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
Pianist Lim Yunchan double winner at Gramophone Awards
-
7
[Reporter’s Notebook] Was Netflix film opening BIFF really a bad thing?
-
8
N. Korean leader's sister derides Seoul's Hyunmoo-5 missile as 'useless'
-
9
Yoon, Ishiba discuss cooperation on N. Korea in 1st phone talks
-
10
Controversial cult leader’s sentence reduced to 17 years
-
‘Korea more active than Japan in Southeast Asian tech’
VIP Plaza CEO Tesong Kim (left) speaks about doing business in Southeast Asia at Tech in Asia Tokyo 2015 in Shibuya, Tokyo, last week. (Tech in Asia)TOKYO ― In a region where masses of users are newly armed with smartphones and more spending power, Southeast Asia is a new gold mine for tech enterprises.China’s quickly saturating market for all things tech has pushed Asia-bound start-ups to seek new territory, and global companies like Rakuten, eBay and Rocket Internet are vying over Southeast As
TechnologySept. 16, 2015
-
Students to face off in 6-a-side soccer
A group of Korean students has expanded the second Globald Cup futsal tournament for foreign students after a surprise surge of interest.The six-a-side soccer competition has been increased to include 20 teams from the original 16 planned, but had to stop there due to funding.“We wanted to make it bigger, but we couldn’t manage the funding in such a short time,” said Kyung-ryul Kim, who is part of event organizer Maniac University Sports Town. The winners of last year’s Globald Cup, Chungku Club
Expat LivingSept. 16, 2015
-
New networking app to connect English-speaking entrepreneurs
A new networking group for entrepreneurs in Seoul called Over Lunch is kicking off its app with a launch party Thursday.Over Lunch, created by local expats Hana Sakuragi and Nathan Hendrix, aims to help English-speaking professionals, from expats to locals and people traveling to Seoul on business, make meaningful connections over lunch. It is both an online and offline community for like-minded people to meet new people and enrich their lives, the founders said.Over Lunch cofounders Nathan Hend
Expat LivingSept. 16, 2015
-
Talk to look at passing on musical traditions
Seoul National University professor Hilary Vanessa Finchum-Sung will give a presentation on the preservation of musical traditions on Jindo Island, South Jeolla Province, on Sept. 29.In her presentation, hosted by the Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch, Finchum-Sung will talk about her fieldwork at Sopo-ri on Jindo Island, which has been designated a traditional arts village.She will talk about government recognition of local musical traditions and its history of involvement with traveling perfo
Expat LivingSept. 16, 2015
-
Flea market for expats to hit Gwanghwamun
Seoul Metropolitan Government will be hosting the Foreigners’ Flea Market at Gwanghwamun Plaza on Saturday.The event is designed to provide a place for expats to sell used goods, craft items, souvenirs and other items. To apply for a free booth, visit global.seoul.go.kr and download an application form. Some items may not be sold at the market, including alcohol, knives and medication. It is possible to sell food but a separate form is required, available on the same website.Vendors are encourag
Expat LivingSept. 16, 2015
-
Seoul women’s group offers morning classes
Seoul International Women’s Association will hold its autumn sign-up session for its Enrichment Classes on Tuesday.Under the program, SIWA members offer each other the chance to join in regular classes covering areas from language and craft to cooking and fitness.Classes generally run 10 a.m. to noon and are only available to other SIWA members, but nonmembers can join on the day.The sign-up session will be held from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Conrad Seoul Hotel. The cost is 25,000 won and include
Expat LivingSept. 16, 2015
-
Korean folktales abound in teen novel
Expat author Mark Russell dug deep into Korean folktales for his new teen fantasy novel “Young-hee and the Pullocho.” The story follows Young-hee, a 13-year-old who moves to Korea and slips “Alice in Wonderland”-style into a fantasy world. There her brother is taken hostage by a goblin, or “dokkaebi,” and she must enlist the help of Sanshin, the mountain spirit, and other characters from Korean tradition to get him back by finding a magical “pullocho” herb.The book cleverly intersperses the main
Expat LivingSept. 16, 2015
-
Hyundai Motor to debut first performance car in 2017
Frankfurt, Germany -- Hyundai Motor’s first high performance car under the N subbrand will come in 2017, a senior company executive said here Tuesday.“(Based on the progress in vehicle development), we will be able to see the first performance car in two years,” said Albert Biermann, executive vice president at Hyundai Motor.Biermann, who is responsible for developing high performance cars, revealed the plan during a group interview with the Korean press on the sidelines of the 2015 Frankfurt Mo
MobilitySept. 16, 2015
-
Renault Samsung to debut Talisman in first half of 2016
FRANKFURT, Germany -- Renault Samsung, the Korean unit of French carmaker Renault, announced a plan Wednesday to launch the Talisman, Renault’s new and upscale midsize sedan, in Korea in the first half of next year to revive its presence in one of the most competitive segments. The company also said the new sedan will be manufactured in its Busan plant.“With the local production, we expect to add more convenient options to the new saloon for Korean customers,” Park Dong-hoon, sales and marketin
MobilitySept. 16, 2015
-
U.S. Coast Guard chief fears peninsular clash
With a reclusive and erratic leader at the helm of North Korea, the U.S. Coast Guard is ready to respond to any contingency on the peninsula, its chief said Wednesday, expressing concerns of a possible miscalculation and unintended escalation. Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft said his organization has a “significant force package” including vessels and personnel as part of Washington’s broader plan designed to deal with an armed conflict involving the two Koreas.Paul Zukunft“When you deal with the l
DefenseSept. 16, 2015
-
[Kim Myong-sik] Park’s lack of pet project laudable
For the first time in many years, the national budget for the fiscal 2016 contains no spending plan for any mega-scale infrastructure project. The Park Geun-hye government’s budget proposal submitted to the National Assembly show piecemeal increases in expenditures for welfare, education, defense and “creative economy.” Successive administrations in the past spent a lot of money on the construction of high-speed railways, establishment of a wholly new administrative city, relocation of major pu
ViewpointsSept. 16, 2015
-
N. Korea nuclear capabilities back under spotlight
North Korea’s evolving nuclear weapons capabilities have returned to the spotlight as it claimed Tuesday that its researchers have been pushing to improve the “quantity and quality” of its nuclear weapons to ensure deterrence against the U.S. Satellite imagery shows part of the Yongbyon nuclear complex north of Pyongyang, North Korea. (Yonhap)Analysts presume that the North has come a long way in developing nuclear warheads and their delivery means such as long-range rockets, through three nucle
North KoreaSept. 16, 2015
-
[Yang Sung-jin] Precious items for a castaway
“The Martian” is a science fiction novel by American author Andy Weir. I read the book in an electronic version on my Kindle over a period of three days. It is a book that’s hard to put down. But before I go any further, here’s a warning: anyone planning to read this novel or watch its film adaptation due out early next month will be advised to avoid reading this spoiler-infested column.Now that you’ve bravely decided to read on, I feel much better talking about the fascinating storyline of “The
ViewpointsSept. 16, 2015
-
Lentech goes global with anti-forgery technology
Lentech Korea, a South Korean security system developer, aims to go global with its new anti-forgery technology called Seegram, which inscribes hidden micro patterns on products to prove their authenticity.The company said the coated patterns with a thickness of just 0.17 millimeter are never worn-out and impossible to duplicate. So the technology can be used widely not just on products, but also on passports and identification cards. Combining optical engineering and semiconductor technologies,
TechnologySept. 16, 2015
-
FiveGT showcases door lock operated by facial recognition
South Korean tech start-up FiveGT said Wednesday it has installed its face-recognition door lock, called Ufacekey, at a residential building in Gugi-dong, northern Seoul.Ufacekey includes a face-recognition robot that detects tens of thousands of face characteristics of a user. It takes less than one second to process the recognition. With an infrared camera embedded, the robot also recognizes faces in the dark. The system is compatible with smartphones so that users can monitor family members,
TechnologySept. 16, 2015
-
[Editorial] Debt problem
A recent report from the Bank for International Settlements rang yet another alarm bell over Korea’s rising level of household debt. The ratio of the country’s household debt to gross domestic product hovered above 84 percent in 2014, the highest among 14 key emerging economies surveyed in the quarterly BIS report. The average ratio of the emerging countries was 30 percent. Korea’s household-to-debt ratio also surpassed the average figure for 12 major developed countries at 78 percent. Korea saw
EditorialSept. 16, 2015
-
[Editorial] Outdated pattern
North Korea is returning to its provocative habits in the lead-up to the 70th anniversary of the founding of its ruling Workers’ Party on Oct. 10. It announced Tuesday that it had restarted all facilities, including a uranium enrichment plant and a reactor capable of producing weapons-grade plutonium, at the Yongbyon nuclear complex. The announcement came a day after its space agency said that it was ready to launch satellites aboard long-range rockets “at the times and locations determined by t
EditorialSept. 16, 2015
-
Low-income households cut education spending in Korea
Education is slipping down the list of spending priorities for low-income households in South Korea, while high-earning households are spending the largest share of their income to educate thier children, a study showed on Wednesday. According to the study by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, Korean households that belonged to the wealthiest 20 percent of the population spent an average of 616,965 won ($523) a month to educate their children last year. Households that belonged
Social AffairsSept. 16, 2015
-
[News Focus] Saenuri pushes forward with labor bills
The ruling Saenuri Party on Wednesday decided to push ahead with five labor law amendments -- including measures to ease restriction on layoffs and extending the maximum employment period for temporary workers -- as its party platform, showing its resolve to see through the key elements of the labor reform drive within this year. The tripartite committee of labor, management and the government on Sunday struck a deal on reforming the labor market. The deal was endorsed by the Federation of Korea
Social AffairsSept. 16, 2015