Trump-Xi meeting at G-20 a pivotal factor for North Korean nuclear talks

Positive signals sent back and forth between the US and North Korea are feeding hopes for a swift resumption of nuclear negotiations that have been at a standstill since the last summit between the two countries ended without results in late February. Within the past two weeks, US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un each disclosed that they had received letters from each other, with both expressing satisfaction and hinting that the letters might be a sign of positive devel

North KoreaJune 24, 2019

South African man sent to court for attempt to smuggle 20 kg of marijuana

A South African man, 40, was caught trying to smuggle marijuana at Jeju Airport, prosecutors said Monday.According to the Jeju District Prosecutors’ Office, the suspect was arrested June 2 after 20 kilograms of marijuana wrapped in plastic were found in his luggage during a customs inspection. He was sent to court on suspicions of violating the narcotics law.This is the largest amount of drugs attempted to be smuggled at Jeju Airport and amounts to about half of the total amount of marijua

Social AffairsJune 24, 2019

[Diplomatic circuit] Foreign minister, diplomats visit DMZ hiking trail

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and Seoul-based foreign diplomats visited a new hiking trail on the eastern coast portion of the Demilitarized Zone on Saturday.Kang, ambassadors and representatives from 52 countries traveled to the DMZ Peace Trails in Goseong, Gangwon Province, which the government opened to the public on April 27 to mark the first anniversary of the Panmunjom Declaration signed by President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Kang said while hiking the course

Diplomatic CircuitJune 24, 2019

Police question Psy over suspicions regarding YG head

Police have questioned Psy regarding suspicions that Yang Hyun-suk, founder and former chief producer of YG Entertainment, procured prostitution for businesspeople. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s investigation unit said during a press briefing Monday that it had questioned the singer for about nine hours, from 5 p.m. on June 16 to 2 a.m. the next day. Psy was called in as a witness in the investigation into YG Entertainment, which is suspected of having procured prostitution f

Social AffairsJune 24, 2019

Korean consortium wins UAE nuclear reactor maintenance bid

A South Korean consortium led by state-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power has secured a five-year maintenance deal for the United Arab Emirates’ first nuclear power station, ending a long bidding process that began late last year. The Barakah Nuclear Power Plant is being built by a consortium which includes the Korea Electric Power Corp., KHNP, Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction, Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Samsung C&T Corp.Initially, it was expected that the co

IndustryJune 24, 2019

‘Merck Young Supporters’ campaign launches in Korea

Merck, a global pharmaceuticals company with a corporate history spanning 350 years, has launched a student ambassadors campaign titled “Merck Young Supporters” in Korea, the company said Monday. The five-month program offers 16 selected university students the opportunity to develop their interests in life science industry issues and promote Merck’s brand image in the process, Merck said.  “Through the ‘Merck Young Supporters’ campaign, Merck is pioneeri

IndustryJune 24, 2019

Trump set for trip to S. Korea this weekend

US President Donald Trump will make a two-day trip to South Korea shortly after attending a Group of 20 summit in Japan, Cheong Wa Dae announced Monday.Trump is scheduled to arrive here Saturday and hold summit talks with President Moon Jae-in the following day, according to its spokesperson, Ko Min-jung. "(They plan to) have in-depth discussions on methods for close coordination between the two nations for the establishment of permanent peace through the complete denuclearization of the Ko

PoliticsJune 24, 2019

Naver most popular workplace among college students: survey

South Korean college students find Naver the most desirable company to work in, a survey showed Monday.According to the survey of 929 college students, conducted by job search portal Incruit, Naver topped 121 companies with 7.4 percent of respondents choosing it, followed by CJ ENM with 7.2 percent and Samsung Electronics with 6.2 percent.Naver had also ranked first on the list in 2015 and 2016.  Meanwhile, SK hynix was included among the top 10 firms for the first time, with 4.4 percent of

IndustryJune 24, 2019

Liberty Korea Party chairman in hot seat over comments about son’s job qualifications

Hwang Kyo-ahn, chairman of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, on Monday argued that he had not lied about his son’s qualifications after his remarks on the matter during a lecture sparked controversy. “If I had said a score that was higher than the actual score -- that would have been a lie. But I am not sure if the other way round is (a lie),” Hwang told reporters after a meeting at the National Assembly. Last week, Hwang spoke about his son, who landed a job at a c

PoliticsJune 24, 2019

China 'won't allow' G20 discussion on Hong Kong

BEIJING -- China said Monday it will not allow discussion on Hong Kong at the G20 this week even as US President Donald Trump plans to raise the city's mass protests during his meeting with President Xi Jinping.The semi-autonomous city has been shaken by huge demonstrations this month as throngs have demanded the withdrawal of a bill that would allow extraditions to the Chinese mainland. Trump has weighed in on Hong Kong's worst political unrest since its handover from Britain to China in 1997,

InternationalJune 24, 2019

N. Korea made $120 mn a year from joint factory park: report

North Korea raked in more than $120 million a year from a symbolic cross-border industrial zone that Pyongyang and Seoul are pushing to re-open as part of nuclear negotiations, a report said Monday.The Kaesong Industrial Complex -- where around 55,000 North Korean workers churned out products ranging from watches to clothes for some 125 South Korean companies -- was one of the most visible signs of reconciliation that followed the first inter-Korean summit in 2000. But it was shuttered by the So

North KoreaJune 24, 2019

Hanjin KAL extends losses following Delta's investment

Shares in Hanjin KAL, the holding company of Hanjin Group, continued to extend losses Monday as investors who bet on the firm's escalating battle with a local activist fund are offloading them, analysts said.Investors are selling Hanjin KAL, the parent company of Korean Air Lines Co., as the battle between Hanjin KAL and the Korea Corporate Governance Improvement seems to be over and KCGI's 16 percent stake in Hanjin KAL could serve as an overhang, they said. "Hanjin KAL may undergo a furth

IndustryJune 24, 2019

Perception of gender roles changing: survey

The traditional notion of appropriate gender roles -- the idea that husbands should work outside the home and their wives should stay home to look after the family -- is weakening among South Koreans, a survey showed.In a poll conducted through telephone interviews with 2,000 adults -- 990 men and 1,010 women -- between June 25 and July 6 last year, 68.8 percent of the respondents said they did not agree that it was the husband’s job to make money and the wife’s job to take care of t

Social AffairsJune 24, 2019

Govt. to complete administrative procedures this week for NK food aid

The government is taking administrative steps necessary to carry out its decision to send food aid to North Korea, with a view to completing the procedures by the end of this week, a unification ministry official said Monday.Last week, the ministry announced the plan to send 50,000 tons of rice in aid to the North via the World Food Programme (WFP) to help the impoverished state address worsening food shortages. The WFP will spearhead its shipment to North Korea, along with its distribution and

North KoreaJune 24, 2019

Steamy romance novelist Judith Krantz dies at 91

LOS ANGELES -- Writer Judith Krantz, whose million-selling novels such as “Scruples” and “Princess Daisy” engrossed readers worldwide with their steamy tales of the rich and beautiful, died Saturday at her Bel-Air home. She was 91.Krantz’s son Tony Krantz, a TV executive, confirmed her death by natural causes on Sunday afternoon. He said he’d hoped to re-create the “Scruples” miniseries before her she died but it is still in the works.“She ha

CultureJune 24, 2019

Longtime Kenzo designers stage final show in Paris

PARIS -- It was quite literally the final curtain for Kenzo’s Carol Lim and Humberto Leon at Paris Fashion Week on Sunday, after the duo’s eight successful years at the creative helm of the house came to a close.With a 100-meter curtain on set, a surprise performance by singer Solange and thousands of guests in attendance, the duo’s departure was a farewell to remember.Here are some highlights from the final day of spring-summer 2020 men’s and coed collections from the Ke

CultureJune 24, 2019

Pompeo notes 'very real possibility' of working-level talks with NK

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said there may be a "very real possibility" of Washington and Pyongyang resuming their working-level nuclear talks, after their leaders have exchanged personal letters.According to the State Department, Pompeo also said in his remarks to the press on Sunday (Washington time) that the United States is prepared to engage in dialogue with the North at a "moment's notice" should the North indicate it is ready.The remarks came hours after

North KoreaJune 24, 2019

[Newsmaker] Doubts rise over S. Korea’s willingness to ratify ILO conventions

In the midst of a yearlong standoff between the government, labor and management over South Korea’s ratification of fundamental International Labor Organization conventions, trade unions are increasingly questioning the Moon Jae-in administration’s willingness to approve three of the four pending ones. With the arrest of Kim Myung-hwan, president of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, Friday, the relationship between the government and the unions looks set to worsen in the comi

PoliticsJune 23, 2019

Exploring apartments in Korea through art

From monodrama and contemporary dance performances to interviews and a lecture, Doosan Art Center has tied various art forms to explore apartments in South Korea.“Post APT,” a multidisciplinary show, recalls the history, issues and stories that associated with apartments to get the audience to reflect on the dominant form of housing here. “Post APT” is co-produced by choreographer Jung Young-doo, architect Chung I-sak, film director Paik Jong-kwan and composer Kayip. It i

Arts & DesignJune 23, 2019

[From the Scene] Unsuspecting town finds gruesome infamy

JEJU CITY -- About a month has passed since the gruesome murder that rattled Jeju Island, a popular holiday destination for locals and outsiders alike. The key suspect and circumstantial evidence have been identified. But there is still no trace of a body, raising concerns over the prosecution’s ability to reach a conviction.Jeju District Prosecutors’ Office said Thursday that police are extending their search for the victim’s remains until July 1, while the Coast Guard will co

Social AffairsJune 23, 2019