Most Popular
-
1
Ex-presidential official’s leaked phone call rattles conservative bloc
-
2
Man escapes DUI charges by downing bottle of soju while pulled over
-
3
Pay debate plagues foreign nanny pilot
-
4
K-pop star lip-syncing controversy flares up again
-
5
35% of S. Koreans view unification 'unnecessary'
-
6
Pianist Lim Yunchan double winner at Gramophone Awards
-
7
Slew of top K-pop stars ready to return from military
-
8
[Reporter’s Notebook] Was Netflix film opening BIFF really a bad thing?
-
9
S. Korea, US clinch 2026-30 defense cost-sharing deal in pre-election push
-
10
N. Korean leader's sister derides Seoul's Hyunmoo-5 missile as 'useless'
-
Exotic Beasts art group to prowl in Busan
Busan’s creative community is set to get a boost from a brand new creature feature.Exotic Beasts is a new group designed to give artists in Busan and nearby areas exposure through exhibitions and a weekly magazine.The group was started by Jeongmin Lee, who is based on nearby Geojedo Island and illustrates under the name Min the Elephant. She was frustrated with the lack of opportunities to show her work. “I wanted to join some artists group for shows and wanted to be involved in the arts scene i
Expat LivingAug. 26, 2015
-
N.K. film hopes to inspire action
A new documentary by an expat director sets out to highlight the struggles of people campaigning for change in North Korea, and hopes to inspire viewers to join the fight.Director of “While They Watched” Jake Smith said he had always been fascinated by North Korea, but was inspired to make the film after reading “Nothing to Envy” by Barbara Demick.“I had previously always seen it from an ideological or political angle, but after reading ‘Nothing to Envy’ I saw it from a personal point of view,”
Expat LivingAug. 26, 2015
-
Ulsan expats gear up for sports day gathering
Ulsan’s expats are set to compete in a sports day Sunday, as the organizers hope to build on the return of the annual event last year.Athletes will compete in soccer and other sports at the event, with teams representing their countries.Ulsan International Volunteer Center, which hosts the event, said the competitors came from a variety of backgrounds, and include multicultural families, migrant workers, English teachers and foreign faculty and students from universities. Participants at last ye
Expat LivingAug. 26, 2015
-
Starbucks introduces Cleanse Salads
Organica’s Quinoa & Chicken SaladStarbucks Coffee Korea on Wednesday announced that it would introduce Cleanse Salads featuring a healthy mixture of vegetables and grains, at more than 800 outlets across the country. Developed and produced by Organica, a Herald Corp. affiliate, the four kinds of salad are expected to further boost Starbucks’ position as a healthy lifestyle leader, Starbucks stated. “It is a huge trend among consumers to look out for safe and healthy meals, including the so-calle
IndustryAug. 26, 2015
-
NPAD calls for expansion in scope of family reunions
The main opposition party leader Rep. Moon Jae-in on Wednesday urged the government to broaden the scope of reunions for separated families following the two Koreas’ agreement to resume the event. The New Politics Alliance for Democracy chairman said during a party meeting that the reunion list should include more than 1,000 members of separated families, as more of them are passing away without having the opportunity to see their loved ones. His proposal came a day after the two Koreas’ agreem
PoliticsAug. 26, 2015
-
40 people killed, 11,000 affected in N. Korean floods
Torrential rains soaked the northern part of North Korea, leaving at least 40 people dead and affecting about 11,000 people over the weekend, the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) said Wednesday.Caused by Typhoon Goni, the heavy rains particularly hit the border town of Rason, where a special economic zone is located and borders with China and Russia, said Hler Gudjonsson, a spokesman for the Red Cross in Beijing, in a statement.“Although the typhoon did not make landfall in the D
North KoreaAug. 26, 2015
-
Korea to reduce consumption taxes to boost economy
Finance Minister Choi Kyung-hwan(left) speaks during a meeting of the economic-related ministers at Seoul Government Complex on Wednesday. (Yonhap)The government will lower consumption taxes in its desperate effort to stimulate the sagging economy, officials said Wednesday.The decision was announced after a meeting of economic-related ministers to discuss measures to boost consumer spending. Finance Ministry officials said the government would temporarily cut consumption taxes on cars and large
Aug. 26, 2015
-
Seoul eases military alert as tension abates
By Shin Hyon-heeSouth Korea has lifted its highest-level military readiness posture as more signs were detected of frontline North Korean forces cranking back into their bases in the wake of cross-border dialogue, military officials here said Wednesday. The decision coincides with the North’s ongoing reinstatement of submarines, air cushion vehicles, 76.2-milimeter artillery guns and other firearms and gunners. Seoul, in turn, ceased its anti-Pyongyang loudspeaker broadcasts along the Military D
North KoreaAug. 26, 2015
-
Park calls on Saenuri to push for labor reform
President Park Geun-hye urged Saenuri Party lawmakers to take the lead in forwarding her labor reform initiative at a luncheon for ruling party lawmakers Wednesday, calling the task a shared duty for future generations.During the gathering at Cheong Wa Dae, Park thanked the lawmakers for passing a reform bill on the civil service pension system in May, but asked them to push ahead with another set of reform bills during the upcoming regular session that kicks off on Tuesday. President Park Geu
PoliticsAug. 26, 2015
-
Police nab water park peeping tom
Police said Wednesday they had taken a 27-year-old woman into custody on suspicion of secretly filming a women’s locker room at local water resorts, including images of victims in the shower that were later leaked online.The suspect, identified by her surname Choi, allegedly took the images at three water resorts and an outdoor pool in Korea last summer. She has admitted to taking the images, but denied any responsibility for distributing them online. A woman accused of secretly filming women in
Social AffairsAug. 26, 2015
-
Allies’ foreign ministers to meet over N.K. provocations
South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se will hold talks with his U.S. counterpart John Kerry to discuss a range of issues, including North Korea’s recent provocations and the bilateral summit slated for October, during his visit to the U.S. from Saturday to next Monday.Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that the bilateral meeting will be held on the sidelines of a meeting of foreign ministers over Arctic-related issues, called “Global Leadership in the Arctic: Cooperation, Innovation, En
North KoreaAug. 26, 2015
-
SK Group chairman extends ‘field management’ to China
SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won turned his eyes to overseas businesses in the course of retaking his grip on the nation’s third-largest conglomerate, whose key businesses are energy, telecom and semiconductors. According to the group, the chairman flew to China on Wednesday after wrapping up week-long site visits at home. His swift move was widely accepted as part of his efforts to extend the so-called “field management” to overseas sites. “He will stay in China for three days to visit key sites
IndustryAug. 26, 2015
-
N.K. attitude change bodes well
Past inter-Korean talks over sensitive issues often descended into acrimonious squabbles with North Korean officials spewing out verbal threats, such as turning Seoul into a “sea of flames,” and sometimes storming out of the conference room.South Korea’s Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo speaks during his meeting with Son Gwang-ju, the new director of the Korea Hana Foundation, an organization to support North Korean defectors, in his office in central Seoul, Wednesday. (Yonhap)The latest talks
NationalAug. 26, 2015
-
Seoul to send military officials to Beijing parade
South Korea plans to dispatch senior military officials to China’s World War II anniversary parade next week despite lingering controversy over the two countries’ growing security cooperation, military sources said Wednesday. The three-member delegation will be led by Lt. Gen. Chung Kyung-doo, head of strategic planning at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the sources said. Defense Minister Han Min-koo also said he would send three executives including a three-star general at a parliamentary session la
DefenseAug. 26, 2015
-
‘Music in palace’ performance series returns next month
Performers showcase traditional Korean music at the Jongmyo Shrine. (Julie Jackson/The Korea Herald)An annual series of performances of traditional music in Seoul’s royal palaces will reopen next month, offering free gugak and pansori concerts against palatial backdrops. This year’s performances will be held simultaneously at the Changdeokgung Palace, Deoksugung Palace and Jongmyo Shrine from Sept. 5 to Oct. 11. Each venue will vary in its themes and hold a total of 34 performances, and unlike i
CultureAug. 26, 2015
-
[Newsmaker] POSCO leads change in labor relations
The much disputed peak wage system may be gaining more momentum with the steelmaker POSCO and its union agreeing to expand its use. Although the system is intended to increase corporations’ capacity for hiring young workers, it has been heavily criticized by labor activists. POSCO, however, has managed to run the system since 2011. On Wednesday, the country’s largest steelmaker announced that the retirement age would be raised by two years to 60, with the scope of the peak wage system expanded.
IndustryAug. 26, 2015
-
Soldier injured in DMZ mine blast
An Army staff sergeant was wounded in an explosion last weekend of a land mine presumed to have been buried by the South Korean military in the Demilitarized Zone, officials said Wednesday. The incident took place at 11:46 a.m. on Sunday in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, during a scouting mission around an area where the Army intentionally planted mines to deter a possible intrusion by North Korean troops. The staff sergeant, who was wearing galoshes and other protective gear, suffered a slight f
DefenseAug. 26, 2015
-
Mountain cable car plan mired in controversy
Controversy is escalating over environmental impacts and the economic feasibility of a cable car that the local government is pushing to construct at one of the country’s most scenic and best-preserved national parks.In April, Yangyang County Office in Gangwon Province applied to the Environment Ministry for a permit to construct a cable car at Mount Seoraksan, the province’s most popular tourist attraction.Under the scheme, the city will build a 3.5-kilometer-long cable car to Geutcheong peak.
Aug. 26, 2015
-
Coupon app YAP goes global with hybrid beacon tech
South Korean coupon app YAP said Wednesday it would expand its presence globally following launches in China and Vietnam. Launched in June 2014, the location-based app allows users to download coupons or discount information when they are within range of Bluetooth-enabled devices, or beacons. The app also works as a mobile wallet. Currently, more than 3 million people use the app and some 100,000 retailers have signed up for the service. The company aims to increase its business partners to 500,
TechnologyAug. 26, 2015
-
Korea downplays stock contagion
South Korea’s Finance Minister Choi Kyung-hwan dismissed Wednesday market analysis that the nation’s stock market was showing signs of being coupled with that of China, whose index recently plummeted.His refutation came a day after China’s monetary policymakers cut the country’s benchmark interest rate to shore up its economy. Later in the day, shares on the Shanghai bourse lost ground again. Though the domestic market is being affected by concerns over China’s slowdown, the recent synchronizati
Aug. 26, 2015