[Newsmaker] NK leader says K-pop performance created mood of peace on peninsula

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed hope that South Korean musicians’ performance in Pyongyang could serve as a “meaningful occasion” to show the unity of the divided Koreas, the North’s state-run news agency said Monday. Under the theme “Spring Comes,” K-pop heavyweights including Cho Yong-pil, Lee Sun-hee, girl group Red Velvet and Seohyun of Girls’ Generation performed a concert at the 1,500-seat East Pyongyang Grand Theater in Pyongyang for two hours, starting at 6:30 p.m. (South Korea

North KoreaApril 2, 2018

[Newsmaker] Government launches sexual violence center for culture sector

In response to the #MeToo movement resonating within the country, the Korean government has launched a response center for sexual violence occurring within the culture and entertainment sector. The Korea Creative Content Agency and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism jointly held an opening ceremony for the gender equality center “Bora” on Thursday. Bora’s function includes taking reports of sexual violence cases and providing professional psychological help, therapy and legal counseling

CultureApril 1, 2018

[Newsmaker] US’ cancer warning ruling for coffee draws mixed reactions in Korea

Following a Los Angeles judge’s ruling that coffee companies including Starbucks should carry a cancer warning label due to a chemical produced in the roasting process, leading coffee chains operating in South Korea remained cautious while civic activists called for alert. Consumers were mostly confused.A local subsidiary of US coffeehouse chain Starbucks Coffee Korea said that the matter is impacting the entire US coffee industry, not just limited to Starbucks.“We understand that around 90 coff

IndustryMarch 30, 2018

[Newsmaker] Debate ensues upon return of Korean Air heiress Cho Hyun-ah

Debate has been reignited over whether it was timely or too soon for Korean Air heiress Cho Hyun-ah, known for her “nut rage” tantrum that sparked international uproar in 2014, to make an official comeback to work after three years and four months this week.Former Korean Air Vice President Cho Hyun-ah (Korean Air)According to KAL Hotel Network, a subsidiary of Korean Air under Hanjin Group, 44-year-old Cho was approved as its president during a shareholders meeting held Thursday. Cho, the former

IndustryMarch 30, 2018

[Newsmaker] Lee’s detention extended for corruption probe

The court has extended the detention period for former President Lee Myung-bak until April 10 for further investigation into corruption allegations against him.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office said on Friday that the court has approved the extension by 10 days as more time was needed to indict him.Under the law on criminal procedure, a suspect can be kept in custody for a maximum of 20 days through an extension of the detention period by up to 10 days upon the court’s approval. The

PoliticsMarch 30, 2018

[Newsmaker] Was Park Geun-hye asleep while Sewol ferry was sinking?

Enraged responses are flowing from political and public circles after the prosecution concluded Wednesday that former President Park Geun-hye spent crucial time on the morning of the Sewol disaster in her bedroom. 　The 2014 Sewol ferry tragedy, which killed 304 people -- most of whom were school children on a trip -- is considered one of South Korea’s deadliest disasters. More than half of the survivors, some 170 of them, were rescued by private fishing boats and commercial vessels, not by the n

Social AffairsMarch 29, 2018

[Newsmaker] Hyundai Motor Group to carry out grand governance structuring

Hyundai Motor Group on Wednesday announced long-awaited plans to overhaul its governance structure in a move to bolster future growth and shareholder value amid growing pressure from the government for the country’s leading automotive group to overhaul its complex cross-sharing holding structure by the end of this month.As the first and major step, changes will be made to the auto group’s business structure.The board members of the group’s auto parts making unit Hyundai Mobis and logistics affil

MobilityMarch 28, 2018

[Newsmaker] Chung Bong-ju withdraws from Seoul mayoral race

Former lawmaker Chung Bong-ju on Wednesday withdrew his bid to run for Seoul mayor in June as sexual misconduct allegations against him lingered. The announcement came a day after Chung’s accuser held a press conference Tuesday and repeated her claim that the 57-year-old forcibly kissed her at a local hotel’s cafe in Yeouido, Seoul, on Dec. 23, 2011, when she was a university student.Former lawmaker Chung Bong-ju. Yonhap“I will withdraw my bid for Seoul mayor and will stop all my public activiti

Social AffairsMarch 28, 2018

[Newsmaker] Former President Lee's defense chief, aide indicted for political meddling

Three ranking officials under the previous Lee Myung-bak administration, including a former defense minister, were indicted Wednesday for involvement in the military cyberwarfare command's massive online maneuver aimed at swaying public opinion ahead of parliamentary and presidential elections in 2012.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said it charged without physical detention Kim Kwan-jin, a former defense minister; Lim Kwan-bin, a former policy planning chief at the ministry; and

PoliticsMarch 28, 2018

[Newsmaker] Tire Bank joins bid for Kumho Tire, questions raised over financial resources

With four days left until the deadline creditors of Kumho Tire have set for the labor union to agree on injecting foreign capital to save the ailing company, midsized South Korean tiremaker Tire Bank on Tuesday officially announced its willingness to buy Kumho Tire.The abrupt entrance of the Daejeon-based tiremaker into the picture has further complicated the sale of Kumho Tire, with experts casting doubts over the financial capacity of Tire Bank in coming up with 646.3 billion won ($603.9 milli

MobilityMarch 27, 2018

[Newsmaker] Unification Ministry neither confirms nor denies Psy’s NK performance

The Ministry of Unification on Monday declined to comment on reports of Korea’s global phenom Psy being a last-minute addition to the South Korean art troupe performing in Pyongyang, saying relevant details to the performances would be revealed Tuesday. “We have checked (relevant reports regarding Psy’s possible addition to the art troupe), but we do not have details regarding the matter at the moment,” said Unification Ministry spokesman Baik Tae-hyun at a regular press briefing. “There will be

North KoreaMarch 26, 2018

[Newsmaker] Samsung heir makes first overseas business trip after release from jail

Lee Jae-yong, the vice chief of tech giant Samsung Electronics Co., has made a business trip to Europe, company officials said Sunday, embarking on his first official activity since being released from prison in February.Lee's resumption of business activity as Samsung's de facto head comes 45 days after he was freed on suspended sentence after spending nearly a year in jail over bribery and other charges linked to a corruption scandal that led to the ousting of former President Park Geun-hye la

IndustryMarch 25, 2018

[Newsmaker] Ex-President Lee’s associates to go on trial this week

Ex-President Lee Myung-bak’s former associates, including those who served as his asset managers during his presidency, are expected to attend trials or preparatory proceedings this week for their alleged involvement in Lee's bribery and other corruption charges.　Lee Myung-mo, the executive secretary of the Cheonggye Foundation, has long worked for the former president, mostly taking care of his property and assets. Lee, whose first preparatory proceeding is set for Wednesday, is accused of dest

PoliticsMarch 25, 2018

[Newsmaker] Facebook faces worldwide probe, plunge in reputation in data scandal

Facebook is neck-deep in troubles as its worst data breach crisis to date deepens. Governments around the world have begun to pursue investigations that could result in a hefty fine for the social network, while concerned users and advertisers are considering leaving the platform. Facebook’s reputation has taken a massive hit in the past week, after the revelation that it allowed Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy working for the Donald Trump campaign, to wrongfully harvest the profile

TechnologyMarch 23, 2018

[Newsmaker] South Korean teenagers demand right to vote

In front of the main gate of the National Assembly on Thursday morning, Kim Yoon-song had her head shaved bald. The 15-year-old was wearing what looked like a white hairdressing gown; written across it was “Suffrage is human rights.” Tears rolled down her face as the last bits of her hair fell to the ground.　　　“I’ve been slapped on my face or got my hair pulled so many times at home for simply talking back to elders and expressing my opinions, only because I was a ‘teenager,’” Kim told The Korea

Social AffairsMarch 22, 2018

[Newsmaker] Facebook Korea to pay W396m for network cutoff, user inconvenience

South Korea’s state media regulator on Wednesday ordered Facebook to pay a 396 million won ($369,600) penalty for deliberately rerouting SK Telecom, SK Broadband and LG Uplus’ network connection to the social networking site, and causing a slowdown for local users. 　The Korea Communications Commission said that it considered Facebook’s actions as a breach of Korea’s telecommunications law, and ordered the firm to correct its practice and pay an administrative penalty.The KCC launched an investig

TechnologyMarch 21, 2018

[Newsmaker] Film authorities attempted to cover up director’s sex harassment: report

In a report released late Tuesday, the state-run Korean Film Council on Tuesday revealed an attempt to cover up a sexual harassment case by a director against her colleague by officials from its affiliated organization.According to KOFIC, officials at the Korean Academy of Film Arts attempted to conceal actions by director Lee Hyun-joo, who was convicted of a sexual attack on her female colleague in 2015 and was sentenced to a suspended prison term in 2017. Lee has claimed innocence, but announc

FilmMarch 21, 2018

[Newsmaker] An Hee-jung denies rape charges, submits photographs as proof of ‘consensual sex’

Former South Chungcheong Province Gov. An Hee-jung, who is currently under investigation by the prosecution after being accused of rape by two women, denied the charges and submitted photographs as evidence of consensual sex.　The photographs reportedly show An and each of the alleged victims posing together. An, who is married, has said that he had extramarital affairs with the two women, but never sexually abused them. 　“I thought (my sexual relationships with the women) were consensual, but th

PoliticsMarch 21, 2018

[Newsmaker] Police seek arrest warrant for theatrical director in sex assault probe

Police said Wednesday they requested a court warrant to arrest Lee Youn-taek, a famed theatrical director, on multiple sexual assault charges.Lee, 66, is accused of sexually assaulting 17 junior colleagues from his famous drama troupe over 62 occasions from 1999 to last year, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. He was questioned by police on Saturday and Sunday.Lee Youn-taek, a disgraced South Korean theater writer and director, is seen at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on S

Social AffairsMarch 21, 2018

[Newsmaker] Park Geun-hye refuses to be questioned on Sewol

Former President Park Geun-hye refused to be questioned by the prosecution on allegations that her presidential office lied about the time at which she was first informed of the deadly sinking of the Sewol ferry four years ago.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office said that a senior prosecutor visited Park at the Seoul Detention Center on Monday, but could not interrogate her due to her refusal. In October last year, President Moon Jae-in’s office said it found documents showing that Pa

Social AffairsMarch 20, 2018