Mouthy ‘nightlife expert’ sniffs out drug scandal ‘By Quantum Physics’

“By Quantum Physics: A Nightlife Venture,” a story about an enormous drug scandal at a nightclub that involves big names, was not actually inspired by the “Burning Sun” drug scandal.“The first draft was written in 2016, and we learned of the (Burning Sun) incident while we were editing the film,” said director Lee Sung-tae, on his upcoming crime movie. “I actually thought I should change that part (about doing drugs in clubs) after one of our young staff

FilmAug. 13, 2019

[Herald Interview] Donggubat CEO strives for social well-being along with revenue growth

Donggubat CEO Noh Soon-ho, is a millennial business leader who is confident and ambitious about his aspirations to kill two birds with one stone: raise profits and employ people with disabilities to bring about a social change.His social enterprise, founded in 2014, manufactures and sells premium soaps.“I wanted to be referred to as a change-maker before graduating. I thought it was important for me to experience giving my all to a social issue as an undergrad in order for me to not have a

Social AffairsAug. 13, 2019

Ex-vice minister denies sexual exploitation, bribery charges

Former Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-eui denied accusations that he received sexual services or bribes from businessmen as his trial opened Tuesday, six years after he first became mired in an orgy scandal. At the first hearing, held in the Seoul Central District Court, Kim’s lawyer accused the prosecution of unreasonably filing bribery charges for the sake of indicting him.“He was stigmatized as a shameless rapist, was subjected to blame and mockery, and was forced to stay silent in

Social AffairsAug. 13, 2019

Cheonghae Unit sets sail for mission amid speculation of serving in Hormuz Strait

Korea’s anti-piracy Cheonghae Unit on Tuesday embarked on its mission in the Gulf of Aden amid speculation that its final destination may be the Strait of Hormuz.As Washington has been calling for its allies to take part in the “international maritime security mission” in the Strait of Hormuz amid heightened tension with Iran, Seoul has been weighing its options. The naval Cheonghae Unit, one of Korea’s military troops deployed overseas, was seen as the most likely t

DefenseAug. 13, 2019

[Robert J. Fouser] Why boycotting Japan won’t work

As expected, tensions between South Korea and Japan have continued to worsen. On Aug. 2, Japan followed through with its threat to remove Korea from the “whitelist” of countries that Japan designates as preferential trading partners. This action means that companies exporting select products to Korea will need approval from the Japanese government before exporting. The Japanese government could use the approval process to restrict exports to Korea.The Korean government condemned the

ViewpointsAug. 13, 2019

[Kim Seong-kon] Proverbs that reflect indiscreet attitude of our society

Proverbs and maxims reflect the society from which they originate. Thus they vary depending on the peculiarities of nations, cultures and civilizations. If you are familiar with a certain nation’s proverbs, therefore, you can easily conjecture about the characteristics of the people of the country. Watching recent social and political disruptions of Korea these days, one can be reminded of Korean maxims that nicely match these situations.Among others, the famous Korean proverb, “You

ViewpointsAug. 13, 2019

LG Electronics introduces ‘safer’ solar ESS

LG Electronics said Tuesday it has launched a 100 kilowatt all-in-one energy storage system that operates on solar power. According to the company, the new system can store electricity that 30 households can use in a day. It has a capacity of 313 kWh, 14 percent larger than the previous model. A series of fires at 23 ESS facilities had prompted the Ministry of Energy to issue inspection guidelines in December 2018 and June this year.  LG said it has added incombustible materials in the all-

IndustryAug. 13, 2019

Leadership reshuffles to sweep across banking industry

The Korean financial circle is expected to undergo extensive reshuffling in the upcoming months as the chief executive officers of major banking groups will finish their terms early next year. Among them are Shinhan Financial Group Chairman Cho Yong-byoung, whose term will last until the general shareholders meeting slated for March next year. While a candidate recommendation committee will kick off in January, Cho’s bid for reappointment will largely depend on the result of an ongoin

MarketAug. 13, 2019

[News Focus] Moon weighed down by economy, North Korea

As he approaches the halfway point in his term, President Moon Jae-in is juggling hefty issues on both the international and domestic fronts. On the home front, Moon faces mounting criticism on a wide range of issues. Personnel choices, politics of security and economyIn addition to increasingly tricky international issues, Moon is faced with complex domestic political issues, ranging from high-level personnel choices to accusations that his administration has botched state affairs. In the

PoliticsAug. 13, 2019

Korea to toughen rules on cross-border M&As concerning key tech

The government said Tuesday it will tighten regulations on cross-border mergers and acquisitions to curb leaks of high-end technologies to other countries and impose harsher penalties on offenders.The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said it has resolved to revise the related law to better prevent leaks of key technologies. The changes will take effect in February 2020, six months after promulgation. This is a follow-up to the government’s pledge in January to eradicate leaks of indu

IndustryAug. 13, 2019

AI-powered recruitment becomes popular in Korea

　With artificial intelligence transforming industries and businesses, South Korean companies are embracing the technology in their recruiting processes. 　Ranging from tech companies to financial firms, the country’s popular employers have increased the use of AI-powered recruitment robots in determining employees’ job qualifications and personal characteristics. 　One of the latest companies to join the fray was major mobile carrier KT. For its recruitment slated for later this year,

TechnologyAug. 13, 2019

Rival mobile carriers join hands, challenge KakaoTalk with upgraded messaging service

In a rare case of collaboration among rivals, South Korea’s three mobile carriers  jointly introduced an advanced version of an integrated messaging service Tuesday to compete with the country’s top messenger app, KakaoTalk. 　According to SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus, Chatting Plus is now available to mobile subscribers with all three carriers -- but only for Android phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G. 　Thanks to Rich Communications Services technology, users can

TechnologyAug. 13, 2019

Song Kang-ho honored with Excellence Award from Swiss film fest

South Korean actor Song Kang-ho has been awarded the Excellence Award at this year's Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland, the organizers said Tuesday.Song became the first Asian actor to earn the Swiss film fest's special award that goes to actors or actresses whose work and talent have contributed to enriching the cinema industry.Internationally acclaimed silver-screen stars like Susan Sarandon, John Malkovich, Edward Norton, Bill Pullman and Ethan Hawke are among the past laurea

FilmAug. 13, 2019

‘Superstar’ Jon Burgerman brings back joy of doodling

The so-called “doodle art genius” who made a splash with his street paintings in Busan and Seoul subways, Jon Burgerman’s works are currently on exhibition at M Contemporary gallery in southern Seoul. Titled “Fun Factory: Superstar Jon Burgerman” and featuring over 230 artworks, this is the Brooklyn-based artist’s second exhibition in Seoul, following “Burgerworld” held in 2015. Burgerman, born in 1979, is a British-born contemporary artist and gra

Arts & DesignAug. 13, 2019

E-Mart to sell assets, buy back stocks amid grim outlook

E-Mart Inc. said Tuesday that it plans to raise 1 trillion won($820 million) by selling assets as the country's top retailer is struggling with falling profitability amid increased competition with e-commerce giants here.The company said it plans to securitize its outlets worth 1 trillion won by the end of the year and buy back its stocks worth some 100 billion won to boost shareholder value. The measures came as the country's leading discount chain operator swung to the red in the second quarte

IndustryAug. 13, 2019

Posco’s high-end cryogenic steel for LNG tanks gets green light

The government has approved the use of Posco’s cryogenic high manganese steel for manufacturing liquefied natural gas storage tanks, the company said Tuesday.The decision made after a review by an independent panel on gas technology standardization will be notified by the government, it added.Cryogenic HMS developed by the South Korean steel giant, can withstand temperatures as low as minus 196 degree Celsius, and could replace nickel alloy steel which has been commonly used for LNG storag

MobilityAug. 13, 2019

BAT Korea launches vaping e-cigarette Glo sens

British American Tobacco launched a fusion technology-based hybrid e-cigarette Glo Sens on Tuesday in South Korea, seeking to counter competition from KT&G’s Lil Vapor and American startup Juul Labs’ Juul. According to the company, Glo sens -- which was launched here first globally -- is powered by Taste Fusion Technology, which combines vaping with real tobacco. By heating a Neo pod, which contains flavored liquid, the vapor goes through a tobacco pod and delivers the

IndustryAug. 13, 2019

Hyundai Mobis to supply homegrown radar, camera sensor for commercial vehicles

South Korean auto parts maker Hyundai Mobis said Tuesday it will supply collision-warning features including radar and camera sensors, developed in-house, for Hyundai Motor’s commercial vehicles starting September.The forward-looking sensor and radar automatically detect objects that are up to 170 meters ahead, and reduce the speed of vehicles to avoid collision with other vehicles. Hyundai Motor is applying such driver-assist features in its commercial vehicles for the first time. Mobis&r

MobilityAug. 13, 2019

Tesla Model 3 launches in Korea

US carmaker Tesla Motors’ Model 3 landed in South Korea on Tuesday, with the local branch starting to receive orders via its website. The price of the Model 3 starts from 52 million won ($43,000) without a government subsidy of 9 million won. The company plans to request for state subsidies. The first batch of the Model 3 will be delivered to customers starting in the final quarter, it said in an email statement. The smallest sedan by Tesla has three trims, including a high-performance ver

MobilityAug. 13, 2019