[News Focus] Household-income polarization worsens in 2 years

SEJONG -- The Moon Jae-in administration has continued to push for “income-led” growth by raising the minimum wage and scaling back the workweek. This was aimed at boosting consumption by raising the disposable income of low-income households. This in turn was meant to boost growth in the overall economy.But drastic hikes in the minimum wage had side effects, as small and midsized businesses took a conservative stance toward hiring due to higher labor costs, which have been linked to

EconomySept. 15, 2019

[Feature] Cho Kuk scandal reignites debate on college admissions system

At a glance, the daughter of the newly appointed Justice Minister Cho Kuk has led a charmed life. Her wealthy, highly educated parents with powerful and respected jobs have given her an elite background and the privileges that come with it.Cho’s 28-year-old daughter graduated from a prestigious foreign language high school. In her second year in high school, she was improperly listed as a primary author in a paper published in a medical journal. She then gained admission to a prestigious u

Social AffairsSept. 15, 2019

Korean companies expand presence on Dow Jones indices

South Korea’s leading businesses are increasing their presence on Dow Jones indices, indicating improvement in the sustainability of companies from Asia’s fourth-largest economy, according to the firms on Sunday. SK Telecom, the country’s biggest mobile carrier, said it has been included on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for the 12th consecutive year. The telecom giant’s record marks the longest period on the index among Korean businesses and the first among Asi

IndustrySept. 15, 2019

Seoul gears up for new defense cost-sharing pact with Washington

South Korea and the United States are set to start negotiations on their cost-sharing deal for the upkeep of the 28,500 US troops stationed here, amid increasing pressure from the US president to increase contributions from allies. The two countries will launch negotiations for the Special Measures Agreement as early as late this month, as the current one-year deal is set to expire Dec. 31. US President Donald Trump has been upping the ante as he heads into his reelection campaign, pressing

DefenseSept. 15, 2019

S. Korea’s tax burden to grow next year amid concerns

South Korea’s tax burden per capita will stand at an estimated 7.5 million won ($6,300) next year, slightly up from this year, and is poised to grow through 2023, according to data released by the government Sunday. The data comes amid growing concerns about a heavy tax burden in relation to the government’s expansionist fiscal operations, including efforts to change the tax system. The tax burden per capita, which stood at an estimated 7.4 million won this year, will increase by nea

EconomySept. 15, 2019

Justice Minister Cho Kuk still popular candidate for presidency: poll

Justice Minister Cho Kuk continues to be relatively popular as a prospective presidential candidate, seemingly unhurt by the prosecution’s ongoing probe into corruption allegations surrounding him and his family.In an opinion poll of 1,026 adults conducted by marketing agency Kantar from Sept. 9-11, Cho ranked third with 7 percent of support, falling behind Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon with 15.9 percent and main opposition Liberty Korea Party Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn with 14.4 percent. Cho has

PoliticsSept. 15, 2019

Cho Kuk’s relative grilled on minister family’s shady investment

Prosecutors took their probe into Justice Minister Cho Kuk’s family’s private equity fund to the next level over the weekend, with a key figure in the Cho family’s shady investment activities grilled for the second day Sunday.Justice Minister Cho’s cousin once removed was arrested Saturday morning at Incheon Airport on allegations of embezzlement, among other offenses. The arrest came three weeks after he left the country in end-August, just before prosecutors launched a

PoliticsSept. 15, 2019

South Korea set to exclude Japan from whitelist this week

South Korea is set to exclude Japan from its export control whitelist this week in response to Tokyo’s earlier decision to remove Seoul as a preferred trading partner and impose tighter controls on exports of high-tech materials that Korean tech firms need, officials said Sunday. Since the Aug. 12 announcement by Industry Minister Sung Yun-mo that Korea would drop Japan as a preferred trading partner, the ministry has completed the necessary administrative steps, such as soliciting opinion

IndustrySept. 15, 2019

One in three S. Korean students too reliant on smartphones: report

One out of three South Korean students is too dependent on their smartphone, is at risk of addiction and is having trouble in school, a government poll showed Sunday. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare's survey of 2,510 people aged between 9 and 17, 34 percent spent too much time on their smartphones and had problems controlling their use of the devices.  Among them, 5.8 percent relied seriously on their smartphone, had problems with their families and suffered from health issu

Social AffairsSept. 15, 2019

Solid gold toilet stolen from Winston Churchill's birthplace

LONDON (AP) -- A unique solid gold toilet that was part of an art exhibit was stolen early Saturday from the magnificent home in England where British wartime leader Winston Churchill was born.The toilet, valued at roughly 1 million pounds ($1.25 million), was the work of Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. It had been installed only two days earlier at Blenheim Palace, west of London, after previously being shown to appreciative audiences at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. Police said the toil

World NewsSept. 15, 2019

Drones hit Saudi Aramco plants, disrupting oil flow

RIYADH (AFP) -- Saudi Arabia said Saturday it was ready to respond to drone attacks claimed by Iran-aligned Yemeni rebels on two major oil facilities, which severely disrupted production as Washington blamed Tehran for the strike.The strikes sparked fires at the state-owned Aramco oil plants and prompted furious condemnation from the top US diplomat who blamed Tehran for the strike.Huge palls of smoke rose into the sky after the pre-dawn attacks on Abqaiq and Khurais, two key Aramco facilities i

World NewsSept. 15, 2019

[Eye on Business] Fighting pests and social prejudices: Cesco’s pioneering history

The public image of a company is often represented by the products and services it provides -- an association process that might act to the disadvantage of a company like Cesco, which specializes in pest solutions.While maintaining steady growth, Korea’s No.1 anti-pests company once grappled with its unsophisticated corporate image and unpopularity among job seekers.But in terms of business figures, Cesco has had little to fret about, having established a unique reputation as the most trus

IndustrySept. 15, 2019

Samsung's smartphone share in Europe surges in Q2

Samsung Electronics Co.'s smartphone shipments to Europe jumped in the second quarter from a year earlier, benefiting from Huawei's struggle with a US trade ban, a report showed Sunday. Samsung's smartphone exports to Central and Eastern Europe accounted for 40 percent of the market in the April-June period, up from 33 percent a year earlier, according to the market researcher Counterpoint Research. Its share was twice that of Huawei of China's 20 percent, it noted. The Korean tech fir

IndustrySept. 15, 2019

Army holds first official retirement ceremony for four-legged troops

From saluting the national flag to congratulatory messages from comrades, a touching ceremony held at an Army barracks last month was much the same as any other event marking the retirement of soldiers from active duty.There was one difference, though: Those being honored were military working dogs.After successfully completing missions in field units for about eight years, three veteran canine officers -- German shepherds Dansoo and Gado and Belgian Malinois Moogong -- took to the stage at the

DefenseSept. 15, 2019

Mall brawls and street fights as Hong Kong polarisation deepens

HONG KONG (AFP) -- Fights erupted in Hong Kong on Saturday with political rivals trading blows in a mall and Beijing supporters using Chinese flags to assault opponents on a street, deepening the city's polarisation after months of pro-democracy protests.The once-stable international hub has been convulsed by weeks of huge, sometimes violent rallies calling for greater democratic freedoms and police accountability.The movement is the biggest challenge to China's rule since the city was hand

World NewsSept. 15, 2019

Jeodo Island soon to open to public

A southern island that is the site of a presidential retreat will be made public this week after having been off-limits for decades. "A pleasure boat bound for Jeodo Island will make its maiden voyage as scheduled Tuesday afternoon," the Geoje city government, which administers the scenic island, said. The opening of the 430,000-square-meter islet near Geoje Island, South Gyeongsang Province, off the country's southeast coast, was one of President Moon Jae-in's campaign pledges in 2017

Social AffairsSept. 15, 2019

Japanese delegation arrives in N. Korea

A Japanese delegation arrived in Pyongyang, North Korea's state news agency said Saturday, amid soured relations between the two countries.The Yamanashi prefectural delegation led by Shingo Kanemaru arrived in Pyongyang, the Korean Central News Agency said in a one-sentence dispatch.Kanemaru is the second son of late Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Shin Kanemaru, who met with North Korea's founder Kim Il-sung during a visit to Pyongyang in 1990 with other Japanese politicians.It remains unclear w

North KoreaSept. 15, 2019

Seoul to drop Tokyo from whitelist this week

South Korea is moving to strip Japan from its list of trusted trading partners as early as this week, but it is still open to having last-minute negotiations with Tokyo, the trade ministry said Sunday.Seoul's trade ministry has completed nearly all procedures for the removal of Japan from its list of nations given favored export procedures for "operating an export control system that violates international norms," according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.The move follows

IndustrySept. 15, 2019

US puts sanctions on N. Korea hacking groups behind major thefts

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- The US Treasury on Friday placed sanctions on three North Korea government-sponsored hacking operations which it said were behind the theft of possibly hundreds of millions of dollars and destructive cyber-attacks on infrastructure.The Treasury said the three groups -- dubbed Lazarus Group, Bluenoroff and Andariel -- were behind major thefts from financial institutions and cryptocurrency exchanges, as well as the 2018 WannaCry hack that crippled Britain's National Health Serv

North KoreaSept. 15, 2019

Son at the double as Spurs thump Crystal Palace

LONDON (AFP) -- Tottenham emphatically allayed concerns about their ability to break down teams at home with a 4-0 victory over Crystal Palace on Saturday.Spurs had laboured in their previous home matches this season, having to come from behind to beat newly promoted Aston Villa and then falling to a 1-0 defeat against Newcastle.Tottenham fans may have feared another frustrating afternoon against London rivals Palace.Roy Hodgson's side arrived lying fourth in the league table and boasting the be

SoccerSept. 15, 2019