[Newsmaker] President Moon promises support for Busan film fest in surprise visit

 BUSAN -- President Moon Jae-in on Sunday addressed the political turmoil that has shaken the Busan International Film Festival in recent years, in a surprise visit to the festival.　“No other international culture and arts event has had the success of BIFF. It’s become one of the world’s top five film festivals and Asia’s signature film festival,” Moon said at the Busan Cinema Center.　“It’s developed this much and has made Busan a city of film. But it pained me to hear that BIFF has shrunk due t

FilmOct. 15, 2017

[Newsmaker] Samsung CEO Kwon Oh-hyun steps down from management

Just hours after forecasting another quarter of record profits on strong chip sales, Samsung Electronics announced its chip leader would be resigning, which some viewed as a carefully timed move to offset possible market jitters. The unexpected move, however, stoked speculation of a large-scale personnel reshuffle at the tech giant. It also prompted further concern over the management of the conglomerate in the absence of Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, who has been jailed over bribery. Kwon Oh-hyun

IndustryOct. 13, 2017

[Newsmaker] GM Korea set to mark 15 years amid rumors, deficit

GM Korea is set to celebrate its 15th anniversary of operations in South Korea on Monday. 　However, instead of being a festive occasion to mark the milestone, the US carmaker is laying low, as it is burdened by low sales and a growing deficit on the back of the slowing domestic market.　Coincidentally, its anniversary overlaps with the expiration of the South Korean government’s right to veto GM’s decision to leave the country, further fanning speculations on what the company’s next strategic mov

MobilityOct. 12, 2017

[Newsmaker] In polarized society, documentary lends ear to Park supporters

A documentary that sheds light on the ardent defenders of impeached former President Park Geun-hye will hit theaters on Oct. 26 -- the date of her military dictator father’s 1979 assassination. The film’s title is “Mis-President.” When said out loud, the first syllable is intentionally meant to be mistaken for either “miss” or “myth,” director Kim Jae-hwan said a press statement issued Tuesday. 　“I explained to a foreign correspondent friend that the generation that shares the ‘myth’ of Park Chu

FilmOct. 11, 2017

[Newsmaker] 'Molar daddy' admits to killing daughter's friend

A 35-year-old man, who had earned public sympathy years ago for suffering a rare medical condition himself and raising a daughter with the same condition, admitted Tuesday to killing the daughter’s friend and dumping her body. A murder suspect is escorted into a police station in northeastern Seoul on Tuesday, to undergo questioning over suspicions he killed a friend of his daughter and abandoned her body. (Yonhap)The man, surnamed Lee and arrested, made the confession during the third day of qu

Social AffairsOct. 10, 2017

[Newsmaker] Samsung stock surge a boon to Lee family

Common stock of firms under South Korea’s largest conglomerate Samsung saw a combined 111.5 trillion won ($97.3 billion) gain in asset value this year, not only spearheading a stock market rally but also awarding 6 trillion won in increased stock wealth to members of Samsung’s owner family, data showed Monday. The combined market cap of 15 Kospi-listed and one Kosdaq-listed common shares affiliated with the conglomerate rose 30.6 percent to 476 trillion won as of Sept. 28, from

MarketOct. 9, 2017

[Newsmaker] South Korea gets serious about hidden cameras

Peeping toms are making daily headlines, and many South Korean women fear that there is no escape from their use of hidden cameras.The fear is not just of becoming a victim, but that the footage -- taken in places ranging from subway stations and swimming pools to hotels and public toilets -- may be shared on social media.With the calls rising for stronger measures to grapple the issue, the government has announced a comprehensive plan to curb such crimes, but questions remain as to its effectiv

NationalOct. 5, 2017

[Newsmaker] Vegas gunman Stephen Paddock: retired accountant, heavy gambler

Stephen Craig Paddock, the retired accountant who smuggled an armory's worth of weapons into a swank Las Vegas hotel and mowed down concert-goers from a 32nd story window, was a high-stakes gambler whose bank-robber father was once on the FBI's most wanted list.The 64-year-old had a home in a tranquil golf course retirement community in Mesquite, Nevada, 80 miles (130 kilometers) east of the gambling hub and, according to a brother, showed no sign he was poised to commit mass murder. This undate

World NewsOct. 3, 2017

[Newsmaker] Poisonous fire ants found in Busan, authorities hold emergency meeting

Quarantine authorities held an emergency meeting Monday to combat infestations of stinging fire ants, after they were discovered in Busan where a potential nest was found last week.Authorities inspect a potential fire ant nest at a harbor in the southern port city of Busan, Tuesday. YonhapFound for the first time in the South Korea, the species native to South America is known to inflict painful bites that in some cases lead to anaphylactic shock and death. According to news reports, workers at

Social AffairsOct. 2, 2017

[Newsmaker] Lotte begins new governance under holding company

Retail giant Lotte officially launched its new holding company Sunday, changing its governance system to strengthen Chairman Shin Dong-bin‘s control of the group and simplify its web of complex cross-holdings. The plan to create Lotte Corporation, the holding company, was announced in April by the group and approved by shareholders in late August. Touted as a part of Chairman Shin’s moves to increase management transparency at the group, the holding company merged the investment entities of four

IndustryOct. 1, 2017

[Newsmaker] What is Kim Jong-un’s next move?

With the war of words between the US and North Korea showing no signs of subsiding, growing attention is being focused on what Kim Jong-un’s next move will be.North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho on Sept. 21 said Pyongyang may detonate a hydrogen bomb in the Pacific Ocean, during his visit to New York to attend the annual UN General Assembly. This came in response to US President Donald Trump’s earlier threats that the US could “totally destroy” North Korea if it refuses to halt its provocat

North KoreaSept. 29, 2017

[Newsmaker] Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner dies at 91

Playboy founder Hugh M. Hefner, the pipe-smoking hedonist who revved up the sexual revolution in the 1950s and built a multimedia empire of clubs, mansions, movies and television, symbolized by bow-tied women in bunny costumes, has died at age 91. Hefner died of natural causes at his home surrounded by family on Wednesday night, Playboy said in a statement.  This Oct.13, 2011 file photo shows American magazine publisher, founder and Chief Creative Officer of Playboy Enterprises, Hugh Hefner at h

PeopleSept. 28, 2017

[Newsmaker] Police probes mysterious death of folk singer's daughter

The elder brother of deceased folk singer Kim Kwang-seok was questioned by police Wednesday in connection with the mysterious death of Kim’s daughter, which had been concealed by his widow for a decade. 　Police opened a case into the girl’s death from 10 years ago after Kim’s elder brother Kim Kwang-bok and a local reporter, Lee Sang-ho, filed a complaint on Sept. 21 against the singer’s widow Seo Hae-soon. 　Seo Hae-soon, the widow of the late folk singer Kim Kwang-seok, speaks in an interview w

Social AffairsSept. 27, 2017

[Newsmaker] Jailed ex-spy chief grilled over political manipulation

The prosecution summoned Won Sei-hoon, former chief of the National Intelligence Service, for questioning Tuesday amid a sprawling investigation into the spy agency’s alleged irregularities including election manipulation and suppression of left-wing cultural figures under his command. Won Sei-hoon, former chief of the National Intelligence Service, arrives at the Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday. (Yonhap)The Seoul Central Prosecutors’ Office called in Won, who has been serving a four-yea

Social AffairsSept. 26, 2017

[Newsmaker] Probe over spy agency expands to ‘media blacklist’

State prosecutors are set to launch an investigation this week into allegations that the National Intelligence Service blacklisted media professionals deemed unfriendly to the Lee Myung-bak administration, sources said Sunday.  The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, which is looking into the NIS over its involvement in blacklisting left-wing figures under the Lee administration, is reported to be planning to question individuals on the list starting this week. Union workers of major Sou

Social AffairsSept. 24, 2017

[Newsmaker] Farmers, animal rights groups clash at pro-dog meat trade rally

At least 400 dog meat farmers staged a protest in Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on Friday, calling on the government to legalize the dog meat trade and classify dogs used as pets separately from those raised for human consumption. Unleashed dogs are inside cages during the dog meat farmers' protest in central Seoul, Friday. YonhapIn one of the largest pro-dog meat rallies ever held in South Korea, an association of Korean dog meat farmers marched toward the presidential office Cheong Wa Da

Social AffairsSept. 22, 2017

[Newsmaker] 9 in 10 Koreans say anti-corruption law effective

Nearly a year after the implementation of an anti-corruption law, 9 in 10 Koreans said the law was effective, a recent survey showed, despite an ongoing debate on whether to raise price ceilings, as the law bans those subject to it from receiving meals and gifts exceeding designated prices.A flower shop owner looks at the empty store. YonhapAccording to a survey conducted last month by professor Lim Dong-kyun from University of Seoul, 89.5 percent of some 1,202 respondents said that the new law

Social AffairsSept. 21, 2017

[Newsmaker] Prosecution opens probe into former leader Lee

The prosecution on Wednesday began looking into a complaint filed against former President Lee Mung-bak that he masterminded the national spy agency’s alleged smear campaign against Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, then a vocal critic of him. The former president has been under siege amid mounting accusations of alleged state-led irregularities during his 2009-2013 presidency, including the spy agency’s election manipulation and suppression of left-wing cultural figures. Former President Lee Myung-bak

Social AffairsSept. 20, 2017

[Newsmaker] Corruption scandal shakes up KAI’s vision

Until last year, Korea Aerospace Industries, the nation’s sole aircraft manufacturer, was riding high on the expectation of its increased entries into foreign markets with homegrown choppers and jets. Speaking proudly of KAI’s fast technological advancement, then-CEO Ha Sung-yong told investors on Jan. 28, 2016 that the company aimed to become one of the top 15 aircraft manufacturers in the world by 2020. Its joint venture with US defense giant Lockheed Martin on the US Air Force’s trainer progr

IndustrySept. 19, 2017

[Newsmaker] Number of dementia patients to surpass 2.7 million by 2050

In South Korea, some 700,000, or 1 in 10 of the elderly population, suffer from dementia, but this number will balloon to 2.7 million by 2050 amid the nation’s rapidly aging society, data from a ministry showed Monday. First lady Kim Jung-sook (right) participates in a program to support dementia patients. YonhapAccording to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, among South Koreans aged 65 or older, 725,000 are estimated to be suffering from dementia this year. The number will reach 1 million in 2

Social AffairsSept. 18, 2017