[Newsmaker] Abe taps hawkish ally for defense minister

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday picked a close confidante with staunchly nationalist views as the new defence minister, a move likely to raise concerns in China and South Korea.Lawyer-turned-politician Tomomi Inada, 57, becomes the second woman to oversee the defence ministry after Yuriko Koike, who served briefly in 2007. Koike was elected governor of Tokyo on Sunday.Inada, a four-term lawmaker, was formerly policy chief of Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and shares his hawkish vie

World NewsAug. 3, 2016

[Newsmaker] Samsung unveils Galaxy Note 7 in New York

[THE INVESTOR] NEW YORK -- Samsung Electronics took the wraps off the much-anticipated Galaxy Note 7 smartphone at its annual Samsung Galaxy Unpack event in New York on Tuesday.Although the latest large-size smartphone -- often called a “phablet,” a combination of phone and tablet -- is the sixth in the Note lineup, it has been dubbed the Note 7 to align the numbering with the Galaxy S lineup.It comes with a slew of new features that will probably provide reason enough for those currently using

TechnologyAug. 3, 2016

[Newsmaker] Tokyo elects Yuriko Koike

TOKYO (AFP) -- Veteran politician Yuriko Koike was elected Sunday as Tokyo’s first woman governor, partial results showed, and immediately vowed to get a grip on the megacity’s troubled 2020 Olympic preparations.The 64-year-old former TV anchorwoman, defense minister and environment minister was some 700,000 votes ahead of her nearest rival with almost two thirds of ballots counted.  Former defense minister Yuriko Koike (center) and her supporters celebrate her gubernatorial election victory at

World NewsAug. 1, 2016

[Newsmaker] Rowling hopes Harry Potter play goes global

LONDON (AP) -- London is under Harry Potter’s spell once more -- and J.K. Rowling hopes the rest of the world will eventually follow. The stage play “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” had its gala opening Saturday in London’s West End and is already the theater event of the year.　 JK Rowling arrives at the Palace Theatre in London, Saturday. (Yonhap)Rowling joined director John Tiffany, playwright Jack Thorne and the cast onstage to receive a raucous standing ovation at the end of the two-part

World NewsJuly 31, 2016

[NEWSMAKER] Protests mar 'comfort women' fund launch

Korea launched a 1 billion yen ($9.55 million) fund on Thursday for the victims of Japan’s sexual slavery during World War II despite unabated protests from some survivors and civic groups.  The Foundation for Reconciliation and Healing held its inauguration ceremony and first meeting of the board of directors at its secretariat in downtown Seoul. Kim Tae-hyeon, professor emeritus in social welfare studies at Sungshin Women’s University, exits the event as one of the protesters threw a capsaicin

Foreign AffairsJuly 28, 2016

[Newsmaker] Kaine wows as Clinton running mate

Tim Kaine made a big splash Saturday in his first appearance as Hillary Clinton's running mate for the White House, savaging Donald Trump's foreign policy ideas as dangerous and wowing a Miami crowd with fluent Spanish.Kaine, a 58-year-old senator from the battleground state of Virginia, won many a cheer and laugh and frequent applause as he addressed a campaign rally one day after being tapped for the Democratic ticket. U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton introduces her vice

World NewsJuly 24, 2016

[Newsmaker] Hillary Clinton chooses Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine as running mate

TAMPA, Florida (AP) -- Hillary Clinton named Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine as her vice presidential running mate Friday, adding a centrist former governor of a crucial battleground state to the Democratic ticket.In a text message to supporters, the presumptive Democratic nominee said, ``I‘m thrilled to tell you this first: I’ve chosen Sen. Tim Kaine as my running mate.‘’　 　On Twitter a few seconds later, Clinton described Kaine as ``a man who‘s devoted his life to fighting for others.’‘　  In this July

World NewsJuly 23, 2016

[Newsmaker] Merkel accepts Britain's decision to delay triggering Brexit

BERLIN (AFP) -- Germany and Britain agreed Wednesday that Prime Minister Theresa May needed time to prepare for talks to leave the EU, after London took the first step towards Brexit by giving up its presidency of the European Union.On her first foreign trip since taking office in the wake of Britain‘s seismic referendum, May told German Chancellor Angela Merkel that her government would not ask to leave the European Union before the end of 2016 in order to plan a “sensible and orderly departure

World NewsJuly 21, 2016

[Newsmaker] Melania Trump hit by plagiarism controversy

Portions of Melania Trump‘s prime-time speech to the Republican National Convention on Monday appear to have been plagiarized, tarnishing what should have been her big moment to introduce herself to the American public.The apparent plagiarism came to light shortly after the 46-year-old former model took to the stage with husband Donald Trump Monday night to offer an eloquent testimonial of his strengths as a husband, father, and potential leader of the United States. Melania Trump, wife of presu

World NewsJuly 19, 2016

[Newsmaker] Nexon’s Kim: From classy to notorious

[THE INVESTOR] Kim Jung-ju seemed to have it all.The 48-year-old tech tycoon was born with a silver spoon, with a father who is a lawyer and a mother who majored in piano at the nation’s top university, Seoul National University -- coincidentally Kim’s alma mater too. Kim Jung-ju   YonhapIn the ’80s, when personal computers were still a rarity, Kim had the luxury of owning one. While tinkering on it, he decided to become an engineer. At the same time, he was also an accomplished violinist, accor

IndustryJuly 18, 2016

[NEWSMAKER] Gulen, arch-enemy of Turkey's president

LOS ANGELES (AFP) -- Fethullah Gulen, the US-based cleric accused by Ankara of orchestrating the coup attempt in Turkey, has a wide following in his native country, where he enjoys support among the police and judiciary.   The reclusive Islamic preacher, who lives in a tiny town in the Pocono Mountains of the US state of Pennsylvania, was immediately accused by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of being behind the coup attempt.   Gulen however denied any role, and condemned the coup attempt

World NewsJuly 17, 2016

[Newsmaker] What’s next for Naver after Line IPO?

CHUNCHEON, Gangwon Province — After mobile messenger app Line Corp.’s high-profile stock market debut in the U.S. and Japan, the company and its parent Naver face a hefty task — staying competitive in the global mobile messenger and Internet market dominated by U.S. and Chinese Internet giants, such as Facebook, Google and Tencent.　Japan-based Line Corp. owned by South Korean Internet giant Naver, went public on the New York Stock Exchange and Tokyo Stock Exchange on Thursday and Friday after ra

TechnologyJuly 15, 2016

[Newsmaker] From fallen Brexiteer to foreign minister

LONDON (AFP) - Boris Johnson, the top Brexit campaigner and former London mayor, made a sensational comeback Wednesday after two weeks in the political wilderness to become foreign minister in new Prime Minister Theresa May‘s government.Johnson is one of Britain’s most recognisable politicians with his blond mop-top hair, bumbling manner and tendency to drift into Latin during speeches. Conservative MP, Boris Johnson arrives at Downing Street in London on Wednesday. (EPA-Yeonhap)He is also one o

World NewsJuly 14, 2016

[Newsmaker] Will ‘Pokemon Go’ launch in Korea?

Nintendo’s augmented-reality smartphone game “Pokemon Go” has been taking the world by storm, but many anxious Pokemon fans in South Korea have been left wondering: When will the game officially launch here?“Pokemon Go,” released in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand last week, is a GPS-based mobile game that involves users running through real-life city streets, parks and other locations to capture virtual monsters, such as the all-famous character Pikachu, via their smartphones.It uses a tech

TechnologyJuly 13, 2016

[Newsmaker]

Two men (left) play Pokemon Go on their smartphones outside of Nintendo’s flagship store in New York City on Monday. AFP-Yonhap

TechnologyJuly 13, 2016

[Newsmaker] Theresa May, Britain's Brexit PM

Britain's prime minister in waiting Theresa May is a pragmatist who has emerged from the chaos of the Brexit referendum unscarred, portraying herself as the one who will lead the country out of the EU.The country's second female leader after fellow Conservative and anti-EU firebrand Margaret Thatcher, May was officially -- but unenthusiastically -- in favour of Britain staying in the European Union.She kept a low profile throughout the campaign, and when the June 23 referendum delivered a shock

World NewsJuly 12, 2016

[Newsmaker] Official apologizes for ‘dogs and pigs’ remarks

A high-ranking official from the Education Ministry made a tearful apology on Monday amid growing controversy over his remarks that described the public as “nothing but dogs and pigs.” Na Hyang-wook, the director general of the ministry’s policy planning bureau, apologized for “making inappropriate remarks as a public servant, distressing Korean people and causing a stir,” during a parliamentary meeting in the afternoon.Na was initially absent from the parliamentary meeting held in the morning,

Social AffairsJuly 11, 2016

[Newsmaker] Dallas relives sniper nightmare

DALLAS (AFP) -- Nearly 53 years after president John F. Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a motorcade through the streets of Dallas, the bustling Texas city is reliving the nightmare of a murderous sniper. FBI agents examine the crime scene of the Dallas, Texas, sniper shooting on Saturday. AFP-YonhapJust 200 meters separate El Centro College, where shooter Micah Johnson set up an ambush to shoot at police late Thursday, and Dealey Plaza, where Kennedy was shot dead on November 22, 1963 w

World NewsJuly 10, 2016

[Newsmaker] Park Tae-hwan ruled eligible for Rio

The world’s top sports tribunal has ruled that banned South Korean swimmer Park Tae-hwan is eligible for this year’s Summer Olympics.　The Court of Arbitration for Sport on Friday handed down a decision in favor of Park following his appeal against the Korean Olympic Committee over the latter’s ban on the athlete for the Rio de Janeiro Summer Games. South Korean swimmer Park Tae-hwan (Yonhap)　The CAS said the KOC rule barring athletes from competing for South Korea for three years after the end o

Olympic GamesJuly 8, 2016

[Newsmaker] Lotte chairman Shin’s sister arrested

Prosecutors on Thursday morning arrested Shin Young-ja, the chairwoman of Lotte Foundation and older sister of Lotte Group chairman Shin Dong-bin, as they investigate allegations of her involvement in bribery and embezzlement. The Seoul Central Court issued the arrest warrant at around 2 a.m. on Thursday, and Shin was immediately taken into custody.She is the first member of the Shin family -- which rules over the Lotte empire in Korea and Japan -- to be officially arrested in prosecutors’ inves

IndustryJuly 7, 2016