Most Popular
-
1
Ex-presidential official’s leaked phone call rattles conservative bloc
-
2
Pay debate plagues foreign nanny pilot
-
3
K-pop star lip-syncing controversy flares up again
-
4
35% of S. Koreans view unification 'unnecessary'
-
5
Man escapes DUI charges by downing bottle of soju while pulled over
-
6
Prosecution closes 'Dior bag' case amid opposition uproar
-
7
Pianist Lim Yunchan double winner at Gramophone Awards
-
8
Court confirms sentence for rapper who attempted to evade national service
-
9
[Reporter’s Notebook] Was Netflix film opening BIFF really a bad thing?
-
10
N. Korean leader's sister derides Seoul's Hyunmoo-5 missile as 'useless'
-
National branding key to uplifting Korean industrial design: iF
For a country with a relatively young design history, South Korea boasts high design standards, characterized by innovation and a drive toward offering new solutions and services. Yet, the excellence of Korean industrial design remains generally unknown to the rest of the world, due to the lack of a national brand image that is uniquely Korean, according to the managing director of Germany-based iF Design Awards, one of the world’s most prestigious international design awards.“The DNA of Korean
IndustrySept. 22, 2015
-
NPAD attacks arts ‘censorship’
Lawmakers from the main opposition party on Tuesday upped their pressure on the government to stop its attempt to censor cultural contents amid the allegation that some artists and their projects were banned from government financial support for political reasons. They claimed the government was singling out some liberal-leaning artists to deny them support from the nation’s largest funding agency, a move that Rep. Lee Jong-kul, floor leader of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy, cast as
PoliticsSept. 22, 2015
-
Korea’s exports likely to drop 4-6% this year
South Korea’s exports are expected to post negative growth this year in the wake of an economic slowdown in its major trade partners including China, officials and experts said Tuesday.Exports account for about half of the nation’s gross domestic product. And the volume, including intermediate goods for processing trade, shipped to China accounts for 25 percent of Korea’s total exports.The nation’s central bank and some private think tanks expect the 2015 exports to drop by 4 percent to 6 percen
Sept. 22, 2015
-
More elderly women infected with STDs in Korea
The number of elderly South Korean women who have been infected with sexually transmitted diseases increased significantly from 2010-2014, a report showed Tuesday. The report, published by private think tank Pharmscore, analyzed government data on STD patients who sought help at medical institutions over the last five years. According to the findings, the number of women aged 80 or older who were treated for an STD increased by an average of 21.6 percent yearly from 2010 to 2014, from 662 to 1,4
Social AffairsSept. 22, 2015
-
Yonsei professors campaign against state history textbook
Professors at Yonsei University on Tuesday joined a nationwide move against the government’s attempt to reinstate state-published history textbooks for secondary education. The move came a week after over 15,000 educators across the country had protested what they claimed was a policy that “downplays democracy and creative education.”Education Minister Hwang Woo-yea has been pushing to give the government the exclusive rights to publish school history textbooks. Currently, eight local publishers
Social AffairsSept. 22, 2015
-
[Editorial] Constituency system
An independent panel formed by the National Election Commission is scheduled to hold a meeting this week to decide on the number of electoral districts for the forthcoming parliamentary elections. It suggested Saturday the number would be set at between 244 and 249 -- little changed from the current system, under which 246 lawmakers are elected from constituencies. The suggestion has prompted a negative response particularly from the ruling Saenuri Party, with its leader Rep. Kim Moo-sung descri
EditorialSept. 22, 2015
-
Sex scandal swirls around Japanese bank’s Seoul branch
A Seoul branch of a Japanese bank is embroiled in a sex scandal involving several Korean female workers and a Japanese executive, according to local reports and sources.Local prosecutors have been investigating a claim by a female employee of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation that she was sexually harassed by an executive from the company’s Tokyo headquarters. The incident occurred in April and the report was filed with the Seoul Regional Ministry of Employment and Labor in May.The prosecution
Social AffairsSept. 22, 2015
-
THAAD will cost 3tr won: Air Force chief
Stationing an advanced U.S. missile defense unit on the peninsula will cost around 3 trillion won ($2.6 billion), the new Air Force chief of staff said Tuesday, though he reasserted that South Korea and the U.S. are not currently in talks over its purchase.“It should be about, give or take, 3 trillion won,” Gen. Jeong Kyeong-doo said in response to Rep. Kim Kwang-jin of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy during a parliamentary audit at the Air Force’s headquarters in the Gye
DefenseSept. 22, 2015
-
[Kim Seong-kon] Angry Koreans in republic of social networking
South Korea is a nation obsessed with social media, popularly known here as SNS. Young Koreans are busy texting, tweeting and updating their Facebook statuses all day long. The mobile messenger app KakaoTalk, KaTalk in short, has become an indispensable communication tool in Korea. Thanks to the ubiquity of smartphones, even old people now connect with one another on social media. Amazingly, out of Korea’s population of 50 million, as many as 40 million use smartphones. Lee O-young, the inaugura
ViewpointsSept. 22, 2015
-
[Editorial] Zombie companies
The growing number of “zombie companies” -- firms that do not earn enough profit to pay tax and make interest payments -- is becoming a major risk factor for the Korean economy. According to recent data from Chaebul.com, an online corporate tracker, the number of listed corporations that logged pretax operating losses last year amounted to 541, or 31.1 percent of the total. The proportion, the highest in five years, marked a 2 percent increase from 29.1 percent in 2010. The number of companies w
EditorialSept. 22, 2015
-
[Lee Jae-min] Ministry names made easy
Foreigners scratch their head when they see the name “Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning.” ICT is a technical term that stands for information and communications technologies, and most people do not know what it means. Besides, it is also quite unusual to use an abbreviation in an official title of a government agency. The term “future planning” then adds further confusion -- what is a ministry that plans the future? Again, “future” is a word that few people would expect in the officia
ViewpointsSept. 22, 2015
-
U.S.-N.K. relations show no signs of improving
The relations between the U.S. and North Korea show no signs of improving with Washington increasing pressure on Pyongyang to give up its nuclear program, while the latter continues to shift the blame to the former for bilateral antipathy.U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice delivers a speech at George Washington University on Monday. (Yonhap)Their diplomatic tensions are expected to further escalate later this week as the U.S. is expected to call on China to exert more influence to stop th
North KoreaSept. 22, 2015
-
NPAD lawmaker bolts from party
Third-term Rep. Park Joo-sun bolted from the main opposition party to create a new one Tuesday, claiming the New Political Alliance for Democracy had run its course under the current leadership.The prosecutor-turned-politician said at a press conference that he would move to reorganize the opposition bloc and build an alternative political force, dealing yet another blow to NPAD chairman Rep. Moon Jae-in. Rep. Park Joo-sun answers reporters` questions at the National Assembly on Tuesday. YonhapP
NationalSept. 22, 2015
-
Yoo Ah-in’s evolution from rebellious teen to tragic crown prince
To say the year has been kind to Yoo Ah-in is quite an understatement. With two major box office hits landing back-to-back in August and September, he is undoubtedly the star of the summer.Although the 29-year-old actor has long been a familiar face to the public thanks to his successful appearance on TV shows like “Sunkyunkwan Scandal,” Yoo had not been able to make a strong impression in the film market since 2011’s “Punch.” Yoo Ah-in (Yonhap)Then came “Veteran,” directed by respected director
FilmSept. 22, 2015
-
Park Yoo-chun to work at Gangnam-gu Office
Singer-actor Park Yoo-chun of K-pop trio JYJ is set to work as a public service worker at Gangnam-gu Office starting Thursday, the Defense Ministry announced Tuesday. (C-jeS Entertainment)The 29-year-old began his four-week basic military training on Aug. 27 at an Army training camp in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province. He will serve for two years as a public service worker, a substitute for active mandatory military service, due to his asthma. By Ko Ji-seon (jiseonko@heraldcorp.com)
PerformanceSept. 22, 2015
-
A long agenda for Xi-Obama summit
When presidents Xi Jinping and Barack Obama meet in the United States in a few days time, they will not be short of things to talk about. The state of the global economy, trade barriers, the much touted but hard to finalize bilateral investment treaty, climate change, allegations of computer hacking and the South China Sea issue all need to be addressed. And they should really try to find time to discuss events in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and other hotspots as well. The perennial subject of Taiw
ViewpointsSept. 22, 2015
-
Rapid temperature changes raise death risk: study
When temperatures between day and night range by as much as 10 degrees Celsius, it doubles the risk of death, especially among those suffering from respiratory and circulatory diseases, an international study showed Tuesday.According to a joint study on 30 cities in four countries -- Korea, China, Japan and Taiwan, the death risk rose by 0.58 percent on average for every degree Celsius increase in the daily temperature range. The study, led by public health professor Kim Ho at Seoul National Uni
Social AffairsSept. 22, 2015
-
[Herald Review] ‘Quidam’ brings dreamy enchantment to Seoul
A scene from "Quidam" (Mast Entertainment)Nothing short of jaw dropping, Cirque du Soleil’s performance of “Quidam” is a shining example of how a live production can both defy gravity and Murphy’s Law by making the impossible possible.Returning to Korea for the first time in eight years, the Franco-Canadian circus extraordinaire introduced itself to the Korean masses for the first time in 2007 and set a new record for performances, ranking No. 1 in ticket sales for more than nine consecutive wee
PerformanceSept. 22, 2015
-
KEPCO to host international electric expo in October
The state-run Korea Electric Power Corp., the nation’s largest utility company, said Tuesday it will host the Bitgaram International Exposition of Electric Technology from Oct. 12 to 14 at the Kimdaejung Convention Center in Gwangju.The poster of the Bitgaram International Exposition of Electric Technology from Oct. 12 to 14 at the Kimdaejung Convention Center in Gwangju. KEPCO.“The company designed the large-scale international event as part of its effort to transform Naju and its adjacent are
CompaniesSept. 22, 2015
-
Hyun Bin to star in action flick ‘Cooperation’
Actor Hyun Bin is returning to the big screen with “Cooperation,” directed by Yoon Je-kyoon, his agency O& Entertainment said Tuesday. The action-packed movie centers on the first unofficial inter-Korean investigation, with 10 billion won ($8.5 million) already invested into the production. Hyun Bin (OSEN) Director Yoon, famous for “Ode to My Father,” has been working on the film over the past four years. Hyun Bin will play the role of a North Korean detective, ending his two-year hiatus. By
EntertainmentSept. 22, 2015