Boy band Pentagon kicks off world tour

Boy band Pentagon has kicked off a world concert tour, bringing it to 23 cities across the globe, its management agency said Friday.The world tour, named “Prism,” kicked off with its inaugural concert in Seoul in April and will take the band on a journey to perform in 23 cities in Asia, the United States, Europe and South America from August to December.  The list of destinations includes Santiago, Milan, Lisbon, Berlin, Paris, Moscow and Tokyo in addition to major U.S. cities,

PerformanceJuly 5, 2019

KRX to consider delisting original developer of disputed drug Invossa

South Korea’s main bourse operator Korea Exchange (KRX) has designated Kolon TissueGene, original developer of the recently invalidated joint inflammation treatment Invossa, as a potential delisting target, officials said Friday.“A screening committee will be held within 15 working days (by July 26) to decide whether to delist (the company) or to grant a grace period for improvement,” KRX said in a public statement.Kolon TissueGene, the US affiliate of Kolon Life Science, went

IndustryJuly 5, 2019

South Korean TV show may face Thai investigation

The producers of “Law of the Jungle,” a jungle survival entertainment program on SBS, could face police investigation in Thailand. According to news reports, Thai authorities are looking into possible violation of local environmental laws by the show’s cast in episodes filmed on Ko Mook Island in southern Thailand. The show consists of celebrities being sent to remote locations where they engage in survival activities including collecting and hunting food stuff.  A recentl

Social AffairsJuly 5, 2019

‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ continues to echo throughout Korea

It seems like the “Bohemian Rhapsody” phenomenon may never die out, evidenced by the concerts, shows and even a Seoul art exhibition paying tribute to Queen and the band’s legendary frontman Freddie Mercury.Piling onto the onslaught of Queen-mania here, the exhibition “Bohemian Rhapsody: The Queen Exhibition” is to take place at Ara Art Center in Insa-dong, central Seoul, from Sunday to Oct. 6. The exhibition has been officially approved by Queen Productions. 

CultureJuly 5, 2019

SoftBank chief considers joint investments on AI with Korean tech leaders

Masayoshi Son, chairman of Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, said Thursday he will make new investments in promising artificial intelligence businesses together with South Korean tech giants, hopefully this year. The IT business tycoon discussed plans to expand cooperation and investments on AI with the leaders of five top Korean tech companies, including Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, at Korea Furniture Museum in Seongbuk-dong, northern Seoul. In response to a question about the

TechnologyJuly 5, 2019

Moon vows more govt support for 'social economy'

President Moon Jae-in said Friday his liberal administration will redouble efforts to boost the "social economy" sector to create jobs and support the underprivileged.He was addressing the opening ceremony of the second Social Economy Fair. This year's event opened in Daejeon, some 160 kilometers south of Seoul, for a three-day run.Since taking office in May 2017, Moon, a former human rights lawyer, has campaigned for the development of a social economy in South Korea, which struggles

PoliticsJuly 5, 2019

LG Electronics Q2 operating earnings down 15.4% on downbeat mobile biz

LG Electronics Inc. said Friday its second-quarter operating profits are expected to have dropped 15.4 percent from a year earlier, mainly due to its sluggish smartphone business.In an earnings guidance, the South Korean electronics maker said it expects to post 652.2 billion won ($557 million) in operating profits in the April-June period -- far below the average market expectation of around 774 billion won.Its sales are expected to be 15.6 trillion won in the second quarter, a 4.1 percent surg

IndustryJuly 5, 2019

Hyundai Motor Group’s US sales on rise for 11 months in row

Hyundai Motor Group has seen an increase in its US sales for 11 consecutive months, the South Korean automaker’s US office said Friday.According to Hyundai Motor America, the Korean carmaker sold 64,200 units in June, about 2 percent rise from a year earlier. Sport utility vehicles led the uptrend, the company said, recording a 10 percent sales increase on-year and accounting for 53 percent of the total monthly sales. By type, 50 percent of SUV sales in the US last month was led by su

MobilityJuly 5, 2019

Dodgers' Ryu Hyun-jin wins final start of 1st half

Los Angeles Dodgers starter Ryu Hyun-jin has wrapped up a terrific first half of the season with a long-awaited victory.The South Korean left-hander shut down the San Diego Padres over six innings at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Thursday (local time), holding them to three singles while striking out five. The Dodgers went on to win 5-1.He improved to 10-2 for the season to reach win No. 10 on his fifth try and lowered his major league-best ERA from 1.83 to 1.73. Now in his sixth season, with

BaseballJuly 5, 2019

[Newsmaker] Korean soldier sought to join IS terrorist group

A 23-year-old South Korean man is under investigation for allegedly seeking to join the Islamic State terrorist group, and preparing for a terrorist attack while he was serving in the army. It marks the country’s first case of a “lone wolf” terrorist act being planning.The man surnamed Park, 23, was found to have stolen an ignition device for explosives while being trained at an army engineer school after joining an infantry unit near Seoul in October 2017, broadcaster KBS repo

Social AffairsJuly 5, 2019

Study tips aimed at helping Korean adults to restart learning process

“Let’s Study for 1 Hour Today”By Yang Sung-jin(Memento) In one Simpsons episode, Homer is confronted by a stack of homework that Bart has failed to complete. When Homer is assured he doesn’t have to help his kid to do it, his reaction evokes a mix of pride and awkwardness for many Koreans: “I say this boy needs more homework. … Pile it on! I want him to be Korean by the time he’s done.”Homer’s playful reference to Korea reflects the widespre

BooksJuly 5, 2019

Ivanka Trump makes headlines by donning Korean designer’s dress

White House adviser and first daughter Ivanka Trump turned heads during her recent visit to South Korea by wearing a dress designed by a Korean designer.Trump, known as a fashion enthusiast, arrived in Korea with US President Donald Trump last Saturday. During a forum held Sunday to discuss gender role issues at Grand Hyatt Seoul, she sported an ivory coat-style dress.  The dress was designed by designer Jong Go-en who leads her namesake label Goen.J. The creation was a part of the 2019 Re

Arts & DesignJuly 5, 2019

Pan-govt effort to deal with Japan’s trade move underway: Cheong Wa Dae

The government is working closely with the corporate community to respond to Japan’s trade regulations against South Korea, a top Cheong Wa Dae official said Friday. “(Cheong Wa Dae) is listening to the voices of local companies and seeking solutions,” the official said on condition of anonymity, in response to criticism that measures such as taking the issue to the World Trade Organization would be insufficient in reducing the impact on local businesses.  Japan has r

Foreign AffairsJuly 5, 2019

Samsung Q2 earnings guidance shows slight improvement

Samsung Electronics’ earnings for the second quarter of 2019 are forecast to show a slight improvement from the previous quarter due to recovery in the display business, according to its earnings guidance announced Friday. The South Korean tech giant is expected to post 56 trillion won ($47.8 billion) in sales with operating profit of 6.5 trillion won during the April–June period, the guidance showed. The figures hovered above market expectations that had estimated Samsung to registe

TechnologyJuly 5, 2019

Finance chief to talk with top CEOs on Japan’s export curbs

South Korea’s top fiscal policymaker said Friday he is likely to meet the top executives of Samsung Group and other ranking conglomerates to address Japan’s export restrictions.“There seems to be no reason why I shouldn’t meet (with them),” said Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki.“I shall confirm (the details) after discussing (the possibility of the meeting) with Cheong Wa Dae.” The remarks came in answer to the reporters’

EconomyJuly 5, 2019

[Weekender] Behind South Korea’s ‘fatcaron’ sensation

Around 8 o’ clock on a recent Sunday morning, more than 30 people waited in line outside a building in eastern Seoul. At the end of the line stood a sign reading “You will not be able to buy from here on.” Just before 9 a.m., a man came out, opened the door and started clearing the street where people stood in line, as they rushed into a small shop. Inside, there’re no tables, just a stack full of very fat and thick macarons. In less than 50 minutes, the door closed again

FoodJuly 5, 2019

A bank robber’s polite request for police

A 40-year-old man has been booked for intimidation after he requested to be arrested in a fake bank robbery, the police revealed earlier this week. According to the police, the suspect entered a bank in Daejeon on June 25, carrying a toy knife. Once in the bank, the suspect brandished it at a clerk, and “politely” requested for the police to be called to the scene. The suspected is then said to have stood still without making any other demands until the police arrived some four minut

Social AffairsJuly 5, 2019

[Eye Plus] Making science fun for kids

With the summer vacation season now upon us, parents with school-aged children can visit city-run science centers for kids instead of crowded indoor playgrounds and shopping malls. The Seoul Metropolitan Government runs a center in Hagye-dong, Nowon-gu, where children and teens can have fun learning about science. The Seoul Science Center is a three-story building on 12,330 square meters of land, with four exhibition halls. It is the first city-run science museum in the northern part of the city

CultureJuly 5, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Spider-Man: Far From Home(US) Opened July 2Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Directed by Jon WattsPeter Parker (Tom Holland), aka Spider-Man, is unsure of himself and is torn between wanting a normal life as a high school student and wanting to shoulder his responsibilities as a superhero. Peter decides to use the school field trip to Europe to get close to Michelle “MJ” Jones (Zendaya), for whom he has developed affection, but troubles follow him, as well as a run-in with a mysterious super

FilmJuly 5, 2019

[Around the Hotels] Packages and promotions

Korean bingsu with Danish flair at Grand InterContinental Seoul ParnasIn celebration of its 30th anniversary, Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas presents bingsu in collaboration with Danish porcelain brand Royal Copenhagen.Retro Mugwort Bingsu will be served in an exquisite bowl from Royal Copenhagen until the end of August. The bingsu comes with mugwort jelly, mugwort-flavored fresh chocolate, mugwort-flavored condensed milk, injeolmi rice cake, adzuki beans and granola on top.Those who order

FoodJuly 5, 2019