[Newsmaker] Why did N. Korea agree to live broadcasting of inter-Korean summit?

On April 27, the world will be able to watch North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un cross the military demarcation line and shake hands with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. North Korea‘s agreement Wednesday to broadcast live key events of the upcoming inter-Korean summit is taken as an indication that Kim, the young leader of the isolated country, seeks to shed the negative image of his regime and show the world that he is the leader of a normal country.North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife

North KoreaApril 19, 2018

[Newsmaker] Arrest warrant of ex-prosecutor in high-profile 'Me Too' case dismissed

A Seoul court on Wednesday denied an arrest warrant for a former senior prosecutor accused of unfairly disadvantaging his junior colleague for raising sexual misconduct allegations against him. The Seoul Central District Court dismissed the prosecution's request to arrest Ahn Tae-geun, a former prosecuting attorney, who is accused of abusing his power to punish a junior prosecutor for having raised sexual allegations against him in the past."There are areas of contention of whether a crime has b

Social AffairsApril 18, 2018

[Newsmaker] Who is ‘Druking’ -- power blogger behind online rigging scandal?

The ongoing online opinion rigging scandal involving ex-members of the ruling Democratic Party has the public curious about the now-indicted power blogger at the center of the controversy, who is suspected of working as a “political broker” in the online space for the party before President Moon Jae-in came into office last year.The blogger, surnamed Kim, has been a popular figure in the local online space. With the nickname “Druking,” Kim, 48, operated a liberal-leaning current affairs blog, ti

PoliticsApril 18, 2018

[Newsmaker] FSS chief’s resignation casts doubt on Blue House vetting process

Financial Supervisory Service Gov. Kim Ki-sik resigned Tuesday, once again highlighting problems in Cheong Wa Dae’s vetting process.After Kim took office, it emerged that he had donated 50 million won ($46,800) to an association of Democratic Party lawmakers near the end of his term in the parliament in 2016. The former FSS chief was also found to have gone on a number of overseas business trips funded by state-run organizations during his parliamentary term. Former Financial Supervisory Service

PoliticsApril 17, 2018

[Newsmaker] Another online scandal engulfs politics

The country’s political arena is being engulfed by yet another online public opinion manipulation scandal, this time with the ruling Democratic Party in the hot seat. According to the police, a Democratic Party member identified by the surname Kim ran automated software to boost exposure of comments critical of the Moon Jae-in administration on Jan. 17. Kim, currently in custody, is a power-blogger operating under the name “Druking.” Kim openly supported President Moon in last year’s presidentia

PoliticsApril 16, 2018

[Newsmaker] New tests for Macron and May with first major military operations

Shortly after coming to power last year, Emmanuel Macron mused to a friend about the role of president. "You go through stages," he said. "Innocence is not allowed."On Friday night, like British Prime Minister Theresa May, he ordered his first major military intervention.Early Saturday, French and British aircraft took part in a wave of strikes against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime in response to alleged chemical weapons attacks.Though already active in a US-led coalition combating t

World NewsApril 15, 2018

[Newsmaker] Moon says FSS chief will be asked to step down if illegality found

President Moon Jae-in said Friday he would remove the controversial financial watchdog chief if his overseas trips are found to have been illegal or unethical as a lawmaker. Kim Ki-sik, who was appointed head of the Financial Supervisory Service on April 2, has been under fire for overseas trips in 2014 and 2015, when he was a lawmaker and member of the National Policy Committee. Opposition parties called for Kim’s dismissal, saying the trips had been sponsored by the Korea Exchange, Korea Insti

PoliticsApril 13, 2018

[Newsmaker] Mobile carriers say cost breakdown disclosure could expose business secrets

South Korean mobile carriers on Thursday expressed concerns about the country’s top court’s ruling to reveal the breakdown of their operating costs to the general public. The Supreme Court of Korea earlier Thursday upheld the ruling made by a local high court, which claimed consumers’ access to information regarding operating costs of the telecom companies is a right granted by the Constitution for a clearer understanding of fees being charged. In other words, the court’s judgment could be inter

IndustryApril 12, 2018

[Newsmaker] Environment Ministry urges local governments to collect plastic waste

The Ministry of Environment said it will start providing financial support to local recyclables collection and disposal companies as early as this week, as recycling companies continue to refuse to collect some items that China no longer purchases. YonhapThe new plan, which was reported to President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday to tackle South Korea’s waste management crisis which began earlier this month, is expected to help recycling companies dispose of plastic bags and Styrofoam materials amid a d

Social AffairsApril 11, 2018

[Newsmaker] WHO delays controversial decision on recognizing game addiction as mental disorder

The World Health Organization has delayed by one year its 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases, which had included controversial plans to list video game addiction as a mental health condition, according to industry sources Wednesday.　The WHO stipulated in its “ICD-11 Joint Linearization for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics: Project Plan 2015-2018” report, dated January this year, that it will not endorse the revised mental health disorder guidebook until May 2019.“The

TechnologyApril 11, 2018

[Newsmaker] Residents slam $93m project to expand Gwanghwamun Square

Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul is where South Korea’s largest political protests take place. The 2017 massive candlelight vigils here led to the impeachment of the former President Park Geun-hye last year. For many, Seoul’s symbolic center represents the nation’s passion for democracy and freedom of expression -- at least for people who don’t live in the area.  A drawing of the new Gwanghwamun Square, provided by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Cultural Heritage Administration on Tuesday.

Social AffairsApril 10, 2018

[Newsmaker] Key pension funds pull plug on Samsung Securities

The National Pension Service ceased trading with Samsung Securities in the wake of the latest dividend error that revealed a blind spot in the brokerage system, officials said Tuesday.“Due to the serious problem in Samsung Securities’ stock trading stability, we stopped all direct stock trading on Monday,” said an official of the pension service.“Restrictions in other sectors such as trust management will be decided later in consideration of the financial authorities&rsqu

MarketApril 10, 2018

[Newsmaker] FSS chief’s integrity dispute burdens Blue House

Mounting criticisms against the integrity of the newly appointed financial market watchdog chief is adding extra burden on the Moon Jae-in administration, which has vowed to eradicate “accumulated evil practices” and to restore trust in the nation’s public functions.Financial Supervisory Service Gov. Kim Ki-sik found himself hard pressed Monday as opposition political parties called for his ouster, taking issue with his past overseas business trips sponsored by financial instit

EconomyApril 9, 2018

[Newsmaker] Samsung heir likely to officially return this week

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong is expected to return to the management of the world’s top provider of chips, smartphones and electronics this week, after coming back from a 16-day overseas business trip and after being released from jail in February. According to the industry on Sunday, the Samsung heir seems to be making a comeback for putting Samsung back on track for new growth after about a year0long absence due to his involvement in the former president’s bribery scandal. Le

IndustryApril 8, 2018

[Newsmaker] Brazil's Lula surrenders to serve prison sentence

SAO BERNARDO DO CAMPO, Brazil -- Brazil's election frontrunner and leftist icon Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva turned himself in Saturday to start a 12-year sentence for corruption after a chaotic attempt by supporters to stop him from surrendering.Surrounded by bodyguards, Lula had to push through a seething throng of supporters to get into a police vehicle outside the metalworkers' union building in Sao Bernardo do Campo, where he had been holed up for two days and nights.Earlier, the same crowd ha

World NewsApril 8, 2018

[Newsmaker] S. Korea cautious about return to six-party talks

As North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has reportedly agreed to return to six-party talks, South Korea reaffirmed Friday that talks on denuclearization should be discussed first among the two Koreas and the US during planned summits, before the other nations are involved.　North Korean leader Kim told Chinese President Xi Jinping during talks in Beijing last week that he agreed to return to six-party talks on his nation’s nuclear program and missile tests, the Nikkei newspaper said Thursday, quoting

Foreign AffairsApril 6, 2018

[Newsmaker] FSC chief plays down concerns on Elliott’s return

Amid growing speculation on US activist hedge fund Elliott Management’s move towards Hyundai Motor Group, the chief of the nation’s top financial regulator on Thursday urged stakeholders not to react “sensitively,” stressing this time seems different from the group’s previous battles with Samsung.“There’s no need to sensitively respond to Elliott’s move this time,” said Choi Jong-ku, chairman of the Financial Services Commission, at a conference in Seoul.Referring to a series of legal battles in

MobilityApril 5, 2018

[Newsmaker] Confusion, anger continue over restrictions on recyclables

Recent Chinese restrictions on the types of recyclables that it will purchase continue to cause much confusion, as both residents and management offices of apartment complexes struggle to understand what can and cannot go in their recycle bins.Plastic and foam waste are left at the back of SsangYong apartment complex in Gangnam, Wednesday, as the recyclables collection company refused to collect, due to low profitability. Bak Se-hwan/The Korea HeraldOfficials at SsangYong Apartment in Gangnam sa

Social AffairsApril 4, 2018

[Newsmaker] Ex-Samsung CEO Kwon becomes legendary salaryman in Korea

Kwon Oh-hyun, a former chief executive officer of Samsung Electronics who retired late last year, was the highest-paid man in South Korea last year, earning far more than the owners of chaebol including the tech giant’s de facto leader Lee Jae-yong.According to an annual business report released by Samsung Electronics, Kwon received a total of 24.38 billion won ($23 million) in annual salary last year, three times higher than what he had earned a year before. Kwon had served as the vice chairman

IndustryApril 3, 2018