[Newsmaker] Opposition lawmaker’s office raided for state budget information leak

A senior lawmaker of the main opposition party faced seizure over charges of accessing and leaking confidential government data on the state budget, prosecutorial officials said Friday.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office seized and searched the office of Rep. Shim Jae-cheol, a fifth-term lawmaker of the conservative Liberty Korea Party, whose aides are suspected of leaking information from the government’s digital budget accounting system.“Please gather immediately a

MarketSept. 21, 2018

[Newsmaker] Kim Jong-un’s visit to Seoul: What it means for two Koreas and beyond

With North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pledging to visit Seoul within the year, there is a mix of hope and caution in the air over the first-ever trip to the South by the top leader from the North. At a joint conference with President Moon Jae-in in Pyongyang on Wednesday, Kim said he had promised Moon that he would visit Seoul “in the near future.” Moon said he expected Kim to come to South Korea’s capital before the end of the year.The announcement came as surprise to South Koreans, 　who have ne

North KoreaSept. 20, 2018

[Newsmaker] Koreas’ summit rekindles talk of 2nd Trump-Kim meeting

WASHINGTON -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's renewed commitment to denuclearize, expressed at this week's meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, fanned expectations Wednesday of a second summit between the reclusive leader and US President Donald Trump.The White House said early last week that Trump had received a letter from Kim, in which the North Korean leader requested a second meeting between the two. Planning for that meeting was already under way, according to the White House

North KoreaSept. 20, 2018

[Newsmaker] Moon, Kim to visit sacred Mount Paektu

The leaders of the two Koreas will visit North Korea’s sacred Paektusan early Thursday, before wrapping up their third summit, according to Cheong Wa Dae. “President Moon accepted Chairman Kim Jong-un’s request to visit Paektusan (with him),” Kim Eui-kyeom, a spokesman for the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, said at the main press center in Pyongyang. According to the spokesman, they will take a flight from Sunan International Airport to Samjiyon Airport near the mountain and ride a bus to a

North KoreaSept. 19, 2018

[Newsmaker] Live broadcast distinguishes 2018 Pyongyang summit

One of the major differences that distinguishes South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s latest trip to Pyongyang from previous inter-Korean summits is the live broadcast of the event. The summit scheduled from Tuesday to Thursday is the first time the communist nation has agreed to broadcast segments of an inter-Korean summit held in its capital city live. South Korean President Moon Jae-in (left) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un participate in an open-car parade in Pyongyang. (Joint Press Corps

North KoreaSept. 18, 2018

[Newsmaker] Points to watch for at Pyongyang summit

With North Korea hard-pressed by international sanctions, it is unlikely that the third inter-Korean summit will yield immediate results in such areas as cross-border economic cooperation.Here are some of the latest remarks by Yoon Young-chan, senior secretary to the president for public communications, on what will be discussed at the summit. (Yonhap)1) Economic cooperation and sanctionsYoon said that the two Koreas will discuss “the big picture” in terms of economic cooperation, but the aforem

North KoreaSept. 18, 2018

[Newsmaker] Gyeonggi Province to introduce first surveillance cameras inside operating rooms

Following recent reports of violence and medical malpractice in operating rooms at hospitals across the country, Gyeonggi Province announced Monday it will install surveillance cameras in operating rooms. Gyeonggi Province said in a statement that surveillance cameras will be installed inside surgery rooms at the Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center Ansung Hospital on Oct. 1. It will mark the first time that surveillance cameras are being placed inside operating rooms at a public medical institute

Social AffairsSept. 17, 2018

[Newsmaker] Typhoon makes landfall in China after killing 59 in Philippines

Typhoon Mangkhut slammed into mainland China late on Sunday after leaving a trail of destruction in Hong Kong and Macau and killing at least 59 people in the northern Philippines.The world's biggest storm this year felled trees and sent skyscrapers swaying in high-rise Hong Kong, injuring more than 200 people there before making landfall on the coast of Jiangmen city, in southern China's Guangdong province.Provincial authorities said they evacuated a total of 2.37 million people and ordered tens

World NewsSept. 17, 2018

[Newsmaker] Three chaebol chiefs join Moon’s Pyongyang trip

Chiefs of South Korea’s three biggest conglomerates -- Samsung, SK and LG, in order -- will join President Moon Jae-in’s visit to Pyongyang on Tuesday as part of the 52-member presidential business delegation for the third inter-Korean talks this year, Cheong Wa Dae confirmed Sunday. According to the announcement, the list of business delegates includes Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, all of whom hold absolute aut

IndustrySept. 16, 2018

[Newsmaker] Typhoon aims at south China after killing 28 in Philippines

TUGUEGARAO, Philippines — Typhoon Mangkhut roared toward densely populated Hong Kong and southern China on Sunday after ravaging across the northern Philippines with ferocious winds and heavy rain that left at least 28 dead in landslides and collapsed houses.The strongest storm so far this year in the world sliced across the northern tip of Luzon Island on Saturday, a breadbasket that is also a region of flood-prone rice plains and mountain provinces with a history of deadly landslides. More tha

World NewsSept. 16, 2018

[Newsmaker] More than 80% of Koreans support idea of ‘dignified death’

More than 80 percent of South Koreans support the idea of “dignified death” -- meaning they do not wish to receive life-prolonging treatment should they become terminally ill without the possibility of medical treatment curing their illness or relieving pain -- according to a newly released study.The study by Seoul National University Hospital researchers came to the conclusion after surveying 1,241 members of the general public, 1,000 cancer patients, 928 medical doctors as well as 1,000 Korean

Social AffairsSept. 14, 2018

[Newsmaker] Supreme Court keeps 20-year jail term for teenager in kidnapping, murder of child

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a lower court's ruling and sentenced a teenager charged with kidnapping and killing an 8-year-old girl to 20 years in prison and her accomplice to 13 years of imprisonment.The 18-year-old girl, surnamed Kim, and her 20-year-old accomplice, surnamed Park, were charged with colluding to kidnap and kill an elementary school girl from Incheon, west of Seoul, early last year. (Yonhap)Kim disposed of the body, part of which she had mutilated and delivered to Park i

Social AffairsSept. 13, 2018

[Newsmaker] Apple unveils new iPhones, upgraded smartwatch

CUPERTINO, California (AFP) -- Apple unveiled three new iPhones on Wednesday in a bid to bolster its spot in the premium smartphone market, along with an upgraded smartwatch that takes electrocardiograms and detects falls.The California tech giant said it would begin selling its 5.8-inch iPhone XS and 6.5-inch iPhone XS Max later this month, keeping the starting price of the company’s top-end model at $999 but bumping the entry price for the version with the larger screen.Apple also announced a

World NewsSept. 13, 2018

[Newsmaker] Controversy escalates over budget plan for inter-Korean project

Controversy continues to mount over the government’s proposed budget for the implementation of April’s inter-Korean summit agreement, with opposition lawmakers accusing the government of scaling down figures to avoid public criticism. 　Submitted to the National Assembly on Wednesday, the budget proposal estimates about 470 billion won ($417 million) would be needed next year to implement the Panmunjom Declaration agreed upon by President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.　But the m

North KoreaSept. 12, 2018

[Newsmaker] 12 men allegedly gain weight to dodge military service

Twelve graduates of a college in Seoul allegedly tried to dodge South Korea’s mandatory military service by intentionally gaining too much weight to pass the physical exam, the Military Manpower Administration said Tuesday. The authorities say the 12 men ate high-calorie foods such as pizza and hamburgers five times a day in an effort to become overweight and fail the physical. One gained 30 kilograms in six months, the authorities said. According to the Military Service Act, all able-bodied men

Social AffairsSept. 12, 2018

[Newsmaker] Judge-turned-lawyer under probe appeals to judges in email

A judge-turned-lawyer under investigation for taking tens of thousands of confidential documents from the Supreme Court was found to have emailed incumbent judges on Monday to appeal his case while the court was still reviewing a request for a warrant to search his office.While he was a senior research official at the Supreme Court, Yoo Hae-yong allegedly received a document written by the National Court Administration on the 2014 decision by the Constitutional Court to dissolve the minor Unifie

Social AffairsSept. 11, 2018

[Newsmaker] MERS patient may have withheld information: Seoul Mayor

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon on Monday called for additional and thorough epidemiological investigation into South Korea’s first case in three years of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, confirmed Saturday. Park said it was possible that the patient may have been aware of his condition before diagnosis and withheld information from authorities. According to the Health Ministry, the 61-year-old man was officially diagnosed Saturday, a day after he returned from a trip to Kuwait via a connecting fligh

Social AffairsSept. 10, 2018

[Newsmaker] Queer festival severely delayed by violent anti-gay protests in Korean port city

The first queer festival held in the South Korean port city of Incheon was severely delayed throughout Saturday, as some 1,000 Christians staged an anti-gay protests on the scene, which led to physical attacks and verbal abuse against LGBT individuals. 　In spite of the violent clashes and subsequent delays, the participants of the festival carried on with the event. While many planned events were canceled, the LGBT community persisted with and completed the queer parade, the last program of the

Social AffairsSept. 9, 2018

[Newsmaker] Six-largest steel firms fined W100b over price fixing

South Korea’s six largest steel companies were fined a combined total of 119 billion won ($105 million) by the antitrust watchdog for fixing the prices of steel reinforcement bars, officials said Sunday.According to the Fair Trade Commission, the six steel producers fixed prices by reducing discounts during the period from May 2015 to December 2016, significantly lowering the market price of steel rebar. The six local steel manufacturers included Hyundai Steel and Dongkuk Steel Mill, which were

IndustrySept. 9, 2018

[Newsmaker] The war is on: Elliott reveals letters to Hyundai in apparent resumption of push for change

Elliott Advisors, the Hong Kong arm of Elliott Management, on Friday afternoon released letters it had sent a month earlier to directors of Hyundai Mobis, Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motors. The recent move is a response to news reports full of speculation that the US hedge fund leaked excerpts of its letters to the media.“Because portions of these letters were selectively provided to the press and others, Elliott has decided to make the full contents of the letters publicly available in the i

MobilitySept. 7, 2018