[Feature] The line that divides professional gamers from game addicts

With gaming indulgence now identified as a diagnosable disorder by the World Health Organization, one question hangs in the sky blazing in neon lights: Are professional gamers game addicts? The short answer is no. The longer answer lies below. Gaming disorder, as defined by WHO, applies to those who have difficulty controlling their behavior, whose fixation on gaming undermines other critical aspects of life such as human connections and work. “Addiction is akin to social isolation. P

IndustrySept. 1, 2019

Main opposition party takes to the streets against justice nominee Cho

The main opposition Liberty Korea Party held a mass protest for the second consecutive weekend in Seoul, condemning the Moon government and calling on Justice Minister nominee Cho Kuk to resign.A day after holding a rally in the southern port city Busan, Cho’s hometown, the conservative party staged a protest Saturday afternoon near Gwanghwamun Square, central Seoul, amid scuffles between the main opposition and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea over a parliamentary confirmation hearing

PoliticsSept. 1, 2019

SK Plasma to transfer blood fractionation technology to Indonesia

SK Plasma signed a memorandum with Indonesia’s state-run PT Bio Farma and the Red Cross Society on transferring technology for separating out blood components as part of its effort to expand its health care business, the company said Sunday.SK Plasma is a subsidiary of SK Chemical that focuses on plasma-derivatives, such as albumin, immunoglobulin, coagulation factor, antithrombin III and others. These derivatives are essential medicines for congenital immunodeficiency diseases, hemophilia

IndustrySept. 1, 2019

[Herald Interview] Avellino Labs confident in 3-pronged strategy

US ophthalmologic gene diagnosis company Avellino Labs is preparing for its initial public offering on the Kosdaq, South Korea’s secondary bourse. It expects to be listed in the fourth quarter of this year at the earliest. Avellino Labs chief sales and marketing officer, Eric Bernabei, met with The Korea Herald for an interview in Gangnam, Seoul, on Thursday, during his four-day visit to the country for meetings with underwriters and officials at the Korea Exchange. Bernabei was joined by

IndustrySept. 1, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘Tazza: One Eyed Jack’ a mediocre, but fun sequel

All that glitters is not gold, and all hit films are not masterpieces. But just because a movie isn’t that well made doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyable.Director Kwon Oh-kwang’s “Tazza: One Eyed Jack,” the third in a series about swindling gamblers, is a far cry from a masterpiece, but manages to be fun and loose in its own way. It trades in most of the characters and philosophy of the original comic book that it was based on for a much simpler story and origin

FilmSept. 1, 2019

Removal of Japan from whitelist to take effect this month

South Korea is on track toward excluding Japan from its export control whitelist this month, in a tit-for-tat response to Tokyo’s earlier decision to remove Seoul from its list of preferred trading partners.According to the Industry Ministry on Sunday, the government is set to complete its public opinion-gathering process Tuesday, a necessary step before it can make a public announcement and implement the change to the nation’s export control system.On Aug. 12, the Industry Ministry

IndustrySept. 1, 2019

More Korean War remains discovered this year: ministry

The number of remains of soldiers believed to be killed during the 1950-53 Korean War and retrieved so far this year more than doubled from a year earlier, the defense ministry said Sunday.During the first phase of this year's excavation project carried out across the country until July, the military found bone pieces believed to come from 457 war dead, up from 222 remains discovered during the same period last year, according to the defense ministry.The surge is attributable to the national dri

Social AffairsSept. 1, 2019

‘S. Korea will struggle to meet economic growth target this year’

South Korea’s top fiscal policymaker said Sunday that South Korea will struggle to achieve its economic growth target this year but has enough fiscal space to handle its plans to increase expenditure.“Domestic investments and exports are supposed to recover in the second half of the year (in order to reach the growth rate target) but (we are) experiencing difficulties,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki in a live television interview with KBS.In July,

EconomySept. 1, 2019

How can startups solve Seoul’s urban problem with AI, IoT?

South Korean capital Seoul is one of the most tech-savvy cities in the world, and this has allowed the startup community here to brim with solutions to tackle its problems.For startups honing their tech capacity, ranging from ultrafine dust management to household waste treatment and fire prevention, the forthcoming tech event hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Start-Up Seoul: Tech-Rise 2019, could be a chance to gain access to venture investors and corporate representatives.As part of

TechnologySept. 1, 2019

[Graphic News] Record number of fires rage in Amazon rainforest

　The Amazon rainforest has seen a record number of forest fires this year, according to Brazil’s space research center.　　The official figures show that more than 75,000 forest fires were recorded in Brazil in 2019 -- the highest number since 2013. That compares with 41,404 in the same period in 2018.　The Group of Seven nations on Monday pledged tens of millions of dollars to help fight raging wildfires in the Amazon and protect its rainforest.　

World NewsSept. 1, 2019

Moon set for trips to Thailand, Myanmar, Laos

South Korean President Moon Jae-in will open a busy tour of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos on Sunday, another key diplomatic undertaking in his campaign to broaden and deepen Seoul's partnerships with the Southeast Asian bloc.The trip will make him the first South Korean leader to visit Thailand and Myanmar in seven years and the first-ever South Korean leader to visit Laos.With the upcoming six-day journey, Moon will fulfill his promise to visit all the 10 member states of the Association of Southe

Foreign AffairsSept. 1, 2019

Fire, tear gas and petrol bombs as Hong Kong engulfed by chaos

HONG KONG (AFP) -- Chaos engulfed the heart of Hong Kong late Saturday, as police fired tear gas and water cannon at pro-democracy protesters who defied a ban on rallying, set fires, and hurled petrol bombs in some of the most intense clashes in months.Police had banned the demonstration on security grounds, and on Friday arrested several key activists and legislators in a dragnet on pro-democracy figures.But on Saturday afternoon tens of thousands of protesters under a colourful canopy of umbre

World NewsSept. 1, 2019

N. Korea says Pompeo's remarks make talks with US more difficult

A recent remark by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about “North Korea’s rogue behavior” will make talks with the United States more difficult, the North’s KCNA news agency on Saturday quoted its vice foreign minister, Choe Son Hui, as saying.“We recognized that North Korea’s rogue behavior could not be ignored,” Pompeo said on Tuesday, while speaking at the American Legion National Convention in the state of Indiana.Pompeo’s comment was unreasona

North KoreaSept. 1, 2019

S. Korea routed by Argentina to open FIBA Basketball World Cup

South Korea got blown out by Argentina 95-69 on Saturday to start the men's basketball world championship in China.South Korea, world No. 32, shot just 31.9 percent from the field, including 8-for-23 from behind the arc, in Group B action at the FIBA Basketball World Cup at Wuhan Sports Centre in Wuhan, China. The fifth-ranked Argentina drained six three-pointers in the third quarter alone en route to making 17 of 31 attempts from downtown.Ricardo Ratliffe, a US-born, naturalized center for Sout

More SportsSept. 1, 2019

Seoul stocks to move in tight range this week on trade woes

South Korean stocks are expected to move in a tight range this week as investors remain wary over the US and China trade row, analysts said Sunday.On Friday, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) ended up 34.38 points, or 1.8 percent, at 1,967.79 on hopes of US-China trade talks. Last week, the KOSPI gained 1 percent. Investors will remain cautious as the world's two biggest economies prepare to hold face-to-face talks in Washington this month, according to Kim Yong-gu, an anal

MarketSept. 1, 2019

N. Korea's FM unlikely to attend UN General Assembly

North Korea's top diplomat is unlikely to attend this year's meeting of the UN General Assembly in a move that, if confirmed, would dash expectations for a meeting between him and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the sidelines.The North had earlier informed the UN that Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho would attend the UN General Assembly session opening on Sept. 17. But last week, Pyongyang changed the level of its keynote speaker to an ambassadorial, or "Corps Diplomatique," official f

North KoreaSept. 1, 2019

Korea's exports down for 9th straight month on trade feud, chips

South Korea's exports plunged 13.6 percent in August from a year earlier, extending their on-year fall to a ninth consecutive month, data showed Sunday, due to the protracted trade row between the world's top two economies and a prolonged drop in chip pricesOutbound shipments came to $44.2 billion last month, compared with the $51 billion tallied a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.   The decline was also in part due to a base ef

IndustrySept. 1, 2019

S. Korean Chung Hyeon falls to Nadal in 3rd round at US Open

Chung Hyeon defeated one left-handed Spanish player at the US Open. He couldn't get past another one.The 170th-ranked South Korean player was dominated by world No. 2 Rafael Nadal in the third round of the season's final Grand Slam tournament in New York on Saturday (local time), losing in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in just under two hours at Arthur Ashe Stadium inside the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Chung defeated Fernando Verdasco, the aforementioned Spaniard southpaw, in Th

More SportsSept. 1, 2019

SKT T1 sets record with 8th LCK finals win

SKT T1 bagged its eighth LoL Championship Korea finals win on Saturday at the LCK Summer 2019 playoff at Korea University Hwajeong Gymnasium, beating Griffin 3-1 and setting record as the team with the most number of LCK champion title.Griffin became three-times consecutive runner-up, also a record, but with a bitter taste in mouth as it was the top ranking team in summer season's regular league. SKT T1, on the other hand, had been fourth ranking team but shot up to the finals through

IndustryAug. 31, 2019

USFK to close Yongsan Garrison within this year

The US Forces Korea will end all services at a major military base in the heart of Seoul within this year to prepare the return of the land to the South Korean government, military officials said Saturday. The US military has been moving its bases from around the country to a refurbished garrison in Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul, since 2017. While the USFK headquarters and the Eighth Army have moved to the new headquarters, called Camp Humphreys, the US military has been preparin

DefenseAug. 31, 2019