The Korea Herald

Dinner is theater at Exquis

The hold of celebrity chefs over Seoul’s dining scene remains as strong as ever, proving that the era of such culinary stars is far from over. With chefs the stars of their own culinary space, dinner as theater has become a part of the dining out experience, with open kitchens serving as a stage for diners to witness chefs in motion. Exquis -- a fine dining spot that opened three months ago in Sinsa-dong, Seoul -- takes the concept a step further by seating diners at a counter located above an o

FoodFeb. 29, 2016

KEPCO to pay record high of W2tr in dividends

The state-run Korea Electric Power Corp. said Monday it will hand out a record high of some 2 trillion won ($1.66 billion) in cash dividends to its shareholders for the year 2015, in its largest allotment to date.　“We plan to pay 1.99 trillion won for dividends out of a net profit of 13.41 trillion won posted in 2015,” the nation’s largest utility firm said in a regulatory filing. KEPCO`s new headquarters in Naju, South Jeolla Province (Yonhap)　“The decision is scheduled for discussion at the bo

IndustryFeb. 29, 2016

KEPCO to pay record high of W2tr in dividends

Drug imports fall on rise of generics

South Korea’s inbound shipments in the pharmaceutical sector, which had been increasing annually until 2014, declined by around 5 percent last year due in part to a rise in the use of domestic generic drugs, according to recent data by the Korea Pharmaceutical Traders Association.　　Imports of raw materials used in pharmaceutical production and of finished pharmaceutical products together declined by 5.37 percent on-year to $4.8 billion in 2015, according to the KPTA.　By category, imports of star

IndustryFeb. 29, 2016

[Ram Garikipati] Tackle illegal political funding for sustainable growth

With the general election in Korea just a couple months away, a recent report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development appears to be timely. 　The report, “Financing Democracy,” takes a comparative approach to examining how the funding of political parties and election campaigns has evolved, and how regulations across OECD member and partner countries have been established.　From an economic standpoint, this is important because it shows how the politician-business nexus can ha

ViewpointsFeb. 29, 2016

[Ram Garikipati] Tackle illegal political funding for sustainable growth

[Editorial] Ethical failure

The Board of Audit and Inspection has found that officials of the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning went out of their way last year to help Lotte Home Shopping continue its lucrative business.　Under the Broadcasting Act, home shopping channels are required to renew their business licenses every five years. Lotte’s license, together with those of two other home shopping operators, was to expire in May last year.　Before launching the evaluation process, the ministry tightened the screen

EditorialFeb. 29, 2016

[Editorial] Jeju naval base

After a long delay, the Korean Navy’s new base on Jejudo Island has finally been completed. The government celebrated the launch of the landmark naval base, which is formally called the Jeju Civilian-Military Complex Port, in a ceremony Friday.　It was in 1993 that the Korean government decided to push the naval base as a major state project, viewing it as essential to defending South Korea’s maritime sovereignty. Construction began at the site in Gangjeong Village in 2007.　The port can accommoda

EditorialFeb. 29, 2016

Zolpidem most frequently used date rape drug in Korea

Zolpidem, a sedative often used for the treatment of insomnia, is the drug that is most frequently used by South Korean drug-facilitated sexual abuse offenders, according to a report released by the National Forensic Service on Monday.　The report was written after analyzing a total of 148 reported cases of drug-facilitated sexual assault that took place from 2006-2012. Among the cases, the largest number of them, at 31, involved using Zolpidem. When the drug is taken with a large amount of alcoh

Social AffairsFeb. 29, 2016

Zolpidem most frequently used date rape drug in Korea

[Chris Patten] The closing of the academic mind

I would wager that I have been Chancellor of more universities than anyone alive today. This is partly because when I was Governor of Hong Kong, I was made Chancellor of every university in the city. I protested that it would surely be better for the universities to choose their own constitutional heads. But the universities would not allow me to resign gracefully. So for five years I enjoyed the experience of giving tens of thousands of students their degrees and watching what this rite of pass

ViewpointsFeb. 29, 2016

[Chris Patten] The closing of the academic mind

AOA's Jimin to release first solo EP

Jimin of South Korean girl group AOA will release her first solo single featuring EXO's Xiumin this week, star label FNC Entertainment said on Monday. Dubbed "Call You Bae," the new track will be released on Thursday on local music streaming services. The EP is the first operation of Jimin's solo project "#00TD," FNC said. "Call You Bae" is a cheerful love song with a fast tempo that depicts the fluttering hearts of youth in love. The song harmoniously blends Jimin's high-pitched rap and Xiumin'

PerformanceFeb. 29, 2016

[Photo News] LG eyes global commercial washer market

DRUMMING UP COMMERCIAL WASHER BUSINESS -- Tech giant LG Electronics has recently invited partners from 12 global markets, including China and France, to Korea to showcase its latest commercial washing machine lineup. The electronics firm aims to double the global sales of the commercial washer business this year over last year. (LGE)

TechnologyFeb. 29, 2016

[Photo News] LG eyes global commercial washer market

[Photo News] SK hynix sponsors male handball team

DEBUT OF SK-SPONSORED HANDBALL TEAM -- SK hynix holds an event to celebrate the launch of the SK Hawks, SK hynix’s sponsored male handball team, on Monday in North Chungcheong Province. (From third from left, first row) Coach Hwangbo Sung-il, SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won, SK hynix chief executive Park Sung-wook and head coach Oh Se-il participate in the event. (SK hynix)

TechnologyFeb. 29, 2016

[Photo News] SK hynix sponsors male handball team

[Photo News] Twitter commemorates March 1 Movement

TWITTER COMMEMORATES MARCH 1 MOVEMENT-- In order to commemorate the "March 1 Independence Movement" in 1919, Twitter Korea runs the #Remember1919 hashtag campaign featuring an emoticon based on a caricature of female independence activist Ryu Gwan-soon. (Twitter Korea)

TechnologyFeb. 29, 2016

[Photo News] Twitter commemorates March 1 Movement

Brokerage firms’ profit nearly doubled in 2015

Net income of South Korean brokerage firms have surged over 91 percent in 2015 as their brokerage commissions and investment-banking fees soared, data compiled by the country’s financial authority showed Monday. According to Financial Supervisory Service, a combined net profit of 56 brokerages climbed to 3.23 trillion won ($2.6 billion) last year, up 91.7 percent from 1.54 trillion won a year earlier.The surge was attributed to brokerage commissions that jumped 32.6 percent on-year to 7.92 trill

Feb. 29, 2016

Peninsular trust-building process still valid: vice minister

A senior South Korean diplomat on Monday dismissed growing concerns over the absence of progress in Seoul's initiative to build trust with North Korea, saying the initiative is still valid and should be pushed for with a long-term perspective.Speaking at a Seoul forum, Second Vice Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul also pointed to Pyongyang's recalcitrant and provocative behavior, which he said has made it difficult for Seoul's "peninsular trust-building process" to yield meaningful progress."When Nor

North KoreaFeb. 29, 2016

U.S. push to deploy THAAD in S. Korea will continue: Seoul

The United States will remain unchanged in its push to deploy its advanced anti-ballistic missile system known as THAAD in South Korea, a defense ministry official here said Monday.Earlier this month, South Korea and the U.S. launched talks on the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, to counter North Korea's increasing nuclear and missile threats.The bilateral negotiations were abruptly put on hold by the U.S. last week without specific reasons, sparking speculations

DefenseFeb. 29, 2016

Kakao seeks larger offline presence

Kakao, the nation’s largest mobile messenger operator, has been showing an endless appetite for new revenue sources by acquiring start-ups in recent months.Many of the investments were focused on the online-to-offline, or O2O, sector, which proves that Kakao has its eyes set on both the online and offline world. A KakaoTalk messenger user initiates the mobile messenger. (Yonhap)On Monday, the mobile messenger firm announced it had taken over another fledgling start-up, called Parking Square, wh

TechnologyFeb. 29, 2016

Korea-China co-produced drama for kids to show on EBS

An action drama for children on the saga of ancient China will be aired on a key South Korean TV channel starting this week, the channel said Monday.Co-produced by South Korea and China, the blockbuster drama named "Legend Hero" will be shown every Wednesday and Thursday at 7 p.m. on the Educational Broadcasting Station. China Film Animation is a co-producer of EBS.The historic drama has been filmed with special effects at the production expense of some 7 billion won, according to EBS.The 50-epi

TelevisionFeb. 29, 2016

China: Envoy voices opposition to U.S. shield in Seoul

China's chief nuclear envoy, Wu Dawei, has voiced the country's opposition to the possible deployment of an advanced U.S. missile defense system in South Korea during his meetings with Seoul officials, China's foreign ministry said Monday. Wu, who arrive in South Korea on Sunday, expressed his "solemn position" on the possible deployment of the U.S. missile shield, the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery, in South Korea, China's foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters.South Ko

DefenseFeb. 29, 2016

DiCaprio takes home his first Oscar

In an underdog win for a movie about an underdog profession, the newspaper drama “Spotlight” took best picture at the 88th Academy Awards on Sunday, where remarks on lack of diversity in Hollywood dominated proceedings.Tom McCarthy‘s film about the Boston Globe’s investigative reporting on sexual abuse by Roman Catholic priests won over the favored frontier epic “The Revenant.” The well-crafted procedural, led by a strong ensemble cast, had lagged in the lead-up to the Oscars, losing ground to t

FilmFeb. 29, 2016

‘Rod of love’ tradition hinders eradication of child abuse

The South Korean government has been striving to curb violence in various corners of society, including at schools, homes, workplaces and online. The Korea Herald is publishing a series of articles delving into the reality and the country’s efforts to restrain the violence. This is the third installment. -- Ed.A police officer teaches children how to report child abuse cases at a school in Gwangju on Feb. 23. (Yonhap)Child abuse counselor Lee Tae-ho remembers when he and other police officers we

Social AffairsFeb. 29, 2016

‘Rod of love’ tradition hinders eradication of child abuse