• 

  North Korea

  Blue House expects imminent resumption of US-NK talks

  • US ready to resume talks with NK: Biegun
  • N. Korea continued nuclear program in 2018 in Yongbyon: IAEA
  • Resumption of US-NK dialogue a matter for speculation as drills come to end

• North Korea
  

  NK says it has no interest in talks if military threats continue

  North Korea said Thursday it had no interest in dialogue as long as military hostilities continue, mentioning South Korea’s introduction of F-35A stealth fighters.A spokesperson for the North’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that South Korea violated inter-Korean agreements by continuing to bring in the high-tech weapons from the US.The statement came a day after two additional F-35A fighter jets arrived in South Korea, raising the total number of the stealth fighters in the co

• Finance
  

  S. Korea issued $2.7b high-risk derivative products in 2018: data

  South Korea’s financial institutions issued 3.2 trillion won ($2.7 billion) worth of high-risk derivatives-linked securities last year that did not guarantee the return of the investor’s original investment, according to data from the Korea Financial Investment Association released Thursday.The volume of such DLS issued increased 29 percent on-year from 2.9 trillion won in 2017 and hit a record high, feeding concerns over South Korean investors’ growing appetite for high-risk,

• Economy
  

  [News Focus] Korea marks 20th anniversary of FTA talks across globe

  SEJONG -- It has been two decades since South Korea took its first steps into the free trade market, seeking bilateral deals with major world economies in hopes of enjoying tariff benefits.Since launching negotiations toward a free trade agreement with its first partner, Chile, in 1999, Korea has put 15 FTAs in place with three continental trade blocs (that involve 42 countries collectively) and 12 countries.The three trade blocs are the 28-member European Union, the 10-member Associat

• Industry
  

  SKT becomes world’s first to hit 1 million 5G subscriptions

  Korea’s SK Telecom said Thursday that it became the first in the world to have over 1 million 5G subscribers for a single network service, vying against 28 other such telecommunication network services in the world.Yoo Young-sang, SKT’s executive vice president and head of the Mobile Edge Computing department, said, “Korea is a unique country that has all the facets that enable a 5G ecosystem such as the technology, the infrastructure, the service and the subscribers. “We

• Arts&Design
  

  To things that we find ambivalent, inconsistent

  Seoul exhibition raises questions about what makes a masterpiece

NEWSMAKER

• Technology

  

  Facebook wins court battle over network cutoff

  After a yearlong legal battle, Facebook Korea has won against the government’s decision to impose a financial penalty for a massive network cutoff in 2017.The Seoul Administrative Court ruled Thursday that it was unlawful for the Korea Communication Commission to impose a 396 million won ($367,000) fine on Facebook for delaying access for those subscribed to SK Telecom, SK Broadband and LG Uplus by changing network connection routes.  Facebook had denied the accusation, saying that th

LATEST NEWS

• Today

  

  Viewpoints

  Unlikely crusade to save capitalism from itself

  “Evolve or die,” wrote hedge-fund billionaire Ray Dalio in a manifesto published in April titled “Why and How Capitalism Needs to be Reformed.” With each passing month, more business executives have been joining this unlikely crusade to save capitalism from itself. The loudest reform call yet from inside the system came this week from the Business Roundtable, which represents the chief executives of 192 of the nation’s largest companies. Most of its members signed a

• Today

  Editorial

  Rising debt

  Unchecked household borrowing risks precipitating economic downturn

• Today

  

  North Korea

  Blue House expects imminent resumption of US-NK talks

  The US and North Korea are expected to resume denuclearization talks soon, Kim Hyun-chong, a deputy director at the presidential National Security Office, said Thursday after a meeting with a top US envoy for Pyongyang. “The impression I have (from the meeting) is that talks between the US and North Korea will soon begin and it will go well,” Kim told reporters at the Government Complex in Seoul. But Kim said he cannot disclose the details that convinced him US-North Korea nuclear ta

• Today

  

  North Korea

  NK notifies UN its FM will attend General Assembly in Sept.: source

  North Korea has notified the United Nations that its Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho will attend this year's session of the General Assembly slated to take place in New York next month, a diplomatic source here said Thursday.His possible trip to New York raised the prospects of bilateral talks with his US counterpart, Mike Pompeo, as Washington is seeking to restart working-level nuclear negotiations with Pyongyang. "The North has informed the UN that Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho will deliver a

• Today

  

  Technology

  Facebook wins court battle over network cutoff

  After a yearlong legal battle, Facebook Korea has won against the government’s decision to impose a financial penalty for a massive network cutoff in 2017.The Seoul Administrative Court ruled Thursday that it was unlawful for the Korea Communication Commission to impose a 396 million won ($367,000) fine on Facebook for delaying access for those subscribed to SK Telecom, SK Broadband and LG Uplus by changing network connection routes.  Facebook had denied the accusation, saying that th

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SPOTLIGHT

• Travel

  

  Gyeongbokgung to open its gates for autumn nights

  Gyeongbokgung Palace will invite visitors to enjoy its grounds at night this coming autumn, opening its gates between 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. from mid-September until early November.According to Cultural Heritage Administration, the annual nighttime special tours of the Joseon-era palace will take begin Sept. 12 -- during the Chuseok Holidays -- and will conclude on Nov. 6. The hours will be extended from the usual 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., but only up to 4,500 people a day will be able to visit the pal

• 

  Automode

  Teaser image for Hyundai Motor’s EV concept car 45 revealed

  Hyundai Motor Group released a teaser image for its electric vehicle concept car 45 on Thursday, ahead of the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show next month.According to Hyundai Motor, 45 is a reinterpretation of the carmaker’s first concept car design revealed in 1970. It has been renewed under Hyundai Motor’s next-generation design philosophy -- “sensuous sportiness.”  The latest concept car has customized customer experience under the new brand strategy “Style Set Fre

• 

  Film

  'Tune In for Love' a mediocre film with familiar tune, but has heart

  We’ve seen this before, literally. Ever since “Architecture 101” stole the hearts of many who spent their youth in the 1990s, romance dramas riding on wistful ’90s nostalgia have popped up every few years.“Tune In for Love,” directed by Jung Ji-woo, is nothing special and has glaring flaws in its somewhat clunky storytelling. Despite its familiarity -- if you are a child of the ’90s -- it does send you back to the good ol’ days, which is always a w

• 

  Film

  'Parasite' selected as S. Korea's Oscar contender

  The Cannes-winning film "Parasite" by renowned auteur Bong Joon-ho has been selected as South Korea's entry to the best international feature film category at the upcoming Academy Awards.The Korean Film Council (KOFIC) said Thursday that it picked Bong's black comedy film to compete for an Oscar nomination for best foreign film next year.The state-run council said it chose "Parasite" for its Palme d'Or achievement at this year's Cannes Film Festival, the worldwide reputation

GRAPHIC NEWS

• 

EDITORIAL

• Rising debt

  Unchecked household borrowing risks precipitating economic downturn

• Cho’s impudence

  Listing high school student as thesis writer subject to investigation

VIEWPOINTS

THE INVESTOR

• Office Consulting

  

  [INTERVIEW] When EU real estate gold rush ends, will S. Korean investors return home?

  Korea’s investors have spearheaded what could be seen as a “gold rush” in the European commercial real estate market in a move to hedge risks from equity investment.The volume of cross-border office building investment from Korea into Europe came to 7.2 trillion won ($6 billion) solely in the first half of 2019, according to an estimate from Real Capital Analytics. The figure is higher than the total transactions of 6.8 trillion won recorded in 2018. Office building investments

• 

  Samsung

  Samsung Galaxy Note 10 to launch in 70 global markets

  Samsung Electronics said on Aug. 22 that its latest flagship Galaxy Note 10 will hit the shelves in 70 countries, including the US, Canada, France and Russia on Aug. 23. During the preorder sales period from Aug. 9 to 18 in South Korea, around 1.3 million customers are estimated to have preordered the latest Samsung smartphones, double that of the Galaxy Note 9 released last year. Some 221,000 were turned into actual purchases on Aug. 20, the first day on which preorders can be converted here, u

• 

  Retail & Consumer

  Philip Morris releases white paper on positive impact of smokeless products

  Phillip Morris International on Aug. 21 released a white paper titled “Unsmoke: Clearing the Way for Change,” based on survey results of smokeless products and their impacts on smokers’ lives.“These results are from one of the largest cross-cultural polls ever conducted about the impact of smoking on our lives,” PMI Senior Vice President of Global Communications Marian Salzman said in a statement. The survey was conducted for Philip Morris by independent resear

• 

  Industrials

  Kepco’s losses pile up amid debate over anti-nuclear power policy

  To blame or not to blame the performance of South Korea’s power generator on the anti-nuclear power policy? This question has emerged yet again following news of Korea Electric Power Corp.’s quarterly loss last week. State-owned Kepco said its operating loss reached 298.6 billion won ($248 million) in the second quarter, following its worst-ever first-quarter operating loss of 630 billion won. In the first six months of this year, the company’s operating loss stood at 928.5 bil

K-POP HERALD

• 

  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

• Social affairs

  

  Sports bodies need to make own assessments of Fukushima: Greenpeace nuclear specialist

  Nuclear specialist warns of unknown long-term health, environmental risks from Japan’s radioactive water disposal plan

• 

  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

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

• Food&Beverage

  

  Trendy treats on offer at Seoul Dessert Fair 2019

  South Korea’s biggest dessert festival, the Seoul Dessert Fair, closed the doors on its 23rd event last weekend at the Setec exhibition hall in Gangnam, Seoul.(Shot and edited by Choi Ji-won / The Korea Herald)The three-day event ran Friday to Sunday and garnered more than 30,000 visitors. Around 240 dessert shop owners and individual sellers from around the country presented assorted confections ranging from seasonal sweets to those following the latest trends.Traditional Korean treats an

• 

  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

MOST POPULAR

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• Cho’s impudence
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FEATURES

• Economy

  

  Korea marks 20th anniversary of FTA talks across globe

  SEJONG -- It has been two decades since South Korea took its first steps into the free trade market, seeking bilateral deals with major world economies in hopes of enjoying tariff benefits.Since launching negotiations toward a free trade agreement with its first partner, Chile, in 1999, Korea has put 15 FTAs in place with three continental trade blocs (that involve 42 countries collectively) and 12 countries.The three trade blocs are the 28-member European Union, the 10-member Associat

• 

  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

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

• 

  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