, 2019

Police begin probe into professor over remarks on wartime sexual slavery

Police have launched an investigation of a conservative professor who allegedly called Korean victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery "prostitutes" during a school lecture, a Seoul prosecution official said Friday.A civic group filed a complaint with the prosecution Monday against Lew Seok-choon, a sociology professor at Yonsei University in Seoul, on charges including libel, sexual harassment and spreading false information. "We have assigned Professor Lew's case to the crimina

Social AffairsSept. 27, 2019

Moon warns prosecution not to abuse its authority over justice minister probe

President Moon Jae-in stressed the need Friday for far-reaching reform of South Korea's prosecution, responding to a heated political controversy over the way state prosecutors are investigating a fraud and corruption scandal involving Justice Minister Cho Kuk's family.The prosecution has been intensifying a probe into the case, highlighted by a raid on the minister's house earlier this week.Critics of Cho and the Moon administration say that the minister is unqualified and that he should immedi

PoliticsSept. 27, 2019

S. Korea's JCS chairman to visit Washington to meet US counterpart

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Park Han-ki is scheduled to visit the United States next week to attend a change of command ceremony for his US counterpart, his office said Friday.Park will make a four-day visit to Washington starting on Sunday to meet US JCS Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford, who is set to hand the reins to Gen. Mark Milley at the conclusion of his four-year term, according to Park's office.   It will be the first time that a South Korean JCS chairman has

DefenseSept. 27, 2019

Prosecutors grill Cho Kuk’s brother over foundation

Prosecutors grilled Justice Minister Cho Kuk’s younger brother on Thursday over alleged irregularities involving the Cho family’s private school foundation.Cho’s brother left the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office at around 11:40 p.m. Thursday after more than 13 hours of questioning about the lawsuit he and his ex-wife filed against Ungdong School to collect receivables for a construction project.  Cho’s father ran the construction firm Goryeo Construct

Social AffairsSept. 27, 2019

S. Korea's trade terms continue to worsen in Aug.

South Korea's trade terms continued to decline in August amid a continued drop in exports, central bank data showed Friday.The terms of trade index for products came to 89.94 in the month, down 4.6 percent from the same month last year, according to the data from the Bank of Korea .The reading marks 21 consecutive months of decline in the index. The trade terms index measures the amount of imports a country can purchase for each unit of exports. A reading below 100 means import prices are higher

EconomySept. 27, 2019

Hyundai Motor joins hands with Cummins for hydrogen fuel cell technology

Hyundai Motor Group said Friday it has partnered with US powertrain giant Cummins to develop technology for electric and fuel cell powertrains and commercialize them in the US. The automaker has signed a memorandum of understanding with Cummins to work together to develop next-generation fuel cell systems.  Through the collaboration, the company expects to develop powertrain products by combining Hyundai Motor’s fuel cell systems with Cummins’ electric powertrain, battery a

MobilitySept. 27, 2019

N. Korea continues to build new ballistic missile submarine: 38 North

North Korea has continued to build a new ballistic missile submarine at its Sinpo shipyard, a US monitor said Thursday, citing recent commercial satellite imagery.38 North, which monitors activities inside the North Korean regime, said satellite imagery of the shipyard from Aug. 26 and Sept. 23 showed the movement of parts and equipment near the construction hall, indicating construction has continued since North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's reported visit to the site in late July.However, the ty

North KoreaSept. 27, 2019

Dodgers' Ryu Hyun-jin to make final regular season start on weekend with ERA title at stake

It's come down to one last outing.Los Angeles Dodgers' South Korean left-hander Ryu Hyun-jin will make his final start of the regular season this weekend against the San Francisco Giants. The game will be at 1:05 p.m. Saturday at Oracle Park in San Francisco -- that's 5:05 a.m. Sunday in Seoul.Ryu (13-5) will try to win his 14th game of 2019 and match his single-season career high. He previously won 14 games in each of his first two big league seasons in 2013 and 2014.More importantly, Ryu will

BaseballSept. 27, 2019

[Newsmaker] Prosecutors raid police headquarters in probe related to officer's nightclub scandal

Prosecutors on Friday raided the National Police Agency headquarters in western Seoul, widening their probe into allegations that a ranking NPA officer was involved in attempts to cover up irregularities at southern Seoul nightclubs.Prosecutors and investigators from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office searched the office of a senior superintendent, identified only by his surname, Yoon, at the NPA headquarters, beginning at 9 a.m., before reportedly securing his computer hard drive and

PoliticsSept. 27, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Battle of Jangsari(Korea)Opened Sept. 25Drama, WarDirected by Kwak Kyung-Taek, Kim Tae-Hoon During the height of the Korean War, Capt. Lee Myeong-jun (Kim Myung-min) and his 772 student soldiers take the North Korea-occupied Jangsari beach to provide a diversion for UN forces ahead of the Battle of Incheon. But their ship runs aground, forcing them to hold back a massive wave of North Korean retaliation with no means to escape.Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood(US)Opened Sept. 25Comedy, Drama Dir

FilmSept. 27, 2019

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Fiery seafood at JW Marriott DongdaemunJW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul’s all-day dining restaurant Tavolo 24 presents the Taste of Sea promotion featuring Sichuan-style seafood favorites. The menu includes cold dishes made with fan mussels, sea squirts, abalone, white sea snails, clams, squid and conch, flown in fresh from China. There are also hot dishes including steamed scallops, snow crab and blue crab, Sichuan specialty mala crawfish, crispy deep-fried sea cucumber and eel, and Hu

FoodSept. 27, 2019

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

1. Everland ‘Blood City’ Halloween festival Everland theme park is holding the latest edition of its zombie-themed Halloween festival “Blood City” until Nov. 17.Parts of the park feature a horror theme, with around 100 staff dressed as zombies, clowns and monsters. Performances and photo spots are available, including at the recently unveiled Raptor Ranger attraction. Some of the most popular attractions, including T-Express, have a horror theme as well.For more informati

TravelSept. 27, 2019

[Eye plus] Traces of ancient kingdom in Seoul

The soul and spirit of an ancient kingdom reside in the center of Seoul’s Songpa-gu. The ancient tombs in Seokchon-dong -- a set of stone mound tombs believed to have been built during the early Baekje Kingdom (18 BC-AD 660) -- sit among modern buildings, in a reminder that Seoul was the kingdom’s capital city. The tomb site is among several archeological sites in Seoul that offer hints about the Baekje Kingdom, its customs and culture, its golden period during the fourth c

CultureSept. 27, 2019

S. Korea's overseas direct investment hits all-time high in Q2

S. Korea's overseas direct investment reached a record high in the second quarter, thanks to a rise in spending on chip-making facilities in China, government data showed Friday.Investments made by South Korean companies came to $15 billion in the April-June period, up 13.3 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Economy and Finance.The quarterly figure is the highest since 1981, when the government began to release data on overseas investments made by Sout

MarketSept. 27, 2019

Meet the members of K-pop supergroup SuperM

It’s been weeks since S.M. Entertainment unveiled plans to launch new supergroup SuperM in the US at Capitol Congress 2019. Since then more information has been revealed, including multiple teasers and images.With their much-anticipated debut album slated for release on Oct. 4, we have profiled the bandmates and recap their history.Taemin from SHINeeAge: 26 / Debut year: 2008 Taemin stepped into the limelight first as a member of SHINee, which debuted in 2008 with first single “Repla

K-popSept. 27, 2019

Not so lonely September in Jeju

Come fall, Jeju Island is a wonder to behold.  Skies clear up to reveal a horizon that stretches as far as the eye can see, as the cool breeze of September chases away the heat of summer. This is indeed a good time to visit the island historically known for its abundance of wind, rocks and women widowed by the sea. The first two are remnants of the volcanic island’s environment, which has made it such a unique travel destination.Hwasun GotjawalHundreds of thousands years ago, Hal

TravelSept. 27, 2019

[Weekender] N. Korean rice cakes and candies anyone?

INCHEON -- Hong Eun-hye carries on the tradition of her late mother and grandmother, crafting rice cakes, snacks and candies the North Korean way. Born in Hamhung, the reclusive state’s second-largest city, she grew up watching them prepare “finger sticks” -- stick-shaped donuts coated in sugar -- and bean candies -- tiny bean curd balls stir-fried and glazed in sugar -- to sell at local markets. “My mom and grandma used to make these to support my family,” Hong sai

FoodSept. 27, 2019

[Weekender] Three restaurants for contemporary North Korean cuisine

Restaurant Bukhyang (Songdo, Incheon) Bukhyung is a bright, inviting restaurant with a vintage vibe that sits among trendy eateries and cafes in Songdo’s multiplex shopping center Triple Street. However, its specialty -- North Korean home-style meals -- does not conform to South Korea’s fast-changing food trends. A joint venture between traditional liquor bar Wolhyang and spicy sausage stew franchise Nolboo, Bukhyang is the first real attempt here to market North Korean cuisine

FoodSept. 27, 2019

Gyeongju certified as a key Silk Road city

ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- The heads of a group of universities located on the Silk Road have certified that the Korean city of Gyeongju which was the capital of the Silla Kingdom was part of the ancient trade routes that connected the East and West. The certification was authorized by university presidents, rectors and chancellors and their deputies who participated in the fifth General Assembly of the Silk Road Universities Network held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Sept. 18-21.  The certificate of r

CultureSept. 27, 2019