Cheong Wa Dae convenes emergency meeting on N. Korea's rocket launch

Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday it's holding an emergency meeting of security-related ministers to discuss North Korea's latest launch of unidentified projectiles.Chung Eui-yong, head of the national security office, is presiding over the session, which opened in the underground bunker of the presidential compound at 7:30 a.m., according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Ko Min-jung. Also attending it are Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and Suh Hoon, chief of the National Intelligence Service.Earlier i

DefenseAug. 6, 2019

US continues to monitor situation after NK launch: official

The United States continues to monitor the situation after North Korea carried out its fourth projectile launch in less than two weeks, a senior US government official said Monday.The North fired two unidentified projectiles off its east coast early Tuesday (Seoul time) and also released a statement denouncing South Korea-US military exercises that began this week."We continue to monitor the situation and are consulting closely with our South Korean and Japanese allies," the official t

North KoreaAug. 6, 2019

N. Korea fires unidentified projectiles off east coast: JCS

North Korea fired two projectiles believed to be short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Tuesday, South Korea's military said, in an apparent show of force against the ongoing joint military exercise between Seoul and Washington.The projectiles were fired at 5:24 a.m. and 5:36 a.m. from North Korea's southwestern county of Kwail in South Hwanghae Province, and both flew around 450 kilometers across the peninsula before splashing into the East Sea, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said

North KoreaAug. 6, 2019

South Korea advises citizens to avoid sites of rightist rallies in Japan

South Korea is sending text message advisories to its nationals visiting Japan to avoid places where anti-South Korea protests may take place amid rising diplomatic tensions, the foreign ministry said Monday. “We have been keeping close tabs on any moves, given that there could be anti-Korea rallies by ultra-right groups in Japan,” a ministry official said. “We will consider taking follow-up measures, such as putting up a post on the ministry‘s consular website or sending

Foreign AffairsAug. 5, 2019

National Assembly sends resolution to Japan over trade curbs

South Korea's National Assembly on Monday sent Japan a parliamentary resolution calling on Tokyo to withdraw its export curbs on the neighboring country.The statement sent by Speaker Moon Hee-sang will be delivered via the South Korean Embassy in Japan to Tadamori Oshima, speaker of the House of Representatives; Akiko Santo, president of the House of Councillors; Foreign Minister Taro Kono and Industry Minister Hiroshige Seko, according to Moon's office. The resolution was adopted unanimously Fr

PoliticsAug. 5, 2019

[Graphic News] S. Korea’s electronics output ranks 3rd in 2018

　South Korea’s electronics output was the world’s third largest in terms of value last year thanks to brisk sales of memory chips, an industry report showed. 　The total production of the electronics industry in Asia’s fourth-largest economy came to $171.1 billion in 2018, accounting for 8.8 percent of the global market, the Korea Electronics Association said in the report.　China’s electronics output accounted for 37.2 percent of the global market last year, and the United

World BusinessAug. 5, 2019

Esper to raise Homuz, cost-sharing in Seoul

Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo will hold a meeting with US counterpart Mark Esper in Seoul on Friday, amid Washington’s growing calls for allies to support protecting shipping routes from Iranian attacks in the Middle East. The US defense secretary’s trip comes as both countries face crucial security issues, including North Korea’s recent missile launches in protest against a South Korea-US military exercise and the building of a global coalition to patrol the Gulf shipping

DefenseAug. 5, 2019

[Behind the Wheel] Going fast and furious at Mercedes-Benz AMG Driving Academy

YONGIN, Gyeonggi Province -- For many, driving is fun and a way to relieve stress. But that’s only the case when you are not on the jam-packed downtown roads.Although automakers boast about acceleration and maximum torque, drivers don’t get a chance to fully experience the car’s capacity, not to mention drifting through curves and feeling the full potential of the engine. At Mercedes-Benz’s AMG Driving Academy, however, all are possible.  One can hop on a range

MobilityAug. 5, 2019

Arario Gallery highlights Berlin-based artists from different cultures

On the gallery walls hang paintings of facades that show entrances to different houses the artist found during her trip to Venezuela’s Los Roques archipelago. These paintings, which portray doors and windows in a colorful yet simple manner, are lined up so as to remind viewers of an alley lined with houses.The paintings by Sol Calero are part of the latest exhibition at Arario Gallery in the Samcheong-dong area of Seoul.  The exhibition, titled “A Shiver in Search of a Spine,&rd

Arts & DesignAug. 5, 2019

Moon’s policy aide to meet top corporate brass over Japanese concerns

Kim Sang-jo, chief state policy secretary of South Korean President Moon Jae-in, will discuss the countermeasures against any negative impact of Japan’s trade restrictions with the top brass of the country’s five biggest conglomerates this week, according to Cheong Wa Dae on Monday.  The meeting will most likely take place on Thursday, according to news reports. “The date is flexible,” said Kim, adding that it is yet to be finalized. The five conglomerates include Sa

IndustryAug. 5, 2019

[Herald Interview] Korea, Pakistan should increase economic cooperation, says Pakistani adviser

South Korea and Pakistan should increase economic cooperation and discuss ways to leverage the strengths of both countries, Pakistan’s commerce adviser said during his visit to Seoul on Thursday.A seasoned businessman, Abdul Razak Dawood, the adviser to the prime minister on commerce, textiles, industrial production and investment, made bold business offers to the Korean government and local companies during his two-day trip to Seoul from Wednesday to Friday.  “Pakistan exports

Diplomatic CircuitAug. 5, 2019

Future Class Network hopes to cultivate entrepreneurship among youth

[THE INVESTOR] For many students in South Korea, acing tests at school and going to prestigious universities remain the primary goals. Students and parents still tend to believe academic qualifications ensure success in the form of jobs, income and future relationships.In an effort to send as many of their students as possible to top-tier colleges and universities, high schools also focus on preparing students for the national college entrance exam. But according to Jung Chan-pil, secretary-gene

TechnologyAug. 5, 2019

[James Stavridis] What Iran will do next, and how to stop it

Predictably, Iran is reacting badly to the announcement that Europe is planning to send a multinational naval force to protect merchant ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. “We heard that they intend to send a European fleet to the Persian Gulf which naturally carries a hostile message, is provocative and will increase tensions,” said an Iranian government spokesman last week.In combination, the Europeans’ welcome decision to increase the warship count and the Iranian re

ViewpointsAug. 5, 2019

[Andy Mukherjee] Why ordinary Singaporeans are spending faster than the rich

Singapore is Asia’s Monte Carlo: a playground for the wealthy. The city-state has two casinos, an annual Formula One race and the third-highest concentration of ultra-rich individuals after Monaco and Geneva. It’s home not just to the “Crazy Rich Asians” caricatured in the eponymous movie, but also, increasingly, Brazilian and British billionaires.Even the affluent in recently turbulent Hong Kong are beginning to find the rival financial center a safer option for their mo

ViewpointsAug. 5, 2019

K-pop festival in Busan to hold audition for wannabe-stars

The annual Busan One Asia Festival will hold an audition for future K-pop stars, the city officials said Monday.According to Busan Metropolitan Government, this year’s festival will feature “Music Label on BOF,” an event that will provide a stage for the next generation of entertainers in the music industry. It is being co-hosted and co-organized with Cube Entertainment.Those wishing to participate can apply from Aug. 5 to Sept. 24 after downloading the form at the festival hom

PerformanceAug. 5, 2019

KRX halts trading on Kosdaq as it breaches 600 points

South Korea’s secondary bourse Kosdaq sank below the psychologically important 600-point threshold for the first time in 17 months on Monday, triggering the stock exchange to temporarily halt trading as investor sentiment plummeted due to the escalating trade spat between Seoul and Tokyo. The Korean won also traded at a three-year low against the US dollar, breaking its own significant 1,200-won mark. It closed at 1,215.30 won after hitting 1218.30 won at 10:40 a.m., marking its lowest lev

MarketAug. 5, 2019

S. Korea vows unfaltering support for domestic production of key materials

The government on Monday announced a plan to support the domestic production of 100 key manufacturing materials, seeking to boost the competitiveness of the local industries in the wake of Japan’s recent economic retaliation.It also vowed to inject 7.8 trillion won ($6.4 billion) into research and development as part of its mid and long-term road map to reduce the industrial dependence on Japan and create a stable supply chain by 2024. “(The government) will select and invest in 100

EconomyAug. 5, 2019

S. Korea, US kick off combined military exercise despite NK warnings

South Korea and the United States began a joint military exercise as scheduled Monday, sources said, even though North Korea has strongly complained against the maneuvers and rattled its sabers with a series of missile launches.The "crisis management staff training" kicked off earlier in the day as a preliminary session in the runup to the command post exercise (CPX) aimed at strengthening the allies' combined posture and capabilities to cope with contingencies on the Korean Peninsula,

DefenseAug. 5, 2019

Cellist Yang Sung-won’s trio to go on Korean tour

Trio Owon, consisting of cellist Yang Sung-won, pianist Emmanuel Strosser and violinist Olivier Charlier, will embark on a nationwide tour in November in celebration of its 10th anniversary.The tour will kick off in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, on Nov. 15, followed by performances in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, on Nov. 16; at the Changwon International Chamber Music Festival in Seoul on Nov. 18; and Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, on Nov. 22. The final concert will be held Nov. 24 i

PerformanceAug. 5, 2019