• 

  North Korea

  Love without borders, or nuclear threats?

  • Kang to discuss troop dispatch, N. Korea with Pompeo in US
  • Moon seeks renewed role in inter-Korean relations amid nuclear deadlock
  • What Iran crisis could mean for N. Korea
  • North’s silence on inter-Korean matters puts Seoul on edge

• Social affairs
  

  Seoul steps up efforts to contain coronavirus from China

  Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on Monday ordered health authorities to respond quickly to prevent the spread of a new coronavirus from China, after the first case was confirmed in South Korea. On Monday, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that a Chinese woman had tested positive for the coronavirus.  On receiving the report, Chung ordered the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the KCDC to work with other concerned organizations to prevent the virus from spreading,

• Economy
  

  S. Korea vows to bolster economic cooperation with Russia, Mongolia

  Finance minister foresees economic recovery on back of improvement in external factor and new momentum from regional collaboration

• Technology
  

  Samsung taps new smartphone biz head, seeks stability

  Tech giant retains 3 CEOs, taps younger chief to lead smartphone innovations

• North Korea
  

  Seoul pushes for NK tourism despite rift with Washington

  South Korea is moving forward with its controversial plan to allow individual trips to North Korea by its own citizens, Seoul’s Unification Ministry confirmed Monday, reiterating that the US-led international sanctions in place against the communist state do not apply to tourism.  “We are reviewing options on individual travel to North Korea, including how we will consult with Pyongyang over the issue,” a senior official at the ministry told reporters on customary conditio

• Industry
  

  Business, political leaders mourn Lotte founder

  Feuding brothers of Lotte family meet again for first time in over a year

• Social affairs
  

  Public housing to be built over highway

  A compact community equipped with public housing, parks, child care and commercial facilities will be built above a highway in northern Seoul as part of efforts to meet housing needs for the young and the newly wed, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Monday.According to a blueprint revealed by the municipality and the Seoul Housing and Communities Corps., an artificial plot of land will be built above a 500-meter section of the Bukbu Expressway to create a public housing complex for 990 hous

• North Korea
  

  South Korea should take active role in denuclearizing North: ex-minister

  South Korea should take an active stance in dealing with North Korea amid stalled inter-Korean ties, such as by showing its resolve to halt joint military exercises with the US, a former unification minister said Monday. “For the past 1 1/2 years since the Singapore summit, Seoul’s stance was that inter-Korean relations need to adjust to the speed of US-North Korea dialogue. But with the deadlocked denuclearization talks, inter-Korean relations are reaching their worst state,&r

• Diplomatic Circuit
  

  K-pop, soft power experts pin innovation as key to sustain momentum

  Seven-member Korean boy band BTS rang in the new year with a live performance at New York City’s Times Square. Film director Bong Joon-ho rewrote the history of Korean film with his black comedy “Parasite,” which has been nominated for best picture at the Oscars. Korean culture as a whole is reaching new highs on the international stage.To keep the momentum going, Korean creators should continue to pursue innovation, said Lee Soo-man, one of the most important figures in the K-

NEWSMAKER

• Social affairs

  

  Opposition leader sends beef jerky to Buddhist monks

  South Korea’s opposition leader accidentally sent beef jerky to the Jogye Order of Buddhism as a Lunar New Year’s gift, bewildering the country’s largest Buddhist group, which practices vegetarianism.Gift sets containing beef were delivered to several of the group’s senior officials earlier last week under the name of Liberty Korea Party Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn. The main opposition party learned about the mistake Friday and retrieved the gift sets the same day. It sai

LATEST NEWS

• Today

  

  Social affairs

  North Korean defector in his 60s found dead

  Police are investigating the death of a 62-year-old North Korean defector who was found dead last week at a cemetery in Daegu.The Daegu Suseong Police Station said Monday that the defector, from the North’s Ryanggang Province, was found by a rescue dog at around 10:20 a.m. Friday at the cemetery in Suseong, a southeastern district in the city. According to the police, the man, who came to South Korea in 2008, had been living by himself on government subsidies since 2010, when he could no l

• Today

  

  Technology

  [Graphic News] Samsung ranks No. 3 in global wireless headset shipments in 2019

  　Samsung Electronics ranked third in global wireless headset shipments last year, industry data showed, though it trailed far behind its rival Apple. 　Samsung shipped 7.4 million totally wireless headsets for a 6.9 percent market share in 2019, according to data from market tracker Strategy Analytics. 　Apple was the dominant force in the TWS market with a 54.4 percent market share after shipping 58.7 million AirPods, its signature TWS headset product, in 2019. (Yonhap)

• Today

  

  Industry

  KT develops 5G-powered medical service

  KT Corp., South Korea's major telecommunications firm, said Monday it has developed a 5G-powered medical service with a Seoul hospital to provide better patient care. KT said it built a 5G network at the Samsung Medical Center and successfully applied its 5G technology to medical practices last week.KT and the SMC have been working together since September 2019 after signing a partnership to develop 5G-powered medical services. Through its 5G network, KT said medical staff at the SMC can now hav

• Today

  

  Industry

  KCC conditionally approves SK Broadband, T-broad merger

  The Korea Communications Commission on Monday conditionally approved a merger between SK Telecom’s pay TV unit, SK Broadband, and T-broad, the country’s No. 2 cable TV operator. After its meeting on Monday, the KCC announced that it had approved the merger under 14 conditions and three suggestions, which will require the company to protect users’ rights and serve the public interest. The KCC will deliver the results of its review to the ICT Ministry, which is expected to issue

• Today

  

  Foreign Affairs

  S. Korea protests Japanese FM's claim to Dokdo

  The foreign ministry issued a strong protest on Monday over Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi's parliamentary speech that renewed Japan's claim to South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo.During his speech on foreign policy, Motegi claimed that the East Sea islets are inherently Japan's territory, remarks that overshadowed budding efforts to defuse a row between Seoul and Tokyo over wartime history and trade."The government strongly protests the fact that the Japanese government,

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SPOTLIGHT

• Arts&Design

  

  National Museum of Korea shows unique development of Finnish design

  Finnish-style furniture is popular in Korea, but not many Koreans have a chance to deeply think about how the country’s designs have evolved. The exhibition “10,000 Years of Design – Man, Matter, Metamorphosis” shows how design in Finland has evolved around the country’s nature and ecosystem from the end of Ice Age when the Finnish landmass emerged. Breaking the mold of typical design exhibitions, the current exhibition at the National Museum of Korea includes artif

• 

  Music

  Upset fans demand that Chen leave EXO

  K-pop star’s unexpected marriage announcement sparks conflict with fans

• 

  Film

  'Parasite' invades Oscars race with stunning SAG award win

  LOS ANGELES (AFP) -- "Parasite" shocked the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday by landing the night's top prize, a historic win which thrusts the South Korean black comedy into Oscars contention.The critical smash hit film overcame the language barrier to win outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture, the SAG equivalent of a best film Academy Award."I'm a little embarrassed feeling like we're the parasites of Hollywood now," joked actor Lee Sun-Kyun.Director Bon

• 

  Soccer

  S. Korea defeat Jordan to move closer to Olympic men's football berth

  South Korea got past Jordan 2-1 on Sunday to move within one victory of qualifying for the 2020 Olympic men's football tournament.Midfielder Lee Dong-gyeong scored a gorgeous free kick to break a 1-1 tie in the dying seconds, giving South Korea a narrow win in the quarterfinals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Championship at Thammasat Stadium in Rangsit, Thailand. This AFC event is also the qualifying competition for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, with the top three nations here advanci

GRAPHIC NEWS

• 

EDITORIAL

• Candidacy rush

  Public officials, including suspected offenders, quit jobs for ruling party nomination in general election

• Hasty courtship

  Review needed to prevent individual tours to North from violating sanctions

VIEWPOINTS

THE INVESTOR

• Startups & Investors

  

  Student-led venture vibe livens up Seoul basement

  In a dark basement club in Seoul on Friday, scores of 20-somethings got themselves into the spirit, cracking up with laughter and hollering at one another.Soon, people filling up the basement broke up into eight teams. They were given 15 minutes to come up with business ideas. Each team took turns pitching the ideas which were put up for virtual auction before the participants. Live hip-hop performances followed.For Lee Yeon-ji, a 23-year-old university student, the event, called “Social-R

• 

  Finance

  S. Korea considering imposing 20% tax on cryptocurrencies

  South Korea’s Finance Ministry is considering imposing a 20 percent tax on income from cryptocurrency transactions, officials said Jan. 20. The Ministry of Economy and Finance recently ordered its office of income tax to review a taxation plan for cryptocurrencies, according to officials. Previously, the ministry’s office of property tax had reviewed the plan. The move raised speculation that the government may categorize gains from cryptocurrency trading as other income, not capital

• 

  Startups & Investors

  Alien Robot shows glimpse of future with robotic arm

  Robotic firm aims to revolutionize food and beverage sector

• 

  Startups & Investors

  Self-driving cars with lidar tech likely to hit Seoul roads soon

  Global carmakers are paying closer attention to lidar-based sensing technology for better detection of objects on the road.Lidar, which involves sending out light pulses and detecting objects by analyzing the light reflected off targets, will likely be applied to fully autonomous vehicles in the future. Despite its outstanding accuracy in identifying objects, lidar has not yet been widely adopted in self-driving cars, largely because of its high price tag -- $10,000 or more.Lee Han-bin, co-found

K-POP

• 

  BTS unveils ‘Black Swan’ ahead of February return

• 

  K-pop generates over 6 billion tweets in 2019

• 

  Enoi makes bold return with ‘Cheeky’

• 

  EXO's Chen to get married

HERALD INTERVIEW

• Transport

  

  S. Korea very lucrative market for Rolls-Royce: CEO

  Luxury carmaker Rolls-Royce sold a record 5,152 cars globally in 2019, up 25 percent on-year. And the South Korean market was “instrumental” in this achievement with the growing popularity of its SUV Cullinan, a top executive said Jan. 7. “It has been an excellent year for our brand, and the South Korean market has seen tremendous growth -- very solid, robust and successful -- and is a market that is very important for our business,” Torsten Muller-Otvos, CEO of Roll

• 

  Film

  Lee Byung-hun talks about playing controversial president’s assassin

  ‘The Man Standing Next’ chronicles 40 days leading up to 1979 Park Chung-hee assassination

• 

  Social affairs

  After court clears him, man vows to continue campaign to out deadbeat dads

  Court says posting identities of child support dodgers is fair game

• 

  Diplomatic Circuit

  Bangladesh’s top envoy expresses hope for Moon’s visit

  [Meet the diplomat] Ambassador says women’s empowerment in Bangladesh played major role in socioeconomic development

PHOTO NEWS

• Arts&Design

  

  Look into King Jeongjo’s dream city: Hwaseong Fortress

  The Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, dates back to the latter part of the Joseon era (1392-1910).Designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in December 1997, the 5.74-kilometer-long fortress wall was constructed from 1794 to 1796, taking two years and nine months. The fortress was intended to display King Jeongjo’s filial piety toward his father and create a new city with its own economic power.Jeong Yak-yong, a prominent Silhak -- practical learning -- scholar, led the

VIDEO

• Transport

  

  Genesis’ first SUV GV80 launched, threatens likes of Benz, BMW

  GV80 has reasonable price, “Korean luxury” design

• 

  Technology

  Amorepacific shines at CES 2020 with K-beauty tech

  Korean cosmetics firm lures visitors with newest wearable beauty device, tailored 3D mask-printing technology

• 

  Culture

  The magic and romance of Christmas

  The magical morning of Dec. 25 is a time of great excitement and anticipation, as you get to spend time with your beloved family and make more memories to cherish. One of the essential parts of celebrating Christmas is exchanging good vibes and spreading the holiday’s goodwill. It’s exactly around that time of year where the whole world turns boisterous and people are drawn to the festive spirit. The noise of bells jingling, colorful seasonal decorations and Christmas trees embellish

• 

  Food&Beverage

  The puzzle of flavor

  Imagine a glass of cold craft beer and place it in front of you. “Psssh.” That’s the sound of beer being extracted from the machine. “Tssst.” Next, the frothy foam on top brings oxygen to the liquor. Afterward, have a quick sip and let the fresh brew glide down. This is perhaps the high point of the day, only rivaled later when you lay down in your cozy bed, ready to fall off to sleep. It’s no secret that Koreans spend some of the longest hours in th

MOST POPULAR

• Legendary Lotte founder passes away, leaving behind bitter sons
• Love without borders, or nuclear threats?
• Four Koreans still missing after Annapurna avalanche
• Samsung taps new smartphone biz head, seeks stability
• S. Korea reports 1st confirmed case of China coronavirus
• S. Korea very lucrative market for Rolls-Royce: CEO
• Upset fans demand that Chen leave EXO
• Galaxy phone users jolted by privacy concerns
• Seoul on alert after 1st confirmed case of coronavirus from China
• 'Parasite' invades Oscars race with stunning SAG award win

FEATURES

• Technology

  

  Galaxy phone users jolted by privacy concerns

  Users of Samsung Galaxy smartphones and Samsung Cloud in South Korea are on high alert regarding personal security issues in the wake of private data thefts involving some celebrities. A growing number of Galaxy users here are checking on the security status of their gadgets to ensure they follow the recommended security guidelines. Samsung Electronics has notified users to enhance their phone’s security by activating the two-step verification mode that double-checks user authenticity when

• 

  Economy

  South Korea’s farm population halves in 20 years

  SEJONG -- Fifty years ago, the number of South Koreans engaged in agriculture accounted for more than 40 percent of the total population.But the farming population (defined by the government as people in farming households) has continued to drop. It fell to below 30 percent of the total population in 1980 and was about 15 percent in 1990, according to government data.The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs noted that the farming population posted 4.4 million in 1998, accounting for 9

• 

  Social affairs

  Weekend rallies in central Seoul a headache for residents

  Police seek to tighten regulations on noise level

• 

  Politics

  Reforming the prosecution, or taming it?

  What’s behind Moon’s divisive campaign to overhaul the powerful law enforcement body?

WEEKENDER

• Industry

  

  Korea’s obsession with tallness

  Koreans embracing “heightism’ create lucrative niche market

• 

  Social affairs

  The case for Korean millennials in the workplace

  Millennials everywhere get a bad rap, and South Korea is no exception.As more millennials join the workforce, theories and assumptions about the millennial ways abound.Millennial workers have been called weak and entitled, or are portrayed as not trying hard enough. They also hold a reputation for being quitters and job-hoppers.But blaming the “millennial mindset” for traits seen in young workers can prevent us from seeing the whole picture, experts say. For today’s youths, get

• 

  Music

  From tradition to innovation

  Though gugak, traditional Korean music, is often considered an unchanging art form from the past, various gugak acts and institutions are working on revitalizing the genre to make it more relatable to today’s audiences.K-pop has taken the world by storm, but Korea’s traditional music is still underappreciated even among South Koreans, let along the wider global audience. Strong prejudices against gugak exist -- namely, that it is boring and difficult to listen to.Despite those negati

• 

  Social affairs

  A look back at 2019

  As we approach the end of the year, it is time to look back at some of the major events and memorable moments of 2019. From trade wars between the US and China and then Korea and Japan, to the unrest in Hong Kong and rival rallies in Seoul over then-Justice Minister Cho Kuk, 2019 had plenty of conflict and discord to take note of. There were also memorable milestones achieved this year, such as the first-ever image of a black hole captured by scientists. Bong Joon-ho’s film “Parasite