Most Popular
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Seoul should engage Kim Jong-un’s elites for change, ex-North Korean diplomat says
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Thousands rally in Seoul to call for Yoon's resignation
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Most teen sex offenders get away with slap on wrist
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Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is killed in Beirut strike, Israel's military says
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FM champions multilateralism, stresses S. Korea's vision as 'global pivotal state'
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Suicide attempts spike among youth in Korea
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[Weekender] How Seongsu, once an industrial zone, has become ‘Seoul’s Brooklyn’
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Delta Air Lines to launch new Incheon-Salt Lake City route in June next year
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4 in 10 illegal aliens entered S. Korea without visas last year: data
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S. Korea to showcase Hyunmoo-5 ballistic missile on Armed Forces Day ceremony for 1st time
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Why Asian diplomacy is on nuke summit sidelines
WASHINGTON (AP) The leaders of China, India, Japan and South Korea are among the heads of government converging on Washington for a summit on countering the nightmarish threat of nuclear terrorism. But with tensions in North Korea and the South China Sea running high, the meetings that Asian leaders have on the sidelines could attract more attention than the summit itself. President Barack Obama has put a premium on expanding ties with Asia, in part to counter the rise of China. The U.S.
DefenseMarch 31, 2016
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S. Korea issues warning over suspected N. Korean GPS disruption
South Korea issued a warning Thursday after detecting satellite signal disruptions that it said appeared to be coming from North Korea. The warning, issued at 7:30 p.m. in Seoul, the adjacent city of Incheon and the surrounding Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces, came as North Korea discharged a large amount of radio waves to jam Global Positioning System signals in the region, officials said. "We've detected signs that North Korea has been sending radio waves to the capital area since a month a
DefenseMarch 31, 2016
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Court rules ban on prostitution constitutional
The Constitutional Court ruled in favor of the country’s antiprostitution law Thursday. In a 6-to-3 ruling, the court confirmed the legality of the antiprostitution law that punishes both those who voluntarily sell and buy sex, citing the need to repress the demand for prostitution. The verdict came three years after the top court began to review the act to rule whether it violates voluntary sex workers’ freedom to choose their job and what to do with their own bodies. “Demand for the sex trade
Social AffairsMarch 31, 2016
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KB Financial wins bid to acquire Hyundai Securities
KB Financial Group has emerged winner of the hotly contested takeover battle for Hyundai Securities, the sale’s manager announced Thursday. “KB Financial has been chosen as the preferred bidder,” accounting firm EY Han Young said in a statement. KB may have offered close to 1 trillion won for a combined 22.56 percent stake in the brokerage house, valued at around 340 billion won ($273.4 million) based on Thursday’s stock price of 6,875 won apiece. Hyundai Group is selling its stake -- owned by
March 31, 2016
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Foreigners made more online purchases in 2015
South Korea’s online sales to foreign customers nearly tripled last year from a year earlier on the back of rising demand from Chinese consumers, a report showed Thursday.South Korean retailers sold an estimated $130 million worth of goods to overseas customers through their websites, up from $44.6 million the previous year, according to the report by the state-run Korea Development Institute. A customer browses through an online shopping mall. (Yonhap)E-commerce exports have been on a sharp ri
March 31, 2016
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Why we can’t stop talking about ‘Produce 101’
A total of 101 girls claw their way to the top, but in the sweetest way possible -- smiling, singing “pick me” and gesturing imploringly into the camera toward an unidentified mass. At home, the viewers, or “producers,” vote for contestants they deem most worthy of becoming actual K-pop girl group members. Titled “Produce 101,” the popular music audition reality program is coming to a close, with its final episode set to air Friday night on Mnet, wrapping up 11 weeks of buzz. Promotional image f
PerformanceMarch 31, 2016
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Is Korea Asia's next casino tourism hub?
With China’s continued crackdown on corruption, revenue is plummeting at Asia’s major casino and gambling hub Macau. Meanwhile, the lackluster performance of Macau’s casino tourism is lending credence to Korea. Many investors argue that Korea is an ideal alternative destination that can attract tourists who want to gamble at casinos. Korea is pushing to increase its number of integrated resorts, which refer to large-scale resort complexes that include a wide-range of entertainment and leisure
TravelMarch 31, 2016
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[Editorial] Dump investment hurdles
Apart from indirect investment, such as seeking equity trading gains, foreign investment in South Korea remains in the doldrums. The sluggish inbound investment can be seen in a report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.Korea saw the ratio of foreign direct investment to its gross domestic product stay at 12.7 percent from 2010 to 2014 on the average. The figure is far behind the world average, which came to 31.3 percent. The average emerging country and developed country
EditorialMarch 31, 2016
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[Editorial] ‘Patriotism index’
Around 7 in 10 citizens are willing to take up arms to fight in a war, according to a recent survey released by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. The highest proportion of those willing to do so was made up of those in their 50s and 60s, while those in their 20s and 30s were less willing. The poll also found that women were more passive about participating in war than men. It also showed that white-collar employees had much less desire to participate in armed conflict, compared to f
EditorialMarch 31, 2016
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Political dynasties block level playing field
According to the Inquirer’s latest count, at least 542 candidates in the May 9 elections are considered sure winners. Not because of superior odds against their opponent — the result of a better program of governance, perhaps, or a more effective grassroots campaign — but simply by default: They are running unopposed.One may argue, as congressman Arthur Defensor of Iloilo does, that the lack of any adversary in what ought to be an exercise in choosing from a healthy plurality of options is, of a
ViewpointsMarch 31, 2016
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Outdoors in China
Climate change is a new facet of life in developing and emerging economies; keeping with the environmental spirit of the times, China’s 13th five-year plan sets out a path of sustainable development for its economic growth. The country has unveiled new strategies to tackle climate change and the plan is expected to achieve nonbinding targets set at the Paris Climate Conference and will exceed expectations set in the Copenhagen accord of 2009. According to the World Resources Institute, an enviro
ViewpointsMarch 31, 2016
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[Tulsathit Taptim] Woes of early, advanced democracies
The sound you hear is America’s Democrats uncorking the champagne. As much as the insane part of me wants Republican Donald Trump to be the next U.S. president, I think the man has blown his chance. Although his country’s democracy allows him to do practically anything to win the nomination for the presidential race, attacking a rival by tweeting an unflattering photo of his wife is more than just hitting below the belt.Not every jaw has dropped, however. “He’s very human and down to earth,” ent
ViewpointsMarch 31, 2016
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Japan’s DP must question its ability to take power
The Democratic Party of Japan marked a fresh start as the Democratic Party in the wake of a merger with the Japan Innovation Party.The DPJ lost the reins of government after a House of Representatives election in 2012. Since then, opposition parties have lacked momentum.The DPJ had been unable to regain support, and other opposition parties that labeled themselves as third-pole forces had also run out of steam.If opposition parties that had split into smaller parties are united again, it will sp
ViewpointsMarch 31, 2016
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Seoul stocks close lower on foreign selling
South Korean stocks closed 0.3 percent lower on Thursday after foreign investors sold large cap shares, analysts said. The local currency rose to a four-month high against the U.S. dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 6.29 points to close at 1,995.85. Trade volume was moderate at 322.88 million shares worth 4.84 trillion won ($4.23 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 411 to 402. Samsung share prices are shown on an electronic board in front of the company’s headquar
March 31, 2016
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[Rachel Marsden] The most dangerous form of tyranny is weakness
It isn’t easy to be a strong leader in an era of progressives hell-bent on societal destruction. Refusing to compromise when faced with the tyranny of “progressive” reform is difficult at a time when so many leaders are allowing their countries to slip into oblivion under the guise of some greater leftist “good.”Following the recent Islamic State group terrorist attacks in Belgium that killed at least 35 people and injured more than 300, Belgian police blasted a water cannon at about 200 anti-im
ViewpointsMarch 31, 2016
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[David Ignatius] Warning against overuse of sanctions
Economic sanctions have become the “silver bullet” of American foreign policy over the last decade, because they’re cheaper and more effective in compelling adversaries than traditional military power. But Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew warns of a “risk of overuse” that could neuter the sanctions weapon and harm America. Lew made his unusual case against “sanctions overreach” in an interview last week, and in a speech prepared for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. His caution against
ViewpointsMarch 31, 2016
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[Election 2016] Seoul in focus as campaign opens
Numerically speaking, Seoul’s northern Jongno-gu may be no more than just one of the 253 regional constituencies nationwide.But its symbolic status -- as the heart of the old capital and the current district of the presidential house -- has always driven politicians to bet heavily on the area in key elections, as the outcome in the constituency often shows the political upper hand of the winning party.It was here that leading parties chose to jump-start on Thursday their two-week campaign period
PoliticsMarch 31, 2016
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What to look out for at this year's Jeonju Film Festival
Jeonju International Film Festival is striving to return stronger than ever this year for its 17th installment, reinforcing its aim of showcasing some of the world’s most experimental and avant–garde films -- while also reaching out to the wider public. It is slated to run April 28-May 7 in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, some 1 1/2 hours away from Seoul by high-speed train KTX. Most of the festival will take place on Movie Street, a street dedicated to films in Gosa-dong. This year’s edition boa
FilmMarch 31, 2016
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Unification Ministry losing raison d'etre
With the Park Geun-hye government refocusing its North Korea policy toward sanctions and pressure, the Unification Ministry faces a formidable task of overhauling the existing cross-border projects and upholding its core raison d’etre: dialogue and cooperation. Following Pyongyang’s Feb. 7 long-range missile launch preceded by its fourth nuclear test, Seoul set a change in the unruly neighbor’s behavior as its new cross-border policy goal. It announced the effective shutdown of a joint industria
North KoreaMarch 31, 2016
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ACRC briefs foreign firms on anticorruption policies
The state-run anticorruption body on Wednesday held a policy briefing in which it introduced various anticorruption plans to foreign businesses in Korea.The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission also invited them to share problems and complaints about doing business here, during the annual briefing that was held at Hotel President in Jung-gu, Seoul. The ACRC has held the event since 2008.The focal point of the ACRC’s presentation was the Act on the Prevention of Illegal Solicitation, which
PeopleMarch 31, 2016