Over 400 artists allegedly blacklisted by the Park Geun-hye administration for their critical views of the government have filed a lawsuit against Park and her former top presidential aides, their lawyers said Thursday.  According to Minbyun, or Lawyers for a Democratic Society, the group has so far recruited 461 artists and cultural figures as plaintiffs in a case against the government and individuals involved in drawing up a list of cultural figures deemed unfavorable to the Park administrati

Social Affairs Feb. 9, 2017

Two South Korean idol stars started their military service Thursday, temporarily leaving behind the glamorous world of show business as well as teary fans.   (Herald DB)Although Big Bang's T.O.P and JYJ's Kim Jun-su had previously warned there would not be any events for fans in front of the basic training camp in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, some 200 fans nonetheless showed up to wish them well.Fans, some from as far as China and Japan, held up signs for their super stars that read "Stay

Performance Feb. 9, 2017

The conservative opposition Bareun Party on Thursday joined left-wing opposition groups’ push to extend the period for the ongoing special investigation into the scandal involving President Park Geun-hye, currently set to end Feb. 28.  “The Bareun Party requests acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn approve extending the period for Park’s special probe,” Rep. Jang Je-won said after their party meeting. “If Hwang refuses, the Bareun Party will join the opposition parties to pass a leg

Politics Feb. 9, 2017

For President Park Geun-hye, her entire fate is riding on the Constitutional Court’s ongoing trial of her impeachment, the result of which will determine whether she is to complete her term in office or to step down in disgrace.Striving to shun the worst scenario, Park and her legal aides have apparently adopted a dual strategy -- delaying the trial as much as possible, and resisting the special investigation at all costs.“President Park should never have complied with the special prosecutors’ i

Politics Feb. 9, 2017

The South Korean government Thursday raised the country’s foot-and-mouth disease watch level to “serious,” the highest in the country’s disease control system, after two different virus strains were confirmed. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs issued a travel ban for all livestock in the country, while ordering tougher quarantine and sterilization measures. Eighty-six livestock markets across the nation will be closed while the ban is in place. It comes less than two days after

Social Affairs Feb. 9, 2017

Suwon, a city just south of Seoul, is known mostly for being home to the headquarters of the world’s No. 1 chipmaker Samsung Electronics and the UNESCO-designated Hwaseong Fortress.  Its mayor now wants to make the city famous for something else: democracy. “I will work to make a government for the citizens, by the citizens,” said Suwon Mayor Yeom Tae-young in an interview with The Korea Herald. “What people demanded during the candlelight protests (against President Park Geun-hye) is to build a

Politics Feb. 9, 2017

The supply of goods both locally produced and imported in South Korea rose at the fastest pace in three years in the fourth quarter of last year, aided by a boom in the chipmaking and construction sectors, government data showed Thursday.The index of domestic manufacturing supply gained 3.6 percent in the October-December period from a year earlier, with Korean-made products gaining 2.8 percent on-year and imported goods also rising 5.5 percent on-year, according to the report by Statistics Kore

Feb. 9, 2017

South Korea is confirmed to have more than 47,000 indigenous species of animals and plants for the first time in 20 years, with more than 100,000 native species presumed to exist on the entire Korean Peninsula, a state-run think tank said Thursday.The National Institute of Biological Resources, affiliated with the Environment Ministry, put the number of the country's indigenous biological species at 47,003 as of December last year, which it has listed as part of a project to establish a comprehe

Social Affairs Feb. 9, 2017

South Korea's financial authorities said Thursday they will offer a consolidated information service on foreign currency exchange starting later this week for a growing number of outbound travelers.A total of 22.7 million people left South Korea for foreign countries last year alone, the Financial Supervisory Service said, citing data from the Justice Ministry's immigration office. Travelers exchange currencies at Incheon International Airport in this undated file photo. (Yonhap)Many South Korea

Feb. 9, 2017

South Korean banks' household loans increased at a modest pace last month on interest rate hikes and less trade in the housing sector, the central bank said Thursday.Loans extended to households here rose 100 billion won ($87.1 million) in January, far less than the 3.4 trillion won recorded a month earlier, according to the Bank of Korea. A scene of a mortgage loan service team at a Seoul bank in an undated file photo. (Yonhap)Mortgage loans grew 800 billion won during the month to 533.7 trilli

Feb. 9, 2017

Volatility in won-dollar exchange rates rose sharply last month amid uncertainty over the Donald Trump administration's policy direction, while the Korean currency gained ground against the greenback, central bank data showed Thursday.The daily foreign exchange variation of the won-dollar rate averaged 0.60 percent in the month, up from 0.34 percent in December and 0.47 percent in November, according to the Bank of Korea. (Yonhap)The figure shows how much the rate changes compared with the previ

Feb. 9, 2017

Most leading conglomerates in South Korea have yet to finalize their hiring plans for this year, making university graduates and other young jobseekers jittery, sources said Thursday.Amid a prolonged economic slump and the fallout from a massive corruption scandal, many family-controlled business groups are still working on employment plans for 2017, with some feared to cut the number of new employees. This undated file photo shows a student looking at employment notices at a Seoul university. (

Feb. 9, 2017

The South Korean government said Thursday that it will strike a balance between rice supply and demand by 2019 through efforts to reduce rice cultivation and boost consumption.The country has been suffering from a chronic oversupply of the staple grain for years due to a sharp drop in rice consumption. (Yonhap)Some 300,000 tons of rice remained in excess last year, as the 4.2 million ton supply outnumbers the 3.9 million tons consumed, and the glut will likely stay at 200,000 tons in 2017.Meanwh

Feb. 9, 2017

Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co., a major construction firm, said Thursday that it swung to the red last year from a year earlier as it put aside reserves against potential losses related to overseas projects.Net loss reached 794 billion won ($692 million) last year, compared with a profit of 146 billion won a year earlier, the company said in a regulatory filing.(Yonhap)Sales increased 11.2 percent on-year to reach 10.99 trillion won last year, while it logged an operating loss of 503 bill

Industry Feb. 9, 2017

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a lower court's decision to give a one-year suspended jail sentence to the wife of a ruling party lawmaker for illicit electioneering, a verdict that caused the politician to lose his parliamentary seat.It marked the first time that a lawmaker, elected in last year's general elections, has lost a seat at the 300-member National Assembly. The ruling has reduced the number of Saenuri Party lawmakers to 94.   The wife of Kim Jong-tae, who represented a constitue

Politics Feb. 9, 2017