'Raise senior citizen age to 75': senior group head

The head of a senior citizens' association in South Korea proposed on Monday that the government raise the standard age classifying people as senior citizens from the current 65 to 75, arguing it is necessary to address the country's demographic imbalance. "Currently, the senior citizen population is about 10 million, but the figure is expected to double to 20 million in 2050," Lee Joong-keun, the new chief of the Korean Senior Citizens Association said during his inauguratio

Social AffairsOct. 21, 2024

Tariffs top US election agenda for Korean firms

Whether Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris or Republican candidate Donald Trump takes the White House, US tariff policy for the next four years is the top concern for Korean firms, according to Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry poll results on Monday. In a survey conducted on 300 Korean manufacturing companies from Oct. 2-11, over a quarter of Korean companies, or 25.6 percent, said Trump's plan of “expanding universal and reciprocal tariffs” grabbed their at

EconomyOct. 21, 2024

[History through films] ‘Hunt’ spy flick set in Korea’s violent, chaotic ’80s

South Korea in the 1980s is often described as an era of violence and chaos. The period was marked by numerous major events in South Korean history, among them: the Gwangju Democratic Uprising in 1980 in which the military cracked down on civilians leading to a massacre; one of the largest fraud cases to date involving Jang Young-ja, a woman associated with then-President Chun Doo-hwan’s wife’s family in 1982; the Oct. 9, 1983 assassination attempt on Chun in Yangon, Myanmar in which

FilmOct. 21, 2024

[Herald Interview] Hanjin scion readies for big leap

Emily Cho, president and chief marketing officer of Hanjin Logistics Corporation, visited 11 countries in the first half of this year alone as she continued adding impetus to extending the global shipping network of the company her grandfather founded 79 years ago. "I try to be present in meetings with our global clients, hoping to help foster long-term, solid partnerships with them," Cho told The Korea Herald in a recent interview at her office in central Seoul, a day before her busin

IndustryOct. 21, 2024

[Exclusive] UN Command finds cross-border broadcasts trigger trash balloons: JCS memo

The US-led United Nations Command said South Korea broadcasting anti-Kim Jong-un propaganda through loudspeakers along the border with North Korea have encouraged, rather than deterred, North Korea’s launches of balloons carrying trash toward the South, according to a Seoul Joint Chiefs of Staff memo obtained by The Korea Herald. The anti-Pyongyang broadcasts by South Korea “failed to deter the North Korean trash balloons” and “gave North Korea an excuse for additional la

DefenseOct. 21, 2024

'Hellbound' returns: new and old faces rise from hell

The international hit dark fantasy thriller "Hellbound" is returning to Netflix with a new season after three years. The show's first season recorded an accumulated 110 million viewing hours within 10 days of its release, captivating local and international audiences alike with the story of Koreans receiving messages from ethereal beings about their impending damnation. The second season, slated to release its first episode Friday, picks up the story eight years later with a drama

TelevisionOct. 21, 2024

Seoul city to spend $326m on fighting 'loneliness'

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday released a comprehensive plan to support a growing number of Seoul residents struggling with loneliness and social isolation. The initiative, called “Loneliness-Free Seoul,” aims to intervene early to tackle loneliness at its root and prevent people from dying alone, known as “lonely deaths,” which have been rapidly increasing in the city. Over the next five years, the city plans to invest a total of 451.3 billion won ($326 mill

Social AffairsOct. 21, 2024

Nationwide rain to bring chilly weather

South Korea is expected to see a drop in temperature this week, following nationwide rain showers in the middle of the week, according to the state weather agency on Monday. Temperatures in Seoul on Monday morning registered 11.3 degrees Celsius, along with 11.8 C in Incheon, 10.1 C in Daejeon, 12.9 C in Gwangju, 16.1 C in Ulsan and 12.7 C in Daegu, the Korea Meteorological Administration said. Daytime highs ranged between 18 and 24 C. Some parts of northern Gyeonggi Province and mountainous are

Social AffairsOct. 21, 2024

Hanjin Logistics eyes bigger footing in Eurasisa

Hanjin Logistics, an affiliate of South Korean airline-to-logistics conglomerate Hanjin Group, said Monday that it is strengthening its logistics business in Eurasia, with a particular focus on Uzbekistan. According to the company, Hanjin Logistics CEO Noh Sam-sug and President and Chief Marketing Officer Emily Cho visited Uzbekistan from Oct. 13 to Tuesday as part of their overseas management initiative. This time, the visit aimed to assess logistics conditions and strengthen relationships with

CompaniesOct. 21, 2024

Yoon meets Han amid escalating tension within ruling party

President Yoon Suk Yeol met with People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon at the presidential office amid escalating tensions with the ruling party over allegations of state meddling involving his wife, on the same day his approval rating hit yet another low. The meeting, requested by the ruling party chair and former justice minister, was expected to focus on recent allegations surrounding first lady Kim Keon Hee. Han, a longtime colleague of Yoon from their days as prosecutors, urged a significa

PoliticsOct. 21, 2024

[Herald Interview] Fairfax County seeks to attract Korea’s emerging tech firms

Aiming to reinforce its reputation as the “Silicon Valley of the East,” Fairfax County, located near Washington, DC in the US state of Virginia, is seeking to bring in more Korean tech firms specializing in emerging technologies such as quantum computing, artificial intelligence and aerospace, David Kelley, the vice president of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, said. "Fairfax County likes to pride itself on innovation, and especially innovation around emerging

IndustryOct. 21, 2024

[Photo news] Thinnest Galaxy foldable phone

SK Telecom said Monday it will launch Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition, the tech giant's new thinnest foldable smartphone, on Friday. The new phone is 4.9 millimeters thick and the main display can be expanded to 8 inches, providing a more immersive viewing experience. The Korean price is at 2.78 million won ($2,039), with global sales starting as early as later this month. (SK Telecom)

IndustryOct. 21, 2024

Daewoo E&C wins W1tr plant project in Turkmenistan

South Korean builder Daewoo Engineering & Construction has been selected as the winning bidder for a mineral fertilizer plant project in Turkmenistan, valued at approximately 1 trillion won ($730 million), according to the company Monday. The project involves the construction of a mineral fertilizer plant in Turkmenabat, 450 kilometers east of the capital Ashgabat. The plant will have an annual production capacity of 350,000 tons of phosphate fertilizer and 100,000 tons of ammonium sulfate,

CompaniesOct. 21, 2024

Kim Woo-sung of The Rose makes waves on Billboard charts

Singer Kim Woo-sung's second full-length album, "4444," released Oct, has ranked sixth on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart, the highest-ever ranking for a Korean male artist. The album by the member of the band The Rose also ranked on multiple Billboard charts, including eighth on the Heatseekers Albums chart and 15th on the Current Album Sales chart. “4444” showcases Kim's musical evolution, featuring a diverse collection of eight tracks spanning vario

PerformanceOct. 21, 2024

[Photo news] Double podium

Hyundai Motor said Monday that its racing teams picked up two wins at the 2024 World Rally Championship's 12th round of the Central European Rally and the 2024 TCR World Tour's sixth race in China over the past weekend. According to the automaker, Ott Tanak on Hyundai Motor's world rally team took the highest spot on the podium after he came out victorious with the brand's motorsports car i20 N Rally1 Hybrid. For the TRC race, Mikel Azcona on the BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse w

MobilityOct. 21, 2024

Twice to drop new EP ‘Strategy’ in December

K-pop sensation Twice will release its new EP “Strategy” on Dec. 6. JYP Entertainment announced the news via the group’s official social media channels, sharing an image of a "coming soon" poster. The upcoming release is Twice’s 14th EP and comes approximately 10 months after the previous mini album, "With YOU-th," launched in February. The EP "With YOU-th" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, Billboard’s main album chart, on March 9,

K-popOct. 21, 2024

[Bills in Focus] Addressing smartphone addiction, strengthening cooperative finances

Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Act of Corporate Governance of Financial Companies Proposed by Rep. Lee Jung-mun (Democratic Party of Korea) ● In response to recent financial incidents such as the misselling of funds and large-scale embezzlements, this amendment is part of ongoing efforts to promote responsible management within the financial sector. The core objective of the amendment is to establish unified disciplinary standards for employees across all financial companies when inte

PoliticsOct. 21, 2024

Yoon, ruling party leader set to meet amid controversies surrounding first lady

President Yoon Suk Yeol and the ruling party chief were set to meet Monday to discuss a range of pressing issues, likely including controversies involving first lady Kim Keon Hee. Yoon and Han Dong-hoon, chair of the People Power Party, were scheduled to meet for tea at the presidential office at 4:30 p.m., with the presidential chief of staff, Chung Jin-suk, also attending, Yoon's office said. The meeting comes as Yoon and the ruling party seek to recover from declining approval ratings, w

PoliticsOct. 21, 2024

Seoul shares open higher on Wall Street gains

Seoul shares opened higher Monday, tracking gains on Wall Street last week. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) rose 5.19 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,599.01 in the first 15 minutes of trading. On Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.09 percent to 43,275.91, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite was up 0.63 percent to 18,489.55. In Seoul, large-cap stocks were mixed. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics Co. fell 0.8 percent, leading auto parts maker Hyundai Mobis

MarketOct. 21, 2024

Exports fall 2.9% during first 20 days of October

South Korea's exports lost 2.9 percent on-year in the first 20 days of October due to falling demand for vehicles and petroleum products and fewer working days, data showed Monday. Outbound shipments reached $32.77 billion in the Oct. 1-20 period, compared with $33.74 billion tallied a year earlier, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service. Per-day exports, however, rose 1 percent on-year to $2.62 billion. The number of working days during the cited period of this year came to 1

EconomyOct. 21, 2024