[Newsmaker] Huge crowds march in Hong Kong, piling pressure on leader

HONG KONG — Tens of thousands of Hong Kong residents, mostly clad in black, jammed the city’s streets Sunday in a vehement show of opposition to proposed legislation that has stoked fears of expanding control from Beijing in this former British colony.The marchers are demanding that Hong Kong’s leader first scrap an extradition bill that would allow some suspects to be sent for trial in mainland China and then resign. The conflict, which slipped into unusually violent clashes w

World NewsJune 16, 2019

[Graphic News] Amazon dethrones Google as top global brand

　US retail giant Amazon has overtaken tech titans Apple and Google to become the world’s most valuable brand, according to a survey. 　The brand value of Amazon surged 52 percent to $315 billion, global market research agency Kantar said in its 2019 100 Top BrandZ report.　Amazon jumped from third to first place to eclipse Google, which slid from first to third place. Apple held on to the second spot.　South Korea’s Samsung fell five spots to stand at No. 38.

World BusinessJune 16, 2019

SKT to develop 6G network tech with Nokia, Ericsson

  South Korea’s biggest mobile carrier SK Telecom said Sunday it will develop the sixth-generation network technology with Nokia and Ericsson, as the Korean government seeks to enhance economic ties with Nordic countries. The telecom firm signed memorandums of understanding for research and development cooperation with the two companies based in Finland and Sweden. The agreement with Nokia and Ericson was made on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, at their headquarters. While

TechnologyJune 16, 2019

Concerns raised over military surveillance after NK fishing boat drifts over sea border

Concerns have been raised over the military’s surveillance capability after a North Korean fishing boat was found adrift in South Korean waters, assumedly hours after it entered. The North Korean fishing boat was found drifting some 150 kilometers below the Northern Limit Line in territorial waters of the South on Saturday. The boat, carrying four fishermen, was reportedly drifting after its engine broke.  South Korean fisherman first spotted the boat near waters off Samcheok Port in

DefenseJune 16, 2019

LG CNS, Microsoft to develop cloud-based business platform

　LG CNS, the information technology services unit of South Korea’s LG Group, said Sunday it will work with Microsoft to develop advanced business platforms to improve its working environment. 　The company said that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Microsoft to develop cloud-based business platforms. The agreement was reached on Friday at Microsoft’s Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore. 　The new platforms are designed to incorporate Microsoft’s advanced softwa

IndustryJune 16, 2019

[Kasia Malinowska] How US drug war victimizes women

It has been two years since Cecilia’s son, Carlos, set sail from the coast of Ecuador on an ordinary day’s fishing voyage. She has not heard from him since. At first, she feared that his fishing trawler had sunk or been attacked by pirates. But the fate Carlos turned out to have met was more surreal than that, and in a way, even more harrowing: deep in international waters, thousands of miles from the United States, he was detained by the US coast guard. He has been locked away i

ViewpointsJune 16, 2019

[David Ignatius] Is the Iran-US tinderbox about to ignite?

As Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Iran of “unprovoked attacks” near the Strait of Hormuz, video screens behind him showed thick black smoke billowing from the two tankers that were struck Thursday. It was the dramatic imagery that sometimes precedes armed conflict. Pompeo didn’t offer hard evidence, and Iran denied the attacks.The US response in the escalating confrontation with Iran, for now, seems to be continued pressure short of war. “Our policy remains an eco

ViewpointsJune 16, 2019

[News Focus] Moon returns to mounting speculations about NK dialogue

President Moon Jae-in has returned back from a three-nation tour of Europe, but his comments regarding North Korea have gained more public attention than Seoul’s relationship with Nordic countries. On the tour to Finland, Norway and Sweden, Moon not only put a timeline on his desired meeting with Kim Jong-un, but also urged Pyongyang to take concrete steps, while voicing his views on the groundwork necessary for US-North Korea dialogue.  “(I think) working-level negotiations sho

North KoreaJune 16, 2019

Hyundai Mobis to install Krell audio system in K7 Premier

Hyundai Mobis, an auto parts maker under Hyundai Motor Group, said Sunday it has partnered with US high-end home audio systems manufacturer Krell for Kia’s K7 Premier.The partnership is part of Hyundai Mobis’ efforts to collaborate with technology-based companies on autonomous driving and connectivity, aimed at providing premium audio systems for in-vehicle infotainment, it added. The company plans to further its partnership with Krell by deploying the audio systems in new vehicles t

MobilityJune 16, 2019

[News Focus] Korea’s household debt-to-income to top 200%

SEJONG -- The record household debt in South Korea is an Achilles’ heel when it comes to economic growth, as the financial liability of citizens is putting a damper on private consumption.Some market analysts say that Korea’s collective household debt is estimated to have topped 2,000 trillion won ($1.68 trillion). They claim the latest figure of about 1,500 trillion won, released by the Bank of Korea, does not include loans extended to the self-employed.In any case, the outstanding

EconomyJune 16, 2019

Hyundai Motor Group chief calls for global effort toward ‘hydrogen economy’

Chung Eui-sun, Hyundai Motor Group executive vice chairman, called for world leaders to take action for the hydrogen-focused energy transition during the Group of 20 meeting of environment and energy ministers Saturday. Chung, who co-chairs the Hydrogen Council, was invited to exchange views on the global energy paradigm and to analyze the role and possibilities of hydrogen energy, Hyundai Motor Group said Sunday. The council comprising some 60 companies is a global CEO-level initiative for

MobilityJune 16, 2019

No deal reached, parliamentary standoff to continue

A parliamentary impasse appears set to continue, as rival political parties on Sunday failed to narrow differences on holding a parliamentary hearing on the country’s economic situation. In addition, an extraordinary session in June is likely to be held without the main opposition Liberty Korea Party. Floor leaders from the Liberty Korea Party, Democratic Party and minor opposition Bareunmirae Party held behind-the-scenes discussions to narrow their differences over the weekend,

PoliticsJune 16, 2019

Ex-YG head Yang may face police probe over snowballing drug and cover-up scandal

Yang Hyun-suk, the former head and chief producer of YG Entertainment, may face a police investigation over drug allegations involving the agency’s high-profile artists, amid a series of scandals that have damaged the reputation of the leading agency behind the rapid growth of the K-pop industry.On Saturday, police told local media that Yang may face criminal charges if the allegation that he threatened a whistleblower turns out to be true. Yang could be summoned for questioning if the whi

PerformanceJune 16, 2019

Moon says he's proud of S. Korea's U-20 World Cup team

President Moon Jae-in said Sunday he is proud of South Korea's under-20 World Cup team after they finished in second place with a loss to Ukraine in the final."I am proud of our players who greatly enjoyed themselves," Moon said in a Twitter message posted on his way home from a three-nation Nordic trip, after South Korea lost 3-1 to Ukraine in the final at Lodz Stadium in Poland on Saturday.  "The night in South Korea was just as bright as a white night in Stockholm. I also

SoccerJune 16, 2019

Employment of males in 40s hit most by sluggish manufacturing industry

The number of employed men in their 40s shrank at the fastest pace in 27 years last month, attributable to the declining population and lackluster local manufacturing industry, government data showed Sunday.The number of employed males aged between 40 and 49 stood at 3.83 million in May, shedding 115,000 from a year earlier, according to the data by Statistics Korea.  Employment of males in their 40s has kept sliding for 53 consecutive months since January 2015, but the latest figure was th

EconomyJune 16, 2019

S. Korea completes African swine fever quarantine in border area

South Korea has completed quarantine measures against African swine fever in regions bordering North Korea, which reported a recent outbreak of the contagious animal disease, the agriculture ministry said Sunday. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said it conducted disinfection at hog farms located south of the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas from June 5 to Friday, after the North confirmed the outbreak of the swine fever on May 30. The ministry said blood tests of

Social AffairsJune 16, 2019

Moon back in Korea after Northern Europe trip

Following an eight-day tour of Finland, Norway and Sweden, President Moon Jae-in returned to South Korea on Sunday, where a pile of tough tasks remains unresolved.The keywords of his discussions during the state visits were peace, innovation and inclusive growth.Moon secured firmer support for the Korea peace process from the Nordic nations and paved the way for stronger partnerships during the fourth industrial revolution and discovery of the next economic growth engines, according to his offic

Foreign AffairsJune 16, 2019

Forum to discuss future of forestry, challenges in APAC

South Korea is hosting events on forestry in the Asia-Pacific region this week for academia, governments and the private sector to discuss and share views on pressing challenges in the sector.The Asia-Pacific Forestry Week 2019 and the 28th Session of the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission kicked off Monday at the Songdo Convensia Convention Center in Incheon. The five-day event is jointly organized by the Korea Forest Service and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. I

IndustryJune 16, 2019

Samsung vice chairman urges bold investment for future business

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong has called for senior executives to spur efforts to develop innovative technologies to tackle rising business challenges and foster new growth drivers, the company said Sunday. Lee, the de facto leader of the South Korean tech giant, held a meeting with senior executives of the IT and mobile division at the Suwon headquarters, south of Seoul, on Friday to discuss global strategies, the company said.  The global strategy meeting, which is held t

IndustryJune 16, 2019