[Kim Seong-kon] Different flags on Korean Peninsula

Last week was the 69th anniversary of the Korean War. Although it was such a tragic war in which the Korean Peninsula suffered the annihilation of millions of lives, few people seem to remember it now. Many of those who experienced the war have long since died of old age and those who were babies or young children during the war are now in their 70s. When it comes to the Korean War, most Koreans do not know or care about it at all, except for the ambiguous descriptions in secondary school histor

ViewpointsJuly 2, 2019

US, N. Korea have ended hostile relations: Moon

President Moon Jae-in said Tuesday that the US and North Korea have put an end to their hostile relations with the recent meeting of their leaders, who stepped back and forth over the Korean border on Sunday. “Although they did not sign any document, their action was tantamount to a de facto declaration of an end to hostile relations and the beginning of a full-fledged peace era,” Moon said during a Cabinet meeting. On Sunday, US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Ki

North KoreaJuly 2, 2019

Over 1,500 homes in Seoul have water cut off

Over 1,500 households at a large apartment complex in Seoul have had no access to water since Monday evening due to a ruptured pipe.The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday that its waterworks office dispatched a support team to the apartment complex in Seoul’s west-central district of Seodaemun-gu at around 8 p.m. Monday, after a report of a flooding situation in the basement. The water valves were shut off to prevent further flooding, blocking water supplies to all households.

Social AffairsJuly 2, 2019

[Herald Interview] Observing K-pop crossover from other side

While K-pop crossovers have been enjoying momentum, a columnist shared his opinion on the global phenomenon and its development from the perspective of an outsider looking in.Jeff Benjamin is a freelance columnist based in the US who writes about K-pop and other genres of music. He is passionately appreciated by “Army,” referring to the BTS fandom, for actively introducing the K-pop band to the larger Western public.  “I always grew up with this idea that music could be gr

PerformanceJuly 2, 2019

A look into nature and wildlife, beyond our reach

An ongoing Seoul exhibition highlights unique moments that internationally well-known photographers have captured to reveal the natural environments beyond our reach, through National Geographic’s photographs. The exhibition at the Hangaram Art Museum at the Seoul Arts Center, titled “Nature’s Odyssey,” presents images taken in part to bring attention to pressing environmental issues, according an exhibition organizer.British photographer Robbie Shone’s photo of a l

Arts & DesignJuly 2, 2019

CCF 2019 discusses content creation culture of Korea and beyond

As a part of the 2019 Culture Communication Forum, a debate on the internet content market and Korea’s place in it was held Tuesday at Grand Hyatt Seoul. The delegates present were: bestselling author Ito Ogawa from Japan, US pop columnist Jeff Benjamin, film director Ilya Khrzhanovskiy from Russia, think tank director Bronwen Maddox from the UK, film director Shakun Batra from India, Korean folk singer Lee Hee-moon, photographer Andreas Muhe from Germany, film director Herve Demers f

PeopleJuly 2, 2019

Non-regular school workers to stage joint strike this week

South Korean schools will likely be hit hard by a joint walkout by their non-regular workers this week.An alliance of non-regular employees working at elementary and secondary schools, including cafeteria cooks, dietitians and administrative assistants for teachers, has threatened to stage a general strike from Wednesday to Friday to push through wage increases.Ahead of the launch of the strike, representatives of the non-regular workers and education officials held last-minute negotiations on T

Social AffairsJuly 2, 2019

[News Focus] Payments for jobless soar in Daejeon, Gwangju, Daegu

SEJONG -- The nation’s jobless rate, which posted the critical 4 percent or over for the fifth consecutive month this year, has forced the government to pay out ever-higher amounts in benefits for the unemployed. The growing volume of payouts reflects the sentiment-reflected jobless rate, a measure that also takes underemployment into account. The sentiment-reflected jobless rate far exceeds the official unemployment rate of 4 percent mark, having hovered around 12 percent f

Social AffairsJuly 2, 2019

Women still paid less than men: report

Women in Korea are still paid less than men on average despite their increasing economic and academic participation, a report showed Tuesday.A report on women’s lives in Korea, released by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Statistics Korea, revealed that the average monthly wage of women in 2018 stood at 2.29 million won ($1,920), 68.8 percent of that of men. The report surveyed workplaces with five or more regular employees. Data showed that in 2018, 73.8 percent of female high school s

Social AffairsJuly 2, 2019

Posco estimated to lose W4b from power outages

Steelmaker Posco said Tuesday it reactivated five furnaces that were shut down at its Gwangyang steel mill due to a blackout the day before. On Monday, the company halted the operation of five furnaces at its steel mill due to a power failure. Posco said all the five furnaces have returned to normal operations and all other major production facilities are running as usual. The blackout is estimated to temporarily increase fixed costs by at least 40 billion won ($34 million) due to reduced p

IndustryJuly 2, 2019

Nvidia confirms plan to produce next-generation GPUs through Samsung

Following speculations that Nvidia is planning to rely on Samsung Electronics to produce next-generation graphic processing units, the US tech giant confirmed Tuesday that it had reached an agreement for foundry cooperation with the world’s largest chipmaker. During a press conference in Seoul, Nvidia Korea chief Yoo Eung-joon said that its production of advanced GPUs will be conducted by Samsung Electronics with its 7-nanometer extreme ultraviolet process.“It is meaningful that Sams

TechnologyJuly 2, 2019

[Herald Interview] Aspiring entrepreneurs discuss startup ecosystem

From a student’s perspective, tech-savvy South Korea might be just the place to make a promising start as an entrepreneur.But it also has its limits, despite the unprecedented level of support and attention being paid to the startup ecosystem here, according to Korean students who took part in a two-day hackathon in Finland in June, jointly organized by the Seoul-based Korea Startup Forum and Helsinki-based Junction.Three of them sat down with The Korea Herald to talk about what&

TechnologyJuly 2, 2019

Impact of DMZ meeting on denuclearization remains unclear

The leaders of the two Koreas and the US on Sunday made history at the inter-Korean border, but the impact the gathering will have on denuclearization prospects remain unclear. The ruling Democratic Party welcomed the meeting, with its Floor Leader Rep. Lee In-young saying, “Following the (US-North Korea) working-level talks, denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and establishing peace will enter an irreversible situation.”Meanwhile, the main opposition Liberty Korea Party raised

North KoreaJuly 2, 2019

Seoul to host electric-car race ABB FIA Formula E next May

ABB FIA Formula E Championship, the world’s only electric-powered car race, will take place in Seoul in May next year, Formula E Korea said Tuesday. Dubbed Seoul E-Prix 2020, the championship’s 10th race in its sixth season will be held at Jamsil Sports Complex and on roads around the Olympic Park on May 3. Fourteen rounds will take place in 12 cities, finishing the race in London in July. Participating automotive firms include Audi, Jaguar, Nissan, DS, BMW, Mercedes-Benz a

MobilityJuly 2, 2019

Hong Kong protests may give Taiwan's leader a boost vs China

BEIJING (AP) -- Recent anti-government protests in Hong Kong are echoing in Taiwan, possibly giving the island's President Tsai Ing-wen a lift in her campaign to resist Beijing's pressure for political unification and win a second term in next year's elections. The demonstrations sparked by Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam's now-shelved push for unpopular extradition legislation have turned a glaring spotlight on China's "one country, two systems" framework for ruling the former Br

World NewsJuly 2, 2019

Far-right party says it will set up protest tents again at public plaza

A far-right opposition party said Tuesday it will set up protest tents again at a public plaza in central Seoul this week, heralding another possible clash with the city government and the district office.The Our Republican Party had illegally set up the tents at Gwanghwamun Square to call for the release of the jailed former President Park Geun-hye since May, pitting itself against the city government, which had ordered the removal. The party temporarily moved the tents to a spot in front of a

PoliticsJuly 2, 2019

Workforce for chips, display industries to reach 165,000 by 2027

The South Korean government projects that the nation’s future industries would require 165,000 workers by 2027, vowing to address skills shortages by training workers through higher education and public projects. On Tuesday, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said its survey results revealed a growing need for manpower in five future industries, including next-generation chips, advanced display panels, internet of things-based home appliances, augmented reality and virtual reality

IndustryJuly 2, 2019

[Herald Review] Good acting eclipsed by rookie directing in ‘The Culprit’

Both Song Sae-byeong and Yoo Sun are quality actors, but it has been quite some time since either of them benefited from a good script or decent directing. One more unfortunate example of this is the upcoming mystery thriller “The Culprit” by director Go Jung-wook, a jumbled pile of pretentious plots that are convoluted and confusing for all the wrong reasons. A twist for twist’s sake is never the right choice, a note that the director apparently didn’t get for his first

FilmJuly 2, 2019

Lawmaker says next Trump-Kim summit likely in January in Singapore

A ruling party lawmaker said Tuesday that the next summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is likely to be held early next year in Singapore.Rep. Lee Seok-hyun of the Democratic Party had predicted the surprise Trump-Kim meeting in Panmunjom on Sunday in a tweet the day before that said “a DMZ flash meeting will take place tomorrow afternoon.” The six-term lawmaker who sits on the parliamentary foreign affairs and unification committee wrote on Fa

North KoreaJuly 2, 2019