WASHINGTON -- More than 60 percent of Americans are in favor of sending troops to defend South Korea in the event of an attack by North Korea, a survey showed Monday, indicating a strengthened commitment toward the Asian ally.The survey, conducted by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs with support from the Korea Foundation, found 62 percent of Americans favored the use of US troops if North Korea invaded South Korea, the first time there was a majority since the first survey in 1990. (Yonhap)

North Korea Aug. 7, 2017

When Lee Hye-jeong learned she was having twins, she felt overwhelmed.“I had not expected twins, and all of a sudden I was hearing about all the additional risks that were associated with having twins,” she said. Faced with unexpected hospital fees and double efforts needed for child care, Lee sought out additional support offered by the government. Government support for parents of twins is growing as the number of twins rises in Korea, including paid maternity leave and free nutritional supple

Social Affairs July 28, 2017

Nestled in the heart of Insa-dong, Kimchikan offers Koreans and tourists alike a deep dive into the world of Korea‘s most famous food.The museum is run by food company Pulmuone, which makes and sells kimchi. It has been operating since 1986, but has been at its current location since just 2015. When it moved from its previous location at Coex to Insa-dong, the museum received a major face-lift. Instead of the traditional museum style of showing kimchi-related artifacts behind glass, Kimchikan ma

Culture July 28, 2017

Helena and Kristie was never really meant to become a brand. It was born as a onetime experiment, a distraction from the monotony of corporate design life.“We were getting bored, and we were looking for something different to do. So we decided to prepare for Pret-a-Porter together. It was never intended to turn into a brand,” Helena and Kristie’s co-CEO and creative director Hong Hye-won told The Korea Herald at one of the shoe brand’s stores in southern Seoul.Hong and co-CEO Ko In-hee first met

Industry July 28, 2017

Poland’s flag carrier said Wednesday that it had received its eighth Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, completing its fleet order from 2005.The 787-8 will be used on LOT Polish Airlines’ expanded routes to Seoul and Tokyo, as well as the Warsaw-Newark route that begins service in August.  LOT Polish Airlines‘ 787-8 Dreamliner (LOT Polish Airlines)The airline said that it is planning to receive the first of four 787-9 Dreamliners next April and that it will be one of the first airlines in the world to rec

Industry July 26, 2017

Regulations that restrict packaging and other marketing by tobacco manufacturers are spilling over into other sectors creating a “slippery slope,” an executive of a global cigarette company has claimed.“At the extreme end of the slippery slope is plain packaging that removes all brand imagery, which will have major ramifications for other consumer goods industries, because the measure could be extended to any product under increased regulatory scrutiny,” said Michael Deignan, vice president of c

Industry July 25, 2017

Riding on the recent boom for Taiwanese desserts here, discount retailer Homeplus said Monday that it is offering feng li su in pineapple and chocolate flavors for a limited time. Models pose with the feng li su products available at Homeplus through Friday. (Homeplus)The chain first introduced feng li su as a limited special item last September. The pineapple-flavored cake, which is one of Taiwan’s best-known desserts, sold out in two weeks during last year’s promotion. This year, Homeplus has

Industry July 24, 2017

Medium-sized food company Ottogi has become the talk of town, as it received an invitation alongside Korea’s top conglomerates to a meeting with President Moon Jae-in focused on job creation and joint growth policies over the weekend.The meeting, scheduled for Thursday and Friday, is President Moon Jae-in’s first official discussion with business leaders since his inauguration.Ottogi has drawn attention, as it was put on the guest list despite its relatively small size compared to other heavywei

Industry July 24, 2017

Purchases made on smartphones soared in the first quarter this year, helping to make nearly one-fifth of all retail purchases online transactions, according to data from Statistics Korea on Friday.Online purchases rose 19.6 percent on-year in the first quarter to reach 18.2 trillion won ($16.27 billion), accounting for 19 percent of retail transactions. This was the highest proportion of purchases ever to be recorded since 2010, when statistics were first compiled. (123rf)In March, purchases mad

Industry July 21, 2017

NEW DELHI -- Ram Nath Kovind was elected India's new president Thursday, the second time since independence a head of state has been chosen from the bottom of the Hindu caste system.Kovind won the largely ceremonial position with more than 65 percent of the vote by members of India's parliament and state assemblies, the election commission said.The 71-year-old former lawyer and state governor from the marginalised Dalit community was nominated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party for p

World News July 20, 2017

LONDON -- For the first time in the global AIDS epidemic that has spanned four decades and killed 35 million people, more than half of all those infected with HIV are on drugs to treat the virus, the United Nations said in a report released Thursday.AIDS deaths are also now close to half of what they were in 2005, according to the UN AIDS agency, although those figures are based on estimates and not actual counts from countries. (123RF)Experts applauded the progress, but questioned if the billio

World News July 20, 2017

PARIS -- Air France on Thursday unveiled a new lower-cost subsidiary called Joon that will specifically target well-travelled millenials.A new medium-haul service will begin operating from Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris later this year, with long-haul flights to follow in summer 2018.The French carrier unveiled details of its new service after resolving a lengthy dispute between the management and pilots over the establishment of the subsidiary. This file photo taken on September 22, 2014 sh

World Business July 20, 2017

Shares of LG Display Co. fell sharply on Thursday from the previous trading session amid the outlook that global panel prices will decline down the road.  LG Display closed 8.17 percent at 34,300 won (US$30.45) on the main bourse, with foreigners offloading a whopping 115.2 billion won. Institutions also sold more shares than they bought at 50.5 billion won. (Yonhap)"The company's share prices fell sharply amid the outlook made by IHS Markit, which hinted at LCD panel prices falling 6 percent,"a

Technology July 20, 2017

GOHEUNG, South Jeolla Province -- The first two-seater light aircraft developed in Korea took its initial flight Thursday at Goheung Aviation Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province.The Korea Light Aircraft-100 was developed by a team of researchers from display parts maker Vessel and Konkuk University, supervised by the Transport Ministry. The project had attracted investments of 27.9 billion won ($24.8 million) from September 2010 to develop the plane, which is designed to fulfill growing dem

Industry July 20, 2017

Korean Air foresees a smooth process of receiving government approval for its joint venture with Delta, despite some concerns about the potential for anti-competition raised by smaller airlines in the US.The airline said Wednesday that it officially applied for the Transport Ministry’s approval for the joint venture Tuesday, with similar documents filed with the Department of Transportation in the US the same day. (Starting third from right) Korean Air President Cho Won-tae, Hanjin Group Chairma

Industry July 19, 2017