SPOTLIGHT

• Fashion

  

  Seoul Fashion Week suggests fresh looks for 2020

  The spring-summer 2020 Seoul Fashion Week shows were filled with fun and fresh offerings.The event took place at the Zaha Hadid-designed Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul from Monday to Saturday.This edition was the first to be run by the new director Jeon Mi-kyeong, a former editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar Korea. For the past four years, veteran fashion designer Jung Ku-ho had led the biannual fashion event.As in the previous editions, this season saw 34 Seoul Collection shows a

• Social affairs

  

  Remains of abandoned dogs in Jeju turned into feedstock

  An animal protection center operated by the provincial government of Jeju Island said Sunday parts of dead animals have been used for producing feedstock.The Jeju animal hygiene lab -- to which the animal center is affiliated -- said Sunday that remains of dogs from the center were forwarded to a rendering firm which sold the bone parts to feedstock manufacturers between January and Oct. 9 this year.  Rendering refers to the process of converting waste animal tissues into usable materials s

• Automode

  

  South Korea’s eco-friendly car exports expand

  South Korea’s export of eco-friendly cars mainly involving compact sport utility vehicles such as Hyundai Motor’s Kona and Niro have expanded significantly, government data showed Sunday.According to data compiled by the country’s Transport Ministry and Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association, exports of eco-friendly vehicles including electric vehicles and hybrid cars increased 41.8 percent to 189,033 units from January to September, compared to a year ago.  In Septemb

• Social affairs

  

  Vietnamese woman accused of smuggling drugs to S. Korea

  A Vietnamese woman was nabbed by police in her home country for allegedly trying to smuggle drugs into South Korea, a Vietnamese media outlet said.The VN Express reported Saturday that Le Thi Loan, a 29-year-old Vietnamese national married to a Korean man, was caught Wednesday for allegedly attempting to traffic narcotics to Seoul. On Oct. 12, Vietnamese police seized another Vietnamese woman with 140 grams of ecstasy and 18 grams of ketamine pills hidden inside a teddy bear at the Cat Bi Intern

LATEST NEWS

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  Politics

  Ruling party proposes partisan negotiation over bill to set up separate probe unit

  The ruling Democratic Party proposed Sunday that political parties prioritize negotiation of a bill to set up an independent unit to probe allegations of corruption by ranking public officials.The bill is part of judiciary reform proposals that include a bill to give more investigative power to police. Both were placed on the fast-track in late April, along with an election reform bill.With regard to a drive to reform the prosecution, the ball is now passed to the National Assembly following the

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  Social affairs

  S. Korea confirms 10th case of African swine fever found in wild boar

  South Korea confirmed the 10th case of a wild boar found dead with African swine fever Sunday, spawning concerns about possible spread of the deadly animal disease.A wild boar was found dead some 3 kilometers south of the civilian control line in the border town of Yeoncheon on Friday and later tested positive, according to the National Institute of Environmental Research, which is affiliated with the environment ministry.It raised the number of wild boars found to be infected with the deadly vi

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  Social affairs

  About 15% of S. Korea’s population aged 65 or older

  　People aged 65 or older made up about 15 percent of South Korea’s population this year, a report showed, highlighting concerns that the fast demographic transition could have negative effects on the country’s economy.　According to the report from Statistics Korea, the number of people aged 65 or older stood at 7.68 million this year, accounting for 14.9 percent of the nation’s population. 　The Korean population is projected to peak in 2028, then go on a downward curve, the rep

• Social affairs

  Two illegal Chinese trawlers captured

  Two Chinese dragnet trawlers were caught illegally fishing in the West Sea under South Korean jurisdiction on Saturday and are being brought to the country for legal action, the Korean Coast Guard said Sunday.  The Taean Maritime Police Station of the Korea Coast Guard said that it had seized two 40-ton Chinese fishing boats that illegally caught a total of 400 kilograms of cod, squid and Korean cero while guarding the exclusive economic zone in the West Sea.The crew members violently resis

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  Social affairs

  Uniqlo pulls controversial ad

  Japanese clothing brand Uniqlo stopped airing a controversial advertisement that has been criticized here for mocking victims coerced into Japan’s wartime sexual enslavement and labor, the company said Sunday, amid growing outrage among Korean customers. The 15-second advertisement features 97-year-old style icon Iris Apfel and 13-year-old fashion designer Kheris Rogers in conversation. In the ad, Rogers asks Apfel how she dressed when she was her age. Apfel responds, “I can&rsq

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  Politics

  President’s detractors cite economy as No. 1 reason

  But Moon supporters say prosecution reform is main factor: poll

• 

  Viewpoints

  Anti-globalization bias and public policy

  Opponents of globalization constantly point to the uneven impact of open trade. Although trade liberalization can make the overall economic pie bigger, not everyone gets a larger slice, and many may receive a much smaller piece than before because of competition from foreign-made products. Such concerns help to explain why many blue-collar American workers voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 US presidential election, and why French farmers and workers often take part in anti-globalization demonst

• Editorial

  Draw the line

  Pro-NK university students break into US ambassador’s residence to stage anti-US protest

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  Health

  Using robotics in dementia prevention, care

  An orb with a set of ears, blinky eyes and the voice and speech manners of a chatty child is making advances in dementia therapy at a hospital in Seoul. Named Bomy, the robot assists cognitive training for patients in the early stages, or at the risk of developing dementia. Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital’s Robot-assisted Cognitive Training Center opened its doors in April, and is headed by Dr. Kim Geon-ha, a neurologist who has been researching related technologies since 2009.The

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  Industry

  Female leaders gather to inspire daughters to take charge

  Egon Zehnder hosts annual Leaders & Daughters event in Seoul

GRAPHIC NEWS

OPINION

• Viewpoints

  

  Anti-globalization bias and public policy

  Opponents of globalization constantly point to the uneven impact of open trade. Although trade liberalization can make the overall economic pie bigger, not everyone gets a larger slice, and many may receive a much smaller piece than before because of competition from foreign-made products. Such concerns help to explain why many blue-collar American workers voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 US presidential election, and why French farmers and workers often take part in anti-globalization demonst

• Viewpoints

  

  Korean police lead in world peace, security through ‘K-Cop Wave’

  The Korean National Police Agency hosts the International Police Summit Seoul, 2019 with police chiefs from 30 countries around the world on the margins of the 74th celebration of Police Day. The summit will discuss “Global Partnership for Smart Policing” on the advent of the “fourth industrial revolution.” The event is possible owing to Korean police efforts to contribute to international policing cooperation.The Korean police have been actively pursuing the “K-Cop

THE INVESTOR

• Stocks & Bonds

  

  HK-based Value Partners looks to pool money from S. Korean retail investors

  Hong Kong-based asset management firm Value Partners is looking to pool money from retail investors and high net worth individuals in South Korea into its flagship high dividend fund by teaming up with Seoul-based Hanwha Asset Management. Hanwha Asset said Oct. 18 it would join hands with Value Partners to raise funds from Korean retail investors for Value Partners High Dividend Stocks starting Oct. 28, after four years of talks.This would mark the first attempt for Value Partners’ funds t

• Mobile & Internet

  

  Huawei set to continue foldable hype with Mate X launch

  Chinese tech firm Huawei will reportedly start receiving preorders for its first foldable smartphone Mate X from Oct. 23 in China, posing a challenge against its South Korean rival Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Fold, which was launched last month. The device will be officially released on Nov. 11, according to news reports. Only 300,000 units of the Mate X are expected to be available in China, compared to 700,000 units of Samsung’s Galaxy Fold foldable smartphone, targeting global con

• Deals

  

  Nasdaq-listed Cognex acquires S. Korean AI startup Sualab

  South Korean artificial intelligence startup Sualab has been acquired by Nasdaq-listed Cognex, the companies said Oct. 18. With a price tag of $195 million, Cognex will take up the entire company and its intellectual properties. “Deep learning will enable Cognex to solve many challenging inspection applications in factories, which, until now, could only be done by large teams of human visual inspectors,” said Cognex President and CEO Robert J. Willett. “Sualab’s IP,

• Industrials

  

  Eastar Jet denies sale rumor

  South Korea’s low-cost carrier Eastar Jet on Oct. 18 denied a recent news report the company is up for sale. A local news outlet reported that Eastar Holding decided to sell its 39.6 percent stake in Eastar Jet for around 96 billion won (81.37 million).It also added that the holding firm has already started discussing the sales with a few local conglomerates and private equity firms.“The news is not true, and we are officially not proceeding with any process to sell our company,&rdqu

K-POP HERALD

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  Did Korean sales send SuperM’s debut album to top of Billboard chart?

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  BTS writes history with Arab fans at Riyadh concert

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  ATEEZ gears up for first full-length album

HERALD INTERVIEW

• Industry

  

  Is it a go or a no for Korean bio investment?

• Diplomatic Circuit

  

  S. Korea, Poland to work closely for nuclear energy, defense, cybersecurity: Polish FM

• Social affairs

  

  ‘Korea should stop funding coal power in Indonesia’

• Foreign Affairs

  

  Time to focus on people to create sustainable community with ASEAN

PHOTO NEWS

• Culture

  

  Seonyudo, a place of peace and tranquility inside Seoul

  Seonyudo is one of several natural islands on the Han River in Seoul. Located west of Yeouido -- the biggest of those islands -- it is a popular destination for those seeking peace and tranquility inside the concrete jungle of Seoul. The 110,400-square-meter island was the site of a water treatment plant for more than two decades, until the facility closed in 2000. City officials decided to turn it into an urban park, and Seonyudo Park opened to the public in 2002. Its current look is the w

VIDEO

• Social affairs

  

  Gimpo nursing home fire leaves 2 dead, 47 injured

• Politics

  

  Politics of ‘head shaving performance’

• Industry

  

  Mobile orders and unmanned serving: Robot restaurant lands in Seoul

• Food&Beverage

  

  Trendy treats on offer at Seoul Dessert Fair 2019

FEATURES

• Politics

  

  President’s detractors cite economy as No. 1 reason

  But Moon supporters say prosecution reform is main factor: poll

• Health

  

  Using robotics in dementia prevention, care

  An orb with a set of ears, blinky eyes and the voice and speech manners of a chatty child is making advances in dementia therapy at a hospital in Seoul. Named Bomy, the robot assists cognitive training for patients in the early stages, or at the risk of developing dementia. Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital’s Robot-assisted Cognitive Training Center opened its doors in April, and is headed by Dr. Kim Geon-ha, a neurologist who has been researching related technologies since 2009.The

• Economy

  

  Portion of optimists over economy stays at 13%: poll

  SEJONG -- A variety of polls show that the public disapproval rating for President Moon Jae-in now outstrips his approval rating.According to a survey from Gallup Korea, the portion of respondents who expressed negative opinion toward the president, exceeded the supporters for him for the sixth consecutive week since August.In the pollster’s latest survey, conducted on Oct. 1-2, 51 percent of the 1,000 citizens polled expressed disapproval of Moon’s performance, while the approval ra

• Social affairs

  

  2 in 5 South Koreans aged 50 or over

  Number of 50s-and-above up 47% in the last decade, while population growth stays at 4.3%