Samsung BioLogics CEO attends arrest-warrant hearing in accounting scandal

A local court was to hold a hearing on Friday to decide whether to issue an arrest warrant for the head of contract drug manufacturer Samsung BioLogics on charges of abetting destruction of evidence in the company's accounting scandal.Kim Tae-han, the first CEO-level suspect grilled by prosecutors in the escalating accounting scandal implicating the Samsung Group company and its affiliate, Samsung Bioepis, was to attend the hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in the morning. Kim is accus

Social AffairsMay 24, 2019

[Around the Hotels] Packages and promotions

Avocado afternoon at Grand InterContinental Seoul ParnasLobby Lounge at Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas presents the Avocado Royal High Tea Set.The set offers avocado cream dacquoise; avocado scones with clotted cream; avocado brownies; brioche sandwich with roasted avocado; roasted avocado stuffed with mushroom, spinach and chicken; and avocado salad with harissa shrimp. Guests can choose either coffee or tea to accompany the food. The set costs 75,000 won person. It is available from 2 p.m

FoodMay 24, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil(Korea)Opened May 15Crime, ActionDirected by Lee Won-taeA notorious gangster Jang Dong-soo (Ma Dong-seok) narrowly survives a random attack by a serial killer, and sets out to bring justice to his attacker in his own way: by brutally murdering him. At the same time, a cop Jung Tae-suk (Kim Mu-yeol) seeks to arrest the killer. The two men join forces to form the most unorthodox and perilous team, which will break down the moment they locate Kang.Miss & Mrs. Cop

FilmMay 24, 2019

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Everland Rose FestivalLaunched in 1985, the long-running Everland Rose Festival opens every year in May. This year it continues until June 16. With a 20,000-square-meter rose garden, visitors can see various kinds of flowers while enjoying the amusement park.It is held inside Everland, South Korea’s largest theme park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, and is open to visitors of all ages.To find out more about the event, including admission fees and how to get there, visit the homepage at everl

TravelMay 24, 2019

[Eye Plus] Green magic blooms in heart of Seoul

Farming in the densely populated city of Seoul is nothing new. Many urban farmers make use of vacant spaces on top of apartment buildings, schools and public buildings to grow vegetables. Some rent privately owned spaces to start their own green experiments. As of 2017, Seoul had 170 hectares of these farms, about the size of 238 soccer fields combined. In 2011, the figure was 29 hectares. The Seoul Metropolitan Government is a key backer of this growing urban farming trend.Earlier this year, it

IndustryMay 24, 2019

[Herald Interview] Chef puts faith in gimbap

For chef Kim Rock-hun, gimbap is the perfect meal for the times. A roll of rice, vegetables and other ingredients wrapped tightly in a seaweed laver sheet, gimbap is tasty and healthy. Typically served in bite-sized slices, it is convenient to pack and eat on the move. “It is ‘slow fast food,’ filled with healthy ingredients. Can there be a better meal?” Kim, 49, said during an interview at his cooking studio in Dogok-dong, southern Seoul.  The only problem, a

FoodMay 24, 2019

[Weekender] Border-area tourism on the rise

One of the last vestiges of the Cold War, the Demilitarized Zone is often described as the world’s most heavily fortified border. But it is also a tourist magnet, attracting 1.2 million visitors annually. From the bustling metropolis of Seoul, tour buses take hundreds of foreign and local tourists to security-related tourism spots on a daily basis -- from Imjingak, a family-friendly theme park that serves as a starting point for border-area tourism, to the historic truce village of Panmunj

TravelMay 24, 2019

Seoul urges Tokyo to accept WTO's ruling on Fukushima seafood ban

South Korea's trade minister has urged Japan to accept the World Trade Organization's decision that upheld Seoul's import restrictions on Japanese seafood following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Seoul's trade ministry said Friday.During an informal trade ministerial gathering at the WTO held in France earlier this week, South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee said the final verdict from the organization's appellate body should be respected, according to the ministry.Yoo claimed it is al

InternationalMay 24, 2019

Chinese minister plays down inter-Korean railway project

LEIPZIG, Germany -- Chinese Transport Minister Li Xiaopeng on Thursday said that China is not going to be involved in an inter-Korean railway project, saying it is “their own business.”When asked about China’s role in facilitating the project of reconnecting the railroad between South and North Korea, he said the project should be carried out by both countries, clearly indicating that China won’t be involved.“Reconnecting the railway network between two Koreas is th

MobilityMay 23, 2019

Hydrogen tank explosion kills 2 in Gangneung

A hydrogen tank explosion killed two people and left six injured in the eastern city of Gangneung in South Korea, the firefighting authorities said Thursday. One was seriously injured and five others suffered minor injuries when the hydrogen tank blew up at Gangwon Technopark, a factory-type venture complex, in Gangneung, 240 kilometers east of Seoul, a spokeswoman at Gangwon Fire Headquarters said over the phone."We immediately deployed firefighters to the scene after receiving a call at 6

Social AffairsMay 23, 2019

[Weekender] An eerie reminder of precarious peace at DMZ Peace Trail

Don’t take the Gangbyeonbuk highway during rush hours in Seoul.That was what I screamed in my mind as the bus took the road fare more traveled, an agonizingly slow path eastward, toward Gangwon Province, where the government recently decided to open a new section of the Demilitarized Zone to civilians.The DMZ Peace Trail in Cheorwon County, Gangwon Province, some 90 kilometers from the capital, is the second of the project located at the inter-Korean border, which the authorities hope will

TravelMay 23, 2019

[Graphic News] ‘Avengers: Endgame’ becomes most-viewed foreign film in S. Korea

　 “Avengers: Endgame” became the most-watched foreign film in South Korean history, with 13.4 million admissions, its distributor said.　The latest Marvel superhero flick set the record at around noon on Sunday, Walt Disney Company Korea said based on a real-time box-office tally from the Korean Film Council.　The previous No. 1 was “Avatar” (2009), which sold 13.30 million tickets from 2009 to 2010.

Life&CultureMay 23, 2019

Blizzard receives award for youth support

Game publisher Blizzard Entertainment Korea received an award from the state-run Korea Student Aid Foundation on Thursday for supporting youths. Blizzard -- known for hit games “Starcraft,” “World of Warcraft,” “Hearthstone” and “Overwatch” -- has been providing scholarships and overseas training for youths who dream of careers in information technology and games.Since 2014, it has run the corporate social responsibility program Realize Your Dream

IndustryMay 23, 2019

Exit Daejeon announces W14.2b startup funding agreement

DAEJEON -- Startups from across South Korea, global startup community leaders and representatives of Daejeon Metropolitan City flocked to Daejeon Convention Center Thursday to mark the end of the three-day Exit Daejeon 2019 event. Located some 140 kilometers south of Seoul, Daejeon served as a venue where local startups were given an opportunity for more international exposure. In the meantime, global startup community organizers like Slush and Junction, as well as early-stage startup investors

TechnologyMay 23, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘A Boy and Sungreen,’ a pleasant and loveable coming-of-age story

Director Ahn Ju-young’s first feature film is not a masterpiece, yet it has a strange appeal to it.The narrative and the plot are a bit plain, and I felt like Ahn dropped the ball a bit in the climax, but it is well-cast, the two leads are fantastic and work extremely well together and the tone of the film is adorable. The small-budget film is getting barely any exposure, and without any big names and standout effects will likely drown rather quickly in sea of blockbuster films. But I feel

FilmMay 23, 2019

S. Korea holds memorial service for ex-President Roh

Wearing yellow visors, a color that symbolizes former President Roh Moo-hyun, thousands of mourners gathered in his rural hometown Thursday to commemorate the 10th year since his death.First Lady Kim Jung-sook and high-ranking political and government officials were also among those who attended a memorial service held at the Bongha Village in Gimhae, some 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul."Your politics started with integration of people. The path on which President Roh walked was the jour

PoliticsMay 23, 2019

US closely watching for N. Korea’s possible financial sanction violations

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said President Donald Trump has firm willingness to implement sanctions against North Korea, in another signal that the country will not pursue sanctions relief in order to resume nuclear talks. “The president is determined that we continue our efforts to enforce both the UN sanctions and the US sanctions against North Korea,” he said at the US House Committee on Financial Services on Tuesday. Mnuchin said sanctions are effective leverage to

North KoreaMay 23, 2019

[News Focus] Korea’s farming population decreases 42% since 2000

SEJONG -- South Korea saw the number and percentage of population engaged in agriculture continue to drop, though the number of urbanites returning or turning to farming has notably increased over the past decade.According to Statistics Korea, the number of farm population (farming-household population in official) stood at 2.31 million as of 2018, which is a decline by about 750,000 individuals in the 2010s, compared to 3.06 million in 2010. Further, given 4.03 million recorded in 2000, th

Social AffairsMay 23, 2019

[David Ignatius] Trump confronts China's tech threat

Huawei’s name is often translated in English as “Chinese excellence.” The Trump administration last week embarked on a campaign to rebrand the tech giant, in effect, as a “Chinese threat” and check its expansion in the West. The Huawei assault may be the Trump administration’s most important long-term strategic decision, because it confronts China’s technological challenge to America head on. The goal is to prevent Huawei from dominating 5G wireless comm

ViewpointsMay 23, 2019