South Korea's latest leader took office at an uneasy moment in his country's history, inheriting the wreckage left by an ousted and excoriated predecessor. Among his lesser-noticed promises was a vow to improve quality of life in a society of long hours and hard work _  to help break the chains to people's desks, to let them take a breath and relax a bit. And what Moon Jae-in preaches, it seems, he also practices. Even if, in the aftermath of North Korea launching its second ICBM, that means tel

North Korea July 31, 2017

South Korean police said Monday that they will call in the head of a major pharmaceutical company in connection with an ongoing investigation into allegations of verbal abuse involving multiple private car drivers.Rhee Jang-han, chairman of Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corp., will be summoned on Wednesday, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. Chairman of Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corp. Rhee Jang-han (Yonhap)hee is suspected of verbally harassing four private car drivers with s

Business July 31, 2017

 　Seoul’s defense chief on Monday stated that South Korea is capable of a pre-emptive strike against North Korea, as Seoul and Washington struggle to find a viable solution to Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile ambitions. 　In a meeting with lawmakers at the National Assembly, Defense Minister Song Young-moo said Seoul could use its ingenious pre-emptive strike scheme -- such as “Kill Chain” -- to carry out an attack when a military attack by the North looks imminent. 　“It’s more like changing the o

North Korea July 31, 2017

“Starcraft: Remastered,” a high-definition remake of Blizzard Entertainment’s hit PC strategy game “Starcraft” is now available at selected PC cafes in South Korea as part of a prelaunch event exclusive to Korea. 　As of Sunday evening, “Starcraft: Remastered” has become available at local PC bang -- internet cafes where one can play computer games -- that are licensed with Blizzard Korea, the company said Monday. The game is slated for official worldwide release on Aug. 15.  Blizzard Korea hoste

Technology July 31, 2017

South Korean biopharma company Celltrion said Monday that the US Food and Drug Administration has accepted for review the firm’s biologics license application for Herzuma, its cheaper biosimilar copy of Roche’s blockbuster anticancer drug Herceptin.Celltrion submitted Herzuma to the US FDA in May. The US regulator is slated to announce its approval decision in the first half of 2018, according to the Korean drugmaker.Developed by Roche-owned Genentech, Herceptin is a monoclonal antibody drug pri

Industry July 31, 2017

　Tension is running high on the Korean Peninsula following North Korea’s second launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, with the US sending strategic bombers in a show of force and Pyongyang warning Washington against its pressure on the regime. 　After taking off from Anderson Air Base in Guam, B-1B Lancers joined four South Korean F-15k fighter jets to conduct interception and formation training, and left the peninsula later in the day after finishing their 10-hour mission, according t

Defense July 30, 2017

Seo Jung-jin, the founding chairman of South Korean biopharmaceutical company Celltrion, has officially taken the 10th spot in the country’s list of stock rich billionaires, following Celltrion Healthcare’s initial public offering last Friday.Celltrion Healthcare, the sales and marketing subsidiary of Celltrion, went public on the Kosdaq on Friday. Its shares soared 15.23 percent from its initial offering price to close at 53,000 won ($47.30), with its market capitalization at 6.88 trillion won,

Industry July 30, 2017

Wherever they go, they naturally draw attention. One day they may fight like there’s no tomorrow, but in the end they are each other’s best friend. Twins, whether identical or fraternal, are becoming more common in Korea, partly because more women are getting married at an older age, increasing the likelihood of having children via medically assisted reproduction, which raises the chances of multiple births. The latest data from Statistics Korea shows that 16,166 twins were born in 2015, account

Industry July 28, 2017

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines business unit of French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi, said Wednesday it has appointed Baptiste de Clarens as the new general manager of its South Korean office.De Clarens joined Sanofi Pasteur in 2006, holding a range of responsibilities ranging from finance and sales to marketing and business operations at the Sanofi-owned vaccine company. Sanofi Pasteur Korea’s new general manager, Baptiste de Clarens (Sanofi Pasteur Korea)He moved to the firm’s Singapore office in

Industry July 26, 2017

South Korean drugmaker Celltrion said Wednesday that it posted record high earnings in the second quarter, fueled by expanded global sales of Remsima, a cheaper biosimilar copy of Johnson & Johnson’s Remicade. During the April-June period, Celltrion’s operating profit jumped 79.4 percent on-year to 138.3 billion won ($123 million), while revenue rose 33 percent to 246.1 billion won, marking the company’s best quarterly performance to date, the firm said.Celltrion’s headquarters in Songdo, Incheo

Industry July 26, 2017

 　South Korea’s push for stronger ballistic missiles may boost its deterrence capability against North Korea, but it would require a renegotiation of a military pact with the US and may prompt opposition from China, experts said Tuesday.　In his first summit with US President Donald Trump last month, President Moon Jae-in floated the idea that the bilateral missile guideline pact be revised so that Seoul can double the maximum payload of its ballistic missile warheads from the current 500 kilogra

Defense July 25, 2017

Samsung Bioepis said Tuesday that it has begun selling a cheaper biosimilar drug referencing Johnson & Johnson’s Remicade in the US via its partner Merck & Co., marking the second Remicade copy to hit the US market. The launch of Samsung’s Remicade biosimilar, named Renflexis, comes three months after its official approval by the US Food and Drug Administration in April.Renflexis was developed by Songo-based Samsung Bioepis and is being commercialized in the US by its global sales marketing part

Industry July 25, 2017

　North Korea may be preparing for another ballistic missile test, possibly involving a submarine this time, media reports have suggested, raising concerns over further escalation of military tensions on the Korean Peninsula following a “game-changer” missile test earlier this month.  　According to reports by NHK and CNN last week, US defense officials detected unusual activity of North Korea’s Romeo-class submarine: It has been engaging in an underwater mission for a week after sailing some 100

National July 24, 2017

South Korea’s leading biopharmaceutical association has set out to form a new center that will support the country’s new drug development efforts with artificial intelligence computing technologies.　The Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-pharma Manufacturers Association said Monday that it is working to create an AI-backed drug development support center this year to expedite ongoing efforts by local drugmakers to develop new blockbuster therapies for diseases.New drug development is a lengthy, high-r

Technology July 24, 2017