[Newsmaker] Korean-American snowboarding sensation Chloe Kim wins gold

PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province -- Korean-American snowboarding sensation Chloe Kim claimed her first Olympic gold medal in her parents’ native country on Tuesday, with her extended family watching her compete in PyeongChang. 　　The 17-year-old landed back-to-back 1080s to score a 98.25 on her final and third lap, even after setting the bar high on her first run with a 93.75 unmatched by any of her rivals. 　　The young athlete cruised to victory, finishing more than eight points ahead of Jiayu Liu f

Olympic GamesFeb. 13, 2018

[Newsmaker] Has Korea become too much for GM Korea?

Old rumors of GM Korea’s potential pullout from South Korea recently resurfaced, following moves and comments made by the automaker’s global management.Last week, General Motors International President Barry Engle visited Korea, following a trip last month, although the details of his meetings here were not disclosed. GM CEO Mary Barra, meanwhile, also called Korea a challenge last week during a public conference call with industry analysts, eluding to potential changes and restructuring. All th

MobilityFeb. 12, 2018

[Newsmaker] Kim Il-sung’s face haunts South Koreans amid PyeongChang festivities

It has been 24 years since North Korean founder Kim Il-sung died, but the face of the man who started the reclusive regime has sparked furor among Koreans with the “Kim Il-sung mask” controversy.The unified Korean women’s hockey team -- the first unified Korean team in the Olympics -- faced Switzerland in a well-fought, but ultimately defeated, match. During the game, the group of supporters from North Korea were seen cheering the unified team while wearing a mask of a young man. After the image

Olympic GamesFeb. 11, 2018

[Newsmaker] President Moon cautious on North Korean leader's invitation to Pyongyang

South Korean President Moon Jae-in accepted North Korea’s invitation Saturday to visit Pyongyang, on condition that the circumstances that would allow for such a visit are established. According to Seoul’s presidential office, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s invitation to Moon was conveyed by his younger sister, Kim Yo-jong, during Moon’s meeting with the North Korean delegation at Cheong Wa Dae on Saturday. President Moon Jae-in poses with North Korea's Kim Yo-jong (left) and Kim Yong-nam (ri

North KoreaFeb. 10, 2018

[Newsmaker] Inspiring ‘Queen Yuna’ lit Olympic cauldron

PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province -- When Kim Yuna lit the cauldron at the PyeongChang Olympic Stadium, her appearance was hardly surprising, though her name had been a closely guarded secret before the opening ceremony. By all accounts, Kim was a deserving choice.  Kim Yuna lights the Olympic cauldron (Lee Sang-sub/The Korea Herald)The former Olympic champion on Friday lit the Olympic cauldron to officially kick off the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics -- an honor typically bestowed on a sporting h

Olympic GamesFeb. 9, 2018

[Newsmaker] NK troupe performs Tchaikovsky, South Korean songs at historical performance

GANGNEUNG, Gangwon Province -- South Korea’s well-known pop-songs, Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” and Secret Garden’s “You Raise Me Up” were among the pieces performed by North Korea’s art troupe as part of the pre-Olympics celebrations in the sub-host city of Gangneung on Thursday. Despite being met with public protests on their arrival earlier this week, the communist state’s well-known troupe, the Samjiyon Orchestra, was met with a full audience at the Gangneung Art Center.Some 150,000 South Korea

Olympic GamesFeb. 9, 2018

[Newsmaker] Poet alleges sexual harassment by acclaimed literary figure

The #MeToo movement is gathering momentum in Korea, as public figures continue to come forward with stories of sexual harassment involving prominent individuals.In a televised interview on JTBC’s news program Tuesday, Choi Young-mi shed light on sexual harassment in the literary world.Choi has published several volumes of poetry, including the popular “At Thirty the Party was Over” and “Things Already Hot.”The interview revolved around a poem titled “Monster,” in which Choi makes thinly veiled a

CultureFeb. 7, 2018

[Newsmaker] Pyongyang slams S. Korean conservatives' rally against NK art troupe

North Korea slammed anti-North Korea activists Wednesday for having held a rally against the North's participation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics when its art troupe arrived in South Korea a day earlier for performances.The Samjiyon art troupe traveled to the South by ferry Tuesday to perform in celebration of the Winter Games on a rare trip that involved Seoul's temporary exemption of a North Korean ship's sea travel from its sanctions.Members from conservative civic groups held a rally aga

North KoreaFeb. 7, 2018

[Newsmaker] Ivanka Trump likely to join closing ceremony at PyeongChang

Ivanka Trump, US President Donald Trump’s daughter, is likely to attend the closing ceremony of the upcoming PyeongChang Olympics, CNN reported.　Citing a White House official, CNN reported that Trump, who also serves as her father’s senior adviser, was requested by the US President and the United States Olympic Committee to lead the country’s presidential delegation to South Korea. 　Last month, US President Donald Trump told his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in that the US would be sending a

InternationalFeb. 6, 2018

[Newsmaker] US senators ask Trump to explain Cha's withdrawal

WASHINGTON -- A group of US senators asked President Donald Trump Monday to explain his withdrawal of Victor Cha from consideration for ambassador to South Korea, saying it is "shocking" that the post remains vacant.In a letter addressed to the president, Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and 17 other Democrats and independents also voiced concern about the Trump administration's reported considerations of a limited military strike on North Korea."We write to express our serious concerns regarding the

Foreign AffairsFeb. 6, 2018

[Newsmaker] Kim Yong-nam: ceremonial leader of reclusive regime

　With North Korea’s nominal head of state Kim Yong-nam planning to attend the opening of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the focus is on what his participation means and who will be joining him during the scheduled visit.　In a message sent Sunday night via a cross-border communication channel, North Korea told South Korea that it would send a high-level delegation from Feb. 9-11, the South’s Unification Ministry said. It said the North’s delegation includes Kim and three other officials but gav

North KoreaFeb. 5, 2018

[Newsmaker] NK made $200m by breaching sanctions: UN report

North Korea raked in nearly $200 million last year by exporting items banned by United Nations sanctions, media reports said, citing a UN panel of experts. A new report, authored by a panel of experts, has been delivered to a UN committee on North Korea as the US-led pressure campaign against the rogue nation has been ramping up. A coal truck crosses the North Korea-China border. (Yonhap)North Korea “continued to export almost all the commodities prohibited in the resolutions, generating nearly

North KoreaFeb. 4, 2018

[Newsmaker] Washington wants 'credible dialogue' with NK for denuclearization: US envoy

The top US nuclear envoy said Friday that Washington wants to open dialogue with North Korea for its denuclearization. After meeting with South Korean Vice Unification Minister Chun Hae-sung in Seoul, Joseph Yun also told reporters that he sees the resumed inter-Korean talks and easing tensions after the North's decision to join the upcoming Winter Olympics as a "good opportunity" for denuclearization efforts. (Yonhap)"We want to open dialogue with North Korea, we want to have a credible dialogu

North KoreaFeb. 2, 2018

[Newsmaker] Ruling party announces constitutional revision plan

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea came up with a plan for the revision of the Constitution on Friday, which includes changing the current single five-year presidency and naming popular uprisings in the preface to the Constitution.On the second day of the party’s discussion on how to revise the Constitution, the party’s Floor Leader Rep. Woo Won-shik said they have decided to promote a change in the presidential system but maintain it as well. While there were many who favored a four-year two-

PoliticsFeb. 2, 2018

[Newsmaker] Samsung's brand value moves up to 4th place in world amid robust earnings

The brand value of Samsung Electronics Co. rose two notches from a year earlier to rank fourth in an annual report on the world's most valuable brands, a British corporate valuation and strategy consultancy said Friday.The Korean tech giant's brand value jumped 39 percent to $92.3 billion in 2018 from a year earlier and remains Asia's most valuable brand, Brand Finance said. "As the company strives to be at the forefront of technology, and its brand philosophy 'Do What You Can't' continues to re

IndustryFeb. 2, 2018

[Newsmaker] Samsung's share price to rank far lower after stock split

The share price of top-cap Samsung Electronics Co. would rank much lower after its stock split is completed, data showed Friday.On the heels of record 2017 earnings driven by strong demand for chips, Samsung's board of directors Wednesday announced a dramatic 50:1 stock split aimed at enhancing shareholders' value and making the tech giant more accessible to investors.The decision -- if endorsed at the company's annual shareholders' meeting on March 23 -- would cut the face value of Samsung from

MarketFeb. 2, 2018

[Newsmaker] US scraps Victor Cha as pick for ambassador to S. Korea

Washington has abandoned plans to nominate Victor Cha as the next US ambassador to South Korea, reportedly due to his disagreement with the Trump administration’s “bloody nose” strategy against Pyongyang. Cha, a former White House official during the Bush administration, is no longer being considered for the job after he raised concerns with National Security Council officials over the Trump administration’s consideration of a limited military strike against North Korea, as well as its threats t

Foreign AffairsJan. 31, 2018

[Newsmaker] What’s behind Samsung’s massive share split plan?

On the same day of announcing a record operating profit of 53 trillion won ($49.6 billion) for last year, South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics surprised the market on Wednesday by unveiling the first-ever share split plan aimed at “enhancing shareholder value.”The landmark decision by the company’s board was widely welcomed by the market, causing the share price to surge as high as 8 percent in the morning.The plan will make Samsung Electronics “more accessible” for investors and provide

IndustryJan. 31, 2018

[Newsmaker] Prosecution forms inspection team to look into sexual assault allegations

The Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office decided Wednesday to form a special inspection team to look into sexual assault allegations rocking the office, officials said.A female prosecutor, Seo Ji-hyun, raised the accusations against a former senior prosecutor on Monday, claiming that he groped her body during a funeral dinner in 2010 and that senior Justice Ministry officials tried to cover it up, transferring her to a remote post.The alleged victim appeared on TV and spoke about her hardship, spa

Social AffairsJan. 31, 2018

[Newsmaker] Scandal sheds light on skating union's mistreatment

South Korea’s speed skater Noh Seon-yeong had one of the most dramatic weeks of her life. The 28-year-old, who had initially been selected to represent South Korea in the women’s team at the PyeongChang Olympics, was only told last week that an administrative error by the Korea Skating Union had cost her her spot on the team.Heartbroken, she openly spoke out against the KSU through her social media account, saying she “no longer was proud” to represent her country. On Friday, however, two Russia

Olympic GamesJan. 30, 2018