Man accused of hiding treasures from 14th-century shipwreck

A man in his 60s has been arrested on suspicion of possessing ancient pottery that is believed to have been taken illegally from an underwater resting place off the southwestern coast of South Korea, police said Thursday.The 63-year-old suspect, whose name was withheld, is accused of having hidden ancient Chinese celadon and other treasures retrieved in the 1980s from the Sinan underwater relics burial site in waters off South Jeolla Province in violation of the Act on Protection and Inspection

Social AffairsJune 13, 2019

[Newsmaker] Opposition lawmaker loses Nat'l Assembly seat as top court confirms bribery conviction

A lawmaker of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party lost his National Assembly seat Thursday after the Supreme Court upheld his bribery conviction.Rep. Yi Wan-young of the LKP was sentenced to an imprisonment of four months, suspended for two years, and a fine of 5 million won ($4,220) for borrowing 248 million won, interest-free, from a politician in 2012 in violation of the Political Fund Law. The ruling stripped the 62-year-old Yi of his parliamentary seat and disqualified him from running

PoliticsJune 13, 2019

[Herald Interview] Young composer-conductor excited about Seoul-Paris premiere

For composer-conductor Choi Jae-hyuck, this June is a time of anticipation. The winner of the 72nd Concours de Geneve Composition Prize, Choi grabbed the attention of the classical music scene for conducting Stockhausen’s “Gruppen” at the 2018 Lucerne Festival with maestros Simon Rattle and Ducan Ward. June 28 will be a big day for the 24-year-old musician. His works will be put onstage across continents, in Paris and Seoul. Ensemble InterContemporain, a renowned cont

PerformanceJune 13, 2019

Hyundai, Kia invest in US self-driving firm Aurora Innovation

Hyundai Motor and its sister company Kia Motors said Thursday that they are investing in US self-driving technology company Aurora Innovation to develop and further enhance the autonomous vehicle platform. The investment is part of the automakers’ plan to become a game changer in the global autonomous driving ecosystem and to launch an autonomous vehicle at an early stage, Hyundai Motor Group said, without disclosing the size of the investment. The two companies will strengthen c

MobilityJune 13, 2019

[News Focus] Will Democratic Party defend its 82 seats in capital area?

SEJONG -- The general election for the 21st National Assembly is coming up in about 300 days, and it will be a crucial moment when ordinary people get their chance to assess the Moon Jae-in administration.Currently, few people expect the results of the parliamentary election to mirror those of the 2018 local elections, when the ruling Democratic Party of Korea scored a landslide victory over its main rival, the Liberty Korea Party. According to a variety of pollsters, President Moon’s

PoliticsJune 13, 2019

Mirae Asset hosts Global ETF forum

Mirae Asset Global Investments said Thursday it hosted a forum last week where top fund managers and experts from eight countries gathered to share their insights on the latest trends in global exchange-traded funds market.The 2019 Mirae Asset Global ETF Rally was held June 7-8 in Seoul and Hongcheon, located about 100 kilometers northeast of the capital city.  The participants included Australia-based ETF manager BetaShares CEO Alex Vynokur, Canada’s Horizon ETFs CEO Steve Hawkins, U

MarketJune 13, 2019

Police investigate death of murder suspect’s stepson

Police are now investigating the death of the stepson of Koh Yu-jeong, a murder suspect of her ex-husband. Koh’s stepson, 4, died March 2 at her and her current husband’s home in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. In the investigation that followed, Koh’s husband told police he found his son dead next to him when he woke up in the morning. Koh said she had slept in another room.While the cause of the child’s death has yet to be identified, the National Forensic Se

Social AffairsJune 13, 2019

China extradition clashes plunge Hong Kong into historic violence

Hong Kong was rocked Wednesday by the worst political unrest since its handover to China, as police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters who tried to storm parliament and blocked roads in the financial hub.The violent demonstrations were the latest expression of widespread public anger over the government's controversial Beijing-backed plan to allow extraditions to China.Clashes broke out hours after tens of thousands of people seized key arteries in the morning rush hour and

World NewsJune 13, 2019

[Seoul Food Alley] Tender, sweet spareribs at Seongsu-dong

Seoul’s alleys are filled with eateries specializing in particular dishes. The Korea Herald takes you on a foodie trip to narrow alleys where decades-old establishments beckon diners with their secret recipes, often handed down through generations. -- Ed.Going out for grilled meat is always a treat, especially if you can sit outside in the nice early summer weather.Seongsu-dong Galbi Alley, situated near Seoul Forest in eastern Seoul, allows diners to grill meat outside. Tables and chairs

FoodJune 13, 2019

Koreas to skip weekly liaison meeting again

South and North Korea will not hold a meeting of their liaison office chiefs this week, though the vice unification minister plans to travel to the office in the North's border town of Kaesong for the first time since his appointment, a ministry official said Thursday.Vice Unification Minister Suh Ho was appointed last week as the South Korean chief of the liaison office in Kaesong. The appointment came after he replaced Chun Hae-sung last month as vice unification minister, who also serves as S

North KoreaJune 13, 2019

Widow and daughter of late Korean Air chief get suspended jail terms

An Incheon court on Thursday issued suspended prison terms to the widow and elder daughter of the late Korean Air Chairman Cho Yang-ho for smuggling luxury goods by making use of the airline's planes.The Incheon District Court sentenced the late chairman's wife, Lee Myung-hee, 70, to six months in prison, suspended for one year, with a fine of 700,000 won ($590) and a forfeit of 37 million won. Lee's daughter, Cho Hyun-ah, 45, former Korean Air vice president, got a suspended sentence of eight m

Social AffairsJune 13, 2019

S. Korea fall to Nigeria for 2nd straight loss

South Korea dropped to Nigeria 2-0 for their second straight loss at the FIFA Women's World Cup in France on Wednesday, as their knockout hopes faded further.South Korean defender Kim Do-yeon had an own goal just before the half-hour mark at Stade des Alpes in Grenoble, and the Taeguk Ladies face an uphill climb to reach the round of 16 for the second straight tournament. Asisat Oshoala had the other goal for Nigeria in the second half. South Korea, which lost to France 4-0 in the opener last Fr

SoccerJune 13, 2019

Trump denies he is against spying on N. Korea

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday refuted allegations that he committed to not spying on North Korea.The question was raised after Trump said Tuesday that he would not have let the slain half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un work as a source for the US Central Intelligence Agency, as alleged in recent reports."No, it's not what I meant," Trump said at a joint press conference with the Polish president, when asked whether he was committing to not spying on North Korea. &q

North KoreaJune 13, 2019

3 remain missing in Hungary boat sinking after another body confirmed to be S. Korean

A body found in a river south of Budapest was confirmed to be a South Korean missing from last month's deadly sinking of a tour boat that left 26 Koreans dead or missing, Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday. That brought the total number of Koreans killed in the May 29 sinking to 23, and the number of those missing to three. The latest victim in his 60s was discovered 110 kilometers downstream from the sinking site Wednesday (Budapest time).The sightseeing boat carrying 33 South Korean touris

Social AffairsJune 13, 2019

US says is ready to continue working-level talks with N. Korea

The US State Department said Wednesday it is ready to continue working-level denuclearization talks with North Korea as the countries mark one year since their historic first summit in Singapore.At a press briefing, department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said US policy over the past year has centered on transforming bilateral relations."We're looking, of course, to build a lasting peace. We're looking for complete denuclearization," she said. "The president, as obvious by his state

North KoreaJune 13, 2019

Moon hopes to meet Kim before Trump visits S. Korea in late June

South Korean President Moon Jae-in expressed hope Wednesday that he will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ahead of US President Donald Trump's visit to the peninsula at the end of this month.   Speaking at the Oslo Forum in the Norwegian capital, Moon also emphasized the urgency of Pyongyang and Washington resuming formal dialogue.Trump is scheduled to attend the two-day G-20 summit to open in Osaka, Japan, on June 28. He plans to travel to South Korea as well during the upcom

North KoreaJune 12, 2019

Moon vows unswerving people-oriented peace efforts

South Korean President Moon Jae-in unveiled his "peace for people" vision Wednesday, pledging to make non-stop efforts to resolve "structural violence" that Koreans have suffered due to division.He was addressing the Oslo Forum in the Norwegian capital on the first anniversary of the historic Singapore summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.He admitted that denuclearization talks appear to be in a stalemate but described it as part of a p

NationalJune 12, 2019

[Min Gab-ryong] Brave new world requires brave new answers

Universal usage of the internet has allowed humanity to venture into a domain our ancestors would have never dreamed of: cyberspace. The extensive freedom and convenience brought by the development of information and communication technology makes it very difficult to recall the days that lacked the fancy tools and services we relish today. Can modern man’s life be described well without referring to cyberspace and the connectivity it brings? Most would say otherwise. This shift towar

ViewpointsJune 12, 2019

Kim’s letter to Trump sparks hopes for dialogue

US President Donald Trump’s comments regarding a personal letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are fanning speculations that US-North Korea dialogue may resume. On Tuesday, Trump revealed that he had received a letter from Kim the previous day and that he expects positive developments between the two countries. “I just received a beautiful letter from Kim Jong-un,” Trump said, describing the letter as “very personal, very warm, very nice.”“I think

North KoreaJune 12, 2019

Prosecution brings additional Samsung bribery charges against Lee Myung-bak

Some 5 billion won ($4.2 million) could be added to the total amount of bribes former President Lee Myung-bak is alleged to have taken from Samsung Group, according to prosecutors Wednesday. The Anti-corruption and Civil Rights Commission sent evidence of Lee’s additional bribery charges to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office’s Special Investigation department at the end of May, the prosecutors said.The prosecutors submitted a memo Monday asking the co

Social AffairsJune 12, 2019