SPOTLIGHT

• Social affairs

  

  Korean arrested for duping Thais into sex trade

  By AFP

  A South Korean man accused of duping over 20 Thai women into forced prostitution in his home country has been arrested in Bangkok, an officer said Saturday.The suspect surnamed Kim, 39, is believed to be part of a transnational gang funnelling Thai women into the sex trade in South Korea, and his arrest follows efforts by Bangkok and Seoul to dismantle the group.Thai police said Kim promised women jobs as masseuses in South Korea. Tourists take a selfie with a mobile phone as they visit Wat Arun

• Social affairs

  

  THAAD row overshadows Korean community in China

  By Yonhap

  A Chinese sign that read "Hanguocheng," meaning South Korean food court, on the building of a restaurant mall in Wangjing, the once prosperous Koreatown in northeastern Beijing, has been replaced by "Meishijie," or Gourmet food street.The change reflects an ever-rising anti-South Korean sentiment in China amid the current diplomatic row that is souring diplomatic ties between the two neighboring countries. South Korea and China have been at odds over the deployment of a US missile shield called

• Sports

  

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

  By Yonhap

  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

• Music

  

  Taeyeon distressed after incident at Jakarta airport

  By Hong Dam-young

  Taeyeon of Girls’ Generation took to Instagram to share her thoughts after a harrowing experience at a crowded airport in Indonesia.  Taeyeon (S.M. Entertainment)　The singer flew to the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Thursday for promotional activities, accompanied by a single manager. As soon as Taeyeon landed at the airport, however, she encountered an unruly crowd that rushed toward her, eventually knocking her down.  Taeyeon wrote via her Instagram on Friday to address the issue. “People’s fe

LATEST NEWS

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  North Korea

  N. Korea raps Seoul-Washington joint drill

  North Korea on Sunday lambasted an annual joint military exercise to be staged by South Korea and the United States this week as an act of "adding fuel to the fire" on the tense situation on the Korean Peninsula.  In an editorial, the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the ruling party, said the US moves to place the worst-ever sanctions on it and launch military provocations have made the situation on the peninsula extremely tense.The allies' Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercise will kick off

• 

  North Korea

  New JCS chief: No mercy for N. Korea if it attacks

  South Korea's new top military officer was inaugurated Sunday with a stern warning that North Korea will face merciless retaliation for any attack.Gen. Jeong Kyeong-doo, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stressed that the current security conditions on the peninsula are "more serious than at any other time" amid the North's fast-advancing nuclear and missile programs. Gen. Jeong Kyeong-doo, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, salutes during his confirmation hearing at the National Assemb

• 

  Politics

  Moon names new BOK deputy governor

  President Moon Jae-in has appointed an incumbent assistant deputy governor of the Bank of Korea as the new vice chief of the central bank, it said Sunday.Yoon Myun-shik, who entered the central bank in 1983 and served in various posts, was chosen to succeed Jang Byung-wha as BOK deputy governor, according to the bank. The position has been vacant for two months since Jang retired. This file photo taken April 28, 2017, shows Yoon Myun-shik, who was appointed the vice governor of the Bank of Korea

• 

  Industry

  Four killed in explosion at STX plant in Changwon

  Four workers have been killed in an explosion at the STX Offshore & Shipbuilding plant in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, fire authorities said Sunday.The blast occurred at around 11:37 a.m. while workers carried out painting work inside of a 74,000-ton oil carrier that the company is scheduled deliver to the Greek shipping company Andriaki Shipping by October. Four workers were killed in an explosion at an STX Offshore & Shipbuilding plant in Changwon. (Yonhap)A total of eight workers were

• 

  Industry

  Korean top business groups' investment jumps 28 pct in H1

  South Korea's top 30 conglomerates increased their investment 28 percent on-year in the first half of this year on the back of strong performances by chip and display makers, a market tracker said Sunday.The total amount of investment came to 37.14 trillion won ($32.5 billion) in the January-June period, sharply increasing from 29 trillion won recorded for the same period a year earlier, according to CEO Score.The tally covers the groups' 271 subsidiaries that have unveiled their half-year busin

• 

  World News

  Trump dumps Bannon, who returns to conservative website

  Steve Bannon, the blunt-spoken and divisive strategist who went from Donald Trump's victorious campaign to a top White House post, has been pushed out by the president, capping a turbulent seven months that witnessed the departure of much of Trump's original senior staff. A favorite on the farther-right flank of the Republican Party, Bannon had pressed Trump to follow through on contentious campaign promises, such as banning travel from some predominantly Muslim countries and pulling out of the

• 

  Film

  'A Taxi Driver' becomes 1st movie this year to attract 10 mln moviegoers

  A Korean movie about a cabbie who took a German journalist to the center of the Gwangju pro-democracy uprising in 1980 became this year's first film to attract more than 10 million moviegoers Sunday, its distributor said."A Taxi Driver," released Aug. 2, became the 15th Korean movie and 19th movie of all time to cross the milestone in the Korean box office, the Showbox said. "Train to Busan," which premiered July 20 last year, was the latest one to reach the achievement. The zombie flick sold 11

• 

  Social affairs

  Seoul court grants asylum to Jordanian dissident

  A Seoul court has recognized a Jordanian man as a refugee in a suit filed against the Seoul Immigration Office, citing there is a high possibility of political persecution if he goes back home, judiciary sources said Sunday.The man, whose identity has been withheld, is believed to have taken part in anti-government protests in his home country from January 2011 to March 2014 as part of the Arab Spring in 2011, a wave of protests in the Middle East and North Africa that led to the overthrowing of

• 

  World News

  Congo landslide death toll likely 200, governor says

  Authorities in northeastern Congo say a landslide earlier this week in Ituri province likely has killed at least 200 people. Gov. Abdallah Pene Mbaka said Saturday the estimate is based on missing people and homes affected. He says 50 houses were destroyed and only 44 bodies have been found. The death toll from the mudslide on August 14, 2017, and flooding that struck Sierra Leone's capital Freetown has reached 441, with around 600 others listed as missing the government said on August 19. (AFP-

• 

  Defense

  S. Korean Marines hold exercises for eastern island defense

  South Korean Marines have started their largest-ever training to defend the eastern island of Ulleungdo, the Marine Corps said Sunday. Ulleungdo, some 120 kilometers off the eastern coast, is located near Dokdo, a set of rocky islets owned by Seoul but claimed by Tokyo. It is the country's eighth-largest island with a population of 10,000. More than 90 Marines are participating in the monthlong drills that kicked off last Friday. South Korean Marines head to Ulleung Island for their biggest-ever

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

• 

  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