Today   Industry

GS Caltex expands eco-friendly compounded resin

GS Caltex is expanding an upcycling method that goes further than simply recycling plastic waste and creates new value by mixing materials. The firm said it plans to increase the production of compounded resin made from recycled plastic waste to streamline resources and reduce carbon emissions. Compound resin is a functional plastic widely used as a raw material for automotive and home appliance parts. If plastic waste is recycled to produce compounded resin instead of being incinerated, c

Today   K-pop

K-pop labels call for fair profit-sharing rules for TV show clips

Entertainment labels are no longer willing to tolerate broadcasters that release and sell unaired behind-the-scene clips or “fancams” of their artists without permission. The Korea Music Content Association, Korea Management Federation and Korea Entertainment Producers’ Association on Wednesday filed a petition to the nation’s Fair Trade Commission calling for a revision to the current unfair contract practices with TV stations. In Korea, pop artists appear in music sh

Today   Politics

In snub to prosecution chief, justice minister exercises authority in suspected collusion case

Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae on Thursday ordered Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl to suspend the convening of an expert advisory panel to review a suspected collusion case that involves a prosecutor deemed close to Yoon, invoking her authority to command the prosecution's investigation. "With the investigation going on, experts' assessment on the case might bring out a hasty conclusion, which in turn could hamper the efforts to find the truth," Choo said in an official document sent

Today   Economy

S. Korea to expand IP financial investment market to W1.3tr by 2024

South Korea aims to foster its intellectual property financial investment market to 1.3 trillion won ($1.08 billion) by 2024 to help firms deal with liquidity issues triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, the nation’s IP office said Thursday. The Korean Intellectual Property Office announced 14 specific tasks under four pillars that would establish platforms for individuals and firms to directly invest in IP and profit from royalties, sales and even lawsuits. This is expected to boost th

Today   Technology

KT CEO stresses importance of advancing 5G network in different industries

KT CEO Koo Hyun-mo stressed that the fifth-generation network would allow telecommunication firms to create new business opportunities across various industries, the company said Thursday. “If the telecommunications firms used to center on business-to-consumer services in the past, the industry will be involved more in the business-to-business sector in the future,” KT CEO Koo Hyun-mo said in a keynote speech during the Global TD-LTE Initiative’s online summit on Wednesday.

Today   Television

Nana throws hat ‘Into the Ring’

Producer says controversial political drama “a workplace rom-com”

Today   Transport

[Behind the Wheel] Porsche offers fun and comfort with Cayenne Coupe

It’s been 18 years since Porsche released the Cayenne, its first sport utility vehicle, but skeptics still questioning the vehicle’s “Porsche DNA.” Undeterred, the carmaker has continued to bolster its SUV lineup, and sales show Porsche’s decision was right. Its SUV sales now double those of smaller sports cars in some markets, including the US. In Korea, the Cayenne is attributed as having set the pace for the popularity of premium SUVs. This year, the carma

Today   Social affairs

One-month high of 522 schools closed nationwide for coronavirus

The number of schools closed temporarily due to the coronavirus outbreak rose to 522 nationwide Thursday, the biggest number over the past month, authorities said, as virus infections have been spreading among students and school personnel in Daejeon and Gwangju lately. The Ministry of Education said 2.5 percent, or 522, of the nation's 20,902 kindergartens and elementary, middle and high schools suspended in-person classes as of 10 a.m., marking an increase of 475 from the previous day. It i

Today   Politics

Young, moderate adults ebb away from Moon’s support base

President Moon Jae-in’s approval rating dropped to the lowest in three months, while the gap between the ruling and main opposition parties narrowed, a poll showed Thursday. According to a poll conducted by Realmeter, Moon’s approval rating came to 49.4 percent in the first week of July. This is the first time the figure has dropped below 50 percent in Realmeter polls since the third week of March. A Gallup Korea poll for the final week of June also showed similar results, puttin

Today   Industry

Korean, European businesses seek greater cooperation at virtual conference

South Korean and European business experts held an online forum Thursday to discuss ways to jointly respond to challenges in the wake of the pandemic and strengthen cooperation in areas such as future mobilities, secondary batteries and bio-health. As a follow-up event to the summit between the two regions, the EU-Korea Virtual Business Conference 2020 was jointly hosted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the European Chamber of Commerce in Korea. The conference aimed to discus

Today   Diplomatic Circuit

[Herald Interview] ‘Australian English as prestigious as American English’

In South Korea, known for its education fervor, the English widely taught at schools and private institutes is American English. Challenging the US dominance in the Korean English education market is one of the tasks facing the Embassy of Australia here, an Australian diplomat told The Korea Herald. “Australia wants to make clear to Koreans we should be the destination of choice for people who want to study English language,” James Bourne, second secretary at the Embassy of Aust

Today   Industry

[From the Scene] Italian artisans design Samsung’s luxury fridge ‘New Chef Collection’

It’s not everyday that one feels attracted to a refrigerator, but Samsung’s new fridge is too beautiful to call it just a machine. Samsung Electronics on Thursday invited reporters to a studio in Seongsu-dong, eastern Seoul, to showcase its premium “New Chef Collection” refrigerator amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Inside the dimly-lit studio stood the $10,000 refrigerator with a chic metallic design, which immediately defied the monotonous and boring look of a typic

Today   Markets

Seoul stocks close higher on recovery hopes

South Korean shares closed sharply higher Thursday on hopes of an economic recovery fueled by improved US economic indicators. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) jumped 28.67 points, or 1.36 percent, to close at 2,135.37. Trading volume was high at about 1.1 billion shares worth some 10.4 trillion won ($8.7 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 671 to 176. Foreigners sold a net 13 billion won, extending their latest selling

Today   Transport

Hyundai, Kia's US sales drop 19% in June amid pandemic

Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. said Thursday their sales in the United States fell 19 percent in June from a year earlier as the new coronavirus continued to affect vehicle sales. Hyundai, Hyundai's independent Genesis brand and Kia sold a combined 99,434 vehicles in the US market last month, down from 122,890 units a year ago, according to the companies' sales data. The carmakers had planned to focus on boosting sales in the world's most important automobile market thi