• 

  Defense

  Seoul takes time mulling renewal of military intel-sharing pact with Japan

  • S. Korea hints at cutting defense cooperation with Japan
  • South Korea expected to conduct maritime defense drills on Dokdo this month

• Industry
  

  Hyosung to invest W1tr in carbon fiber, aims to become global top 3

  President Moon urges to strengthen Korea’s competitiveness in material businesses, touts Hyosung’s investment

• Foreign Policy
  

  Kang and Kono to seek diplomatic breakthrough in Beijing

  South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will meet her Japanese counterpart in China in another attempt to ease tensions with Tokyo after a diplomatic feud developed into a trade row and now threatens to weaken security cooperation. Kang, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi gathered in Beijing on Tuesday for the ninth in an ongoing series of trilateral foreign ministers’ meetings involving the top diplomatic officials of the three countries. Th

• Technology
  

  Antitrust watchdog approves plan to establish ‘Netflix of Asia’

  Fair Trade Commission approves merger of Pooq and Oksusu services to launch integrated streaming platform

• Industry
  

  Are ‘water drop’ breast implants a ticking time bomb in the chest?

  Once the most popular breast augmentation product in Korea, rough-surface implants are now a source of concern

• Music
  

  Even away from music scene for break, BTS makes buzz

  Off to its first-ever official break in its sensational seven-year career, K-pop super band BTS is away from the public eye, but the presence of its members' surprise internet feeds and release of a special photo album continues to make the world music scene abuzz with the beloved band.Dropping a YouTube video of the seven BTS members, flawlessly dressed up against the backdrop of a Korean wood-and-clay traditional house, "hanok" in Korean, last Thursday, BTS announced the arrival of t

NEWSMAKER

• Politics

  

  Corruption allegations have Cho Kuk in a corner

  Justice Minister nominee Cho Kuk is in a corner over mounting corruption allegations involving his family ahead of his confirmation hearing, which hasn’t even been scheduled yet.The main opposition Liberty Korea Party filed a complaint against the former senior presidential secretary and his family on Monday over what the party called questionable investments in a private equity fund.The latest of the allegations involves Cho’s 28-year-old daughter, who received scholarships to atten

LATEST NEWS

• Today

  

  Industry

  Thailand partnering with South Korea on electric bus development

  BANGKOK -- An all-electric bus with the national flags of South Korea and Thailand printed side by side sits on a campus of one of the national research universities on the southern side of Bangkok. The electric bus is a joint project between Korea and Thailand, led mainly by Korean automaker Edison Motors, which currently provides public transport services with eco-friendly buses at Namsan in Seoul and on Jeju Island. The project involves 11 organizations from both sides, including Korea’

• Today

  

  People

  At age of 100, philosopher says ‘I love; therefore I am’

  Widely known as the “100-year-old philosopher,” professor Kim Hyung-seok recently published a collection of essays that delves into the meaning of life. Kim, 100 this year by Korean age, was born in 1920 in Pyongyang, which is now the capital of North Korea. He studied philosophy at Sophia University in Tokyo. After Korea’s liberation from Japan in 1945, he taught at a local middle and high school in Seoul and eventually joined Yonsei University. He is now a professor emeritus

• Today

  

  Foreign Affairs

  Top diplomats of S. Korea, China, Japan to hold talks in Beijing

  South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for meetings with her Chinese and Japanese counterparts over three-way cooperation and a possible summit among their leaders.Her trip drew keen attention as she plans to meet bilaterally with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono on Wednesday afternoon amid heightened tensions between the two countries over trade and history.Their meeting comes at a delicate time when Seoul is mulling whether to renew a bilateral military i

• Today

  

  Music

  Rapper Kisum challenges herself with first dance hip-hop record, 'Yeah!sul'

  Female rapper and songwriter Kisum on Tuesday dropped a new EP, "Yeah!sul," fronted by a funky dance number, transforming sharply from her previous dark hip-hop music.The EP's title, "Yeah!sul," translates in Korean as "Yeah! alcohol," or as "art" when read together, and the six-track album is led by "Let's Drink Up."Kisum sampled the widely loved refrain from male duo Vibe's hit song with the same Korean title in composing and writing the main t

• Today

  

  Automode

  GM Korea union enters partial strike for higher wages

  Unionized workers at GM Korea Co., the South Korean unit of General Motors Co., on Tuesday entered a two-day partial strike, demanding higher wages. GM Korea workers held a four-hour strike on Tuesday and plan to stage another four-hour walkout on Wednesday, GM union spokesman Dang Sung-geun said over the phone. "Union leaders will hold a meeting on Thursday to decide on whether to enter another round of strikes," he said. GM Korea and its union have held seven rounds of talks since Ju

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SPOTLIGHT

• Social affairs

  

  Police impose exit bans on ex-YG Entertainment chief, Seungri over alleged gambling

  Yang Hyun-suk, former CEO of YG Entertainment, and Seungri, a former member of the company-managed K-pop boy band BIGBANG, have been slapped with an exit ban over allegations that they engaged in habitual gambling abroad and violated the foreign exchange law to secure gambling money, police officials said Tuesday.The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has recently obtained an approval from the Ministry of Justice to ban Yang and Seungri from leaving the country after booking them on charges of hab

• 

  Film

  ‘47 Meters Down: Uncaged’ an absurd, silly shark movie, but kinda fun

  Let’s face it: “47 Meters Down: Uncaged,” an unlikely sequel to the 2017 low-budget summer sleeper “47 Meters Down,” was never going to be a top-notch production with quality acting and thought-provoking moments. Bluntly put, it’s a silly shark movie. But not every film has to shoot for masterpiece status. Through the corny dialogue, extremely over-the-top moments, laughable plot holes and cheesy set-up, this is one dumb and absurd film that does not try to be

• 

  Music

  ‘Slow Life Slow Live’ festival adds Kodaline to lineup

  The third annual “Slow Life Slow Live” festival has added Irish band Kodaline to its lineup, with a total of nine artists confirmed so far. Consisting of Steve Garrigan, Mark Prendergast, Vincent May and Jason Boland, the band was nominated for the BBC Sound of 2013 upon its 2012 debut. It has released three studio albums, most recently “Politics of Living” in 2018. The quintet joins South Korean pop vocalists Lee Juck and John Park, along with Lukas Graham, Gallant,

• 

  Technology

  LG Electronics to set Signature booth in collaboration with Italian architect

  LG Electronics will set a separate booth for its premium home appliance lineup LG Signature in collaboration with Italian architect Massimiliano Fuksas during the 2019 IFA show next month, the company said Tuesday. Under the company’s slogan for the premium brand, “Art inspires technology. Technology completes art,” Fuksas will design the exhibition booth for Signature products on the theme of “Infinity” -- a nod to the “infinite possibilities of the Signature

GRAPHIC NEWS

• 

EDITORIAL

• Shameful record

  Ill-considered energy policy results in more coal consumption

• Positive turn

  Top diplomats’ talks should explore pragmatic solution to Seoul-Tokyo discord

VIEWPOINTS

THE INVESTOR

• Automobiles

  

  Hyundai to join mobility platform business with 3,000 EVs

  Hyundai Motor is poised to join a ride-hailing movement that is taking on a new shape since the government announced a series of measures emphasizing the need to obtain taxi licenses, industry sources said Aug. 20. The top carmaker plans to team up with the Seoul Private Taxi Association and KST Mobility, the operator of Macaron Taxi, to launch an EV-based taxi platform with 3,000 EVs from Hyundai. “We plan to start with 3,000 electric cars, but our ultimate goal is to make a platform for

• 

  Deals

  Genexine, ToolGen cancel merger plan on shareholder opposition

  South Korean biopharmaceutical drugmaker Genexine and gene-editing company ToolGen said Aug. 20 in respective regulatory filings that they had dropped plans for a 1:1.2 merger to create ToolGenexine due to shareholder opposition.The total value of stakes held by dissenting shareholders from both companies exceeded the minimum mark as agreed in a contract in June -- 130 billion won ($107.6 million) for Genexine and 50 billion won for ToolGen -- the companies said.Dissenters exercised the appraisa

• 

  Startups & Investors

  How can startups rise as driving force behind Korean economy?

  Home to nine unicorns, South Korea is the world’s No. 5 in terms of the number of startups with valuation of over $1 billion. Also, the combined amount of direct investments in innovative startups by 500 Korean major enterprises reached 458 billion won ($379 million) in 2018, jumping nearly 30-fold in four years. These figures demonstrate not only the size of growth in the Korean startup ecosystem, but also the growing possibility of tech-driven startups becoming the driving force behind t

• 

  Bio & Medicine

  Celltrion establishes Irish unit to expand in European biosimilar market

  Celltrion in May established Celltrion Biopharma, its first unit in Ireland, for further expansion in the European biosimilar market, according to industry sources on Aug. 20.At the new unit, the Korean company plans to mainly conduct clinical trials to prove the safety of its biosimilars to local medical staff, and also prepare for sales after achieving the European Medicines Agency’s approval.Celltrion has finished the stage 3 clinical trial of its biosimilar Remsima SC in Europe and is

K-POP HERALD

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  Review: Enjoying Monsta X’s LA concert at home in Seoul

• 

  Interview: ‘Chameleonlike’ Jinu of Winner sometimes obsesses over things

• 

  Review: BTS’ ‘Bring The Soul’ delves into blood, sweat and tears of stardom

• 

  Kang Daniel, Jihyo of Twice dating, agencies confirm

HERALD INTERVIEW

• Industry

  

  Raising the bar of ethical farming, startup offers ‘disruptive’ agritech

  ULikeKorea set to enter Australia, UAE with bio capsule system for livestock

• 

  People

  Four generations of family carry on Jeju’s brewing legacy

  Master Kim Hee-sook sticks to centuries-old brewing-distilling techniques

• 

  Fashion

  Park Seung-gun still pushing the envelope

  After 20 Seoul shows, Pushbutton designer restarts as newbie in London

• 

  Music

  Percussion is more than beats and rhythms

  To be a solo percussionist is an unusual career choice, as percussionists are usually a part of a larger team such as an orchestra or band. But Lee Hyun-gi is carving out a successful career as a solo percussionist based in London, and she plays a variety of instruments -- not just the drums but also the vibraphone and her specialty, the marimba, an instrument featuring a set of wooden bars that the player strikes with a pair of rubber mallets.“People are unfamiliar with percussion instrum

PHOTO NEWS

• Culture

  

  Japanese colonial history in Korea at a glance

  On Thursday, a national holiday marking Korea’s independence from Japanese colonial rule on Aug. 15, 1945, the Museum of Japanese Colonial History in Korea was very crowded with visitors wanting to better understand the history of the two neighboring countries amid a deepening diplomatic and trade rift. The two-story museum, which sits in a small alley in Yongsan, central Seoul, opened in August last year through donations from the public, civic groups and academics. It exhibits the h

VIDEO

• Industry

  

  How far are we from printing hearts for transplant?

  Close look at two standout players in Korea’s 3D bioprinting, medical device printing

• 

  Foreign Affairs

  Views of South Koreans on boycotting Japanese products

  People in Korea have shown mixed reactions to deepening boycotts of Japanese products prompted by Tokyo’s sudden export controls of high-tech materials to South Korea. In a Realmeter survey of 506 respondents, 54.6 percent were in support of the boycott campaign. On Thursday, “NoNo Japan,” an online community displaying consumer brands and products originating from Japan, was temporarily inaccessible due to heavy traffic.“I’m aware that many are boycotting Japanese

• 

  Food&Beverage

  Behind South Korea’s ‘fatcaron’ sensation

  Supersized with less sugar, Koreanized macarons may be far from authentic, but are ‘reasonable’ guilty pleasure

• 

  Food&Beverage

  Behind jewelry shops, pairing pork, kimchi and oysters in Jongno

  Note: This is the last installment of the Seoul Food Alley series. Over the last two months, The Korea Herald has explored back alleys of Seoul, introducing clusters of restaurants specializing in local delicacies, including stir-fried baby octopus, tteokbokki, sundae and grilled meat. - Ed. Tucked away behind the shiny jewelry district of Jongno 3-ga are decades-old restaurants serving bossam, boiled pork wrapped in kimchi. Though bossam is widely enjoyed in Korea, the restaurants here a

MOST POPULAR

• S. Korea to ban Audi, Volkswagen, Porsche cars in emissions scandal
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• K-pop celebs ignite discussion on going sans bra
• Something to get off your chest? Women question need for bras
• Police impose exit bans on ex-YG Entertainment chief, Seungri over alleged gambling
• Samsung Display CEO affirms QD-OLED efforts
• Are ‘water drop’ breast implants a ticking time bomb in the chest?
• Seoul takes time mulling renewal of military intel-sharing pact with Japan
• Artist couple of Okin Collective found dead
• Corruption allegations have Cho Kuk in a corner

FEATURES

• Politics

  

  Moon to pass halfway point with challenges at home and abroad

  SEJONG -- President Moon Jae-in will pass the halfway point in November, finishing the first 30 months of his 60-month term.The Moon administration launched in May 2017, several months after a political scandal involving former President Park Geun-hye and her confidante Choi Soon-sil swept the nation and ignited public fury.The people pinned great hopes on Moon, who stressed justice and fairness in his inaugural speech.Moon’s approval ratings hovered around 70-80 percent during the first y

• 

  Social affairs

  Single-person households on the rise in S. Korea

  Seoul, South Jeolla top 1-member household portion

• 

  Social affairs

  More than 10,000 centenarians reside in Seoul metropolitan area

  SEJONG -- The population of South Korea increased by less than 1.2 percent over the past five years from 51.25 million in July 2014 to 51.84 million in July 2019, amid the record-low birthrates.According to the Ministry of Interior and Safety, the number of Koreans increased by only 595,000 over the five-year period. This indicates a growth of less than 10,000 a month on average.Apart from the rapid reduction of newborns and those aged under 15, the working population aged between 15 and 64 has

• 

  Economy

  Korea faces retreat from GDP, export powerhouses

  SEJONG -- South Korea is one of the few developing countries whose economy expanded sufficiently over the past decades to compete with advanced nations in Europe.Korea achieved the world’s 10th-largest gross domestic product in 2005. It was 28th in 1980, ranked behind Indonesia (21st), Iran (20th) and Saudi Arabia (14th).As exports in sectors such as semiconductors and automobiles greatly contributed to its GDP, there have been predictions that the nation could consistently become one of t

WEEKENDER

• Economy

  

  The life and death of Korean won

  South Korean banknotes and coins begin life at a factory in Gyeongsan, just outside Daegu. They are then transported to the Bank of Korea’s vault in Seoul, heavily guarded by armed security officers, to enter the money circulation cycle. In its lifespan as a medium of exchange, the banknotes and coins travel around at varying speeds, with some -- 1,000 won bills in particular -- changing hands numerous times before exiting circulation. However, some coins spend most of their time sitt

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  More sports

  Flying above the water

  Flyboarding, latest extreme water sport, hits Han River

• 

  Travel

  Peak season

  Vacation, staycation or no vacation? A snapshot of summer holiday scene in Korea

• 

  Food&Beverage

  Summer on ice

  How ice became an essential part of summer life in Korea