US official to visit Seoul for defense cost-sharing deal before official negotiations begin

Timothy Betts, acting deputy assistant secretary and senior adviser for security negotiations and agreements, will visit Seoul this week to discuss the defense cost-sharing pact, sources said Sunday.Betts, who led the US negotiation team for the 10th defense cost-sharing agreement, will meet with Chang Won-sam, his South Korean counterpart, on Tuesday. Details on the venue and time of the closed-door meeting have not been revealed, but it may be held at a location other than the Foreign Ministry

DefenseAug. 18, 2019

National Assembly staffers call for gender parity in Yeouido

Women who work at the National Assembly are holding a monthlong campaign to promote gender equality within the legislative arm of the government.According to National Assembly Feminists, a feminist group composed of female National Assembly staffers, 38.2 percent of all staffers at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, were women as of Aug. 1.  While women made up 52.3 percent of interns and 63.3 percent of grade 9 staffers -- the lowest-ranked civil servants -- they accounted for only 8

Social AffairsAug. 18, 2019

Can LG smart fridge actually tweet?

A tweet by a teenager living in Kentucky, the US, made LG Electronics’ smart refrigerator go viral globally this week, raising the question of whether the fridge could be used to tweet. A fan of singer Ariana Grande, named Dorothy, tweeted Aug. 8 that she was posting via LG’s smart fridge as her mother had taken away her smartphone. “I do not know if this is going to tweet. I am talking to my fridge, What the (explicit) my mom confiscated all of my electronics again,” rea

TechnologyAug. 18, 2019

Top 10 biz groups' operating profits down by 54% in H1

South Korea's major conglomerates posted downbeat operating earnings in the first half from a year ago due to weak global demand for major products, including memory chips, industry data showed Sunday. The combined operating profits of 90 listed companies affiliated with the nation's top 10 business groups totaled 21.3 trillion won ($17.5 billion) in the first six months of this year, 53.5 percent down from a year earlier, according to market researcher Inforbix's analysis of their semiannual re

IndustryAug. 18, 2019

Signs of global recession haunt S. Korean economy

A shadow of global recession looms over key economies as major markets have been dealing with some of their worst days in recent weeks. This is sparking concerns that chances of recession may also be growing on home turf, in South Korea. Last week, the yields on US 10-year Treasurys fell below two-year yields for the first time since 2007 – a phenomenon known as an inverted yield curve. Investors and experts alike are regarding such trend with wariness -- every recession in the last 60 yea

EconomyAug. 18, 2019

Thavma thrives on patriotic marketing

Amid the ongoing boycott of Japanese products in the midst of the South Korea-Japan trade row, a Korean brand is gaining recognition for its “Yes. We are a Korean brand” campaign. Thavma, a luxury bag brand known for its simple designs, variety of colors, quality materials and reasonable prices, has succeeded in making itself stand out from other foreign name brands, according to industry sources. The most popular model is Christa.Thavma products are currently sold at the company&rsq

EconomyAug. 18, 2019

Liberty Korea Party to stage anti-govt. rally

The main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) will stage an anti-government rally in Seoul this week in what would be the first such move outside the parliament in three months, its officials said Sunday.Hwang Kyo-ahn, the leader of the conservative government, said that the rally at Gwanghwamun Square on Saturday is aimed at sending a "warning" to the Moon Jae-in government against its liberal policies and personnel management. The LKP has been highly critical of Moon's recent nominat

PoliticsAug. 18, 2019

[Herald Interview] Raising the bar of ethical farming, startup offers ‘disruptive’ agritech

ULikeKorea is a livestock health care startup that has introduced a first-of-its-kind bio capsule designed to lodge inside a cow’s first stomach and stay there to monitor the animal’s food and drug intake, real-time core body temperature and breeding cycle for quality meat production.The company became one of the eight winning candidates in the third SoftBank Innovation Program that took place in June, 2018, as a promising agritech firm in the “disrupt” category.There hav

IndustryAug. 18, 2019

[Newsmaker] Suspect in case of dismembered male torso on Han River turns himself in

Authorities have arrested a 39-year-old motel employee suspected of killing a man whose dismembered torso was found in Han River on Aug. 12.An arrest warrant was granted after a hearing for the suspect was held at the Uijeongbu District Court at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Goyang Police said.The man turned himself in to Jongno Police Station at around 1 a.m. Saturday, five days after the dismembered torso was found.At 9:15 p.m. Aug. 12, police on patrol found a bare torso without a head and limbs floating

Social AffairsAug. 18, 2019

[Foreign Executives] Han Sung Motor revenue triples under Ausprung leadership

In the trendy industry of luxury automobiles -- particularly in a country where the market is highly volatile, depending on social and even political factors -- sustaining a respected premium business is indeed a challenging task. Balancing confidence with humility with accrued sophistication, Han Sung Motor CEO Ulf Ausprung is responsible for the stellar performance over the past few years of the largest official Mercedes-Benz dealer here.According to CEO Score, a local corporate tracker, Han S

MobilityAug. 18, 2019

Incheon Airport expands overseas business portfolio

Incheon International Airport Corp. said Sunday it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Indonesia’s state-run airport operator Angkasa Pura I for cooperation in overseas airport projects. The signing ceremony, attended by IIAC CEO Koo Bon-hwan, President Director of AP I Faik Fahmi and some 20 officials from both companies, took place at Paradise City in Incheon on Wednesday. Under the memorandum, IIAC and AP I will upgrade relations to a strategic partnership to closely cooperate

IndustryAug. 18, 2019

First hearing in Holt lawsuit by Korean adoptee deported from US highlights fight for transparency, adoptee rights

The presiding judge in the Seoul Central District Court opened session Tuesday by noting the unusual audience as the small courtroom overflowed with over 60 South Korean-born international adoptees and adoptee rights advocates. The hearing was the first in a landmark lawsuit filed by deported Korean American adoptee Adam Crapser against the Korean government and Holt Children’s Services.Crapser, adopted through Holt at age 3, was abused by two sets of adoptive parents, neither of which fil

Social AffairsAug. 18, 2019

KT launches epidemic prevention app in Ghana

Korean telecom company KT said Sunday it has launched a mobile application to help prevent epidemics in Ghana, Africa. Called the Global Epidemic Prevention Platform, the app allows users to access information on epidemic diseases. It supports three functions: GEPP Public, GEPP Clinic and GEPP Gov. GEPP Public alerts people who enter an epidemic region of the potential dangers. GEPP Clinic receives real-time notifications from people who have experienced an epidemic breakout and displays locatio

IndustryAug. 18, 2019

S. Korea commemorates 10th year of ex-President Kim Dae-jung's death

South Korea on Sunday commemorated the death of former liberal President Kim Dae-jung 10 years ago, as the nation remembers his dedication to democracy and efforts to improve ties with North Korea and Japan.Political leaders, government officials and other citizens, including National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang and Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, attended the memorial ceremony at Seoul National Cemetery. Kim, a longtime opposition leader and pro-democracy fighter, led the country from 1998-2003.

PoliticsAug. 18, 2019

Samsung Electronics accounts for 20% of S. Korea's exports in H1

Samsung Electronics Co. was responsible for 20 percent of South Korea's total exports in the first half of this year, showing its heavy influence on the national economy, its financial report showed Sunday.  The South Korean tech giant raised 75.2 trillion won ($62 billion) in sales in the first six months of this year, with 86 percent coming from abroad, its semiannual report said.  The overseas revenue accounted for 20.6 percent of total exports of Asia's fourth-largest economy that

EconomyAug. 18, 2019

Senior military officials of N. Korea, China hold talks over bilateral ties

Senior military officials of North Korea and China have held talks in Beijing to discuss their countries' "friendly" relations and cooperation, Pyongyang's state media reported Sunday.Kim Su-gil, the director of the General Political Bureau of the North's Korean People's Army, and Miao Hua, the director of the political affairs department of China's Central Military Commission, met on Friday, the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.  Kim, the head of the North's mil

North KoreaAug. 18, 2019

LA Opera declines details on Placido Domingo investigation

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- The Los Angeles Opera has declined to release any details of its promised investigation into allegations of sexual harassment against opera legend Placido Domingo, the company's longtime general director, including whether it has already started.The union that represents opera singers said Friday that it plans a meeting in Los Angeles next week to address its members' concerns ahead of the LA company's season opener Sept. 14.  Len Egert, the executive director of the A

World NewsAug. 18, 2019

Defiant Hong Kong protesters vow huge rally despite Beijing threats

HONG KONG (AFP) -- Hong Kong democracy activists are hoping to get out a huge crowd later Sunday in a bid to show the city's leaders that their protest movement remains defiant despite increasingly stark warnings from Beijing.Ten weeks of demonstrations have plunged the international finance hub into crisis and communist-ruled mainland China has taken an increasingly hardline tone, including labelling the more violent protester actions "terrorist-like".Clashes have broken out between p

World NewsAug. 18, 2019

N. Korea again raps Seoul over joint military exercise

North Korea again blasted South Korea and the United States for their joint military exercise Saturday, one day after it said it has no intention to talk with South Korea again.In a signed commentary, the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) claimed the joint military drill was aimed at invading the North. "It is a well-known fact that the US and the south Korean authorities grew proficient in the capabilities for fighting a war, steadily modifying and supplementing operationa

North KoreaAug. 18, 2019

Moon expresses condolences as remains of 2 late climbers are returned home

President Moon Jae-in on Saturday expressed condolences over two late South Korean climbers whose remains were returned home after going missing in the Himalayas a decade ago.The bodies of Min Jun-young and Park Jong-seong were found in July in the Himalayas and their remains were transported home earlier in the day after cremation in Nepal. They lost contact with the other members of the Jikji Expedition team in September 2009 while climbing in Annapurna, a massif in the Himalayas in north

Social AffairsAug. 17, 2019