[Newsmaker] Isolation complication? US finds it's hard to shun Russia

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration likes to say Russia has become isolated internationally because of its invasion of Ukraine. Yet Moscow’s top officials have hardly been cloistered in the Kremlin. And now, even the US wants to talk. President Vladimir Putin has been meeting with world leaders, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose country is a NATO member. Meanwhile, his top diplomat, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, is jetting around the world, smiling, shaking

July 29, 2022

[Newsmaker] Starbucks Korea admits giveaway bags had cancer-causing chemicals

Starbucks Korea on Thursday admitted that its summer giveaway bags had cancer-causing chemicals, and vowed to provide compensation to its customers with gift coupons. “We deeply apologize to our customers who are disappointed in us for the recent issue (surrounding the giveaway bags),” Starbucks Korea said in a statement. “On July 22, we have requested state-approved institutions to run tests on six unopened samples and five opened samples of our giveaway bags and detected

July 28, 2022

[Newsmaker] SK chief unveils $22b investment plan in meeting with Biden

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won on Tuesday (US time) announced South Korea’s second-largest conglomerate’s new $22 billion investment plan in the US in his meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House. Biden in return touted SK’s new multi-billion dollar commitment as one of the “most significant investments” ever seen in the US. “We are announcing another $22 billion in new investment in the US,” Chey told the US president. “All this m

July 27, 2022

[Newsmaker] Activists call for immediate action as Climate Clock counts down

Humanity has less than 7 years left until the “point of no return” in the climate crisis, according to the Climate Clock in Seoul. The digital clock, which is set up on the roof of Herald Corp. headquarters building in Yongsan, central Seoul, stands at six years, 361 days, nine hours and 59 minutes, as of 3 p.m. Tuesday. According to the clock’s operators in New York, the estimated time left before the average global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-i

July 26, 2022

[Newsmaker] Fall of Korean ‘drug king’ expected to expedite probe into local drug networks

A South Korean man believed to be one of the biggest drug traffickers in the country was expatriated from Vietnam last week, after a three-year international joint operation that zeroed in on a major drug smuggling ring based in Southeast Asia. The 47-year-old suspect, identified only by the surname Kim, known by the alias “Sara(salagim)” in the underground market, is believed to be the pinnacle of the drug ring suspected of supplying illegal substances through Telegram. Kim is su

July 24, 2022

[Newsmaker] Monkeypox: how a global health emergency is decided

GENEVA -- A Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) is the rarely used top alert available to the World Health Organization to tackle a global disease outbreak. The WHO on Saturday declared the surge in monkeypox to be a PHEIC after experts reviewed the situation at an emergency committee meeting two days earlier. Here is a look at how the decision is made and previous PHEIC declarations: What is a PHEIC?   The conditions which must be met are set out under the 2005 Interna

July 24, 2022

[Newsmaker] South Korea sets 7 diplomatic tasks, aims to expand presence as ‘global pivotal state’

South Korea will aim to reset relations with the neighboring countries of Japan and China and build regional cooperative network to strengthen its role as a “global pivotal state,” Foreign Minister Park Jin said in his briefing to the president on major diplomatic tasks on Thursday. In his first official report to President Yoon Suk-yeol, Park presented an operation plan to carry out seven major diplomatic tasks, including a diplomacy road map with major countries, operation plans

July 21, 2022

[Newsmaker] [Herald Interview] We need more ‘Attorney Woos,’ says Florida’s first publicly autistic attorney

  The hit drama series “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” presents the story of rookie lawyer Woo Young-woo (played by Park Eun-bin), who is on the autism spectrum.  Showing Woo tackle difficult cases as she grows as a lawyer, while overcoming adversity and prejudice, the 16-part legal drama from television channel ENA was the most watched non-English TV show on Netflix during the week of July 11-17. For most viewers in Korea, where the show is set, the life and career of the

July 20, 2022

[Newsmaker] After elections, young politicians struggle to find their place

Earlier this year, South Korea had two young figures sitting atop rival political parties as the living embodiment of their commitment to introducing new blood. A few months and two major elections later, their place in the country‘s partisan politics seems increasingly tempestuous. Lee Jun-seok, the chairman of the ruling People Power Party, saw his membership suspended by the party’s ethics committee earlier this month after allegations surrounding sexual bribery emerged. Ove

July 20, 2022

[Newsmaker] High jumper Woo Sang-hyeok captures silver at world championships

South Korean high jumper Woo Sang-hyeok has grabbed the silver medal at the world championships, falling just shy of a history-making title on his sport's biggest stage. By matching his own national record at 2.35 meters, Woo finished as the runner-up to Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar at the World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, on Monday (local time). Woo, 26, was trying to become the first South Korean to capture an outdoor world title in any track and field event. Woo

July 19, 2022

[Newsmaker] [Reporter’s Notebook] The dark side of Nuri rocket’s success

While the entire country was still relishing the launch of South Korea’s first domestically developed rocket last month, unionized workers and engineers at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute came out with a rather surprising statement. “The satisfaction and joy of the second launch are passing by as we despair in the unimproved reality,” a statement by the union read. Citing government data, the union pointed out that the annual salary of the national space agency&rsquo

July 18, 2022

[Newsmaker] Seoul’s English-language radio faces existential crisis: CEO

From traffic and weather to music, current South Korean affairs and the latest COVID-19 case counts, Seoul’s mostly English-language radio station TBS eFM has kept expat listeners updated on issues and matters that impact their life in Seoul. Running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the station has struggled financially since its 2008 launch, but has managed to continue serving the expat population thanks to city funding. Now, its future looks uncertain. “As the foreign popul

July 16, 2022

[Newsmaker] Sharp increase in burials in Russian-held areas of Ukraine: NGO

KYIV, Ukraine - Satellite photos and on-the-ground images reveal a sharp increase in burials in Russian-held areas of Ukraine, according to a report released Friday. The non-government Centre for Information Resilience analysed images of burials in six areas -- two of them previously held by Russian forces and the rest still under Moscow's control in southern Ukraine. "Open source information can give unprecedented reach behind the frontlines of the war in Ukraine and into areas occupied by

July 15, 2022

[Newsmaker] ‘Congratulations!’ followed by a smack and humiliation

Last month, a Korean Navy sergeant was beaten up by a group of seven fellow servicemen for more than two hours at a unit in Donghae, Gangwon Province. The victim suffered severe ligament tears and bruises all over his body, which required four weeks of medical treatment. About a month before that, four high school girls in Cheonho-dong, southeastern Seoul, were caught by police for assaulting one of their classmates at a construction site.  The two cases may seem unrelated, but they have

July 13, 2022

[Newsmaker] Sri Lanka president flees to Maldives ahead of expected resignation

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -- Sri Lanka's embattled president flew out of his country to the Maldives early Wednesday, in a likely prelude to his resignation after months of widespread protests against his island nation's worst-ever economic crisis. Gotabaya Rajapaksa had promised at the weekend to resign on Wednesday and clear the way for a "peaceful transition of power" after fleeing his official residence in Colombo just before tens of thousands of protesters overran it. As president, Rajap

July 13, 2022

[Newsmaker] Japan mourns as funeral for former PM Abe held in Tokyo

TOKYO -- Family and friends of assassinated former prime minister Shinzo Abe gathered at a Tokyo temple Tuesday for a private funeral, as mourners outside condemned the leader's "despicable" murder. Abe was shot at close range on Friday while giving a campaign speech in the city of Nara, days ahead of upper house elections that saw his ruling party strengthen its hold on power. The murder suspect, 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, is in custody and has told police he targeted Abe because h

July 12, 2022

[Newsmaker] 'Anti-Nth Room' legislation, an unfulfilled promise?

In late 2019, South Korea was shocked by an online sex crime ring that blackmailed over 70 young women, many of them minors, into filming explicitly sexual content to be sold for profit on Telegram chat rooms. The ensuing public outrage resulted in a series of legal changes, collectively known as the “anti-Nth Room” legislation.  The case, widely referred to as “Nth Room” after one of the chat rooms where the illicit content was shared and men paid to join, is the

July 11, 2022

[Newsmaker] 'In pain, distraught': Japan devastated by Abe assassination

NARA – A day after the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe, a steady stream of mourners, many in tears, arrived at the scene of his murder in western Japan to offer flowers and prayers. People from all walks of life formed a long line on Saturday on the otherwise ordinary street outside a train station where Abe was shot while campaigning ahead of weekend elections. Afternoon downpours did not deter the crowds who came to offer condolences, some having traveled great distance

July 10, 2022

[Newsmaker] Musk ditches Twitter deal, triggering defiant response

SAN FRANCISCO -- Elon Musk on Friday pulled the plug on his $44 billion deal to buy Twitter, accusing the social media giant of "misleading" statements about the number of fake accounts, a regulatory filing showed. Musk's effort to terminate the deal that he inked in April sets the stage for an epic court battle over a billion-dollar breakup fee and more. "Mr. Musk hereby exercises (the) right to terminate the Merger Agreement and abandon the transaction," his lawyers said

July 9, 2022

[Newsmaker] Korean Air ranks first in global customer satisfaction for 18th consecutive year

The country’s largest air carrier Korean Air took first place in the air passenger transportation sector of the 2022 Global Customer Satisfaction Index (GCSI) awards for the 18th time since 2005 on Thursday. The GCSI awards recognize the best Korean corporations in each category by evaluating customer satisfaction levels, global competitiveness, and customer loyalty. Korean Air was recognized for its effort to enhance customer service even during the COVID pandemic by delivering the high

July 8, 2022