Govt officials of S. Korea, Japan to hold talks over Tokyo's export curbs: report

Government officials of South Korea and Japan will hold talks in Tokyo as early as this week to discuss Japan's toughening of restrictions on exports of key chemicals to South Korea, a news report said Tuesday. The meeting, if realized, will be the first time officials of the two countries have met since Japan announced on July 1 a stringent approval process for exports to Seoul of high-tech materials essential for the production of semiconductors and display panels, a report by Yomiuri Shimbun

Foreign AffairsJuly 9, 2019

1 dead, 5 saved after fishing boat capsizes off south coast

One fisherman died after a fishing boat with six people aboard capsized off the south coast of South Korea on Tuesday, maritime police said.The 8.55-ton Minseong-ho capsized in waters 22 kilometers southeast of Maemul Island in Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, around 3:42 a.m. The 24-year-old Sri Lankan fisherman was found dead inside the boat, while the remaining five fishermen were rescued. After hearing a radio call from the Tongyeong Fishery Communications Bureau that the boat had overt

Social AffairsJuly 9, 2019

N. Korea-Russia border trade nearly triples in Q1 on improving ties

North Korea's trade with Russia's Far Eastern region nearly tripled in the first quarter from a year earlier, data showed Tuesday, amid intensifying efforts by the two neighbors to strengthen bilateral relations.According to the data by South Korea's Consulate General in Vladivostok, the trade between the North and Russia's Far Eastern region totaled $10.69 million during the Jan.-March period, up from $3.72 million tallied a year earlier. Russia's exports to the North came to $10.67 million, wh

North KoreaJuly 9, 2019

US stresses cooperation amid escalating row between S. Korea, Japan

The United States on Monday expressed its continued commitment to strengthening ties with South Korea and Japan amid an escalating row between the Asian nations.Tensions between Seoul and Tokyo have spiked since the Japanese government last week announced tightened controls on exports of high-tech materials to the neighboring country. South Korea views the measure as retaliation for last year's Supreme Court rulings that ordered Japanese companies to compensate Korean victims of forced labor dur

Foreign AffairsJuly 9, 2019

Dodgers' Ryu Hyun-jin 'honored' to start MLB All-Star Game

For Los Angeles Dodgers' left-hander Ryu Hyun-jin, getting to start this week's All-Star Game in Cleveland isn't just a big deal for himself."Starting the All-Star Game is an honor for my family, and I think it's going to be a special day back home in South Korea," Ryu said at a press conference at Huntington Convention Center on Monday, the eve of the Midsummer Classic. "It's definitely a great occasion. This feels like being in the postseason, because starting pitchers get to si

BaseballJuly 9, 2019

N. Korea slams Japan's export curbs as 'shameless' act

North Korea's media Monday slammed Japan's recent restriction on high-tech exports to South Korea, calling the measure a "shameless" act that indicates a lack of remorse for Tokyo's historical wrong-doings against the Korean people.Japan began to tighten regulations last week on shipments to South Korea of three materials essential to the production of semiconductors and display panels.    South Korea suspects the move may be retaliation for a Seoul court's order fo

North KoreaJuly 8, 2019

Gender minister pledges support for Vietnamese assault victim

South Korea’s gender minister pledged Monday to provide support for a Vietnamese woman assaulted by her husband last week. During her visit to the victim’s hospital, Gender Minister Jin Sun-mee said the government would redouble its efforts to ensure her recovery.  “In order to help her families in Vietnam stop worrying about it, we would do our best to help our recover as soon as possible,” Jin said via a press release. The ministry also vowed to establish an &

Social AffairsJuly 8, 2019

Gaming behavior can be authentic health concern: medical experts

Since the dawn of the internet age, debate has continued over excessive time and energy spent consuming digital content and the difficulties in exercising control. In May, gaming disorder became one such contemporary health plight to be included in the World Health Organization’s disease classification. Less than a month after the adoption of gaming disorder into the International Classification of Diseases, the issue became a subject of heated contention. The most vocal opp

Social AffairsJuly 8, 2019

Prosecution chief nominee vows political neautrality

Prosecutor-General nominee Yoon Seok-youl pledged to free the prosecution from political influence and reform the powerful law enforcement body at his confirmation hearing Monday.  “I take it with a heavy heart that the prosecution has been shaken and is not strict when facing the powerful,” he said, vowing “drastic” changes in the organization, system and culture.Last month, President Moon Jae-in picked Yoon to lead the prosecution, which many regard as reflecting h

Social AffairsJuly 8, 2019

[Graphic News] France has lowest levels of trust in vaccines globally

　France has the lowest levels of trust in vaccines globally, according to the world’s biggest survey on public attitudes toward health and science.　A third (33 percent) of French people do not agree that immunization is safe, and it is also the only country where a majority (55 percent) believe science and technology will reduce the total number of jobs available, according to the poll of more than 140,000 people across 144 countries. 　The survey of people aged 15 and older was devised by

WorldJuly 8, 2019

Korean Postal Workers’ Union narrowly avoids all-out strike

The Korean Postal Workers’ Union has decided to scrap its plans for an all-out strike initially scheduled to take place this week, narrowly avoiding what would have been the country’s worst-ever delay in postal services, the union said Monday.“It was a difficult decision, but the government said it will make improvements (to prevent) deaths due to excessive workloads. We have also agreed to accept the government’s settlement out of concern that the public would be affecte

Social AffairsJuly 8, 2019

Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong flies to Tokyo to seek support from Japanese suppliers

As South Korea continued to weigh its move against Japanese controls on exports of key materials to domestic tech companies, Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong flew to Tokyo late Sunday to meet with his counterparts. 　Finding himself a de-facto channel for Korean industry, and possibly even the government, to relay Seoul’s stance and seek alternatives, Lee is likely to contact Sumimoto Chemical Chairman Hiromasa Yonekura, Mitsubishi Trading CEO Hironobu Abe and Ushio

IndustryJuly 8, 2019

N. Korea renews call for economic development on anniversary of founder’s death

North Korea’s official media on Monday urged its people to build an economic powerhouse as the country marked the 25th anniversary of the death of founding leader Kim Il-sung. “Today’s grand advance in economic development is a sacred and rewarding struggle of our great leaders to realize their aspirations for a patriotic and powerful country,” the Rodong Sinmun, the official mouthpiece of the Workers’ Party, said in an editorial.  On Monday, Kim Jong-un paid h

North KoreaJuly 8, 2019

Young artists take on human body

Our bodies are constantly changing, often in ways we are unaware of. You look at pictures of yourself taken years earlier, and you can see changes you did not notice as they were happening.Chang Seo-young and Hwang Sue-yon are two women artists in their 30s whose works, which make close observations of bodies, are on show at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art’s Young Korean Artists 2019 exhibition.While Chang, 36, and Hwang, 38, both deal with the body, their approaches are

Arts & DesignJuly 8, 2019

[Diplomatic circuit] Yang In-mo to lead Honorary Consular Corps of Korea

Former Samsung Executive Yang In-mo was elected as the new dean of the Honorary Consular Corps of Korea, an organization of diplomats promoting friendship and cooperation among countries. Yang, the honorary consul general of Croatia to Korea, started his two-year term as the sixth dean of the corps on July 1, after a unanimous vote at a regular annual meeting on June 26.  The corps of honorary consuls in Korea consists of honorary consuls in the private sector appointed by foreign governmen

Diplomatic CircuitJuly 8, 2019

[Diplomatic circuit] French Chamber to host Bastille Day gala

The French Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry together with the French Embassy in Korea will host their annual Bastille Day event Friday. More than 500 guests will take part in this biggest event of the year for the French Korean community, a celebration of French culture. Bastille Day, France’s national day, commemorates the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, a turning point in the French Revolution, as well as the Fete de la Federation, a celebra

Foreign AffairsJuly 8, 2019

[Ivo Daalder] Real threat to liberalism is US’ unwillingness to defend it

“The liberal idea has become obsolete,” Russian President Vladimir Putin told the Financial Times in an eye-opening interview. It would be easy to dismiss this declaration of liberalism’s demise, considering the messenger.That would be a mistake. Putin has spent the better part of two decades centralizing his own power at home while actively undermining liberal institutions abroad. But it is the failure of the United States and its allies to adequately defend liberalism that is

ViewpointsJuly 8, 2019

Culture minister vows support for gaming market

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Yang-woo on Monday said the ministry will continue to support growth of the local gaming market while preparing measures related to the World Health Organization’s recent move to classify gaming addiction as a disease.Speaking at a press conference marking his 100th day in office, Park called the gaming market a “fast-growing export market.” “I promised the gaming industry in May that I would remove the monthly restriction for

CultureJuly 8, 2019

[Trudy Rubin] Despite DMZ photo op with Kim Jong-un, Trump has made no progress on eliminating Korean nukes

We all know how much President Donald Trump loves photo ops with strongmen. The latest was his high drama pose with Kim Jong-un, on the northern side of the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea, late last month.Announced by tweet and improvised at the last minute, this move was another instance of Trump’s overtures to autocrats and dictators -- on grounds that warm relationships will morph into great political deals.If Trump’s embrace of Kim -- “we fell in love,&rdq

ViewpointsJuly 8, 2019