SPOTLIGHT

• World News

  

  Huge crowds march in Hong Kong, piling pressure on leader

  HONG KONG — Tens of thousands of Hong Kong residents, mostly clad in black, jammed the city’s streets Sunday in a vehement show of opposition to proposed legislation that has stoked fears of expanding control from Beijing in this former British colony.The marchers are demanding that Hong Kong’s leader first scrap an extradition bill that would allow some suspects to be sent for trial in mainland China and then resign. The conflict, which slipped into unusually violent clashes w

• Social affairs

  

  Yang quits as YG chief amid growing suspicions of drug offense cover-up

  Yang Hyun-suk, quit as the head of YG Entertainment, the agency he founded 23 years ago, as allegations of police collusion grew Friday.In the latest development in a string of scandals swirling around the embattled label, a whistleblower filed a report against YG with the Anti-corruption and Civil Rights Commision Tuesday, which raised suspicions of the label’s colluding with the police to cover up a possible drug use offense involving one of its artists -- B.I of iKon. YG terminated

• North Korea

  

  NK leader's wreath sent to late ex-first lady expected to be preserved permanently

  A wreath of flowers that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent for the funeral of late former South Korean first lady Lee Hee-ho is expected to be preserved permanently, an official said Sunday.Kim sent a condolence message and the wreath of white chrysanthemums to South Korea on Wednesday after Lee, wife of late former President Kim Dae-jung, died Monday. Kim's sister, Kim Yo-jong, delivered the message and the wreath at the border village of Panmunjom.The wreath was decorated with a black ribbo

• Music

  

  BTS dazzles 25,000 fans in Busan

  Throwing its first-ever concert in the second-biggest South Korean city of Busan on Saturday, K-pop band BTS dazzled some 25,000 fans in this bustling port city.The area around Busan Asiad Auxiliary Stadium, close to the southeastern coastline, was buzzing with BTS fans, famously known as "ARMY," from early in the morning as excited fans arrived at the concert venue far ahead of the first day of the septet's "5th Muster [Magic Shop]" tour performances in Busan.The two-day fan

LATEST NEWS

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  Politics

  Moon visits former first lady's home soon after foreign trip

  President Moon Jae-in met with the bereaved family of Lee Hee-ho, a former first lady, immediately after returning from a weeklong trip to Northern Europe on Sunday.Moon and first lady Kim Jung-sook headed straight to the house in Donggyo-dong, located in western Seoul, from a military airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.They had a meeting with Lee's sons -- Kim Hong-eop, former lawmaker, and Kim Hong-geol, permanent president of the Korean Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation -- along

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  World Business

  Amazon dethrones Google as top global brand

  　US retail giant Amazon has overtaken tech titans Apple and Google to become the world’s most valuable brand, according to a survey. 　The brand value of Amazon surged 52 percent to $315 billion, global market research agency Kantar said in its 2019 100 Top BrandZ report.　Amazon jumped from third to first place to eclipse Google, which slid from first to third place. Apple held on to the second spot.　South Korea’s Samsung fell five spots to stand at No. 38.

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  Technology

  SKT to develop 6G network tech with Nokia, Ericsson

    South Korea’s biggest mobile carrier SK Telecom said Sunday it will develop the sixth-generation network technology with Nokia and Ericsson, as the Korean government seeks to enhance economic ties with Nordic countries. The telecom firm signed memorandums of understanding for research and development cooperation with the two companies based in Finland and Sweden. The agreement with Nokia and Ericson was made on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, at their headquarters. While

• Columnists

  How US drug war victimizes women

  It has been two years since Cecilia’s son, Carlos, set sail from the coast of Ecuador on an ordinary day’s fishing voyage. She has not heard from him since. At first, she feared that his fishing trawler had sunk or been attacked by pirates. But the fate Carlos turned out to have met was more surreal than that, and in a way, even more harrowing: deep in international waters, thousands of miles from the United States, he was detained by the US coast guard. He has been locked away in a

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  Columnists

  Is the Iran-US tinderbox about to ignite?

  As Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Iran of “unprovoked attacks” near the Strait of Hormuz, video screens behind him showed thick black smoke billowing from the two tankers that were struck Thursday. It was the dramatic imagery that sometimes precedes armed conflict. Pompeo didn’t offer hard evidence, and Iran denied the attacks.The US response in the escalating confrontation with Iran, for now, seems to be continued pressure short of war. “Our policy remains an eco

• Editorial

  Corporate exodus

  Anti-business policy pushes Korean firms to invest more abroad, less at home

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  Automode

  Hyundai Mobis to install Krell audio system in K7 Premier

  Hyundai Mobis, an auto parts maker under Hyundai Motor Group, said Sunday it has partnered with US high-end home audio systems manufacturer Krell for Kia’s K7 Premier.The partnership is part of Hyundai Mobis’ efforts to collaborate with technology-based companies on autonomous driving and connectivity, aimed at providing premium audio systems for in-vehicle infotainment, it added. The company plans to further its partnership with Krell by deploying the audio systems in new vehicles t

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  Economy

  Korea’s household debt-to-income to top 200%

  SEJONG -- The record household debt in South Korea is an Achilles’ heel when it comes to economic growth, as the financial liability of citizens is putting a damper on private consumption.Some market analysts say that Korea’s collective household debt is estimated to have topped 2,000 trillion won ($1.68 trillion). They claim the latest figure of about 1,500 trillion won, released by the Bank of Korea, does not include loans extended to the self-employed.In any case, the outstanding

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  Automode

  Hyundai Motor Group chief calls for global effort toward ‘hydrogen economy’

  Chung Eui-sun touts hydrogen economy as ‘certain solution’ for successful energy transition

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  Music

  Ex-YG head Yang may face police probe over snowballing drug and cover-up scandal

  Larger negative impact feared for broader K-pop industry

GRAPHIC NEWS

OPINION

• Columnists

  

  Is the Iran-US tinderbox about to ignite?

  As Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Iran of “unprovoked attacks” near the Strait of Hormuz, video screens behind him showed thick black smoke billowing from the two tankers that were struck Thursday. It was the dramatic imagery that sometimes precedes armed conflict. Pompeo didn’t offer hard evidence, and Iran denied the attacks.The US response in the escalating confrontation with Iran, for now, seems to be continued pressure short of war. “Our policy remains an eco

• Columnists

  

  Brave new world requires brave new answers

  Universal usage of the internet has allowed humanity to venture into a domain our ancestors would have never dreamed of: cyberspace. The extensive freedom and convenience brought by the development of information and communication technology makes it very difficult to recall the days that lacked the fancy tools and services we relish today. Can modern man’s life be described well without referring to cyberspace and the connectivity it brings? Most would say otherwise. This shift towar

THE INVESTOR

• Automobiles

  

  Hyundai Motor Group chief calls for global effort toward ‘hydrogen economy’

  Chung Eui-sun, Hyundai Motor Group executive vice chairman, called for world leaders to take action for the hydrogen-focused energy transition during the Group of 20 meeting of environment and energy ministers on June 15. 　Chung, who co-chairs the Hydrogen Council, was invited to exchange views on the global energy paradigm and to analyze the role and possibilities of hydrogen energy, Hyundai Motor Group said Sunday. The council comprising some 60 companies is a global CEO-level initiative for g

• Industrials

  

  SKT to develop 6G network tech with Nokia, Ericsson

  South Korea’s biggest mobile carrier SK Telecom said on June 16 it will develop the sixth-generation network technology with Nokia and Ericsson, as the Korean government seeks to enhance economic ties with Nordic countries. 　The telecom firm signed memorandums of understanding for research and development cooperation with the two companies based in Finland and Sweden. 　While there are still no technological standards for what constitutes a 6G network, and its preceding 5G network is only a

• Automobiles

  

  Hankook Tire & Technology aims to lead market through innovative tech

  　Following the change in its name last month to Hankook Tire & Technology, the firm said Sunday it plans to lead the global original equipment tire market by beefing up its research and development on innovative technology. 　In May, the company was renamed from Hankook Tire as part of its holding company Hankook Technology Group’s rebranding to redefine its focus. 　The group said it included the word “technology” to reflect its long-term mission to achieve innovation throug

• Finance

  

  Treasury bond yield hits new low, gold price surges amid uncertainties

  Responding to mounting speculations that South Korea’s central bank may soon lower the policy rate amid uncertainties, Treasury bond interest rates hit a record-low this year, market observers noted on June 16.　Gold price, in contrast, has remained strong and hit a new high, reflecting investors’ increasing appetite for low-risk assets.　The yield on three-year Treasury bonds closed at 1.470 percent on Friday, marking the first case that the figure fell under 1.5 percent since Novembe

K-POP HERALD

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  Yang Hyun-suk steps down from YG amid mounting pressure

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  LGBT support growing in K-pop

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  Trending K-pop: 10 hottest tracks of the week

HERALD INTERVIEW

• Technology

  

  S. Korea's top IP official vows to create user-friendly patent system

• Music

  

  Young composer-conductor excited about Seoul-Paris premiere

• Finance

  

  KIS Vietnam to become first foreign brokerage to launch covered warrants in Vietnam

• North Korea

  

  US-China trade war limits Seoul's ability to advance nuke talks

PHOTO NEWS

• Politics

  

  Cry for democracy still rings out in torture rooms

  Right next to the railroad of Namyeong Station in Seoul stands a tall, dark gray building with peculiar-looking windows -- so narrow only a single beam of light passes through. While one would never know from its exterior view, it carries a portion of the turbulent history of South Korea’s democracy that was earned through sacrifice. Constructed in 1976, the seven-story building was the office for the anti-communism investigation division under the National Police Agency, disguised as

VIDEO

• Social affairs

  

  Partisanship pauses for Lee Hee-ho’s funeral

• Industry

  

  Big buyer NHIS signals real estate market trend shift

• Fashion

  

  At 77, silver model dreams of big show

• Food

  

  Trip back to ’90s: visiting ‘seagull meat alley’ in central Seoul

FEATURES

• Politics

  

  Will Democratic Party defend its 82 seats in capital area?

  SEJONG -- The general election for the 21st National Assembly is coming up in about 300 days, and it will be a crucial moment when ordinary people get their chance to assess the Moon Jae-in administration.Currently, few people expect the results of the parliamentary election to mirror those of the 2018 local elections, when the ruling Democratic Party of Korea scored a landslide victory over its main rival, the Liberty Korea Party. According to a variety of pollsters, President Moon’s

• Industry

  

  Pharmacists turn to YouTube

  Growing number online turn to pharmacists for “medicational” advice, but resistance rises to views on drug analysis

• North Korea

  

  ‘Contributing to South Korean society in the way we can’

  North Korean defectors seek to return help they received; South Koreans raise awareness as neighbors

• Social affairs

  

  No pension at 65? Will payouts be delayed as Korea’s population ages?

  SEJONG -- It has been 31 years since South Korea introduced the national pension, and 20 years since it became a universal program in April 1999.The number of policyholders for government-administered annuity products offered by the National Pension Service now comes to more than 22 million. Among those policyholders, subscribers paying into the state pension via their workplaces in the form of mandatory deductions accounted for the dominant proportion, or 62.3 percent. Their numbers totale