A South Korean venture firm said Monday it has filed a complaint with the prosecution against Apple Inc.'s Seoul-based branch for patent infringement on messenger service technology.Infozone, a mobile message solution provider, claimed that Apple's iMessage service, installed on iPhones since June 2011, infringed its patent for the technology of switches between different data-transmission networks depending on the condition of receivers' handsets."If an iPhone user sends messages through iMessa

A former Japanese leader conveyed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's message to South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Friday, an official said, a move that may pave the way for a potential summit between the two neighbors.Former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori delivered the message to Park during their meeting in the presidential office in Seoul, the official said, though details of the message were not immediately available.The message came as South Korea and Japan are seeking to repair bilater

The government approved two local charity groups' plans to send humanitarian aid to North Korea, the unification minister said Friday.The approval allows the aid groups including the Association of People Sharing Love to ship food or medical goods to underprivileged people in the North. Information on the specific items and the size of the assistance was not released. The latest approval of humanitarian aid to the country marks the first of its kind since the North strongly protested Seoul's joi

South Korean actress Lee Min-jung, the wife of top-tier actor Lee Byung-hun, is currently staying at her parents’ home away from her husband, Korean media reported Thursday. 　Lee, who stayed in Paris for two weeks, returned to Korea on Tuesday. The actress headed to her parents’ home in Gangnam, southern Seoul, instead of going back to the home she shares with her husband after shooting a TV commercial. 　“Lee came back to Korea to attend her friend’s wedding. It would be a lie if she said she wa

  진행자: 석지현, Julie Jackson 　 1. 정부, 내년부터 담뱃값 인상 　 기사 요약: 정부가 내년 1월부터 담뱃값을 인상하겠다고 발표함으로써 애연가들에게 비상이 걸렸다. 직접 말아 피우는 각련과 전자담배에 대한 인기가 급상승하고 마트에서는 조직적인 사재기가 시작되는 등 대체품에 대한 관심도 높아지고 있다. 　 팟캐스트: https://itunes.apple.com/kr/podcast/koliaheleoldeu-paskaeseuteu/id686406253?mt=2 팟빵: http://www.podbbang.com/ch/6638 　 Korea to raise tobacco prices by 80 percent 　 [1] Korean smokers are likely to have to pay nearly twice as much for a pack of ciga-rettes, which currently costs 2,500 wo

K-pop idol group Girls’ Generation recently renewed the contract with its current label SM Entertainment, Korean news outlets reported Monday. 　All of the group’s nine members -- Taeyeon, Tiffany, Seohyun, Sunny, Jessica, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung and Yoona -- extended the management contract with SM before it expired in August. 　With the renewed contract, Girls’ Generation will stick together for at least three more years, K-pop insiders said. 　The nontet first signed the seven-year contract with

Girls’ Generation spin-off trio TaeTiSeo unveiled its new EP, “Holler,” on Tuesday. 　The group -- consisting of Taeyeon, Tiffany and Seohyun -- dropped the long-awaited album online at noon earlier in the day, more than two years after the release of its debut EP “Twinkle.” The CD will be available in stores two days later. 　 (SM Entertainment)The album is comprised of six tracks, including the title song “Holler” which has a funky dance groove that mixes well with the girls’ vocals. The tune ca

콜롬비아 여자 사이클팀의 유니폼이 민망한 디자인으로 논란에 휩싸였다. 　13일 외신들은 콜롬비아 여자 사이클 선수들이 지난주 이탈리아에서 열린 국제사이클대회에 참석해 마치 옷을 안 입은듯 한 착시현상을 일으키는 유니폼을 착용, 보는 이들의 눈살을 찌푸리게 만들었다고 전했다. 　 (Twitter)콜롬비아 보고타시의 후원을 받아 만들어진 이 유니폼은 허리 아래 부분이 피부색과 유사한 색으로 디자인돼 있어 자칫 주요 부위를 노출하는 것으로 보일 수 있다. 　이를 두고 국제사이클연맹 브라이언 쿡손 회장은 15일 성명을 통해 “콜롬비아 여자 사이클 팀이 착용한 유니폼은 품위 기준에서 도저히 수용하기 힘든 낯 뜨거운 것”이라며 비난했다. 　  (Twitter)또 영국 사이클 올림픽 금메달리스트인 니콜 쿡도 자신의 트위터에 “이는 스포츠를 한낱 조롱거리로 전락시키는 일”이라며 유니폼 디자인에 문제를 제기했다.　해당 선수들의 사진은 곧 SNS를 통해 퍼졌고, 누리꾼들은 “잘못됐다” “재앙 수준”등

Girls’ Generation’s Taeyeon released a selfie that she took with Tiffany and Seohyun on Monday, a day before TaeTiSeo’s new album release. 　“If you knew anything would come up, it would be us, thanksta!” Taeyeon wrote on her Instagram. The trio, the Girls’ Generation sub-unit dubbed TaeTiSeo, are to drop their second EP “Holler” on Sept. 16, more than two years after the group unveiled its debut EP “Twinkle.” 　The group will hold a showcase of its latest EP on the same day at Seoul Olympic Park’

South Korea’s management agency YG Entertainment and French luxury giant LVMH signed an investment agreement worth $80 million in Singapore on Saturday. 　The cooperation between the two companies came a month after LVMH’s private equity arm L Capital Asia announced its plan to invest up to $80 million in the entertainment powerhouse. 　(Yonhap)“We believe that the partnership with L Capital can be a trigger that can drive YG’s further growth and lead new trends,” YG’s CEO Yang Min-suk said during

South Korean rapper Tablo released a selfie he took with his labelmates in the K-pop group WINNER on Saturday.  (Instagram)“A photo with rising band WINNER,” Tablo wrote on Instagram.The rookie boy band WINNER is currently touring Japan to promote its Japanese debut album “2014 S/S -Japan Collection-” released on Sept. 10. (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)

South Korean top actor Jo In-sung successfully threw the first pitch at a game between the Hanwha Eagles and Kia Tigers held in Daejeon on Sunday. Baseball fans gave Jo a big round of applause as he took the mound in a Hanwha Eagles uniform and threw the ceremonial pitch. The big-name actor’s first pitch came after Hanwha’s catcher, also named Jo In-sung, asked him in return for taking on the Ice Bucket Challenge following the actor. The actor is widely known for being an avid Hanwha fan since h

POSCO Engineering and Construction Co. (POSCO E&C), South Korea's third-largest builder, said Sunday it has secured a US$1.14 billion order to build a thermal power plant in Nigeria.The comprehensive engineering, procurement and construction deal includes a 2,500 megawatt gas-fired power plant that marks the first project won by POSCO E&C in Africa.The Ebonyi Independent Power Plant will be located some 300 kilometers south of the capital Abuja, with the builder expecting the work to be complete

세계 최장신 개로 유명세를 떨쳤던 그레이트데인 품종의 개 ‘제우스’가 5살의 나이로 숨을 거뒀다.　11일 외신들은 미국 미시건 주에 사는 제우스의 견주 케빈 도어랙이 제우스의 사망 사실을 알렸다고 전했다. 제우스는 지난주 6살 생일을 앞두고 “고령의 나이 때문”에 사망했다.　(AFP)제우스는 발에서 어깨까지의 높이가 44인치(약 1.12ｍ)에 달해, 살아있는 개 중에서 가장 키가 큰 개로 지난해 기네스 세계기록에 등재됐다.　또 제우스는 뒷다리로 설 경우엔 7피트 4인치(약 2.23ｍ)로 무게는 165파운드(약 74.85㎏)에 이를 정도로 몸집이 컸다.　2주일에 30파운드(약 13.6㎏)의 사료를 먹어치울 정도로 식욕도 왕성했던 것으로 알려졌다. 　도어랙은 “제우스를 절대 잊지 못할 것”이라며 “정말 대단한 개였다”고 말했다.　(khnews@heraldcorp.com)

Samsung Electronics said Sunday it has asked the prosecution to investigate senior officials of its home rival, LG Electronics, on suspicion of intentionally damaging its products at a shopping mall in Germany.Samsung's petition names Jo Seong-jin, head of LG's home appliance division, and a number of other senior company officials, accusing them of vandalizing its laundry machines on display.The incident occurred earlier this month in Berlin just ahead of the Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA

The onstage performance of K-pop girl group Ladies’ Code, which was made just hours before its fatal car accident, will be televised on Sunday evening.  　Korea’s public broadcaster KBS has decided to air the footage of the quintet’s last performance on its music show “Open Concert” after a heated in-house debate over whether or not to broadcast it, officials said.　 (OSEN)“We have carefully discussed whether to broadcast the last performance of the group that lost two of its precious members in a

Samsung Electronics Co., the world's largest mobile phone manufacturer, is expected to suffer another earnings shock in the third quarter, mainly due to weak demand for its new products and stiff competition from rivals.Local brokerages initially forecast operating profits for the July-September period to be in the 6 trillion won (US$5.8 billion) range, but some like IBK Securities Co. marked down their assessment to around 5 trillion won with a corresponding dip in sales after the five-day Chus

South Korea's military confirmed Sunday it has detected signs of North Korea's development of a submarine-based ballistic missile launch system.In a report to an opposition lawmaker, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said there is an indication that the North is developing a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM)."There is no intelligence yet that North Korea has an SLBM in operation. But the possibility of a North Korean submarine equipped with an SLBM has been detected recently," the JCS sa

Scots head to the polls on Thursday for an independence referendum that could end its three centuries old union with England and create Europe's newest country since the collapse of Yugoslavia.The election is like no other that Scotland has ever seen and has stirred fevered debate, as well as concern on the financial markets about how to separate two deeply intertwined economies.The possibility of a "Yes" victory was dismissed as pie in the sky just a few weeks ago but is now being seriously ent

The Islamic State jihadist group claimed Saturday it beheaded British aid worker David Haines, in what would be the third such execution in recent weeks, after two US journalists were shown murdered.The Islamist group released a video, available on the website of private terrorism monitoring group SITE, purportedly showing a masked militant beheading Haines. The two-minute-27-second video titled "A Message to the Allies of America" blames British Prime Minister David Cameron for joining forces w