[H.eco Forum] 'Where we stand in renewables'

A panel of industry insiders and observers sat down for a reality check on where the world stand in the renewable energy transition, during the H.eco Forum 2024 held in Seoul on Wednesday. Under the title “Blue, Clean and Green Energy,” the panel discussion centered around some notable industrial developments in the field, ranging from offshore wind, solar radiation and small modular nuclear reactors, sharing their insights with attentive participants in the audience. The four paneli

Social AffairsMay 22, 2024

Herald Media Group co-hosts ‘Africa Day 2024 Korea’ with African embassies

Herald Media Group will co-host "Africa Day 2024 Korea" on Thursday in collaboration with the African Group of Ambassadors representing 20 African countries, under the slogan "When African Possibilities Meet Korean Capabilities." The main aim of the event is to show how South Korea and Africa can chart a path forward in their economic partnership, and pave the way for the successful hosting of the first-ever Korea-Africa Summit on June 4 and 5. The event at the Convention Cen

Foreign AffairsMay 22, 2024

[H.eco Forum] EU diplomat urges ‘ppali ppali’ for climate response

The European Union’s envoy in South Korea on Wednesday praised the country’s increased commitment to boosting renewable energy, while still urging more speed and international cooperation on the global front against climate change. Speaking at H.eco Forum 2024 in Seoul, EU Ambassador to South Korea Maria Castillo Fernandez noted the Asian country’s pledge to join the global efforts to collectively triple renewables and double energy efficiency by 2030, made at the United Nation

Social AffairsMay 22, 2024

Govt. floats conditional driver's licenses for seniors, then revises it to ‘high-risk drivers’

The South Korean government’s plan to implement conditional licenses for "senior citizen drivers" has been reworded to "high-risk drivers," following a public backlash over potential infringement of the human right to mobility for older people. On Monday, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport and the Korean National Police Agency said they were studying a new measure that would restrict highway access and nighttime driving for drivers 65 and over based o

Social AffairsMay 22, 2024

[H.eco Forum] Former IEA chief calls for embracing hydrogen, nuclear for sustainable future

Nobuo Tanaka, former executive director of the International Energy Agency, emphasized the importance of hydrogen and nuclear energy for both Japan and South Korea to address global energy and climate crises, during his keynote speech at the H.eco Forum held in Seoul on Wednesday. "Japan and Korea, I definitely think, can be winners by using clean hydrogen as well as nuclear power," Tanaka said during his keynote speech at the annual forum organized by Herald Media Group. Tanaka, who c

Social AffairsMay 22, 2024

New CIO chief vows to restore public trust

Oh Dong-woon, the new chief of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, pledged Wednesday to strengthen the agency's role as an independent investigative body and to restore public trust. In his inaugural address, Oh said, “The CIO has been criticized for falling short of public expectations. My responsibility is to strengthen the agency's role as an independent investigative body in line with the purpose for which the CIO was created.” “Since t

Social AffairsMay 22, 2024

Arrest warrant sought for trot singer for DUI, hit-and-run

Police said Wednesday that they had sought an arrest warrant for trot and popera singer Kim Ho-joong over suspicions of drunk driving and a hit-and-run, a day after he appeared for questioning. The Seoul Gangnam Police Station said they applied for arrest warrants at around 11:15 a.m. for Kim on charges of reckless driving resulting in injuries under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes and fleeing the scene. Police have also sought warrants to arrest Lee Gwang-deuk, the head

Social AffairsMay 22, 2024

DP leader demands ruling party's cooperation after Yoon vetoes special counsel probe bill

Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung on Wednesday stepped up criticism of President Yoon Suk Yeol for vetoing a bill mandating a special counsel investigation into the military's response to a Marine's death and urged the ruling party's cooperation in repassing the bill. Lee, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, made the demand during a party Supreme Council meeting, saying the ruling People Power Party should "break away" from what he described as "bad politi

PoliticsMay 22, 2024

S. Korea, Indonesia discuss partnership in development of key minerals

South Korea's industry ministry said Wednesday it has shared ideas with Indonesia on expanding bilateral cooperation in the development of a stable supply chain for key minerals. Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun met with Airlangga Hartarto, the coordinating minister for economic affairs of Indonesia, in Seoul to discuss ways to broaden the economic partnership, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. During the meeting, South Korea and Indonesia agreed to expand ties, includi

Foreign AffairsMay 22, 2024

FM Cho calls for 'coherent' AI governance to ensure responsible, inclusive use

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul called Wednesday for concerted efforts for a "coherent" international governance framework to ensure the responsible and inclusive use of artificial intelligence amid complex ethical and economic challenges. Cho made the call during a forum held in the follow-up to Tuesday's AI Summit, pointing out that the emergence of AI has created unique challenges that policymakers are "ill-equipped to tackle alone." "Generative AI transcends nation

Foreign AffairsMay 22, 2024

Russia likely offering N. Korea technology aid to expand threats to US, others: Pentagon official

Russia has likely given technology assistance to North Korea and Iran in return for their arms transfers to Moscow, a senior Pentagon official said Tuesday, casting it as an apparent move to expand security threats to the United States and others. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space and Missile Defense John Hill made the remarks in response to a senator's question over how Washington is handling emerging space security cooperation between Tehran and Moscow as he attended a Senate sub

North KoreaMay 22, 2024

[Graphic News] Medical tourists visiting Korea reach record high

According to the South Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare, the number of foreign national patients visiting Korea reached a record high of 606,000 last year, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. The report indicates that more than half of these foreign patients sought services at dermatology and plastic surgery clinics. The number of foreign patients visiting Korea last year increased by 2.4 times compared to the previous year, reaching 606,000. This is 1.2 times higher than the 497,000 patien

Social AffairsMay 22, 2024

AI Seoul Summit adopts declaration on safe, innovative, inclusive AI

A global summit hosted by South Korea and Britain adopted a declaration Tuesday on promoting safe, innovative and inclusive artificial intelligence (AI) to address challenges and opportunities associated with the fast-evolving technology. The so-called "Seoul Declaration" was adopted during a virtual leaders' session of the AI Seoul Summit, hosted by President Yoon Suk Yeol and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The two-day event follows the inaugural global AI safety summit held in B

Foreign AffairsMay 21, 2024

S. Korea reports first African swine fever case in around 9 months

South Korea on Tuesday reported its first African swine fever (ASF) case in around nine months. The latest ASF case was found at a farm located in the inter-Korean border county of Cheorwon in Gangwon Province, which raised some 1,200 pigs, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. It marked the first case of the animal disease since September last year when the disease broke out at a local farm in the county of Hwacheon. The government issued a 48-hour standstill order f

Social AffairsMay 21, 2024

S. Korea, US hold 2nd round of talks on defense cost sharing

South Korea and the United States held a new round of negotiations Tuesday on sharing the costs for stationing American troops here. The three-day talks through Thursday are aimed at determining how much Seoul should shoulder for the upkeep of the 28,500-strong US Forces Korea, starting in 2026. The talks are led by Lee Tae-woo, South Korea's chief negotiator from the foreign ministry, and his US counterpart, Linda Specht from the State Department. Tuesday's negotiations took place at

DefenseMay 21, 2024

First lady attends exhibition by Ukrainian children

First Lady Kim Keon Hee attended an exhibition by Ukrainian children Tuesday in her third public appearance after she avoided public view for five months following a luxury bag gift scandal. Kim visited the exhibition held at the former presidential compound of Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, marking a rare solo appearance by her. The presidential office said Kim played a role in bringing Ukrainian children's drawings to South Korea after her meeting with Ukraine's first lady, Olena Zelenska,

PoliticsMay 21, 2024

Only 5% of trainee doctors return to hospitals amid protracted walkout

Only 5 percent of the trainee doctors who have left their worksites for three months have returned to hospitals, a senior official said Tuesday, though the government renewed its appeal for them to resolve the protracted standoff over medical reform through dialogue. Most junior doctors, however, have rather called on the government to accept their resignations swiftly, vowing not to back down and seek career paths as doctors other than becoming specialist doctors at major hospitals. According t

Social AffairsMay 21, 2024

[Up close in Yeouido] Trump hinting at US troop removal in South Korea ‘election-time talk’

The former US President Donald Trump hinting at possibly pulling troops from South Korea was “election rhetoric that does not align with the mainstream thinking in Washington,” according to Rep. Han Ki-ho, the chair of the National Assembly’s national defense committee. The former three-star Army general, who won a fourth term in the Assembly in the April general election, told The Korea Herald that the statements from Trump were an “election-time talk for a domestic au

PoliticsMay 21, 2024

Dog days are over? Popular dog trainer embroiled in workplace bullying dispute

A controversy is brewing over allegations that Kang Hyeong-Wook, one of the most well-known dog trainers in South Korea, has been bullying the employees at his company. The rumor surfaced after the recent news that the 38-year-old has decided to cease operation of Bodeum Company Ltd., a training and consulting firm for dogs. Numerous users of the local job-searching platform Job Planet came across negative reviews of the company, which have since been posted online and circulated among the South

Social AffairsMay 21, 2024

Yoon vetoes bill for special probe into young Marine's death

Bipartisan tensions are poised to reignite over the bill for a special investigation into allegations of government interference surrounding a young Marine's death last July, as it heads back to the National Assembly after a presidential veto. President Yoon Suk Yeol blocked the bill Tuesday, rejecting the opposition parties' calls for an independent counsel's investigation of the alleged influence-peddling case, his Chief of Staff Chung Jin-suk told reporters. It became the 10th

PoliticsMay 21, 2024