[J. Bradford DeLong] Robo-apocalypse? Not in your lifetime

Will the imminent “rise of the robots” threaten future human employment? The most thoughtful discussion of that question can be found in MIT economist David H. Autor’s 2015 paper, “Why Are There Still so Many Jobs?” which considers the problem in the context of Polanyi’s Paradox. Given that “we can know more than we can tell,” the 20th-century philosopher Michael Polanyi observed, we shouldn’t assume that technology can replicate the function

ViewpointsMay 26, 2019

[Adam Minter] China’s brightest are the trade war’s latest casualties

It’s college graduation season in China and the timing couldn’t be much worse for the record-breaking 8.34 million students emerging from university this year. A slowing economy, hobbled further by the trade war, has produced the worst Chinese job market since at least 2015. Among the hardest hit will be the aspiring white-collar workers just now throwing off their caps and gowns. Applicants far outnumber jobs in big cities and salary expectations simply aren’t being met.In rec

ViewpointsMay 26, 2019

[Herald Interview] How to stay competitive in the era of scandals and influencers

Companies are always vulnerable to a variety of attacks. In the digital era, the nature of such attacks -- for instance, a single malicious post by an influencer with millions of followers -- is far more unpredictable and, if mishandled, critical, due to the sheer amplifying effect of social media.Jeff Cunningham, a professor of practice in global leadership at Thunderbird School of Global Management of Arizona State University, said a new type of leadership is needed to better cope with such on

PeopleMay 26, 2019

Transport ministers forge alliance for connectivity, discuss development gap

LEIPZIG, Germany -- An annual forum of transport ministers around the world wrapped up Friday, strengthening an alliance to create better connectivity for regional prosperity, but leaving questions about developmental imbalance in the sector between advanced and emerging countries.The International Transport Forum, dubbed “the Davos of transport,” brought more than 1,000 government representatives, experts and business leaders from 71 countries to the German city of Leipzig, serving

MobilityMay 26, 2019

[Eye on Business] Can Sonokong become a Korean Marvel?

A few years ago, it seemed like nothing could stop Korea’s top toy supplier Sonokong.But alongside a dip in sales, allegations of irregularities and aggressive marketing dented the company’s image.Now back in the black and armed with a partnership with Mattel, the company is trying to replicate its domestic success overseas, but it remains to be seen if its turnaround can gain momentum.The company’s toys -- ubiquitous in Korea -- range from the megahit transformation car-robots

IndustryMay 26, 2019

Toyota joins SUV competition with all-new RAV4

Toyota has strengthened its lineup by launching the all-new RAV4 in South Korea to meet the growing demand for sport utility vehicles. With RAV4, short for Robust Accurate Vehicle 4 Wheel Drive, is Toyota’s first fully changed model in six years and the Japanese carmaker aims to hit a monthly sales target of 3,000 units, officials said during a launch event Thursday.“The all-new RAV4 was developed to offer the joy of driving in any given environment,” said Toyota Korea Presiden

MobilityMay 26, 2019

GS E&C opens Vam Cong Bridge in Vietnam

South Korean builder GS Engineering & Construction said Sunday it has completed the construction of Vam Cong Bridge in southern Vietnam. According to GS E&C, an opening ceremony for the bridge was held May 19, attended by officials from GS E&C, the Export-Import Bank of Korea and the Korean Embassy as well as the Vietnamese minister of transport. Vam Cong Bridge, which runs 2.97 kilometers along the Hau River in the Mekong Delta, cost around 240 billion won ($202 million) and took fi

IndustryMay 26, 2019

Trump brushes off concerns over N. Korea missile tests

US President Donald Trump on Sunday downplayed the potential danger of North Korea’s missile launches in early May, just a day after national security adviser John Bolton called the tests a clear breach of UN resolutions. “North Korea fired off some small weapons, which disturbed some of my people, and others, but not me,” Trump tweeted during a four-day state visit to Japan that started Saturday. On May 9, North Korea tested two short-range missiles, which fell into the East S

North KoreaMay 26, 2019

Korea’s micro fuel cell standards internationally certified

South Korea’s micro fuel cell technologies were certified by an international standards organization, becoming the nation’s first hydrogen technologies to receive international certification, according to the government Sunday. The standards on micro fuel cells were certified three years after the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy proposed it to the Geneva-based International Electrotechnical Commission in April of 2016. The approval came after much discussion and verification b

IndustryMay 26, 2019

[News Focus] Online shopping expands more than 100% in 3 years

SEJONG -- South Koreans have sharply increased their shopping through computers and smartphones in recent years, which is taking up more than 20 percent of their total consumption.The rapid growth of online shopping transactions has been backed by systematic parcel delivery services, which send products to consumers across the country in one to three days.Almost every kind of product -- from drinking water, food and cosmetics to clothing, home appliances and furniture -- are available on online

EconomyMay 26, 2019

[Newsmaker] Korean firms slam WHO’s listing of game disorder

South Korean games companies reacted angrily on Sunday to the World Health Organization’s decision to officially recognize gaming disorder as a disease.A committee comprising 88 organizations, including the labor union of Korea’s biggest game company Nexon, opposed the decision saying it would “deprive a child’s right to play,” as decreed in Article 31 of the United Nation’s Convention on Rights of the Child. “We will do everything in our power to resist

IndustryMay 26, 2019

Incheon airport holds emergency response training drills

South Korea’s Incheon International Airport conducted a series of emergency response drills last week to ensure a swift response to urgent situations while minimizing customer inconvenience, the airport’s operator said Sunday.The training dealt with a mock scenario involving a fire within the intra-airport transit system, an autonomous train system that connects passengers to different terminals. Airport authorities and officials from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Tra

IndustryMay 26, 2019

Main opposition party ends protest against govt.

Liberty Korea Party Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn returned to the National Assembly over the weekend after holding an 18 day-long rally nationwide in protest against the liberal government for fast-tracking critical reform bills.The conservative party plans to hold a workshop this week to share views of supporters garnered during the rally and roll out the party’s road map in the coming days. Though the party has concluded its first round of protest, it has not ruled out the possibility of stagin

PoliticsMay 26, 2019

Bong Joon-ho bags Palme d'Or in Cannes milestone for Korea

Bong Joon-ho’s social satire “Parasite” made history Saturday by becoming the first Korean film to win the Palme d’Or, the top award at the Cannes Film Festival.According to the jury president Alejandro Inarritu, the nine-person jury had made the decision based on a unanimous vote.“The film has been an astonishing journey, which was made possible with the artists that stood by my side. Above all, I wouldn’t have been able to shoot a single scene without great

FilmMay 26, 2019

[Herald Interview] Customers must be punished for harassment: Seoul Emotional Labor Center CEO

South Korea has traditionally been known as “the courteous country in the East,” meaning Koreans prioritize politeness above other values.The country’s service industry, however, reveals a strikingly different image of the country, as it grapples with customers on power trips at the expense of employees’ health. The top-down power dynamic between customers and workers has created an environment that tolerates almost any behavior by customers and requires excruciating emot

Social AffairsMay 26, 2019

Singer Goo Ha-ra moved to hospital after suicide attempt

South Korean celebrity Goo Ha-ra, a former member of popular K-pop girl group Kara, was admitted to a hospital on Sunday following an apparent suicide attempt, the police said.The 28-year-old was found by her manager lying unconscious at her home in Seoul's Gangnam district in the small hours of Sunday morning and rushed to a nearby hospital. She has yet to recover consciousness, but her breathing and pulse are reported to be stable. The manager went to Goo's home after she did not pick up repea

Social AffairsMay 26, 2019

Dodgers' Ryu Hyun-jin wins 7th game of '19, has scoreless streak snapped at 32 innings

Los Angeles Dodgers' Ryu Hyun-jin has won his fifth straight game despite having his scoreless streak snapped and giving up a season-high 10 hits.Ryu labored through six innings, working around those 10 hits to limit the Pittsburgh Pirates to two runs in a 7-2 victory at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Saturday (local time). Ryu improved to 7-1 for the season, striking out three and giving up no walks on 93 pitches, 66 for strikes. Ryu entered the game not having allowed a run in 31 straight innings,

BaseballMay 26, 2019

Ocean ministry wants new English name of Korean fish cakes

South Korea's ocean ministry said Sunday it will hold a contest to find a new English name for Korean-style fish cakes to promote the processed seafood around the globe.The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said the move is intended to find a better English name that represents the unique texture and taste of South Korean fish cakes. Exports of Korean fish cakes, called "eomuk" here, came to $57 million in 2017, up 18 percent from $48 million two years ago, ministry data showed, with th

IndustryMay 26, 2019

President Moon celebrates Korean film's Cannes victory

President Moon Jae-in on Sunday delivered a congratulatory message for the South Korean film "Parasite" after it won the top Cannes festival award, calling it a big gift to all South Koreans."Parasite" won the top honor at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival on Saturday (French time), making it the first South Korean movie to take the main prize at the eminent film event.  "The status of hallyu culture has risen one step higher," Moon said on his Twitter and other so

FilmMay 26, 2019