Court rejects Mercedes-Benz's request to cancel fine

A South Korean court has rejected Mercedes-Benz's request to cancel a multibillion-won penalty imposed on the carmaker for violating emission rules, judicial sources said Friday.The environment ministry fined the German luxury carmaker's Korean unit about 7.8 billion won ($6.75 million) in 2017 for importing and selling 8,246 vehicles in 21 models without obtaining approval for changes in components controlling emissions and noise.The Seoul Administrative Court ruled against the company in a sui

IndustryJune 28, 2019

May to Putin: Stop 'destabilising' UK, allies

British Prime Minister Theresa May told Russian President Vladimir Putin Friday that normal relations will not be restored until Moscow ends its "irresponsible and destabilising" activity, a Downing Street spokesperson said.   The comments came as May met Putin for the first time since the row over the poisoning of a former Russian spy on British soil.   "She told the president that there cannot be a normalisation of our bilateral relationship until Russia stop

World NewsJune 28, 2019

Trump jokes to Putin: 'Don't meddle in the election'

With a smirk and a finger point, President Donald Trump dryly told Russia's Vladimir Putin ``Don't meddle in the election'' in their first meeting since the special counsel concluded that Russia extensively interfered with the 2016 campaign.The tone of the president's comment, which came after a reporter asked if he would warn Putin, was immediately open to interpretation. But it would seem to do little to silence questions about Trump's relationship with Russia in the aftermath of special

World NewsJune 28, 2019

KEPCO agrees to revise progressive electricity rates system

South Koreans will see lower electricity bills this summer after state-run utility company Korea Electric Power Corp. on Friday decided to revise the progressive electricity rates system.    KEPCO said its board of directors accepted a government-civilian panel's recommendation to temporarily ease electricity bills in the summer following its special meeting.    KEPCO and the government have been facing criticism that the current electric billing system adds a burden on house

Social AffairsJune 28, 2019

Xi’s statements invite varied interpretations

Messages from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un relayed by Chinese President Xi Jinping invited mixed interpretations in Seoul.During a summit with President Moon Jae-in in Japan on Thursday, Xi briefed him on the results of his two-day state visit to Pyongyang June 20-21.  While stressing the North Korean regime’s unwavering commitment to denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through dialogue with the US, Xi said that Kim is willing to do what it can to address the regime’s &l

North KoreaJune 28, 2019

Host city of ‘Couple Festival’ dismayed over Song couple’s divorce

Taebaek, Gangwon Province, is considering calling off the festival themed on the hit TV drama series “Descendants of the Sun” after Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo, who met through the drama announced their divorce Thursday. The city, where the TV drama series was filmed, is mulling canceling its “Couple Festival,” a two-day event slated for July 27. After the TV drama, aired in 2016, garnered great popularity both at home and abroad, Taebaek has been expanding its to

Social AffairsJune 28, 2019

Macron promises France’s support for Moon’s peace drive

OSAKA, Japan -- French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his full support for Seoul’s peace drive in a summit with President Moon Jae-in, Cheong Wa Dae said Friday.  “(I) fully support President Moon’s Korean Peninsula peace process and (establishing) regional stability. France is prepared to provide all it can (for the process),” Macron was quoted as saying by Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Ko Min-jung. Moon and Macron met on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit on reques

Foreign AffairsJune 28, 2019

Moon stresses economic cooperation with Indonesia

OSAKA, Japan -- President Moon Jae-in on Friday expressed hopes for closer cooperation with Indonesia, requesting President Joko Widodo’s support. At a summit with Widodo held in Osaka, Japan, Moon stressed the need for closer collaboration between the two countries, while praising developments in recent years, according to Cheong Wa Dae. “President Moon assessed bilateral relations have advanced to the highest level during President Widodo’s term, and expressed hopes for

Foreign AffairsJune 28, 2019

Moon highlights free trade, G-20 cooperation on global financial system

OSAKA, Japan -- President Moon Jae-in on Friday stressed the importance of free trade, urging more cooperation among G-20 nations.Speaking at the first session of the G-20 summit dealing with trade and global economy, Moon raised concerns on the impact of trade protectionism.  Citing OECD and IMF listing trade conflicts and spread of protectionism as one of the reasons for lowering the world’s growth outlook, he urged G-20 nations to step up collective efforts.“This is the time

Foreign AffairsJune 28, 2019

Moon urges G-20's role in resolving global trade row

With the leaders of the United States and China listening to him, South Korean President Moon Jae-in called Friday for a concerted and responsible role by the Group of 20 member states in ending global trade wars and other economic challenges."The G-20 should show leadership again," Moon stressed, speaking at the first session of this week's annual summit here on world economy, trade and investment.He pointed out that the world is confronted with new challenges amid growing uncertainti

Foreign AffairsJune 28, 2019

BTS garners more than $50 million from stadium tours in May

K-pop band BTS topped the monthly list of tour grosses with the biggest attendees among global superstars in May, Billboard reported on Thursday (on US time). "From only eight shows in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Sao Paolo, the South Korean superstars grossed $51.66 million and sold 384,498 tickets (in May)," Billboard said, citing figures from Billboard Boxscore."These towering earnings mark the biggest one-month total of 2019 so far," it said.  In May, the septe

PerformanceJune 28, 2019

National Assembly back on track with Liberty Korea Party’s return

The floor leaders of the ruling and opposition parties on Friday agreed to extend the terms of special parliamentary committees on judiciary and political reform until the end of August, signaling the end of an 84-day political deadlock.The main opposition Liberty Korea Party also reached an internal consensus to unconditionally resume participation in parliamentary committees, wrapping up a protest that lasted nearly three months and brought the National Assembly to a standstill.In the wake of

PoliticsJune 28, 2019

US ready for talks with NK to make 'simultaneous and parallel' progress: nuke envoy

The United States is ready to hold talks with North Korea to move their denuclearization negotiations forward in a "simultaneous and parallel" manner, Washington's top nuclear envoy was quoted as saying Friday.US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun made the remarks when he met with his South Korean counterpart, Lee Do-hoon, a day before US President Donald Trump visits Seoul for summit talks with President Moon Jae-in, according to the foreign ministry.Biegun "re

North KoreaJune 28, 2019

Seoul stocks end lower ahead of Trump-Xi meeting

South Korean shares ended lower Friday as investors remained cautious ahead of the US-China trade talks Saturday that could provide a pivotal cue for markets. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 3.7 points, or 0.17 percent, to close at 2,130.62. Trade volume was moderate at 530 million shares worth 4.2 trillion won ($3.6 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 533 to 269. All eyes are now on Saturday's planned meeting between US.Pres

EconomyJune 28, 2019

Korea, India to set up high-level body for cooperation

OSAKA, Japan -- South Korea and India will establish a new high-level dialogue body to seek ways to achieve synergies between Seoul’s New Southern Policy and India’s Look East Policy, Cheong Wa Dae said Friday. The agreement was made during President Moon Jae-in’s summit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Osaka. “The two leaders agreed to seek projects (for achieving synergies) by establishing a high-level consultatio

Foreign AffairsJune 28, 2019

Canberra checking on Australian reportedly detained in NK

The Australian government said it is working with the Swedish government to confirm reports that an Australian man has been detained in North Korea. The family of Alek Sigley, a 29-year-old student who has lived in North Korea for the past year and is pursuing a master’s degree in Korean literature at Kim Il-sung University, said they had not heard from him since Tuesday. Citing unnamed sources, South Korean and Australian media reported that Sigley had been arrested by North Korean author

North KoreaJune 28, 2019

University warned over survey that got too personal, violated students’ rights

A private university received a warning from the nation’s human rights body over a mandatory survey that included highly personal questions. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea said Thursday that the University of Suwon, located south of Seoul in Gyeonggi Province, violated students’ rights by requiring them to fill out the detailed questionnaire before they could check their exam scores. In December, the school added the 95-question survey to the lecture evaluation questio

Social AffairsJune 28, 2019

Korean musicians receive awards at Tchaikovsky Competition

Four classical musicians from South Korea have received awards in the voice, violin, cello and brass instruments sections of the International Tchaikovsky Competition held this week in Russia, according to organizers Friday.  Kim Ki-hoon, a 27-year-old baritone, won second prize in the voice competition held at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg.Kim Dong-hyun, 19, finished third in the violin section of the competition’s 16th edition, following the final round held at Tchaikovsky

PerformanceJune 28, 2019

Far-right party to relocate rally station ahead of Trump’s visit

The far-right Our Republican Party announced Friday it will suspend its monthlong occupation of Gwanghwamun Square in downtown Seoul. The decision comes a day before US President Donald Trump’s scheduled visit to South Korea, following a police advisory that the rally station’s presence could pose security risks.Our Republican Party Chairman Rep. Cho Won-jin said the party leadership has decided to move the protest tents to the pedestrian mall in front of the nearby Seoul Finance Cen

Social AffairsJune 28, 2019

Panel wraps up probe into border security failure in N. Korean boat case

A defense ministry panel wrapped up a weeklong probe Friday into the border security failure that led to the undetected arrival of a North Korean boat at an eastern sea port earlier this month, military sources said.The investigation detected some problems in maritime and coastal surveillance operations, but the panel is yet to make a conclusion on if there were any false reports or attempts to cover up the case, they added. The panel involving 30 officials and experts launched the probe on June

DefenseJune 28, 2019