[Newsmaker] Comeback kid rattles Korea-Japan ties again

When Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party swept an election last December, an alarm bell rang in Seoul about its chief Shinzo Abe’s perceived desire to veer the depression-riddled country toward the right and revive revisionism. The concerns seem to be turning into reality as the prime minister’s far-right clan relays worship at a controversial war shrine and remarks denying the country’s imperialist past. At a parliamentary session Tuesday, Abe said the definition of invasion varies wildly by count

Foreign AffairsApril 24, 2013

[Newsmaker] Yasukuni: Perennial thorn in Korea-Japan ties

At the very heart of bustling Tokyo, a surreally serene, spacious shrine greets hundreds of thousands of worshippers every year seeking to pay tribute to their ancestors and lost loved ones. Albeit being one of the city’s most exquisite landmarks, the temple has for decades been a source of diplomatic feuds between Japan and its neighbors such as Korea and China.Yasukuni Shrine honors nearly 2.5 million Japanese war dead including top World War II criminals and is frequented by right-wing nation

Foreign AffairsApril 23, 2013

[Newsmaker] Substitute holiday system stirs controversy

Businesses and politicians are clashing over plans to implement a substitute holiday system, under which employers would be required to give employees a day off during the week when a public holiday falls on a Sunday. The bill for revising related regulations was approved by the Security and Public Administration Committee’s review committee on Friday, and will be raised in the National Assembly’s plenary session this month. The development has rattled the business community. The pro-business lo

PoliticsApril 22, 2013

[Newsmaker] Boston suspects were ‘regular kids’

The two young men implicated in the recent terror bombings at the Boston Marathon last week are described by their neighbors as “regular American kids.” Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, ethnic Chechen brothers who arrived in the United States about 10 years ago, used to be seen riding bikes and skateboards on the street in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where they lived.Authorities in the United States are turning their investigation of the two quiet and athletic brothers to a possible motive for the

World NewsApril 21, 2013

[Newsmaker] Jinju Medical Center dispute continues

The controversy surrounding the planned closure of Jinju Medical Center showed no signs of letting up, with the proposal pending at the provincial assembly.Members of the medical trade union and the police clashed as the workers attempted to prevent Saenuri Party councilors from attending a plenary session of the local assembly in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, while lawmakers of opposition parties were blocked by the authorities from entering the building.  South Gyeongsang Province’s decisi

PoliticsApril 18, 2013

[Newsmaker] K-pop veteran bounces back

The 63-year-old Cho Yong-pil has returned to the music scene with his first single in 10 years, titled “Bounce.” The track is a prerelease single from his upcoming 19th album “Hello,” which will be unveiled next week. “Bounce,” released on Tuesday, was ranked in the top 10 on all the major local music singles charts, including Bugs and Soribada charts where it overtook Psy’s global hit “Gentleman” and claimed the No. 1 spot. The versatile artist showed a completely different side of himself with

PerformanceApril 17, 2013

[Newsmaker] Chavez’s legacy could strain his heir

The heir to Hugo Chavez’s “Bolivarian Revolution” has secured a mandate to continue what his mentor started ― but only just. Nicolas Maduro, Chavez’s handpicked vice president and a former bus driver and union leader, prevailed in Venezuela’s presidential election on Sunday, beating pro-business rival Henrique Capriles by just 1.6 percent of the vote. Capriles has disputed the result, calling for a recount. The country’s electoral commission, stacked with Chavez supporters, has denied this reque

April 16, 2013

[Newsmaker] Scott first Aussie to win the Masters

Adam Scott ended Australia’s long wait for a Masters win on Sunday. Scott, 32, beat Angel Cabrera of Argentina at the second playoff hole of the 77th Masters to become the first Australian to win the tournament. He recorded a total of 9-under 279 for four rounds. It was also his first major title. He took home $1.44 million in prize money. Adams won by using a long putter for the first time in the event. He made successful birdie putts with it on the 18th hole in the fourth round and the 10th ho

GolfApril 15, 2013

[Newsmaker] Psy returns to limelight with ‘Gentleman’

“Kim Jong who?” was the line that kicked off the New York Daily News article that introduced the release of YouTube sensation Psy’s long-awaited follow-up song to global hit “Gangnam Style.” While the current political tension between the Koreas is making headlines around the globe, the buzz about Psy’s follow-up single “Gentleman” has begun to overshadow talk of missiles and war. Psy had kept people around the world on their toes for months with promises of a new song and a new dance routine to

April 14, 2013

[Newsmaker] N.Korea bureau, command of cyber warfare

North Korea is bolstering its cyber warfare capabilities through its Reconnaissance General Bureau, Pyongyang’s premier intelligence body, with some north Korean defectors comparing its abilities to that of the U.S.’ Central Intelligence Agency. The Reconnaissance General Bureau, which is thought to have carried out the March 20 and March 26 hacking attacks on South Korean news and financial organizations, forms the core of the North’s cyber warfare and terrorism operations.Headed by Kim Yong-ch

North KoreaApril 11, 2013

[Newsmaker] Chung, outspoken advocate of nuke armament

Rep. Chung Mong-joon of the ruling Saenuri Party is once again causing a stir over nuclear armament, saying Seoul should keep open the option of withdrawing from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty to better deal with North Korea.“Facing an extraordinary threat to national security, South Korea may exercise the right to withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty as stipulated in article 10 of the treaty,” Chung said at Carnegie International Nuclear Policy Conference in Washington on Tues

PoliticsApril 10, 2013

[Newsmaker] SMEs in Gaeseong fall victim to tensions

Small and mid-sized South Korean companies running factories in the sole inter-Korean industrial complex in the North’s border city of Gaeseong are being hit hardest by the stoppage of their production lines in the industrial park.About 53,000 North Korean factory workers did not come to the complex Monday following the North’s announcement that it temporarily suspended Gaeseong’s operations. The move added pressure on SMEs doing business in the Gaeseong complex, together with a weeklong ban on

IndustryApril 9, 2013

[Newsmaker] Park reaching her peak as she wins 2nd major

South Korea’s Park In-bee is building up momentum as an ace pro golfer. The 24-year-old finished with a 15-under-par 273 to beat runner-up compatriot Ryu So-yeon to win the Kraft Nabisco Championship by four strokes on Sunday. It was Park’s first major title of the season and also her second career major title in addition to her 2008 U.S. Women’s Open. The 24-year-old is also the second successive Korean to win the Kraft Nabisco after Yoo Sun-young last year. Park took home $300,000 for her win.

GolfApril 8, 2013

[Newsmaker] Mega publishers merge to fight e-books

What do George Orwell’s “1984” and E.L. James’ “Fifty Shades of Grey” have in common? Starting later on in 2013, they’ll both be owned by the same company after a merger is completed between publishing heavyweights Penguin and Random House. The two have received unconditional approval from several regulatory commissions on competition in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with the latest coming from the European Union on Saturday. The merger does not “raise competition concerns, in par

CultureApril 7, 2013

[Newsmaker] Park’s ‘pearl in sand’ loses her luster

President Park Geun-hye’s pick for minister of oceans and fisheries has become a new thorn in an ongoing nomination row after a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday revealed her lack of vision and knowledge of key issues.Both ruling and opposition lawmakers questioned nominee Yoon Jin-sook’s qualifications for the job. The main opposition Democratic United Party on Thursday called for her withdrawal.“(The minister of oceans and fisheries) is not a post that should be taken by someone with no philoso

PoliticsApril 4, 2013

[Newsmaker] Gaeseong last remaining link

Founded under the agreement signed between South Korea’s Hyundai Asan Corp. and the North Korean government in 2000, the Gaeseong Industrial District is the largest inter-Korean economic project to date.More than 53,000 North Korean workers are employed by 123 South Korean companies that recorded a combined output of nearly $47 million in goods in 2012.In addition, provided that the industrial district is allowed to be developed fully according to the plans laid out by the two sides, it will gro

North KoreaApril 3, 2013

[Newsmaker] Technocrat’s return a sign of reform?

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s appointment of Park Bong-ju as prime minister apparently reflects his resolve to kickstart the country’s long-overdue economic development. Park was once a symbol of economic reform, having spearheaded an ambitious yet unsuccessful project in 2002 to crank up industries and productivity along with three other specialists, Ro Do-chul, Kwak Pom-ki and Chon Sung-hun. The 74-year-old technocrat cultivated his expertise while studying at an engineering university, ma

North KoreaApril 2, 2013

[Newsmaker] Blue House under fire for amateurish faux pas

Cheong Wa Dae committed an unprecedented diplomatic faux pas over the weekend by leaking the names of ambassadors-designate to five major posts only minutes after it requested an embargo from the press.It started with a vernacular daily’s report on Saturday that President Park Geun-hye designated Kwon Young-se, a pro-Park former lawmaker, to become ambassador to China.Immediately, presidential spokeswoman Kim Haing addressed a press briefing and listed off the names designated as ambassadors to

PoliticsApril 1, 2013

[Newsmaker] FTC nominee Noh to face uphill confirmation

Korea Fair Trade Commission nominee Noh Dae-lae is expected to face a tough grilling at confirmation hearings as opposition lawmakers have questions over his positions on issues concerning conglomerates and weapons procurement.The former bureaucrat for the Ministry of Strategy and Finance has been known to be against further stringent rules on the equity structures of conglomerates.When the antitrust watchdog set out to introduce tougher measures on big businesses’ web of complex cross-sharehold

IndustryMarch 31, 2013

[Newsmaker] Ex-leader’s confidant ends long reign

Kang Man-soo, who tendered his resignation as chairman of the state-owned KDB Financial Group on Thursday, was a close confidant of former President Lee Myung-bak.According to lawmakers from the ruling Saenuri Party, the economic policies of the Lee administration were based on the economic studies of Kang and his followers.He conducted a variety of controversal policies, including a currency devaluation against the U.S. dollar to boost exports, as the first finance minister of the Lee governmen

March 28, 2013