SPOTLIGHT

• Music

  

  iKon fans announce boycott on YG products

  By Hong Dam-young

  Fans of iKon announced they will boycott all goods produced by YG Entertainment, claiming that the label has been mistreating both the K-pop act and its fans.  iKon (YG Entertainment)　iKon’s fandom iKonic released a statement on Thursday that read, “We decided to boycott all upcoming products from YG, including the DVD ‘iKon Summertime Season2 in Bali,’ until we receive complete and sincere feedback from YG.”The statement also revealed that fans sent an 18-page document on July 24 to YG accusing

• Music

  

  Maestro Chung Myung-whun holds on to the dream of oneness

  By Kim Hoo-ran

  Bringing people together with music is maestro Chung Myung-whun’s lifetime calling, a calling he has answered this time with One Korea Orchestra, formed specifically for two concerts marking the first anniversary of Lotte Concert Hall on Friday and Saturday.Maestro Chung Myung-whun rehearses with One Korea at Lotte Concert Hall, Seoul, Wednesday. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)Chung conceived the idea for One Korea Orchestra in 2013 with the goal of musicians from both South and North Korea per

• Television

  

  Seoul Drama Awards sees no Chinese shows this year

  By Rumy Doo

  Chinese shows are absent from the eclectic selection of global drama series that have been nominated for this year’s Seoul International Drama Awards.It is the first time that Chinese shows are not being considered for the awards since its inception in 2006.“Although cultural exchange with China has become more difficult, a record number of shows from around the globe have been submitted,” said Kim Hye-song, secretary-general of the awards organization, at a press conference in Seoul Thursday.“W

• Economy

  

  Moon denies tax hike plan, leaves room for possibility

  By Bae Hyun-jung

  For President Moon Jae-in, South Korea’s first progressive state chief in almost a decade, challenging goals include reducing economic inequality and expanding state-led public welfare, without financially burdening the average taxpayer.To achieve the goals, the president has been saying that his set of economic democratization plans do not require an extra tax increase, while leaving room for “further discussion” on the matter. President Moon Jae-in (Yonhap)“It is absolutely crucial to stabiliz

LATEST NEWS

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  World News

  U.S. Pacific Command chief to visit S. Korea: Japanese newspaper

  The chief of the United States armed forces responsible for the Indo-Asia-Pacific region will visit South Korea to discuss various security issues surrounding the area, a Japanese newspaper reported Saturday. Japan's Asahi Shimbun said Admiral Harry Harris, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, will stay in South Korea from Sunday to Tuesday, and will meet with South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Jeong Kyeong-doo. Harris is also expected to inspect a

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  Social affairs

  Outcome of tainted eggs inspection to be announced later this week

  South Korean health authorities said Saturday they will announce the outcome of the inspection into eggs tainted with the insecticide fipronil later this week amid an unfolding egg contamination scandal in Europe.Details such as how the contaminated eggs could harm human organs when ingested, and how many contaminated eggs have been collected or destroyed will be disclosed as early as Sunday, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said."The result of the analysis and the total amount will be annou

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  Social affairs

  PM orders egg farms not following food safety standards to be strictly dealt with

  South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon on Saturday said local authorities should deal strictly with egg producers who are not complying with the government's food safety standards as he conducted on-site inspections to handle an insecticide-contaminated egg crisis in the country. "I strongly think those who poorly manage food that is consumed by the majority of people should not be forgiven," Lee said at the agriculture ministry's office in Sejong. "There could be elements threatening food safe

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  North Korea

  N. Korea urges Latin American countries not to sever ties

  North Korea on Saturday condemned the United States for asking some Latin American countries to sever diplomatic and trade ties with the North, calling the request a violation of international law.U.S. Vice President Mike Pence openly urged Chile, Brazil, Mexico and Peru to cut off all ties with North Korea during his visit to Santiago, Chile, on Aug. 16, according to wire reports. US Vice President holds talks in Chile (Yonhap)Earlier, the United Nations Security Council imposed tough new sanct

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  Sports

  Cardinals' Oh Seung-hwan earns 19th save of season

  Oh Seung-hwan of the St. Louis Cardinals has earned a save for the first time in 41 days as he escaped a bases-loaded jam to preserve his club's victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Oh gave up an unearned run in the ninth inning against the Pirates at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Friday (local time) but collected his 19th save of the season as the Cards hung on to win the game 11-10. This was Oh's first save since he picked up his last one on July 8 against the New York Mets. With his latest pe

• 

  World News

  Spain police say suspects planned bigger attack

  BARCELONA (AFP) - Suspects in Spain's twin terror attacks had been planning an even bigger assault than the deadly car rampages they carried out, police said, as distressing details emerged of families torn apart in the horror.A 35-year-old Italian was among 14 killed, mowed down in front of his wife and young children in Barcelona when a driver rammed his van through crowds on the busy Las Ramblas boulevard on Thursday, before fleeing on foot.Police said they shot dead five "suspected terrorist

• 

  North Korea

  N.K. claims its nuke weapons pose no threat to countries other than U.S.

  North Korea said Saturday that any countries in the world will not come under threat of its nuclear attack, as long as they don't side with the United States' military action against the North.The Rodong Sinmun, the official mouthpiece of the North's ruling Workers' Party, said that Pyongyang's measures to reinforce its nuclear armament are not aimed at threatening the world but at reining in the "reckless moves" by the U.S. to start a nuclear war."The U.S. has exaggerated that we're posing a gr

• 

  Entertainment

  Super Junior's Choi Si-won to visit Vietnam for UNICEF campaign

  Discharged from his military duty, Choi Si-won of the South Korean boy band Super Junior will visit Vietnam next week for a campaign by the United Nation's Children's Fund (UNICEF), his Seoul-based agency said Saturday. S.M. Entertainment said Choi, who was discharged from his mandatory national duty Friday, will participate in the UNICEF's "SMile for U" campaign that is designed to support music education for children in Asia. The 31-year-old will be in Vietnamese cities, including Da Nang, fro

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  Social affairs

  Moon orders radical measures on livestock industry amid egg insecticide crisis

  President Moon Jae-in has called for "radical" measures to reform South Korea's livestock industry amid a tainted egg crisis here that is causing a health scare, an official at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Saturday. The official, who asked not to be named, told Yonhap News Agency that Moon and his staff discussed measures on pesticide-tainted eggs for nearly two hours Friday, reiterating that every ministry should help solve the ongoing crisis that's under Prime Minister Lee Nak-yo

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  World News

  Trump ousts Bannon, his influential, divisive strategist

  WASHINGTON (AP) -- Steve Bannon, the blunt-spoken and divisive strategist who rose from Donald Trump's conservative campaign to a top White House post, was pushed out by the president Friday, capping a turbulent seven months marked by the departure of much of Trump's original senior staff.A favorite in the farther-right portions of the Republican Party, Bannon had pushed Trump to follow through on some of his most contentious campaign promises, including his travel ban for some foreigners and hi

GRAPHIC NEWS

OPINION

• Columnists

  

  North Korea, Donald Trump and countdown to doomsday

  By Korea Herald

  On Jan. 26, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, whose board of sponsors I chair, reset its “Doomsday Clock” to 2 minutes, 30 seconds to midnight, the closest it has been to midnight in more than 60 years. At the time, two of the factors we mentioned in making our decision were ominous developments in North Korea and the frivolous and dangerous language the new American president had employed before his inauguration regarding nuclear weapons and nuclear war.Many observers have wondered whether

• Columnists

  

  US wonders if permanent treaty with North Korea makes sense

  By David Ignatius

  After weeks of belligerent rhetoric, North Korea took a pause Tuesday. But where is the mercurial Kim Jong-un headed next? US officials are debating whether he may want direct talks with Washington about a formal treaty to replace the 1953 armistice agreement that ended the Korean War.The US has been pursuing a dual path, threatening military conflict (semi-believably because of President Trump‘s verbal thunderbolts) while also urging stabilization of a denuclearized Korean Peninsula. The diplom

THE INVESTOR

• Automobiles

  

  Union to closely watch GM Korea’s new CEO, exit rumor

  [THE INVESTOR] As rumors rage on over GM’s possible exit from the Korean market, the carmaker’s labor union here said it would closely monitor the situation and the newly-appointed CEO, stressing it would not tolerate the carmaker’s withdrawal from the country. “We hope to carry on the wage talks with the new CEO,” said an official from GM Korea’s labor union, who wished to remain anonymous. “The union hasn’t met Kaher Kazem, so we are not sure what his policy and plans are toward the union and

• Samsung

  

  Supply bottleneck to drag on for flexible OLED panels

  [THE INVESTOR] Despite extensive investment being made in plastic OLED (POLED) panels, a supply shortage for the flexible displays is likely to continue for at least the next couple of years, according to Chinese research firm Sigmaintell on Aug. 17.“Chinese display makers are preparing to produce POLED panels from 2018, but it’s going to take around five years to stabilize production procedures and optimize yield rates to get ready for mass production. This means global supply is likely to stay

• Deals

  

  Peter Thiel-backed Crescendo invests W60b in Hancom

  [THE INVESTOR] Hancom, an office suite software developer in South Korea, announced on Aug. 17 that it had received 60 billion won (US$ 52.5 million) in investment from global private equity funds, including Peter Thiel’s Crescendo Equity Partners.　The Korean software developer attracted 50 billion won worth of investment from Crescendo and 10 billion won from Lyndon Asia Global Pioneer Private Equity Investment Company. Peter ThielWith the cooperation agreement with Hancom, Crescendo plans to e

• Bio & Medicine

  

  Samsung Bioepis likely to launch first Herceptin biosimilar in EU

  [THE INVESTOR] Korean biotech firm Samsung Bioepis is expected to take the lead in the race to get a copycat version of Roche’s Herceptin to market in Europe, as India’s Biocon withdrew its filing.Biocon, which had expected to be first to market in the EU with a copy of the blockbuster breast cancer drug, said on Aug. 16 that it would withdraw its application after the European Medicines Agency told the company it would need to re-inspect a drug production facility.The withdrawal is a boon for o

K-POP HERALD

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  iKon fans boycott on YG products

• 

  Lee Sung-kyung, Nam Joo-hyuk breakup

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  Jun Ji-hyun looks elegant in fall fashion

HERALD INTERVIEW

• Social affairs

  

  Korea should open door to immigrants, but with well-advised policy

• Industry

  

  ‘Telcos seek big data tie-ups with Mobileye’

• Technology

  

  CrucialTec takes formidable lead in on-display fingerprint

• Diplomatic circuit

  

  ‘Philippines stands shoulder to shoulder on security with Korea’

PHOTO NEWS

• Culture

  

  Lotus flower, miracle of unwavering purity

  By Korea Herald

  Nothing is more divine than this immaculate and pure flower. Gazing into its large colorful blossoms that rise high above broad green leaves, you’ll be drawn to their blithely beautiful figures, and even find yourself unburdened from worldly cares. The lotus, which comes to its beautiful full bloom in the summer, is a flower that defies logic. With its roots deep in the murky pool, the flower slowly emerges toward the surface and bursts out of the water to reveal its fragrant petals, bearing no

VIDEO

• More sports

  

  Stephen Curry thrills fans, hosts youth clinic on Korea trip

• Culture

  

  Ongals pave way for new type of comedy

• Social affairs

  

  2 dead, 16 hurt in pile up on Seoul-Busan highway

• Social affairs

  

  First video of former Korean sex slaves unveiled

FEATURES

• Economy

  

  Government vows to expand welfare budget

  By Bae Hyun-jung

  Finance Ministry, ruling party plan expansive budget for next year

• Social affairs

  

  8 in 10 Korean men admit abuse of girlfriend

  By Kim Da-sol

  About 8 in 10 Korean men said they had used violence against romantic partners, a study showed Thursday.According to a study conducted by the Korean Institute of Criminology, 1,593 of 2,000 Korean men, or 79.7 percent, said they had abused a girlfriend while they were dating. About 71 percent of those who admitted to a history of dating abuse said they had control over their girlfriends’ personal activities, such as restricting them from meeting friends or keeping them isolated from others, incl

• Arts&Design

  

  Highly politicized state of the seas

  By Kim Hoo-ran

  Kukje Gallery group show exposes man’s insatiable greed, crisis on the Mediterranean

• Economy

  

  Corporate tax hike contradicts global trend

  By Kim Kyung-ho

  The government’s plan to impose more levies on large companies will undermine their competitiveness amid a rising global trend of tax reductions and further distort the country’s taxation structure, analysts say.A draft tax code revision unveiled early this month proposes raising the corporate tax rate for businesses with taxable profit of 200 billion won ($176 million) or more to 25 percent from the current 22 percent.The proposal goes against moves by most major economies to cut corporate taxe