South Americans marvel at total solar eclipse

A rare total solar eclipse plunged a vast swath of Latin America's southern cone into darkness Tuesday, briefly turning day into night and enthralling huge crowds in much of Chile and Argentina.Hundreds of thousands of people -- including large crowds congregated in La Higuera in Chile, a country that hosts some of the world's most powerful astronomical telescopes -- looked to the skies captivated by the breathtaking spectacle.Thousands of people on beaches near the Chilean city of La Serena che

World NewsJuly 3, 2019

63% of S. Koreans back Trump-Kim-Moon meeting in DMZ: poll

More than 6 out of 10 South Koreans positively evaluate the historic meeting among the leaders of South Korea, the United States and North Korea in the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, according to a survey released Wednesday.The survey, conducted by public pollster Realmeter with 501 adults aged 19 or older nationwide, found that 62.7 percent of the respondents gave a positive assessment of the meeting that took place Sunday and paved the way for Washington and Pyongyang to re

North KoreaJuly 3, 2019

Govt revokes permit for gene therapy drug Invossa

South Korea's drug authorities on Wednesday revoked its permit for the gene therapy drug Invossa for mislabeling and the false reporting of an ingredient used.The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said it made the final decision banning the production and sales of Invossa after it canceled the license for the drug made by Kolon Life Science in late May and ordered the suspension of sales in April. The ban officially goes into effect next Tuesday.Kolon Life acknowledged that a substance in the joi

IndustryJuly 3, 2019

S. Korea to hold 2nd round of talks on revising FTA with Chile

South Korea's trade ministry said Wednesday it will hold the second round of negotiations with Chile on revising their bilateral free trade agreement that went into effect in 2004.The two-day talks, which will be held in Chile from Thursday, will focus on expanding the scope of free trade and updating terms of the 15-year-old FTA, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.Chile was South Korea's first FTA partner. Two-way trade volume quadrupled to US$6.28 billion last year from $1

EconomyJuly 3, 2019

Xi urged Trump to ease North Korea sanctions in 'timely' fashion

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged US President Donald Trump to "show flexibility" towards North Korea, including the "timely" easing of sanctions, at the G20 summit last week, China's foreign minister said Tuesday.Xi visited North Korea prior to meeting Trump at the G20 in Japan on Saturday, and analysts had said the Chinese leader could use the trip as leverage in his trade war talks with the US leader.Trump met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un the next day at the Demilitari

North KoreaJuly 3, 2019

South Korea releases two ships as oil transfers to North "not deliberate" sanctions breach

South Korea has released two shipsit had seized on suspicion of transferring oil to North Korea as there was no deliberate breach of UN sanctions, Seoul's foreign ministry said on Tuesday.South Korea seized four vessels to check whether they violated UN sanctions by making illegal ship-to-ship transfers of oil or coal products to North Korean ships.A UN panel approved the release of the Hong Kong-flagged Light house Winmore and the South Korean P-Pioneer based on South Korean probe results that

North KoreaJuly 3, 2019

'Spider-Man: Far From Home' opens in S. Korea with 674,000 admissions

The latest Marvel film "Spider-Man: Far From Home" earned a solid 674,000 views on its first day of release in South Korean cinemas, data showed Wednesday.The superhero flick dominated the daily box office charts on Tuesday, dethroning the long-time leading Disney live-action film "Aladdin" seen by about 72,000 people on the 49th day of its release, according to the data from the Korean Film Council. The figure 674,000 beats the 545,000 opening total for the 2017 film "S

FilmJuly 3, 2019

S. Korea lowers growth forecast to 2.4-2.5%

South Korea’s government on Wednesday revised the growth rate forecast for this year to 2.4-2.5 percent, down 0.2 percentage point from its earlier figure, amid sluggish exports and investments.It also reiterated the call for the National Assembly to approve the pending supplementary budget bill of 6.7 trillion won ($5.7 billion), vowing to execute 70 percent of the amount within two months. “The government has devoted maximum efforts for an economic paradigm conversion but uncertain

EconomyJuly 3, 2019

N. Korea releases commemorative coin highlighting denuclearization

North Korea has released a commemorative coin that emphasizes denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, an official from an inter-Korean cooperation body said Tuesday. Lee Sang-hyun, a member of the Korean Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation (KCRC), said he has obtained a commemorative coin issued by the North's central bank this year.  The coin obtained by Lee was engraved with text reading, "denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," and "protection of the world's pe

North KoreaJuly 3, 2019

Moon vows improved health insurance system

President Moon Jae-in made it clear Tuesday that his administration will stick to its signature state health insurance policy despite criticism from political opponents over funding.The so-called Moon Jae-in Care is meant to expand coverage of the state-run health insurance program, especially for the underprivileged, children and the elderly."The government's promise is robust," Moon stressed during a visit to a hospital run by the National Health Insurance Service in Goyang, northwes

PoliticsJuly 2, 2019

N. Korean FM meets Swedish envoy: KCNA

North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong-ho met with a special envoy from Sweden, Pyongyang's official news agency said Tuesday, raising speculation over whether the two officials discussed the whereabouts of an unaccounted-for Australian student.The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Ri held talks with Kent Rolf Magnus Harstedt, special envoy of the Swedish government. The KCNA said that the two diplomats exchanged their opinions "on the development of bilateral relations an

North KoreaJuly 2, 2019

Galaxy S10 sales 12% higher than predecessor

The first quarter sales of Samsung Electronics Co.'s Galaxy S10 series smartphones were 12 percent higher than sales of the previous model, industry data showed Tuesday.According to industry tracker Counterpoint Research, 16 million units of the Galaxy S10 were sold between March and May, which was more than sales of the Galaxy S9 series in the same period last year. Samsung introduced the Galaxy S10, the Galaxy S10 Plus, and the Galaxy S10e models in March and released the Galaxy S10 5G sm

TechnologyJuly 2, 2019

KNOC, GS Energy become first in Korea to produce oil in UAE

The state-run Korea National Oil Corporation and GS Energy have become the first South Korean companies to start oil production in the United Arab Emirates, together with the state-run Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. On Tuesday, KNOC and GS Energy held a ceremony with ADNOC in Abu Dhabi to celebrate the commencement of commercial oil production in oil fields in Haliba, located in east Abu Dhabi. The event was attended by KNOC CEO Yang Su-yeong, GS Energy CEO Huh Yong-soo and ADNOC CEO Sultan Ahm

IndustryJuly 2, 2019

[Feature] Public anger, concerns persist over contaminated tap water

For more than a month, Lee Su-jin, who lives in western Incheon, has relied on bottled water to do household tasks from cooking to cleaning. Driving to a neighboring city to eat out or use a self-service laundromat has become a daily routine. It is all because of “reddish water” still running from her taps, a problem that was first detected May 30 and has affected some 15,000 households and 160 schools in Incheon. “It has become almost impossible to lead a daily life for t

Social AffairsJuly 2, 2019

[Graphic News] Health care, cosmetics exports surge

　South Korea’s health care and cosmetics exports surged to $14.6 billion last year, the result of solid demand, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said.　Outbound shipments of drugs, medical equipment and makeup jumped 19.4 percent from the previous year, with the annual average growth rate for the past five years hitting 21 percent, according to the ministry.　Of the total, cosmetics accounted for $6.3 billion. The next-strongest export sectors were drugs and medical equipment at $4.7 billi

BusinessJuly 2, 2019

[Herald Interview] ‘Men taking parental leave first step to reducing gender inequality’

Men should be allowed and expected to take parental leave and attend to their children’s needs as the first step to achieving gender equality at work, according to a prominent US feminist scholar. To encourage men to take parental leave more freely in a society where those who choose to do so are seen as poor workers and ineffectual men, the government should put in place a “daddy quota,” Joan C. Williams, a professor at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law

Social AffairsJuly 2, 2019

Galaxy Note 10 to be unveiled Aug. 7 in New York

Samsung Electronics will unveil the 10th edition of its Galaxy Note smartphone in New York on Aug. 7, according to an official invitation sent to global media and partners on Tuesday. The Galaxy Note 10 series will be unpacked at the Barclays Center in New York, with two models for the first time.  In the invitation for the Note 10 event, Samsung highlighted a hole on the upcoming device’s display with its signature S Pen. Many market watchers are speculating that the Note 10 will hav

TechnologyJuly 2, 2019

Hanwha partners with Indian tech giant for collaborative robots

Hanwha Precision Machinery, the robot manufacturing unit of Hanwha Group, said Tuesday the company signed a contract with Wipro, India’s largest information technology business, to work together on developing automated factory solutions. Under the contract, the Hanwha unit will provide collaborative robots for network-based factory solutions aimed at automating manufacturing processes at various factories across India, led by its Indian partner. The machinery unit is a subsidiary of Hanwha

EconomyJuly 2, 2019

Consumer price growth stays stagnant for 6th month

South Korea’s consumer price growth remained below the 1 percent mark in June, reflecting the slow growth in service charges and global oil price trend, government data showed Tuesday.The consumer price index stood at 104.88 last month, down 0.2 percent from the previous month and up 0.7 percent from a year earlier, according to Statistics Korea.This marked the sixth consecutive month that the on-year growth remained in the zero percent range. It was also the third-longest period that the

EconomyJuly 2, 2019

[Robert J. Fouser] After the surprise meeting in Panmunjom

The sight of a US president shaking hands with a North Korean leader at the border in Panmunjom and then briefly stepping into North Korea would have been unimaginable just one year ago. With this symbolic gesture, Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un made history Sunday. South Korean President Moon Jae-in joined the two leaders, making it the fourth time he has met Kim Jong-un. In a meeting that followed, Trump and Kim agreed to restart negotiations between the two countries.Reaction to the hastily arr

ViewpointsJuly 2, 2019