South Korea's President Park Geun-hye was named a bribery suspect on Tuesday as special prosecutors wrapped up their three-month probe into a massive influence-peddling scandal.The probe team, led by Independent Counsel Park Young-soo, suspects that the president colluded with her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil and took bribes from the country's largest conglomerate Samsung Group in return for business favors, its spokesman Lee Kyu-chul said. President Park Geun-hye (Yonhap)President Park, curren

Politics Feb. 28, 2017

South Korea and the United States plan to kick off an annual joint military exercise Wednesday amid heightening tensions following the North's recent missile test and the death of its leader's half brother."The allies will begin the Foal Eagle exercise tomorrow, which lasts through the end of April, and the Key Resolve exercise will be held starting March 13," an official at the defense ministry told Yonhap News Agency. This undated Yonhap News TV image shows soldiers and strategic assets during

Defense Feb. 28, 2017

GM Korea Co. said Tuesday that it has decided to postpone deliveries of the all-new Chevrolet Cruze compact car due to possible problems.The South Korean unit of US carmaker General Motors Co. said it will likely be delivering the new car to South Korean customers in March after making sure its latest products are "flawless.""GM Korea is pushing back the start of deliveries for the all-new Cruze to March based on the policy of its highest leaders to deliver vehicles after securing flawless quali

Mobility Feb. 28, 2017

An aide to impeached President Park Geu-hye on Tuesday voiced hopes for the Constitutional Court's "wise" judgment on her fate, as justices began their final deliberations with their ruling expected early next month.The aide also said the presidential office will "calmly" wait for the court's high-stakes decision -- an indication that Park may remain muted rather than turning to the media again to rebut her corruption allegations and rally her core supporters. (Yonhap)"We hope that (the court) w

Politics Feb. 28, 2017

South Korea and Japan continue deep-rooted diplomatic feuds over their history marred by 36 years of Japanese colonial rule over the Korean Peninsula that ended in 1945, but retail sale records show that Japanese labels are reaping extraordinary profits in South Korea.Japan's fast fashion brand Uniqlo is the top SPA (special store retailer of private label apparel) brand in sales in South Korea, according to an industry tally as of Monday. After opening its first store in South Korea in 2005, Un

Industry Feb. 28, 2017

Lee Jae-yong, the de facto leader of Samsung Group, will be indicted on charges of bribery, the independent counsel said Tuesday, as investigators wrap up their four-month-long probe into an influence-peddling scandal centered on impeached President Park Geun-hye.Prosecutors suspect that Lee, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics Co., gave or promised some 43 billion won ($36.3 million) worth of bribes to the president's jailed friend Choi Soon-sil in return for the government's backing of a merg

Industry Feb. 28, 2017

South Korea's foreign minister on Monday appealed to the international community for close cooperation to punish North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, citing a recent murder case highlighted by the use of toxic agents.It represents "not only the breach of intentional human rights norms but also a brazen challenge to international order based on rules," Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said in a keynote speech at the UN Human Rights Council meeting and the Conference on Disarmament underway in Geneva. So

International Feb. 28, 2017

A senior North Korean diplomat arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for talks on "issues of mutual concern," amid growing tensions over the North's missile test and the death of the Pyongyang leader's half brother.China's foreign ministry said that the North's Vice Foreign Minister Ri Kil-song came to Beijing at its invitation and will have talks with senior officials including Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his stay.The North's Korean Central News Agency also confirmed Kyodo News' report earlier in t

North Korea Feb. 28, 2017

South Korean institutions' investment in overseas securities jumped 43 percent on-year in 2016, driven by the growth of bond purchases by insurers and asset management firms, central bank data showed Tuesday.The amount of stocks and bonds held by local institutional investors came to $173.7 billion as of the end of last year, up $52.2 billion from a year earlier, according to the Bank of Korea . A pile of US banknotes in a file photo. (Yonhap)"It's mainly attributable to a surge in new investmen

Feb. 28, 2017

Koreans celebrate March 1 every year as the day the country ignited its independence movement against oppressive Japanese colonial rule that had continued from 1910-45.The two nations still have unsettled historical issues stemming from those days, but market trends indicate that on the culture side, Korea is being widely embraced by the Japanese. (Yonhap)"Hallyu," or the Korean Wave, in Japan dates back to the immense local popularity of the Korean drama "Winter Sonata" in 2002. Since then, Sou

Industry Feb. 28, 2017

South Korea's central bank said Tuesday it will maintain an accommodative monetary policy amid concerns about the pace of the US rate hike.Speaking to lawmakers, Bank of Korea  Gov. Lee Ju-yeol said it won't rush to raise the country's benchmark rates even if the US increases its own rates again. Bank of Korea Gov. Lee Ju-yeol attends a parliamentary committee meeting in Seoul on Feb. 28, 2017. (Yonhap)"The principle of an interest rate policy is an accommodative operation, but it does not neces

Feb. 28, 2017

The head of a major business lobby on Tuesday urged local companies and their workers to work together to ensure their survival, noting they may not expect any meaningful help from the government for some time."It appears we may not see any economy-supporting politics for a while due to the complicated political schedule that includes the impeachment and presidential election," Bahk Byong-won, chairman of the Korea Employers Federation, said at a Seoul meeting. KEF Chairman Bahk Byong-won (Yonha

Feb. 28, 2017

The state-run Korea Deposit Insurance Corp. will open a branch office in Cambodia next month to help retrieve property assets owned by shuttered South Korean savings banks, KDIC officials said Tuesday. Seven savings banks, including Jeil Savings Bank and Tomato Savings Bank, were suspended in 2011 after they grappled with bad assets due to deteriorating construction loans. This photo shows a protest in 2012 by customers of a shuttered savings bank. (Yonhap file photo)Some of the shuttered saving

Feb. 28, 2017

방송인 이경실의 딸 모델 손수아가 화사한 봄 신부로 변신했다. (사진=웨딩21 캡쳐)28일 공개된 월간 웨딩21 3월호 커버를 장식한 그는 기존의 웨딩화보의 틀을 깬 백색 크롭탑과 흰색 하이웨이스트 매치한 모습을 선보이기도 했다.   (사진=웨딩21 캡쳐)손수아는 또 “이경실 딸이라는 시선에 감사하며 무조건 더 열심히 해야 한다고 생각”한다고 밝혔다.  코리아헤럴드 지예은 인턴기자 (yeeunjie@heraldcorp.com)

한국어판 Feb. 28, 2017

A Seoul court on Tuesday held the first preparatory hearing on two former aides to President Park Geun-hye accused of blacklisting cultural figures deemed critical of her conservative government.Former Chief of Staff Kim Ki-choon and Former Culture Minister Cho Yoon-sun were charged earlier this month with abuse of authority and coercion. Prosecutors suspect they masterminded the creation and management of the blacklist and the systemic exclusion of disobedient artists from state support. This c

Politics Feb. 28, 2017