Hyundai launches unit to boost mobility business in China

Hyundai Motor Group has launched Cradle Beijing seeking strategic partnerships with local firms for future mobility.The automaker’s global innovation center in Beijing is the fifth of its kind, following the centers in Silicon Valley, Seoul, Tel Aviv and Berlin.  Cradle is Hyunda’s open innovation business for partnership with leading firms in future mobility technology and investments in global startups. The carmaker said it expects the unit to be the hub of innovative sol

MobilitySept. 23, 2019

Yonsei professor accused of disparaging ‘comfort women’ suspended, denies allegations

A Yonsei University professor was suspended Monday from teaching after his remarks on wartime sexual enslavement sparked controversy. The university said Monday in a statement that Ryu Seok-chun, a sociology professor, has been suspended from teaching and that the school’s gender equality committee has launched an internal investigation. Speaking about victims of Japan’s wartime sexual enslavement during his lecture on Thursday, Ryu said “Japan is not the direct assailant (of c

Social AffairsSept. 23, 2019

US energy institute says Doosan Heavy needs forensic audit

Doosan Heavy Industries’ high dependence on nuclear and fossil fuel power has led to serious financial troubles, and it is time for the firm to undergo a forensic audit, as its financial results raise important fiduciary questions, according to a US-based energy economics institute on Monday. “The past five years have been dire for its shareholders and the stock prices of the firm have fallen 74.8 percent,” said Melissa Brown, director of energy finance studies at the Inst

IndustrySept. 23, 2019

S. Korea sees steep drop in merchandise exports among G-20

South Korea’s exports have plunged the most among G-20 nations due to the ongoing US-China trade conflict, data compiled by the World Trade Organization showed Monday.The country’s second-quarter exports dropped 8.6 percent on-year to $138.6 billion, marking the second-largest decline among G-20 members. Indonesia outranked Korea in terms of decline in exports with a 9.1 percent drop.  By nation, outbound shipments of those heavily reliant on either the US and China saw the stee

EconomySept. 23, 2019

Hyosung’s spandex plant starts operation in India

South Korean industrial conglomerate Hyosung’s spandex plant in India went into commercial operation Friday, the firm said Monday. The plant, near Aurangabad Industrial City on a site that covers about 400,000 square meters, is capable of producing 18,000 tons of spandex per year. Hyosung, which entered India in 2007, generates more than $300 million in annual sales there. The company established an ultra-high-voltage breaker production plant in Pune in 2016.CEO Cho Hyun-joon said, &l

IndustrySept. 23, 2019

[Newsmaker] Doctor performs abortion on wrong patient

A pregnant woman here lost her child when a doctor performed an abortion after medical staff mixed up her medical chart with that of another patient.Seoul Gangseo Police Station on Monday said they booked a gynecologist and a nurse for conducting an abortion on a six-week pregnant woman by failing to check the patient’s information before the operation.According to investigators, the alleged victim -- a Vietnamese national -- who was six weeks into her pregnancy was prescribed nutritional

Social AffairsSept. 23, 2019

Defense minister meets US think tank representatives

Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo met with a former US national security adviser and experts from his Washington-based think tank Monday and exchanged assessments on peace efforts on the Korean Peninsula, Jeong's office said Monday.Jeong welcomed James Jones, chairman of the Atlantic Council and former national security adviser, as well as three officials from the council, to the defense ministry complex, as they are in Seoul to attend a local forum slated for later this month. During the meetin

DefenseSept. 23, 2019

Concerns resurface as suspected case of African swine fever reported in Gimpo

SEJONG -- Another suspected case of African swine fever was reported Monday at a hog farm in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, while there has been no additional confirmed case of the virus for four days since the second outbreak in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, on Wednesday.The farm is located in Gimpo’s Tongjin district, which is south of Kaesong in North Korea and west of Gyeonggi’s Paju, where the first outbreak of ASF hit the nation last Tuesday. Tongjin, Paju and Yeoncheon are areas cl

Social AffairsSept. 23, 2019

Busan's annual K-pop concert to kick off next month

The Busan OneAsia Festival, a major annual K-pop concert in the second-biggest South Korean city of Busan, will kick off next month with a star-studded lineup.The BOF 2019 will run from Oct. 19-25 at the outdoor stage of Busan's Hwamyung Park, Haeundae Beach and Busan Cinema Center at the city center, as well as other public areas in the port city, according to the organizer.     The festival's three main events -- K-pop Concert, Hip Hop Mash-up and Family Park Concert -- wil

PerformanceSept. 23, 2019

At UN, Trump to face questions about Iran, Ukraine, allies

NEW YORK (AP) -- Faced with growing tumult at home and abroad, President Donald Trump heads into his three-day visit to the United Nations this week hoping to lean on strained alliances while fending off questions about whether he sought foreign help to damage a political rival.Trump's latest UN trip comes after nearly three years of an "America First" foreign policy that has unsettled allies and shredded multinational pacts.A centerpiece of this year's UN schedule will be a Monday ses

World NewsSept. 23, 2019

S. Korea working to recover from Typhoon Tapah damage

South Korea is working Monday to recover from the impact of Typhoon Tapah, which caused scores of injuries and the cancellation of hundreds of flights.Thirty people, including three police and fire officials, were injured when this year's 17th storm hit the country's southern regions over the weekend, according to the anti-disaster government agency.Three people were reported to have died from storm-related accidents but were excluded from the official figures as their deaths were not directly l

Social AffairsSept. 23, 2019

'Deficit of trust': At UN, leaders of a warming world gather

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The planet is getting hotter, and tackling that climate peril will grab the spotlight as world leaders gather for their annual meeting at the United Nations this week facing an undeniable backdrop: rising tensions from the Persian Gulf to Afghanistan and increasing nationalism, inequality and intolerance.Growing fear of military action, especially in response to recent attacks on Saudi oil installations that are key to world energy supplies, hangs over this year's General

World NewsSept. 23, 2019

S. Korea remains Japan's 3rd-largest trade partner despite export curbs

South Korea remained Japan's third-largest trading partner in July, despite Tokyo's restrictions on exports to Seoul, data showed Monday. According to the data by the Korea International Trade Association, Japan exported some 4.8 trillion won ($4 billion) worth of goods to South Korea in July, accounting for 6.6 percent of Tokyo's total exports. Since July, Japan has tightened exports of key materials to South Korea in apparent retaliation over Seoul's court rulings on compensation for wartime f

IndustrySept. 23, 2019

Emmys begin as 'Thrones' and 'Veep' seek final glory

LOS ANGELES (AFP) -- "Breaking Bad" star Bryan Cranston opened the Emmy Awards on Sunday with a tribute to television's so-called golden era, as "Game of Thrones" and "Veep" take their final tilts at glory.Cranston appeared on stage after a comedy skit which saw a cartoon Homer Simpson introduced as "host" -- and quickly crushed by a falling piano."Television has never been bigger. Television has never mattered more. And television has never been this

TelevisionSept. 23, 2019

Prosecution raids justice minister's house over corruption scandal

The prosecution raided the residence of Justice Minister Cho Kuk on Monday as part of a widening probe into corruption allegations involving his family, including suspected forgery by his wife.State prosecutors are looking into allegations that Cho's wife forged a college presidential citation to help her daughter enroll in a medical school. Cho's wife was indicted on those charges early this month.Investigators were sent to his house earlier in the day to collect computer hard drives and docume

PoliticsSept. 23, 2019

S. Korean exports drop faster than other countries' in Q2

South Korea's exports declined at one of the fastest rates among the Group of 20 countries amid the protracted trade row between the United States and China, data showed Monday.In the April-June period, South Korea's outbound shipments dipped 8.6 percent from the same period last year, according to a monthly report from the World Trade Organization. The rate of decline marks the second highest among G-20 countries after the 9.1-percent on-year drop posted by Indonesia.Such a drop was apparently

IndustrySept. 23, 2019

S. Korean Im Sung-jae loses in playoff on PGA Tour

South Korean Im Sung-jae has just missed out on his first career PGA Tour victory.Im lost to Sebastian Munoz in a sudden-death playoff at the Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Mississippi, on Sunday (local time), settling for his first runner-up finish instead. Im, the reigning PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, started the final round in fifth place, four shots behind Munoz. The South Korean picked up five birdies on the front nine and three more down the stretch for a round of 66 to force a p

GolfSept. 23, 2019

Another suspected case of African swine fever reported

South Korea's agriculture ministry said Monday that another suspected case of African swine fever was reported after the country confirmed two cases of the deadly animal disease last week.The suspected case was reported at a farm in Gimpo, 30 kilometers west of Seoul, according to the ministry. It was the first suspected case reported south of the Han River, which runs through the South Korean capital.South Korea's first-ever confirmed case of ASF was reported in Paju, located near the border wi

Social AffairsSept. 23, 2019

Moon in New York for summit with Trump, UN session

President Moon Jae-in arrived in New York on Sunday to attend the UN General Assembly and hold a summit with US President Donald Trump ahead of an expected resumption of nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang.Moon plans to use the talks with Trump, set for Monday (local time), and his attendance at the UN session to help revitalize the peace and denuclearization process with North Korea and broaden international support for it, officials said. In his ninth summit with Trump, Moon will &q

Foreign AffairsSept. 23, 2019

Korea to stress multilateralism, its role in international society at UN

South Korea will highlight the importance of multilateralism and Korea’s role in international issues such as climate change and poverty at the UN General Assembly, South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha said Sunday.  “Our government will clearly emphasize the country’s status as one that practices the values of UN – peace, human rights, development – in an exemplary manner,” Kang said. “Our contributions and resolve to expand our r

Foreign AffairsSept. 23, 2019