Google to accelerate cloud business push in S. Korea

Global IT giant Google Inc. aims to rev up its cloud business in South Korea by opening its first data center in the country early next year, company officials said Wednesday. It will be Google Cloud's eighth data center in the Asia Pacific region, and it wants local companies to expand globally and multinational customers to do business in the country, they said. "Google Cloud has focused on four industries -- finance, health care, retail and manufacturing -- globally," Yang Seung-do,

IndustrySept. 25, 2019

Busan film fest set to attract audiences with all sorts of delicacies

The 24th edition of Busan International Film Festival is ready to entertain local and overseas movie buffs with delicate flicks for 10 days in the middle of the fall season.This year's festival will take place from Oct. 3-12 at five cinemas, including the Busan Cinema Center, in Busan, 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul, featuring 303 films from 85 countries.Among the invitations, 120 films, including 97 feature-length movies, will be at BIFF for world premieres.Award-winning auteurs' new works a

FilmSept. 25, 2019

Posco International embarks on Ukraine grain export terminal

Posco International, a trading subsidiary of Posco, has become the first Korean company to complete construction of an overseas grain export terminal, as it went into full operation, the firm said Wednesday. The new grain terminal at the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Nikolayev, which is owned by Posco International with a 75 percent stake, is one of the largest export ports in the southern Black Sea. It is capable of shipping 2.5 million tons of grains such as wheat, corn and soybeans annually.The

IndustrySept. 25, 2019

[News brief] Number of parolees rises 61% over 5 years

The number of inmates released on parole has increased 61 percent over five years, data released by the National Assembly’s Legislative and Judiciary Committee showed Wednesday.A total of 8,667 convicted criminals were released last year, up by 61 percent from 5,394 in 2014, according to Justice Ministry data. Over 5,000 inmates have been paroled this year as of August.Larceny or fraud convicts accounted for 55.3 percent of the parolees, followed by traffic offense criminals making up 12.4

Social AffairsSept. 25, 2019

Global e-scooter companies flock to Korea

Global electric scooter operators are entering South Korea’s micro-mobility market, intensifying competition in the bike-sharing market. According to industry sources, US-based e-scooter and bike company Lime is gearing up for its debut in Korea. The company is expected to announce the launch on Oct. 1 in Seoul. Lime has been preparing to enter the Korean market and has been recruiting local employees since earlier this year. Currently, the company is operating in more than 120 cities in o

TechnologySept. 25, 2019

Top nuke envoys of S. Korea, US, Japan hold trilateral talks in New York

The top nuclear envoys of South Korea, the United States and Japan held trilateral talks on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York this week ahead of nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. South Korea’s chief nuclear negotiator, Lee Do-hoon, met his US and Japanese counterparts -- Stephen Biegun and Shigeki Takizaki, respectively -- on Tuesday to discuss three-way cooperation in addressing the North Korean nuclear issue. W

Foreign AffairsSept. 25, 2019

Music festivals coming this fall

While rock festivals cooled us down in the summer heat, autumn is the perfect time to appreciate other music genres. Starting this weekend, jazz and pop music festivals are set to take place around the country. Celebrating the beautiful fall weather, these outdoor festivals afford a chance to enjoy colorful foliage from a picnic mat, sipping wine with family and friends. Jazz at Seoul Forest  Seoul Forest, located in eastern Seoul, is a park that covers 1.16 million square meters. On Friday

PerformanceSept. 25, 2019

Cho Kuk probe ‘excessive’ 49.1%, ‘adequate’ 42.7%: poll

Results of a poll released Wednesday showed that 49.1 percent of respondents believe the prosecution’s ongoing investigation into Justice Minister Cho Kuk’s family is excessive, while 42.7 percent called it adequate.The gap of 6.4 percentage points was within the margin of error, according to Realmeter, which conducted the survey of 501 adults on Tuesday. The remaining 8.2 percent declined to answer or said they did not know.The poll, conducted at the request of online news website O

Social AffairsSept. 25, 2019

Top prosecutor says justice minister probe in line with protocol

South Korea's top prosecutor on Wednesday said an ongoing probe into allegations surrounding Justice Minister Cho Kuk's family is being conducted in an appropriate manner.Replying to reporters on the sidelines of an international anti-drug conference, Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl said the investigation "is being conducted in accordance with the (appropriate) procedure."Yoon's remarks come amid criticism on the appropriateness of ongoing probes into corruption allegations involving

PoliticsSept. 25, 2019

ADB cuts growth outlook for S. Korea to 2.1%

The Asian Development Bank has slashed its growth outlook for South Korea this year to 2.1 percent, the bank said in a report released Wednesday.The latest outlook marks a sharp drop from April's 2.5 percent forecast.The bank cited the country's poor economic performance and adverse external factors that apparently include the US-China trade dispute.    The ADB also lowered its 2020 growth outlook for South Korea to 2.4 percent from the previous 2.5 percent.The South Korean econom

EconomySept. 25, 2019

Moon requests IOC support for two Koreas' joint bid for 2032 Olympics

NEW YORK -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday met with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, requesting his support for the plans to jointly host the mega sports competition with North Korea. At the start of the meeting, Moon credited the IOC for playing a critical role in last year’s PyeongChang Winter Olympics with North Korean participation, requesting Bach’s support in hosting the Summer Olympics in 2032 jointly with North Korea. “We will active

Foreign AffairsSept. 25, 2019

Seoul mulls discussion with N. Korea on sending cheering squad to World Cup qualifier in Pyongyang

The unification ministry said Wednesday that it is considering discussions with North Korea about sending a cheering squad to Pyongyang for next month's World Cup qualifier between the two Koreas.On Tuesday, the Korea Football Association in Seoul said that it has been informed by the Asian Football Confederation that the North will host South Korea on Oct. 15, as scheduled, for their Group H match in the second round of the Asian qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. "With regard to t

Social AffairsSept. 25, 2019

BTS video 'Blood Sweat & Tears' hits 500m YouTube views

BTS' 2016 music video "Blood Sweat & Tears" surpassed the YouTube milestone of 500 million views Wednesday, becoming the eighth BTS video do to so.The video for "Blood Sweat & Tears," the main track of the K-pop band's second full-length album, "Wings," hit the threshold Wednesday morning, nearly three years since its release in October 2016. It was the eighth BTS music video to pass the milestone. Other BTS videos that have achieved the feat include "D

PerformanceSept. 25, 2019

Justice minister's son summoned over allegedly forged internship certificates

The prosecution has summoned the son of Justice Minister Cho Kuk over suspicions that allegedly false internship certificates issued for him might have been used in his applications to graduate schools.The 23-year-old son was called in Tuesday as prosecutors are looking into alleged forgery of certificates over his internship experience at an institution of public interest and human rights at Seoul National University, where his father serves as a law professor.His summons is part of prosecutors

Social AffairsSept. 25, 2019

Trump attacks globalism and urges action on Iran at UN

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- President Donald Trump stood before world leaders at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday and rejected "globalism" and liberal immigration policies while exhorting the world to act against Iran's "bloodlust.'' His speech and subsequent meetings had to compete with news from Washington that the House is moving forward with an impeachment inquiry.In his address, Trump took aim at China, Venezuela and what he called a "growing cottage industry" of radic

World NewsSept. 25, 2019

Famed opera singer Placido Domingo withdrawing from all future Met performance

NEW YORK (AFP) -- Placido Domingo, the legendary opera singer facing myriad sexual harassment accusations, is withdrawing from all future performances at New York's Metropolitan Opera, both he and the institution announced Tuesday.The 11th-hour decision comes just one night before the 78-year-old Spaniard, dubbed the "king of opera," was scheduled to perform in the Met's sold-out first production of "Macbeth." "Placido Domingo has agreed to withdraw from all future perfo

World NewsSept. 25, 2019

[Newsmaker] Another suspected African swine fever case reported in S. Korea

South Korea reported a new suspected African swine fever case on Wednesday, adding to concerns over the potential spread of the deadly animal disease despite massive disinfection efforts.The suspected case was reported at a farm on Ganghwa Island in Incheon, around 60 kilometers west of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The ministry confirmed the fifth ASF case from the same location a day earlier.If confirmed, it would mark the sixth ASF case confirmed in

Social AffairsSept. 25, 2019

US House passes resolution on S. Korea, Japan relations

The US House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a resolution stressing the importance of US alliances with South Korea and Japan.The resolution, led by Rep. Eliot Engel, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, came as trade and historical disputes between South Korea and Japan have threatened to undermine trilateral cooperation with the US.Engel also sent a letter to US President Donald Trump last week urging him to address the escalating tensions.The resolution expresses "the se

Foreign AffairsSept. 25, 2019

'Arthdal Chronicles' likely to have second season

The blockbuster TV fantasy series "Arthdal Chronicles" will likely come back with a second season despite its lower-than-expected viewership, its broadcaster tvN said Monday."We're positively considering making a second season," an official from tvN said. "The decision has not been finalized yet, but the possibility is high." Details of the second season's filming and airing date, staff and cast have not yet been decided, she noted."Arthdal Chronicles" is

TelevisionSept. 25, 2019

S. Korea, US hold 2nd day of talks on defense cost sharing

South Korea and the United States held a second day of talks on sharing the cost of stationing American troops here on Wednesday as US President Donald Trump renewed calls for allies to pay their "fair share."The two sides launched the negotiations on Tuesday to renew the Special Measures Agreement on determining how much Seoul should pay for stationing some 28,500 US soldiers in the country.The current deal is set to expire on Dec. 31. During the first day of talks, the two sides exch

Foreign AffairsSept. 25, 2019