[Elizabeth Drew] Could the Democrats blow it?

The unprecedentedly large number of candidates -- 25 at last count -- for the Democratic nomination to take on US President Donald Trump in 2020 has led to an awkward opening to the contest. The number of contenders will drop as the qualifications for participating in party debates tighten (especially in September) and some run out of money. Some know they have no real chance at winning, but hope that becoming better known might land them a cabinet post, more lucrative book deals, or larger spea

ViewpointsJuly 11, 2019

[David Ignatius] Why not get tough on Iran?

Democratic candidates for president should get smart about America’s confrontation with Iran: Rather than seek only to restore the 2015 nuclear deal, they should also endorse a broader, new negotiation that addresses Iran’s meddling in the region and removes sanctions against Tehran.The goal should be “JCPOA 2.0, Plus,” argues Karim Sadjadpour, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. That’s a reference to the acronym for the 2015 accord, k

ViewpointsJuly 11, 2019

Co-directors ramp up preparation for 2020 Gwangju Biennale

Defne Ayas and Natasha Ginwala, co-artistic directors of the 13th Gwangju Biennale, are gearing up for the event, slated to kick off in September 2020.The biennale will look into the “entire spectrum of intelligence,” the two artistic directors said during a press conference in Seoul on Thursday.  “Our curatorial focus will engage with artistic approaches and scientific methods that examine the entire spectrum of intelligence -- ranging from spiritual and shaman legacies,

Arts & DesignJuly 11, 2019

Hyundai aims to sell 15,000 Venue annually

Hyundai Motor announced Thursday the launch of its smallest sport utility vehicle Venue, setting an annual sales target of 15,000 units in the future and 8,000 units within the year. The Venue completes the carmaker’s SUV lineup, in which it has invested heavily in recent years, defying market criticism of its reliance on midsized sedans. This latest addition to its SUV lineup takes its place alongside the flagship Palisade, the Santa Fe compact, the Tucson subcompact and the entry-level K

MobilityJuly 11, 2019

Scandal-ridden member Kangin to leave Super Junior

Kangin, a scandal-ridden member of long-running K-pop boy band Super Junior, said Thursday he will leave the team, ending his 14-year membership.The 34-year-old, whose real name is Kim Young-woon, broke the news on his Instagram account.  "I decided to leave behind the title, Super Junior, with which I spent a long time," he said."I have been all too sorry for other members ... but couldn't make up my mind quickly due to people who steadfastly support me," he said. "

PerformanceJuly 11, 2019

53,900 opt out of life-prolonging treatment since adoption of Death with Dignity Act

A year and five months since the enactment of Death with Dignity Act, nearly 54,000 have decided to opt out of life-prolonging treatments, according to government data.The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Wednesday the number of individuals who either withheld or withdrew from receiving life-prolonging treatment totaled 53,900 as of June 30. The end-of-life care legislation allowing terminally ill patients to abandon life-prolonging medical care went into effect on Feb. 4, 2018.Life-prolongin

Social AffairsJuly 11, 2019

IT firms aim to be in limelight at FINA championships

More than 2,000 athletes from around the world are flocking to Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul, to compete in the 2019 FINA World Aquatics Championships from Friday to July 28. While the athletes vie for medals, electronics and telecom companies will try to gain global attention during the biennial international event. As one of the main sponsors for the FINA championships, South Korea’s leading telco KT will showcased its latest fifth-generation technologies, ranging from advanced

TechnologyJuly 11, 2019

Japan made over 30 illegal shipments to North Korea: lawmaker

Lawmaker Ha Tae-keung of the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party on Thursday alleged that Japan smuggled hydrogen fluoride and materials used to develop biochemical weapons to North Korea.According to Ha, Japan made over 30 shipments of hydrogen fluoride, materials for biochemical weapon development and other strategic items to North Korea between 1996 and 2003. Strategic items refer to goods and technologies regulated from exports, to maintain national security and international peace.Ha cited a

PoliticsJuly 11, 2019

Pianist Im Sung-mi honored to ‘breathe with audience’

Pianist Im Sung-mi took the stage for the 711th edition of “The House Concert” at Daehangno, central Seoul, on Monday. “The House Concert” is a small-scale music project run by artistic director Park Chang-soo. Seated on the floor of the venue, concertgoers are able to experience music in a different way, feeling the vibrations of the wooden floor. “It reminds me of the Bargemusic hall in New York, for which my late husband Bae Ik-hwan had long been an artistic dire

PerformanceJuly 11, 2019

[Herald Interview] Chef goes on shining without star

For foodies familiar with Seoul’s fine dining scene, it has long been a mystery that Ryunique does not yet have a Michelin star. It seems like the contemporary fine dining restaurant has every quality it needs to be awarded the much-coveted star. But its name has not made the list for the past three years. Led by chef Ryu Tae-hwan, the fine dining restaurant in Sinsa-dong, southern Seoul, studies the arts of French and Japanese cuisine while incorporating a Korean flavor and using local pr

Life&CultureJuly 11, 2019

[Herald Interview] RISE co-host Paddy Cosgrave says in-app translation service may bring more CEOs onstage

Conferences can get dull when language barriers cloud a visionary’s message.Paddy Cosgrave, the co-host of Asia’s biggest tech conference, RISE, said in a closed-door interview with The Korea Herald on Wednesday that he hopes to bring more non-English speaking CEOs onstage at the global tech conferences he holds by using conference mobile apps to expand simultaneous translation services. “The RISE app this year provides Mandarin translations for all the sessions,” Cosgrav

IndustryJuly 11, 2019

S. Korea eyes medal with largest-yet delegation at World Aquatic Championships

South Korean swimmers are shooting for the country’s 1st medal since 2011 in the upcoming 2019 FINA World Aquatics Championships, to kick off Friday in Gwangju. On its home turf, the country is sending its largest-ever team to the championship with 82 athletes, 29 in swimming, eight in diving, 26 in water polo, 11 in artistic swimming and eight in open water swimming. One star who will not be joining the team is Park Tae-hwan, the first and only swimmer in the country’s history to ha

More SportsJuly 11, 2019

Defense Ministry denies reports of Japan’s involvement in UNC

Seoul’s Ministry of National Defense on Thursday denied reports that the United Nations Command is seeking Japanese involvement in its operations.  “Japan was not a combatant in the Korean War, so cannot become a sending state,” a Defense Ministry official said, ruling out the possibility of Japan sending troops or participating in the UNC without Seoul’s involvement. A sending state is a country that provides troops, materials and other support necessary in a war si

DefenseJuly 11, 2019

What to do in Gwangju: Cultural events on swimming championships’ sidelines

Gwangju is considered the center of culture and tourism in the Jeolla region, the southwestern part of the Korean Peninsula. While the so-called “City of Light” is illuminated July 12-28 for the 2019 FINA World Aquatics Championships, a number of cultural events have been scheduled to coincide with the sports event. Visitors will have plenty of chances to experience traditional music, dance, street performances, art and food.The year-round Gwangju Fringe Festival is going on at May 1

CultureJuly 11, 2019

Gwangju raises curtain on FINA World Championships

World-class swimmers have arrived, tickets are almost sold out, safety precautions have been taken, and venues have been prepared as Gwangju puts the finishing touches on hosting the FINA World Championships 2019, slated for kick off on Friday to be continued until July 28.The entries for this year’s event closed last week with 2,639 athletes from 194 countries throwing in their hats to compete under the slogan “Dive into Peace.” They will be vying for 76 gold medals across six

More SportsJuly 11, 2019

[News Analysis] Why is Korea so dependent on Japanese materials?

The aggravating trade dispute with Japan reveals some hard truths about South Korea’s lack of basic technologies despite being dubbed as a tech powerhouse, not to mention the dire need to diversify its supply channels to reduce its heavy dependence on the neighboring nation. On July 1, the Japanese government tightened the export process to Korea of three classes of hi-tech materials crucial to the production of chips and display panels and removing it from the white list. The materials in

IndustryJuly 11, 2019

Hanwha to invest in US air taxi startup

South Korean defense company Hanwha Systems said Wednesday that it would join the emerging mobility business by investing $25 million in a US startup that specializes in flying taxis. 　Tentatively named K4 Aeronautics, the US firm will work with Hanwha Systems to develop the necessary technology to produce personal aerial vehicles. The Korean company said it would increase its investment after acquiring a certain stake in K4 Aeronautics. 　According to Hanwha Systems, K4 Aeronautics has obtained

TechnologyJuly 11, 2019

Japan curbs blight Samsung’s system chip vision

Samsung Electronics’ goal of becoming the top logic chip provider by 2030 might be seriously hampered by Japan’s restrictions on exports of hi-tech materials, if the two governments fail to ease the diplomatic tensions soon, according to industry sources Thursday. The tech giant’s April announcement to be the world’s No. 1 in the system-on-chip market beyond memory chips is the first official task of its de facto leader Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong. However, the latest Japa

TechnologyJuly 11, 2019

[Newsmaker] Entry ban on Korean American singer illegal: top court

The top court ruled Thursday that an entry ban on a Korean American singer who obtained US citizenship in an apparent attempt to evade military conscription here is illegal, paving the way for him to come to South Korea 17 years after it was prohibited.The Supreme Court found that refusing an entry visa to Steve Yoo, 43, who was a highly popular singer until the early 2000s and is better known as Yoo Seung-jun, is in violation of “administrative procedures.”　In 2002, the Ministry of

Social AffairsJuly 11, 2019