Most Popular
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Opposition mulls delay of financial investment income tax
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Immigration policy must go beyond labor supply: experts
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‘Korea crossed the line too far’ disgraced singer’s lawyer cries foul after 3rd visa denial
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Psy's touch or new trend in music? P Nation’s solo stars lose their shine
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S. Korea to showcase Hyunmoo-5 ballistic missile on Armed Forces Day ceremony for 1st time
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Park Zi-a, the actor who played 'The Glory' heroine's mother, dies
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Nasrallah's killing reveals depth of Israel's Hezbollah penetration
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Korean American documentary ‘Free Chol Soo Lee' wins Emmy
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KMA chief under pressure after surveyed doctors refuse to back him
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Meditation brings calm to Gwanghwamun
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[Weekender] Social media amplifies risks
123rfKang Min-woo’s social media accounts were once filled with snippets of his everyday life. He would post selfies, details of his daily activities and share about coffee shop and restaurants that he frequented. This has since changed as Kang now sees more pitfalls than benefits to the social networking services which were once a crucial conduit for the 24-year-old college student to share about his day-to-day life with relatives, friends and acquaintances. “I used to put my personal informat
Social AffairsFeb. 12, 2016
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[Weekender] Ready or not? Korea fails in crisis management
In April 16, 2014, ferry Sewol plunged to the bottom of the sea, leaving 304 dead or missing. The nation’s spirit shattered and authorities were humiliated in their search for answers on why they were unable to save most of the passengers while the ship sank slowly for hours. The disaster revealed glaring problems in the Korean government’s risk and crisis management capabilities. There is the late response of the authorities, the blame games played by officials in the aftermath of the disaster
Social AffairsFeb. 12, 2016
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Korea's folk paintings on exhibition in Paris next month
An art consulting company said Friday that it will hold an exhibition in Paris next month on Korea's traditional folk paintings.HelioArt said the exhibition will show some 60 paintings of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) at Adam Mickiewicz Museum in Paris from March 14-31.The exhibition will be sponsored by the culture ministries of the two countries on the occasion of their 130th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Abundant satire and humor are the main characteristics of th
CultureFeb. 12, 2016
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[Weekender] Ferry, germs and nuts: Korea’s risky management of crisis
123rfThousands of stranded travelers sprawled languidly on the frosty floors of the snowbound Jejudo Island airport late last month, awaiting their flights and wrapped in thin blankets or even cardboard boxes with no promise of when they would take off. As the record snowfall grounded nearly 90,000 passengers by its third day, dozens of infuriated tourists occupied a local budget carrier desk, decrying its lack of prior notice and mishandling of the situation, also demanding lodging and food.
Social AffairsFeb. 12, 2016
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Korea urges Japan to stop provocation on Dokdo
South Korea called on Japan Friday to stop its provocative territorial claim to Dokdo, a set of rocky islets in the East Sea.Dokdo is South Korea's territory that fell prey to Japan's aggression and occupation of the Korean Peninsula during its militaristic past, the Foreign Ministry in a statement.It was responding to reports that the Japanese government plans to send a vice minister-level official to a controversial event organized by local authorities in connection with Dokdo.The Japanese pre
Foreign AffairsFeb. 12, 2016
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Sales of Orion in China hit record high of W1.3 tr
Sales of Korean snack and confectionary maker Orion in China hit a record high of 1.3 trillion won ($1.07 billion) in 2015, a 14.8 percent increase from a year ago, the company said in a press release on Friday. Few South Korean companies, including AmorePacific and E-Land, have reaped more than 1 trillion won in the world’s most populous market so far. Net profit of the Chinese arm of Orion also jumped 23.3 percent on year to 200.4 billion won. The business success in China lifted the entire pe
IndustryFeb. 12, 2016
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Lawmaker calls for removal of N. Korean leader
A South Korea's ruling party lawmaker called Friday for the removal of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, a sign that underscores growing impatience in dealing with the dictator pursuing missile and nuclear programs."Everybody will be happy if Kim Jong-un is removed," Ha Tae-keung of the ruling Saenuri Party said in an interview with a local radio station.He also urged the international community to stand united in removing Kim as it did for former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. In 2006, Hussein was
North KoreaFeb. 12, 2016
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[David Ignatius] Kerry signals ‘crunch time’ on Syria
WASHINGTON -- Secretary of State John Kerry said in an interview that the U.S. is nearing a final “crunch time” on Syria -- in which it will either make progress toward a cease-fire or begin moving toward “Plan B” and new military moves. For Kerry-watchers, it’s a familiar moment of brinkmanship: He’s making a last, desperate push for a diplomatic breakthrough with Russia and Iran at a meeting in Munich Thursday, even as he warns that the U.S. has “other leverage” if diplomacy fails. Kerry’s p
ViewpointsFeb. 12, 2016
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[Editorial] Blind opposition
One of the key mandates and missions of the opposition is to watch over the government in power, criticize it and offer alternatives if it does something wrong. But the Korean opposition often sticks to opposition for the sake of opposition without offering options. The opposition is holding on to such a habit even in a time of a grave security crisis. The main opposition The Minjoo Party of Korea said it is opposed to the government’s decision to pull South Korean businesses out of the Gaeseo
EditorialFeb. 12, 2016
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[Editorial] Different this time
China becomes a focus of international attention whenever North Korea escalates tensions by nuclear tests or long-range missile launches. It is because the international community looks to China, the sole socialist ally and economic patron of North Korea, for reining in the world’s most notorious rogue state. But one knows what China has done in the past 10 years -- since North Korea’s first nuclear test in 2006. It failed to -- or did not -- pressure or persuade the leaders in Pyongyang to aban
EditorialFeb. 12, 2016
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Hyundai, Kia to export 60,000 vehicles to Iran in 2016
Korea’s top automakers Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors aim to export 60,000 cars to Iran in 2016, an executive from Hyundai Motor Group said Friday.‘‘The group has increased its sales target by 240 percent from 25,000 cars sold in Iran last year,” Hyundai Motor CEO Jeong Jin-hang said. Hyundai Motor CEO Jeong Jin-hang.He made the sales projection in a meeting with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on targeting the reopened Iranian market. The company’s car exports came to a halt in 2012 af
MobilityFeb. 12, 2016
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Political feuds intensify over Gaeseong
While inter-Korean relations stiffened rapidly over the closure of the Gaeseong industrial park, political parties here continued to lock horns over the South Korean government’s hard-line policy towards the North and its measures to support the expelled businesses.The ruling conservative party claimed the shutdown decision was justified, spotlighting the communist neighbor’s earlier nuclear and missile tests against warnings from the international community. The National Assembly’s Foreign Aff
PoliticsFeb. 12, 2016
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Inter-Korean ties frozen with all channels cut
The relationship between the two Koreas is plunging towards rock bottom as their joint industrial complex -- the last bastion of their reconciliation -- has turned into a military zone with all its communication channels severed.Seoul and Pyongyang exchanged barbs, shifting the blame to one another for the closure of the factory park in the North’s border city of Gaeseong. They are showing no signs of compromising to ease rising military tensions on the peninsula. On Thursday, Pyongyang expelled
North KoreaFeb. 12, 2016
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Allies to begin THAAD talks next week
The South Korean Defense Ministry said Friday that Seoul and Washington will begin discussing the deployment of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system from next week.“South Korea and the U.S. are in the final stage of sealing a contract to launch and operate a joint working-level team (on THAAD),” said a high-ranking defense official on customary condition of anonymity.“The team will be able to begin discussion on issues related to the deployment of THAAD as early as next week,” the official
DefenseFeb. 12, 2016
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Korea to consider military efficacy over THAAD, not China, Russia
The South Korean military will strategically focus on picking a candidate site for the U.S.missile defense system THAAD, rather than on a backlash from China and Russia, a high-ranking defense ministry official said Friday, as Seoul and Washington are poised to begin formal talks next week on the sensitive matter."Considering the stances of neighboring countries when (South Korea) picking an area to host the THAAD is not militarily (right)," the Defense Ministry official said on the condition of
DefenseFeb. 12, 2016
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Ex-navy chief gets reduced four-year jail term for bribery
An appeals court on Friday handed down a four-year prison term to a former Navy chief for taking bribes from local firms in return for business favors while in office.The Seoul High Court convicted retired Adm. Jung Ok-geun for pocketing kickbacks from two former affiliates of STX Group in 2008, but said the amount he received cannot be calculated.A lower court previously sentenced him to 10 years in jail for receiving 770 million won (US$636,000), which was transferred to the bank account of hi
Social AffairsFeb. 12, 2016
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Pyongyang to seek measures for Gaesong workers: experts
North Korea is apparently in a bind over what to do with tens of thousands of workers suddenly out of work due to the shutdown of the factory zone, analysts here said Friday.North Korea expelled all South Korean nationals on Thursday from the Gaesong Industrial Complex in the North's border city of the same name and froze factory assets by South Korean firms in retaliation for Seoul's decision to shut down the complex.South Korea shut down the industrial park in response to the North's latest nu
North KoreaFeb. 12, 2016
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Korea coach to return from vacation, begin prep for final World Cup qualifying stage
South Korea men's football head coach Uli Stielike is scheduled to return from his vacation next week to begin preparing for the final World Cup qualification stage, the sport's national governing body said Friday.According to the Korea Football Association (KFA), Stielike will arrive back in South Korea next Wednesday, ending his offseason break that lasted for a little over a month.Even during his time off, Stielike attended South Korean matches at the Asian Football Confederation U-23 Champi
SoccerFeb. 12, 2016
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Average crime rate for foreigners lower than locals, murder and robbery rates higher: gov't report
The average crime rate for foreign residents in South Korea is lower than Korean citizens, but the rates for murder and robbery are higher, a public entity under the justice ministry said Friday.The IOM Migration Research and Training Center recently released a report on its analysis of all 1.85 million crimes committed in South Korea in 2013.Established in 2009, MRTC develops immigration policies and conducts a wide range of research and education projects related to migration development in c
Social AffairsFeb. 12, 2016
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Korea to push for expanding prescreening of passengers
South Korea said Friday it will push for expanding a system for prescreening passengers to keep potential terrorists from entering the country.The move is designed to analyze passenger information before airlines issue boarding passes to restrict potential terrorists and other dangerous passengers from flying into South Korea, the Justice Ministry reported in a meeting with the ruling party.South Korea has been running a test operation of the prescreening system in several airports, including Na
Social AffairsFeb. 12, 2016