[Newsmaker] Mercedes-Benz’ fast growth in Korea meets unexpected bump

Amid German prosecutors’ investigation into defeat devices installed in Mercedes-Benz diesel cars, the Environment Ministry here said Tuesday that some 110,000 units powered by the engines in question were sold in Korea. The ministry started examining 110,000 units across 47 models running on engines codenamed OM642 and OM651, following a report by German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung that said the number of concerned Mercedes-Benz cars totaled over a million units worldwide last week.The Germa

MobilityJuly 18, 2017

[Newsmaker] Park Sung-hyun wins US Women’s Open

South Korea‘s Park Sung-hyun won her first major golf title Sunday, firing her second consecutive five-under par 67 to capture the US Women’s Open as US President Donald Trump watched.　Park, the event’s seventh South Korean winner in 10 years, finished 72 holes at Trump National on 11-under 277 to defeat 17-year-old South Korean amateur Choi Hye-jin by two strokes.　“I am excited and happy,” Park said through a translator. “It feels unreal to a certain extent.”　Deadlocked for the lead with Choi,

GolfJuly 17, 2017

[Newsmaker] Trump, Macron bromance in bloom

A muscular handshake that turned their knuckles white seems to be giving way to a budding friendship between Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron.　The unexpected bromance between the leaders of America and France was on full display for the world Friday at the annual Bastille Day military parade and celebration in Paris. This year the event coincided with the 100th anniversary of the US entry into World War I.　Trump spent a large portion of his day and a half in the French capital in the embrace of

World NewsJuly 16, 2017

[Newsmaker] Political prisoner, Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo dies at age 61

Imprisoned for all the seven years since he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, Liu Xiaobo never renounced the pursuit of human rights in China, insisting on living a life of “honesty, responsibility and dignity.” China's most prominent political prisoner died Thursday of liver cancer at 61.His death _ at a hospital in the country's northeast, where he'd been transferred after being diagnosed _ triggered an outpouring of dismay among his friends and supporters, who lauded his courage and determin

World NewsJuly 14, 2017

[Newsmaker] Brazil’s Lula gets nearly 10 years in jail for graft

Brazil’s former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison for graft Wednesday -- a stark fall from grace for the iconic leftist leader, and the latest twist in a sprawling political corruption probe engulfing Latin America’s largest economy.　Lula, who ruled Brazil from 2003-2010, was convicted and handed a 9.5-year prison term for accepting a bribe of a luxury seaside apartment and $1.1 million.　But anti-corruption judge Sergio Moro, who handed down the sente

World NewsJuly 13, 2017

[Newsmaker] Prosecution probes duty-free licensing

Upon the conclusion by the audit board that Lotte Duty Free was wrongfully denied duty-free licenses by the Korea Customs Service in 2015, the prosecution has launched its own investigation into the case that is also connected to the ongoing trial of impeached former President Park Geun-hye.The Board of Audit and Inspection has said Tuesday that after two rounds of its investigation, they have found the KCS knowingly manipulated data submitted by duty-free operators to prevent Lotte Duty Free fr

IndustryJuly 12, 2017

[Newsmaker] Sim retires as progressive Justice Party chief

The 2017 South Korean presidential election was filled with excitement and concern, with five unique candidates vying to fill the vacuum left by former President Park Geun-hye. Among the five was Sim Sang-jeung of the progressive Justice Party, the only female candidate in the race who fought hard to the end.  Sim Sang-jeung (Yonhap)On Monday, Sim announced she would step down from her role as chief of the minor opposition party, which holds just six parliamentary seats and is not recognized as

PoliticsJuly 10, 2017

[Newsmaker] Melania, Ivanka have starring roles in Trump’s foreign trip

Why, yes, that was Ivanka Trump briefly filling her father’s seat at the Group of 20 summit, an international gathering that turned out to be quite the family affair for the Trumps.　The president’s daughter attracted particular attention after a member of the Russian delegation tweeted a photograph of her sitting in her father’s chair during an official summit event on Saturday. 　A White House official said the president had stepped out of the room and that Ivanka Trump, a senior adviser, moved

World NewsJuly 9, 2017

[Newsmaker] Samsung set to become world’s most profitable company

Samsung Electronics is set to report its best-ever quarterly profit in the second quarter, higher than that of Apple, the world’s most profitable company.The South Korean electronics giant estimated Friday that it posted 60 trillion won ($51 billion) in sales and 14 trillion won in operating profit in the April-June period, which are increases of 17.79 percent and 71.99 percent, respectively, from the previous year. This could be the first time that the world’s largest smartphone maker has recor

IndustryJuly 7, 2017

[Newsmaker] Why do Korean idols face threats from fans?

A growing number of Korean pop stars received death threats in recent months, raising questions as to why such incidents occur.From Apink to Twice to BTS, South Korea’s most beloved artists have faced serious threats from various anonymous persons online and over the phone. This has put the local entertainment industry on edge, amid growing concerns over how celebrities can be better protected from such threats.Most are written out of anger. Irrational jealousy over celebrities who are dating or

July 6, 2017

[Newsmaker] Korea’s hottest actor never short of news

Song Joong-ki dropped a stick of entertainment media dynamite on the country early Wednesday morning with the news he would marry his former costar, stunning fans and media alike and proving once again why he is one of the hottest young actors in Korea.He and Song Hye-kyo jointly announced via their agencies that they would get hitched on Oct. 31, after repeatedly denying that they were in a romantic relationship. Song Joong-ki poses at a press conference in Seoul on Feb. 22, 2016. (KBS)It was o

TelevisionJuly 5, 2017

[Newsmaker] Moon names nominee for new prosecutor-general

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday nominated an incumbent prosecutor as the country’s top prosecutor, completing the lineup to push for making the prosecution more transparent and politically neutral. Prosecutir-General nominee Moon Moo-il (Yonhap)Moon Moo-il, the incumbent head of the Busan High Prosecutors’ Office, has been designated for the prosecutor-general post, which has been left vacant for nearly two months, to lead the reform of the prosecution as well as stabilize the law enforcement b

Social AffairsJuly 4, 2017

[Newsmaker] Hyundai Group holds out hope for NK projects

Hyundai Group, the sole South Korean investor in North Korea, is seeking to resume its inter-Korean resort business which was abandoned nearly a decade ago after the fatal shooting of a tourist from the South.According to media reports Monday, the conglomerate, now led by the founder’s daughter-in-law, is planning to request Seoul’s permission to visit the North in August to hold a memorial ceremony for its late former chairman, Chung Mong-hun. The group has been holding the memorial service for

IndustryJuly 3, 2017

[Newsmaker] Europe pays tribute to Kohl, ‘giant’ of postwar era

European leaders joined former US President Bill Clinton on Saturday to pay a unique tribute to former German chancellor Helmut Kohl, who oversaw the German reunification and the end of the Cold War, but a family row marred his funeral.　Kohl was a founder of modern-day Europe and served as chancellor from 1982 to 1998. He died on June 16 aged 87.　“A giant of the post-war period has left us,” European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said in an oration in the French city of Strasbourg, where

World NewsJuly 2, 2017

[Newsmaker] Tradition, family behind first lady fashion

Traditionally, South Korea’s first ladies, unlike their American counterparts, have not had much liberty in choosing their outfits when accompanying their husband on official overseas trips. Without fail, they have all donned Korea’s traditional dress, hanbok. First lady Kim Jung-sook has also stuck with tradition, wearing a sky blue hanbok for the official dinner at the White House on Thursday night, hosted by US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump. In her hand was a gray-blue squ

PoliticsJune 30, 2017

[Newsmaker] A legendary battle, ship of miracles and Moon

WASHINGTON -- On a mission to strengthen the South Korea-US alliance, Moon Jae-in’s maiden visit to the US as president began at a place which holds political and military significance. The first stop on his five-day trip was the memorial dedicated to the US veterans of the Battle of Chosin Reservoir during the 1950-53 Korean War. The battle, also known as Changjin Lake Campaign, raged from Nov. 27 to Dec. 13, 1950 and is considered one of the fiercest battles in the three-year conflict. On Nov.

PoliticsJune 29, 2017

[Newsmaker] New cyberattack wallops Europe, spreads slowly in US

A new and highly virulent outbreak of data-scrambling software -- apparently sown in Ukraine -- caused disruption across the world Tuesday. Following a similar attack in May, the fresh cyber assault paralyzed some hospitals, government offices and major multinational corporations in a dramatic demonstration of how easily malicious programs can bring daily life to a halt.　Ukraine and Russia appeared hardest hit by the new strain of ransomware -- malicious software that locks up computer files wit

World NewsJune 28, 2017

[Newsmaker] No. 3 party faces political isolation for frame-up

Pinched between the ruling liberals and their conservative rivals dividing the parliament almost evenly, the centrist People‘s Party has been seeking to expand its leverage by acting as a tie-breaking power group.Contrary to its plans, however, the No. 3 party is now on the verge of losing its political momentum altogether over a manipulated election campaign scandal which may go all the way to the top.On Monday, a party member confessed to fabricating a key allegation concerning the first son o

PoliticsJune 27, 2017

[Newsmaker] Takata files for bankruptcy, overwhelmed by air bag recalls

Japanese air bag maker Takata Corp. filed for bankruptcy protection in Tokyo and the US on Monday, saying it was the only way to ensure it could carry on supplying replacements for faulty air bag inflators linked to the deaths of at least 16 people. 　Most of Takata's assets will be bought by rival Key Safety Systems, a Chinese-owned company based in suburban Detroit, for about $1.6 billion.　The company’s executives sought to reassure their customers, suppliers and shareholders in a news conferen

World NewsJune 26, 2017

[Newsmaker] Qatar says Saudi-led ultimatum unreasonable

Qatar on Saturday denounced a sweeping list of demands from Saudi Arabia and its allies in an escalating Gulf diplomatic crisis as unreasonable and an impingement on the emirate’s sovereignty.　Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt want Qatar to meet the 13-point ultimatum in return for an end to a nearly 3-week-old diplomatic and trade “blockade” of the emirate.　Qatar has been given 10 days to meet the demands, which apparently includes a call to close down broadcaster Al-Jaz

World NewsJune 25, 2017