Ministry warns against food poisoning, flesh-eating bacterial infection

The Food Safety Ministry issued a warning Friday against food poisoning and flesh-eating infection associated with Vibrio bacteria, urging caution in beach-going and seafood consumption.The ministry said infections of Vibrio bacteria, which thrive in warming waters, are most commonly reported from July to September. Vibrio parahaemolyticus causes food poisoning and gastrointestinal illnesses, while vulnificus causes flesh-eating disease. Two main routes of infection identified by the ministry ar

Social AffairsJuly 26, 2019

[News Focus] Will Samsung cut memory chip production?

With SK hynix making a painful decision to cut production of memory chips Thursday, all eyes are on whether Samsung Electronics -- the world’s No. 1 DRAM producer with a market share of over 40 percent -- will follow suit. Samsung has denied it plans to cut production, but market analysts say the chip giant will slowly reduce its output of memory chips. This may sound negative to Samsung’s operations, but cutting down production would help shore up sagging prices in the memory segmen

TechnologyJuly 26, 2019

S. Korea says no change in planned joint military drills with US

The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Friday that South Korea and the United States will proceed with their planned joint military drills as scheduled, despite North Korea's warning.North Korea's state media said earlier in the day that the two short-range ballistic missiles the country fired Thursday were a "solemn warning" against South Korea, calling for the suspension of Seoul's planned military exercises and its purchase of what it called offensive weapons.Cheong Wa Dae said

DefenseJuly 26, 2019

SK Innovation Q2 net more than halves on weak margins

SK Innovation Co., South Korea's top oil refiner, said Friday that its second-quarter net profit tumbled 67 percent from a year earlier on weak refining margins.  Net profit stood at 168.9 billion won ($142 million) on a consolidated basis in the April-June period, compared with 512.6 billion won a year earlier, the company said in a regulatory filing.  Operating income plunged 41.6 percent on-year to reach 497.5 billion won in the second quarter, with sales declining 2.5 percent on-ye

IndustryJuly 26, 2019

Adoption, abandonment find new voices in ‘Side by Side’

Filmmaker team and husband-and-wife duo Glenn and Julie Morey held a screening and panel discussion for their short documentary film on international adoption, titled “Side by Side,” Thursday at the Seoul Non-Profit Organization Center. The short documentary showcases interviews with nine Koreans adopted into families in the US, the Netherlands, France and Sweden. Their emotional firsthand accounts range from abandonment to growing up abroad and, in some cases, reuniting with th

Social AffairsJuly 26, 2019

Overseas Koreans Foundation ordered to fix loose rule on scholarship program

The Overseas Koreans Foundation, a Foreign Ministry-affiliated organization, was found to have been supporting children of diplomats and expatriates with its scholarship programs designed for educating overseas Korean youths to contribute to the development of overseas Korean communities. The government watchdog Board of Audit and Inspection said Thursday it requested a correction to the organization’s loose standards in selecting scholarship recipients. “Taking account of the Overse

Social AffairsJuly 26, 2019

Watch LoL from in-game character perspective, says SKT

Telecommunications firm SKT is giving users a new option to watch League of Legends matches from an in-game champion’s perspective, the company announced Friday. Users subscribed to SKT’s 5G plan can put on goggles to enjoy three new services. Jump AR lets users virtually access the LoL Park stadium in Jongno, Seoul, from anywhere. VR Livestream broadcasts the LoL Championship Korea competition in virtual reality. And VR Replay enables viewers to watch the match from a champion&rsquo

IndustryJuly 26, 2019

Prosecutors to take on illegal business operations at Daesung-owned property

Investigation is underway into suspicions of illegal sex business operations at a Gangnam building owned by Daesung of K-pop group Big Bang. Seoul Gangnam Police Station said Friday the case involving four tenants of the boy band member’s property was sent to prosecutors in mid-June for violating facilities regulations.In April, police suspended operation of one of the building’s businesses -- which had been registered as a restaurant -- for hiring hostesses. The other three have als

Social AffairsJuly 26, 2019

[Newsmaker] Daesung denies association with alleged illegal business in his building

Big Bang’s Daesung on Friday apologized for the ongoing controversy surrounding his building in Gangnam, Seoul, while denying any association with an alleged illegal entertainment business at his property. News outlets reported earlier Friday that an illegal entertainment business had been operating in the Big Bang member’s building in the Nonhyeon-dong neighborhood of Gangnam. An initial report said that an illegal entertainment business -- speculated to involve prostitution --

PerformanceJuly 26, 2019

[Photo News] Ronaldo arrives in Seoul for match with Korean All-Stars

Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo landed at Incheon Airport on Friday afternoon. He will be leading Juventus in an exhibition match against the K League All-Star team, slated to take place at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Friday at 8 p.m.Hundreds of soccer fans waited at the airport to welcome the 34-year-old Portuguese player, who last visited Seoul in July 2007 for an exhibition match with Manchester United. By Choi Ji-won (jwc@heraldcorp.com)

SoccerJuly 26, 2019

Woori acquires Kukje Asset Trust to beef up nonbanking sector

Woori Financial Group said Friday it has acquired Kukje Asset Trust, a local real estate trust company, in an effort to boost its nonbanking portfolio.The financial holding firm signed a stock purchase agreement to acquire a combined controlling stake of 65.7 percent from Kukje Asset Trust Chairman Yoo Jae-eun and his partners.  Woori said it has acquired the first batch of stock traded -- 44.5 percent -- and the remaining 21.27 percent will be acquired three years later, with Chairman Yoo

MarketJuly 26, 2019

NPS invested W5.6 trillion in Japanese companies linked to forced wartime labor

The National Pension Service invested some 5.6 trillion won ($4.73 billion) between 2014 and 2018 in Japanese companies linked to Japan’s forced wartime labor, raising questions about the service’s investment decisions. The figures were released by Rep. Kim Kwang-soo of the minor opposition Party for Democracy and Peace, who is a member of the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee.The figures show that a total 87.5 billion won had been invested in Japan’s Mitsu

PoliticsJuly 26, 2019

Seoul mayor’s Gwanghwamun makeover plans unfeasible: minister

Interior and Safety Minister Chin Young said Thursday the ministry and the Seoul Metropolitan Government are far from reaching an agreement on the city’s plans to revamp Gwanghwamun Square. The ministry and the city government have had “lengthy discussions that have reached no agreement to date,” Chin said of the square’s renewal during a press briefing.In January, Seoul City announced a plan to transform the square by 2021. The renewed square would be 3.7 times larger, w

Social AffairsJuly 26, 2019

Moon reshuffles three top secretaries

Cheong Wa Dae on Friday named new senior presidential secretaries for civil affairs, job creation and civic society, with a wider Cabinet reshuffle expected next month.  Kim Jo-won, head of Korea Aerospace Industries, was appointed senior secretary for civil affairs, replacing Cho Kuk. Cho served his post for 26 months since taking office in May 2017 as one of President Moon Jae-in’s first senior presidential secretaries. He is expected to be appointed as the next justice minister.&nb

PoliticsJuly 26, 2019

Anycos’ QR code packaging to help prevent copycat products

The market for packaging has grown along with the popularity of online shopping, deliveries and home meal replacements. Korean food manufacturing giant CJ projected that sales of home meal replacements would triple from 240 billion won ($203 million) in 2017 to 700 billion won by 2020. Tapping into this trend, Anycos, which opened a factory in January in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, is prepared to annually manufacture roughly 40 million meters of plastic packaging materials for food, cosmetics a

IndustryJuly 26, 2019

Trade minister reaches out to US politicians, businesses over Japan’s export curbs

Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee warned that Tokyo’s trade measures will set a “risky precedent” while seeking cooperation from US politicians, think tanks and trade organizations over Japan’s export restrictions, the ministry said Friday.During her visit to the US from Tuesday to Thursday, the trade minister met with US politicians, including Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Foreign Affairs Chairman Eliot Engel and Texas Congressman Michael McCaul, as well as think tanks, inc

IndustryJuly 26, 2019

S. Korea to double fund for restructuring of SMEs

South Korea's financial regulator said Friday it will double the size of funds to restructure struggling small and medium-sized enterprises this year, as part of its drive for "market-oriented" corporate restructuring. The government has launched a 1 trillion-won ($845 million) fund for the restructuring of SMEs, but the Financial Services Commission said it will increase the fund to 2 trillion won this year.  The fund will be gradually expanded to 5 trillion won, the FSC said in

EconomyJuly 26, 2019

DUIs in Seoul drop 23% under toughened rules

Drunk driving cases dropped 23 percent in Seoul in the month following the introduction of toughened regulations.The revised traffic law, the Second Yoon Chang-ho Act, lowered the legal limit of drivers’ blood alcohol level and imposes stronger punishments for driving under the influence.Yoon, an Army conscript and college student, was hit by a drunk driver in Busan in September last year. He suffered severe head injuries and died in November. Yoon’s death led the National Assembly t

Social AffairsJuly 26, 2019

Heavy rain warnings issued in central regions, downpour in store for weekend

The season’s first heavy rain warning was issued in Seoul on Friday morning, with nationwide downpours in store over the weekend. The Korea Meteorological Administration adjusted a heavy rain watch to heavy rain warnings across Seoul, Incheon and parts of Gyeonggi Province that saw heavy rains Friday morning, while heavy rain alerts remained in effect in parts of the central region.Heavy rain warnings are issued when more than 90 millimeters of rain in three hours or over 180 millimeters o

Social AffairsJuly 26, 2019

[Eye Plus] Centennial memory preserved in city center

It is just five minutes’ walk from Seodaemun Subway Station in central Seoul to get out of the glittering city and travel back in time to the early 20th century. The Donuimun Museum Village resurrects an old Seoul neighborhood of the 1960s-1980s with a barbershop, movie theater, arcade, comic book store and more. About 30 historic houses were repurposed and given a new life at the brink of demolition for the public park. Opened in October 2017, the area is the result of the city

CultureJuly 26, 2019