SPOTLIGHT

• Industry

  

  BTS’ music video second-most liked in world

  Music videos by South Korean K-pop groups were among the top 10 most liked videos on YouTube globally this year, including those from BTS and Blackpink.According to YouTube, BTS’ hit song “Boy With Luv” featuring Halsey was the second-most liked video in 2019. It was followed by four-piece girl group Blackpink’s “Kill This Love” music video, which was also the eighth-most played globally, the only Korean act to be included on that list.  This year’s

• Travel

  

  Everland holds New Year events

  Everland theme park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, is holding “2020 Begin Again with Everland,” a series of events to welcome the year 2020 through next February.Kicking off the events is a drawing contest for children in sixth-grade or younger, which kicked off Monday and will continue until next Tuesday. Those wishing to participate can submit drawings of their goals for the future through Everland’s homepage or its social media pages. A total of 220 winners will receive prize

• Music

  

  Experimental musicians bring Korean instruments to global audience

  K-pop has become synonymous with the idea of Korean music on a global scale recently, but genres extend much wider here. One of the most fascinating and experimental musical genres that is gaining traction in Korea has its roots in gugak, Korea’s traditional music. With a unique blend of old and new, East and West, young gugak musicians are making global strides, performing at international music festivals, signing with global labels and racking up rave reviews from foreign media.Here

• Food&Beverage

  

  Brothers roast small-batch brews for coffee lovers

  Single-origin, pour-over coffee at Vinter Coffee Bar

LATEST NEWS

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  Foreign Affairs

  Wartime documents show Japan‘s role in recruiting comfort women: Kyodo

  Wartime documents showed the Japanese government was involved in forcing Korean women to serve as “comfort women” at Japan’s military brothels during World War II, Kyodo News reported Friday. The Japanese army asked that there be one comfort woman for every 70 soldiers, Kyodo reported, citing the documents collected by the Cabinet Secretariat between April 2017 and March 2019. The documents indicate that the Japanese military played an active role in recuiting women, Kanto Gaku

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  K-pop

  [Photo news] BTS performs at 2019 Jingle Ball

  K-pop supergroup BTS  on Friday wowed the audience of the 102.7 KIIS FM‘s Jingle Ball concert in Inglewood, California, US, with its performances of "Boy With Luv", "Mic Drop," and other hit songs.  

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  North Korea

  Moon, Trump agree on need to maintain dialogue momentum over N. Korea

  South Korean President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump agreed Saturday that it‘s necessary to maintain dialogue momentum between Washington and Pyongyang, Cheong Wa Dae said, amid growing worries about the future of the Korea peace process.During half-hour p hone talks, they also agreed that the recent situations on the Korean Peninsula are “severe” and “dialogue momentum should be maintained to achieve prompt results from denuclearization negotiations,” a

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  Social affairs

  Pet-caused fires on rise in Seoul: data

  The number of fires caused by pets is on the rise, data showed Saturday, raising the need for pet owners to take precautionary measures.A total of 31 reported fires in Seoul in the January-September period were accidentally caused by pets, according to the data from the Seoul Metropolitan Fire & Disaster Headquarters.This marks a sharp rise from 19 cases in 2018, seven cases in 2017 and eight cases in 2016. The figures for the three years cover the January-December period. 　 Except for one c

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  Social affairs

  Swine fever-infected wild boars on steady rise in S. Korea

    The number of wild boars infected with the deadly African swine fever (ASF) virus has been continuously increasing in South Korea despite a two-month hiatus from local farms, data showed Saturday.　The total number of wild boars infected with the virus here has reached 41 since the first such case was reported in October, according to local quarantine authorities. 　On Saturday, the National Institute of Environmental Research confirmed two new cases in Cheorwon, a town near the border with

• K-pop

  BTS' Suga releases collaboration with Halsey

  Suga, a member of K-pop sensation BTS, released a song in collaboration with American singer-songwriter Halsey on Friday.The song, "SUGA's Interlude," featuring the BTS member is one of the tracks on Halsey's new album, "Manic," to be officially released on Jan. 17. The two sides pre-released the track in digital single format through major online music stores and streaming platforms on Friday ahead of the official release next month. It is the second joint project betwe

• 

  Politics

  Parliamentary speaker plans to put budget bill on review despite partisan clash

  National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang vowed Friday to put the pending government budget proposal for 2020 on review next week even amid a continuing partisan clash. "Speaker Moon decided that he would not to sit out (the chance to convene) a plenary National Assembly meeting on Monday and Tuesday as the end of the current regular parliamentary session is a few days ahead," parliamentary spokesperson Han Min-soo told reporters. "Moon disclosed his plan to hold the plenary me

• 

  Politics

  [Newsmaker] Political parties to withdraw filibuster, postpone fast-track bills

  Major political parties on Friday reached a tentative agreement to normalize parliament through the withdrawal of the main opposition party's filibuster and the postponement of contested fast-track bills.The floor leaders of the ruling Democratic Party, main opposition Liberty Korea Party and minor opposition Bareunmirae Party reached a consensus and are set to finalize and soon announce the details at a meeting led by the National Assembly speaker, according to party officials.Under the agreeme

• 

  World News

  China says to exempt 'some' US soybean, pork from tariffs

  BEIJING (AFP) - China said on Friday it will offer a tariff waiver to "some" imports of US soybean and pork, in the latest sign of easing trade tensions between Beijing and Washington.The world's two biggest economies have exchanged blows for over a year, with tariffs now impacting hundreds of billions of dollars in two-way trade. The olive branch comes at a time when the two sides are edging towards a partial deal that includes a promise to increase the purchase of US farm produce.&qu

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  Defense

  US flies more surveillance planes over Korean Peninsula: aviation tracker

  The United States flew two more surveillance aircraft around the Korean Peninsula, an aviation tracker said Friday, on apparent missions to monitor North Korea amid concerns over Pyongyang's additional missile tests.The US Air Force's RC-135S Cobra Ball aircraft was spotted flying over the East Sea at 31,000 feet, Aircraft Spots said on its Twitter account, without providing further details.As one of America's major intelligence-gathering assets, the aircraft collects data related to missile lau

GRAPHIC NEWS

OPINION

• Viewpoints

  

  Key factors to consider when choosing a nursing hospital

  Nursing hospitals get asked most frequently about the amount charged for hospitalization fees. The reason appears to be that the patient’s children usually pay for the hospitalization fees. If the patients themselves pay the fees, they might ask about hospital facilities or services rather than costs. As the patient’s children bear the cost for the most part, the inquiry about the fees remains the top priority.Simply put, bills for nursing hospitals are specified under the comprehens

• Viewpoints

  

  UK and EU should prevent mutual assured damage

  Nothing can be taken for granted in the United Kingdom these days, but it is now very likely that 2020 will be the year when Brexit finally happens. A majority of UK citizens will probably be relieved to bring this seemingly endless agony to a close, while most European leaders will likely be glad not to have to argue over another postponement. But questions will remain.To the question of “Who lost Britain?” the answer must be, first and foremost, Britain itself. Whatever mistakes th

THE INVESTOR

• Startups & Investors

  

  Anti-Tada bill passed at pariliamentary committee

  A National Assembly committee on Dec. 6 passed a revision bill that would effectively stop operations of the van-hailing service Tada, which has been facing a fierce opposition from the taxi industry.The revision to the transport act, approved by the parliamentary transportation panel, restricts the outsourcing of drivers for the use of rental vans with 11-15 seats to tour purposes. The bill was passed despite the country’s Fair Trade Commission recommending against it. If signed

• Retail & Consumer

  

  MBX to launch new vegan skincare brand with Sephora

  Korean cosmetics startup MBX, which recently switched the company’s name and branding from Memebox, announced on Dec. 6 that it would launch a new skincare brand with US-based multi-brand cosmetics store operator Sephora.“We were able to stay tight with Sephora as we understand the demands of the US customers,” MBX CEO Ha Hyeong-suk said in a statement. “We believe that if we succeed in the US, which is a diverse country, K-beauty can stretch out to the global market like

• Startups & Investors

  

  WeWork sets monthly record of new location openings in December

  Co-working space giant WeWork said Dec. 6 that it had launched 52 locations in cities around the world in December, a monthly record. It plans to open more offices before the end of this year. In the past 90 days, the New York-headquartered company signed new contracts with 280 companies. Two-thirds of the Global Fortune 50 utilize co-working space services offered by WeWork. The space-sharing firm said companies, both large and small, seek flexible and scalable workplace solutions and an enviro

• Economy

  

  Global influencers participate in Jeju World Natural Heritage Center’s tour

  Global influencers visited Jeju Island from Dec. 2-5 to participate in a tour hosted by the Jeju World Natural Heritage Center.According to the Jeju World Natural Heritage Center, the island is the only place in the world that has won three UNESCO designations. It was named Biosphere Reserve in 2002, UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007 and Global Geopark in 2010.  The center has recently been promoting the natural landscape of the island online. More than 15.4 million tourists visit the

K-POP

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  BTS performs at 2019 Jingle Ball

• BTS' Suga releases collaboration with Halsey

• 

  What went wrong at MAMA 2019

HERALD INTERVIEW

• Industry

  

  China’s No. 1 aesthetic laser firm sees Korea as bridge to Asian markets

• Defense

  

  ‘We will support conscientious objectors in fulfilling alternative service’

• Social affairs

  

  ‘Still traumatized’: 1980s murder convict on trying to clear name

• People

  

  Star ballerina Seo Hee talks on loving yourself and others

PHOTO NEWS

• Travel

  

  Once a ghetto, now tourist hot spot

  Gamcheon Culture Village, a hilltop village in Busan’s Saha district, is a tourist hot spot, drawing an increasing number of visitors.Camera-toting tourists from Korea and elsewhere explore terraced rows of small houses, painted in pastel colors, and labyrinth-like alleys, with some so narrow only one person can pass at a time. The town has hidden gems as well -- murals, sculptures, installation art, galleries and eateries.Among its recent visitors was Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who

VIDEO

• Film

  

  Ryan Reynolds says ‘6 Undergrounds’ shows how times are changing

• Travel

  

  While in Busan, don’t miss 2 things: Excitement and adventure

• Automode

  

  The New Grandeur gains a bold, younger and sportier look

• Politics

  

  Hwang at a loss

FEATURES

• Finance

  

  Unlisted stock market gains momentum with attention to startups

  Interest in unlisted stocks is projected to further grow as there are no other alternatives to Kosdaq and Konex

• Technology

  

  Is Vietnam an attractive place for Samsung chip plant?

  Is Vietnam a good place for chipmakers to consider building a high-tech plant? In light of a request by the Vietnamese head of state to Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest chipmaker, many in South Korea are asking whether it is a viable business move.In a private meeting held in Seoul on Thursday, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong to consider building a chip manufacturing facility there. The Korean tech giant already has pr

• Economy

  

  Outlook for Korean economy remains grim

  SEJONG -- South Korea has yet to see any positive signals of an economic revival although the government predicted it would bounce back in the second half of the year.The financial woes of companies are continuing while the stock market is lackluster. In addition, another round of the US dollar’s strong position is aggravating the situation.Korea saw its exports fall by 10.3 percent during the Jan. 1-Nov. 20 period, on year, according to the Korea Customs Service. The nation’s outbou

• Politics

  

  Real estate, education policies, lower Moon’s approval ratings among housewives, students

  SEJONG -- President Moon Jae-in started the latter part of his term this month amid discontent with his administration’s policies on real estate and education.Alongside sagging economic indices, a number of other factors have led citizens to express frustration or anger with Moon. Among these are skyrocketing apartment prices in Seoul and alleged irregularities by former Justice Minister Cho Kuk and his family.Though President Moon’s approval ratings remain above the psychologically