[Newsmaker] Police summon K-pop star Seungri over gambling charges

Seungri, a former member of the K-pop boy band BIGBANG, was questioned by police on Tuesday over his alleged overseas gambling.Dressed in formal attire, the disgraced K-pop star arrived at a police investigative unit in eastern Seoul at 10:40 a.m.Seungri quickly walked past some journalists, who asked him about allegations that he regularly gambled in foreign countries and illegally secured gambling funds. It was his second interrogation following one on Aug. 28, when he apologized for "cau

Social AffairsSept. 24, 2019

Korea, Denmark seek sustainability cooperation

NEW YORK -- President Moon Jae-in and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Monday pledged stronger bilateral cooperation in a wide range of areas, including climate change.“It is clear that cooperation is needed in the area of climate change,” Frederiksen was quoted as saying by Cheong Wa Dae.   “If the two countries cooperate closely, it will be a very good thing not only for the two countries but for the world.” Moon praised Denmark’s sus

Foreign AffairsSept. 24, 2019

Moon, Trump reaffirm NK denuclearization resolve

NEW YORK -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump agreed during their summit in New York on Monday on the need to obtain results in North Korean denuclearization talks, Cheong Wa Dae said. However, the two leaders did not discuss the security guarantees that Pyongyang is demanding or broach Trump’s “new method” of handling North Korean issues. Seoul’s presidential office also said Moon and Trump had discussed the importance of the South Korea-US

North KoreaSept. 24, 2019

Asia's biggest K-pop awards MAMA to hit Nagoya, defying diplomatic row

Mnet Asian Music Awards, the biggest K-pop award event in Asia, has chosen Japan's Nagoya as the destination for its 2019 ceremony despite a deepening diplomatic row between Seoul and Tokyo.The 2019 MAMA is scheduled for Dec. 4 at the 30,000-seat Nagoya Dome, the organizer, CJ ENM, said Tuesday. For the past two years, MAMA was hosted as a three-day event in three Asian cities, including Hong Kong, but CJ ENM cut it down to a single-day event for 2019 amid ongoing political protests in Hong Kong

PerformanceSept. 24, 2019

South Korea to purchase US LNG worth $9.6b

South Korea’s state-run Korea Gas Corp. signed a long-term agreement with British energy company BP to buy US liquefied natural gas, the first LNG deal between the two countries under the Donald Trump administration, officials said on Tuesday. On Monday, Korea Gas Corp. signed a 15-year contract with BP in Washington to purchase 1.58 million tons of US liquefied natural gas on a yearly basis starting from 2025. The seller, BP, can extend the term for three years if desired.The signing

IndustrySept. 24, 2019

Trump says meeting with Kim may 'happen soon'

US President Donald Trump said Monday that another meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may happen soon, although likely after there has been progress in working-level denuclearization negotiations.Arriving at the United Nations headquarters in New York to attend the UN General Assembly, Trump was asked by a reporter when he plans to meet with Kim."It could happen soon," he replied.Later Trump added a caveat at the start of a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who

North KoreaSept. 24, 2019

Prepare for a world with more tariffs, US Fed's Bullard says

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- Ignited by President Trump's conflict with China, the global economy is facing a future with higher tariffs and barriers to free trade than in the past eight decades, a Federal Reserve official said Monday.As hopes for a rapid trade deal between the United States and China evaporated in August, St Louis Federal Reserve Bank President James Bullard drastically shifted his outlook and called for even more stimulus from the central bank.After the Fed cut the benchmark interest r

World NewsSept. 24, 2019

Four cases of African swine fever detected in a week

SEJONG -- Four cases of African swine fever have been confirmed in South Korea in a week since Sept. 17. Its incubation period is one week or more.On Tuesday, the fourth case of the deadly virus was detected at a hog farm in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, following the previous day’s third case at a farm in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province.Since the first outbreak, Paju recorded two ASF cases, and Yeoncheon and Gimpo one each.Quarantine authorities are on alert to the possibility that ASF will spread to

Social AffairsSept. 24, 2019

Seoul stocks open lower ahead of US-China trade talks

Seoul stocks opened lower Tuesday as investors remain on edge ahead of next month's high-level trade talks between the United States and China.   The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 0.9 points, or 0.04 percent, to 2,092.61 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The main index ended in positive territory in the past 12 sessions.At the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 23 (local time), US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the trade talks would resume next week a

MarketSept. 24, 2019

Messi wins FIFA player of the year as Ronaldo skips ceremony

MILAN (AFP) -- Lionel Messi won the FIFA Men's Player of the Year award as beaten rival Cristiano Ronaldo stayed away from the star-studded ceremony in Milan's iconic La Scala Opera House on Monday.Barcelona striker Messi's victory was a surprise as he edged out Virgil Van Dijk, who won the UEFA player's award last month after helping Liverpool to the Champions League last season.Juventus forward Ronaldo had also been shortlisted for the award, but did not attend the ceremony as he was named in

SoccerSept. 24, 2019

4th African swine fever case confirmed in S. Korea

South Korea on Tuesday reported its fourth confirmed case of African swine fever in the country, along with a new suspected case, fueling concerns over the nationwide spread of the highly contagious animal disease.A suspected case reported late Monday afternoon at Paju, located near the border with North Korea, resulted in a positive test for the virus, raising the number outbreaks of the disease to four in a week, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. It is the secon

Social AffairsSept. 24, 2019

Trump hints at new trade issue with S. Korea, military equipment sale

NEW YORK -- US President Donald Trump on Monday hinted that Washington is seeking further changes to trade-related issues with South Korea. Speaking at his meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in New York, Trump said that that the two countries are working on “tremendous trade deals,” while touting revisions to the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement. “We are working on tremendous trade deals. We -- as you know, we‘ve completed a trade deal, and that’

Foreign AffairsSept. 24, 2019

Trump touts relations with North Korea, plays down short-range missiles

NEW YORK -- US President Donald Trump on Monday once again downplayed the significance of North Korea’s short-range missiles, saying that such weapons have never been part of US-North Korea discussions. Speaking ahead of his summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in New York, Trump said that North Korea’s short-range missiles are on the South Korea-US summit agenda, but downplayed their significance hinting that the matter is of little concern to the US. “We didn&r

North KoreaSept. 24, 2019

Moon highlights Korea’s environment actions, calls for cooperation on air pollution

NEW YORK -- President Moon Jae-in on Monday announced Korea’s hosting of the P4G Summit next year, and the country’s plans to speed up efforts to fight climate change. Addressing the UN Climate Action Summit in New York, Moon put forward three related pledges, and proposed designation of “International Day for Blue Sky” calling for international cooperation to address air pollution.  “First, we will explore a variety of measures for transition to a sustainable,

Foreign AffairsSept. 24, 2019

Moon urges UN’s support for peace process

President Moon Jae-in on Monday requested the UN to continue to play a role in the Korean Peninsula Peace Process in a meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in New York. Moon is visiting New York to attend the UN General Assembly, on the sidelines of which he is holding a series of summit talks with world leaders including US President Donald Trump.  At the meeting with Guterres, Moon highlighted the role the UN has played in engaging North Korea, and requested his presence at

Foreign AffairsSept. 24, 2019

Korea and Poland seek stronger cooperation

NEW YORK – President Moon Jae-in on Monday (US time) asked for increased economic cooperation with Poland in a summit with Polish President Andrzej Duda. At the meeting, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Moon also expressed hopes for expanding economic cooperation with Poland.  “Trade between the two countries has passed $5 billion setting a record, and bilateral relations are expanding beyond the manufacturing sector to cutting edge industries,&rdquo

Foreign AffairsSept. 24, 2019

Major work by abstract master Kim Whan-ki to be put up for auction in HK

A major dot painting by the late Korean abstract master Kim Whan-ki will be put up for auction in Hong Kong in November, an auction house said Monday, after another of his works set an auction record last year. One of Kim’s major works, “05-IV-71 #200,” titled “Universe,” will be part of the collection that will go on auction Nov. 23 at Christie’s Hong Kong, according to Christie’s Seoul branch. Measuring more than 2.5 meters in height and width, &l

Arts & DesignSept. 23, 2019

3rd case of African swine fever confirmed in Gimpo

SEJONG -- Another case of African swine fever was confirmed Monday at a hog farm in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, following the second outbreak of the virus in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, last Wednesday.The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, which dispatched a group of quarantine officials to the farm earlier in the day, announced at 7:53 p.m. on Monday that the suspected pigs at the farm tested positive for the virus.The hog farm is located in Gimpo City’s Tongj

Social AffairsSept. 23, 2019

[Diplomatic circuit] Foreign embassies in Seoul offer glimpse into history, culture

There are many exotic buildings in the heart of Seoul that combine Western architectural elements and traditional Korean materials, providing a glimpse into the country’s history of diplomatic and cultural exchanges. Located right next to Deoksugung in central Seoul is a plot of land belonging to the UK, which British Deputy Ambassador to Korea Nik Mehta proudly said was the most beautiful diplomatic compound here. Walking to the back of Aston Hall, the main hall inside the office bui

Social AffairsSept. 23, 2019

Hyundai Motor, Aptiv team up for $4b joint venture on self-driving technology

South Korean auto giant Hyundai Motor Group has teamed up with Aptiv, formerly known as Delphi, for a $4 billion joint venture to develop autonomous technology, the companies said Monday. The joint venture between the world’s fifth-largest carmaker and the world’s leading software developer of autonomous vehicles is a “rare case,” Hyundai said, adding that the two will have 50 percent of shares each. Under the deal, the Seoul-based carmaker expects to make a bold move in

MobilitySept. 23, 2019