[Herald Design Forum] Changing old neighborhoods with new thinking

While the construction of a building or a house may be a familiar concept, establishment of a neighborhood or a community is a relatively new notion. Assemble is a London-based multidisciplinary collective that builds neighborhoods, responding to the actual needs of the community. More than just renovating a building, it rejuvenates the whole area, working across the realms of architecture, design and art.Maria Lisogorskaya, one of the founding members of Assemble, took the podium at the 2019 He

Arts & DesignOct. 10, 2019

[Herald Design Forum 2019] Astronomer Ribas stresses importance of preserving our ‘Pale Blue Dot’

Finding another planet with a hospitable environment for humans has been a long-cherished wish for mankind. Astronomer Ignasi Ribas, a leading expert in that field, however, stresses the importance of preserving the Earth’s environment, pointing out that migrating to another planet is science fiction, at least for now. “Can another planet be a possible second home (for humans to live in)? The answer is no, and if it is possible, it would take forever to get there,” said Ribas,

Arts & DesignOct. 10, 2019

NK ship seized by US once owned by South Korean firms: report

A North Korean ship seized and auctioned off by the US had operated under the South Korean flag in the past, Voice of America reported Thursday. According to the report, the Wise Honest was owned by South Korean entities between 2004 and 2015 and sailed under the name “Eny.”Based on International Maritime Organization data, the report showed that the ship began operations as a Panama-registered vessel in 1989, and came to be owned by the South Korean entities in 2004, after operating

North KoreaOct. 10, 2019

N. Korea slams EU nations over statement condemning SLBM test

North Korea on Thursday lashed out at European Union members of the UN Security Council for issuing a statement condemning its recent test of a new submarine-launched ballistic missile, calling it a "grave provocation" against Pyongyang.In a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, a spokesperson of the North's foreign ministry accused the United States of pushing the countries to sign the statement, warning that Pyongyang might reconsider the steps it has taken to

North KoreaOct. 10, 2019

[Fumihiro Kitayama]

In April, Japan made a significant policy shift on accepting foreign workers, including those who will perform simple labour.A decrease in the working-age population caused this change.However, it is unclear whether or not Japan will be able to secure enough foreign workers to sustain the Japanese economy in the future.The focus of debate over foreign workers is shifting from “Should Japan accept foreign workers?” to “Can Japan be the country of their choice?” in the glob

ViewpointsOct. 10, 2019

40% of budget for inter-Korean cooperation unspent

Nearly 40 percent of this year’s budget for inter-Korean cooperation has not been spent amid a lull in bilateral relations. Most of the unspent budget had been set aside for South Korea’s provision of rice to North Korea through the World Food Program, which has been halted due to Pyongyang’s refusal.According to data from the Unification Ministry, released by Liberty Korea Party Rep. Yoo Min-bong on Thursday, the government approved expenditure of 92.1 billion won ($77 million

PoliticsOct. 10, 2019

[News Focus] Monthly payouts for jobless soar 97% since 2015

SEJONG -- The number of South Koreans, who have been “de facto” out of work, has surpassed the 3 million mark.The extended unemployment figures, as specified by Statistics Korea’s Employment Supplementary Index III, includes “underemployed” workers, such as temporary employees who work fewer than 36 hours a week and want full-time employment, as well as seasonal workers who are out of work for part of the year. The standard unemployment rate stayed at 3 percent, wit

Social AffairsOct. 10, 2019

Activists urge Japan to avoid Fukushima in Tokyo Olympics

South Korean civic groups on Thursday kicked off a global campaign against potential radiation risks during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, demanding that Japan ban Fukushima food products and cancel games at the Japanese city."We launch an international campaign to protect thousands of athletes and visitors at the Tokyo Olympics from radiation risks and to stop the Japanese government from using the Olympics as a tool" to conceal lingering damages from the Fukushima nuclear crisis, the envir

Social AffairsOct. 10, 2019

Herald Design Forum asks world: ‘Do we need another planet?’

In an era some are calling the “Anthropocene,” marked by significant human impact on Earth’s geology and ecosystems, mankind may be facing an imminent decision about the future of this blue marble. Global warming, exhaustion of natural resources and worldwide pollution may be spelling out an inconvenient truth necessitating interstellar travel for solutions.The annual Herald Design Forum opened Thursday with a rather provocative question: “Do we need another planet?&rdquo

CultureOct. 10, 2019

BTS' J-Hope becomes 1st BTS soloist to land on Billboard singles chart

J-Hope, a dancer and rapper of K-pop superband BTS, has become the first of the band's seven members to land on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart with a solo song, chart results showed Thursday.J-Hope's "Chicken Noodle Soup," featuring American diva Becky G, a fashionable revival of American musician DJ Webstar and rapper Young B's street hip-hop song of the same name in 2006, landed at 81st on the Hot 100 for the week of Oct. 12, according to Billboard's website.The feat was achieved

PerformanceOct. 10, 2019

S. Korea to build 3 hydrogen-powered cities by 2022

South Korea will build three hydrogen-powered cities in extended efforts to promote hydrogen energy in Asia's fourth-biggest economy, the transport ministry said Thursday.  In a three-year project headed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the government plans to build pilot hydrogen-powered cities by 2022, the ministry said in a joint statement with related ministries and government agencies.   "We are planning to select three cities by the end of this yea

IndustryOct. 10, 2019

KITA chief to visit US to expand economic partnership

Korea International Trade Association said Thursday its Chairman Kim Young-ju is slated to visit the US next week to expand economic and trade cooperation. He will be accompanied by executives of eight Korean companies, including Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor, Posco and Hyosung during his four-day visit starting Monday. Kim will meet with Kelly Ann Shaw, Trump’s special assistant and senior director for international trade, to highlight the importance of the two nations as a secu

IndustryOct. 10, 2019

Rebidding for third internet-only bank kicks off amid lack of interest

Financial authorities on Thursday began to accept applications for a second round of bids for a preliminary license to operate the nation’s third internet-only bank, according to the Financial Services Commission.Unlike the first round earlier in the year, however, concerns are mounting that market expectations may have soured, as only one consortium confirmed its bid on the first day.“The business license for a new internet-only bank is the FSC’s top priority task for the seco

MarketOct. 10, 2019

[Herald Design Forum 2019] Daimler art director puts spotlight on empathy in future mobility

Alexander Mankowsky, art director at leading German carmaker Daimler, said Thursday that empathy should be the priority in future mobility so that companies can roll out innovative automated vehicles capable of interacting with pedestrians.“If we have to talk about ethics, we need to talk about what is human. What are we humans? How would you like to be? That process is always for people. We need to see what we are and what do we want to be,” Mankowsky said at Herald Design Forum 201

Arts & DesignOct. 10, 2019

Hyundai partners with US-based AI startup for digital map technology

Hyundai Motor’s open-innovation business has inked a partnership with US-based fleet management software company Netradyne to create digital maps necessary for autonomous driving technologies, Hyundai Motor America said Thursday. Hyundai Cradle, the automaker’s wholly owned venture capital arm, said its partnership and investment in Netradyne would help the firm build a high-definition map for level-three advanced driver assistance systems, according to Hyundai Motor America. Under t

MobilityOct. 10, 2019

Michael Govan emphasizes importance of cultural diversity

Michael Govan, director of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, on Thursday talked about the importance of cultural diversity when managing an art museum, at the Herald Design Forum 2019.“To survive in an increasingly globalized society, we need to understand each other’s cultures,” Govan said. “We have arts of all time and places. We have 150,000 objects for our collections and one and a half million people come to see this. We also have 4,000 education programs to show

CultureOct. 10, 2019

Samsung Display officially invests W13.1tr in world’s first QD display

Samsung Display on Thursday announced it will invest a total of 13.1 trillion won ($10.9 billion) in establishing the world’s first production line for quantum dot-based display panels over the next five years. The investment plan that has been highly anticipated by industry watchers makes it official that Samsung will switch from the current liquid crystal display-focused display technology to self-emissive quantum dot technology for large-size displays. President Moon Jae-in added weight

TechnologyOct. 10, 2019

[Herald Design Forum 2019] Shaping environment friendly future with creativity

Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde believes that it may be possible to turn space waste into light in the near future. The artist leads projects that use technology to raise awareness on environmental issues while maintaining esthetics. Based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, the artist is the leader of Studio Roosegaarde, a social design lab comprising 20 engineers, designers and artists.Taking the podium at the Herald Design Forum 2019 on Thursday at Grand Hyatt Seoul, Roosegaarde delivered a lectur

Arts & DesignOct. 10, 2019

‘Everyone has something to give back’

“It’s not hard at all to have a conversation with you right now, but if you had just gone for a week without any food, I assure you, you might not be so easy to talk to,” said Michael Kim, who founded the nonprofit organization Korea Legacy Committee four years ago to fight poverty among senior citizens here.  He was responding to questions on whether such support merely ends up perpetuating the problems of underprivileged elderly. “I won’t ever say the KLC wil

Social AffairsOct. 10, 2019