SPOTLIGHT

• North Korea

  

  NK hacking bitcoin exchanges to skirt sanctions: report

  North Korean hackers are cyberattacking cryptocurrency exchange services in South Korea and related sites to secure bitcoins, Bloomberg Businessweek reported in its latest issue. The weekly business magazine quoted security researcher Fire Eye as saying that more signs of bitcoin ransom payments to North Korea are being detected amid the international sanctions stacking up against the Kim Jong-un regime.  (123RF)The US media outlet assessed that the benefits offered by cryptocurrencies -- secret

• Politics

  

  Mystery snack sellers on clogged highways explained

  In the middle of a traffic jam on a highway, snack vendors holding bags of puffed rice snacks weave through vehicles that stand bumper to bumper. This scene is familiar to many in South Korea with the experience of being stuck on a congested highway on weekends or major holidays. “When I was younger, it took some 10 hours to go to Mokpo where my grandparents live during the holidays. We were stuck on the clogged road for hours, moving at the speed of tortoises,” said Lee Jin-hee, a 35-year-old o

• Travel

  

  Rest stops become tourist attractions in South Korea

  Rest stops are an essential part of a highway system, offering drivers chances to gas up, use the restroom or just stretch their legs on long trips. But increasingly in South Korea, these roadside establishments offer something a little extra, becoming tourist attractions in their own right. South Korea’s 4,000-kilometer highway system boasts 189 rest areas, which last year generated a combined 1.3 trillion won ($1.1 billion) in revenue, up 13 percent from 2014. From local delicacies, traditiona

• Food

  

  Seafood cheese tteokbokki (Spicy Rice Cake)

  What happens when spicy tteokbokki -- Korea’s most popular street food -- meets seafood and cheese? It’s elevated to the next level! All the contrasting flavors work so well together to create something incredibly flavorful and comforting. Use any cheese(s) you would use for pizza or pasta. Mozzarella is great, and I also like the pizza blend (provolone, asiago, mozzarella, etc.) in this dish. You can melt the cheese over the stove top, in the microwave, or under the broiler. 　Any combination of

LATEST NEWS

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  World News

  Teenager charged over London Underground attack: police

  British police said Friday they had charged an 18-year-old man with attempted murder following last week's bombing of a London Underground train, which injured 30 people. (AP-Yonhap)Ahmed Hassan, who was arrested the morning after the attack on September 15, was also charged with use of the explosive triacetone triperoxide (TATP), a statement said. (AFP)

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  North Korea

  Trump calls North Korea's Kim 'a madman'

  President Donald Trump is again assailing North Korea Kim Jong Un, saying that he "will be tested like never before."In an escalation of the war of words between the United States and North Korea, Trump sent a predawn tweet Friday saying, "Kim Jong Un of North Korea, who is obviously a madman who doesn't mind starving or killing his people, will be tested like never before!"Trump's broadside follows a rare statement issued by Kim, branding the US president as "deranged" and warning he will "pay

• 

  North Korea

  Top diplomats of S. Korea, Kazakhstan discuss cooperation against NK nuke issue

  Top diplomats of South Korea and Kazakhstan have discussed cooperation in their response to North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations, the foreign ministry here said Friday. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Kazakh counterpart Abdrakhmanov Kudaibergenovich met on the sidelines of the UN.General Assembly underway in New York on Thursday, according to the ministry. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Kazakh counterpart Abdrakhmanov Kudaibergenovich (Yonhap)Kang assessed that Kazakhs

• 

  Finance

  Citibank Korea reappoints current CEO

  Citibank Korea, the local branch of New York-based Citigroup, on Friday recommended current CEO Park Jin-hei as the sole candidate for the next term, officials said.Park is to assume his second term in office once his candidacy is confirmed at meetings of the board of directors and stockholders, both slated for next Wednesday. Citibank Korea CEO Park Jin-heiThe top official joined Citibank Korea in 1984, after graduating from Seoul National University and working at the Korea Development Institu

• 

  North Korea

  Moon’s talk of peace snubbed as US-NK tensions flare up again

  President wraps up New York trip after summits with Trump, Abe

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  Social affairs

  ‘Stop ethnic cleansing of Rohingya’

  Amnesty International Korea Director Catherine Heejin Kim held a one-person protest in front of the Myanmar Embassy in Seoul on Friday, calling for an end to the alleged ethnic cleansing of Rohingya in Rakhine State. Following the protest, Kim delivered a letter addressed to Ambassador Thura Thet Oo Maung at the Myanmar Embassy to call on the Myanmar authorities to end the military’s campaign of violence and human rights abuses. Amnesty International Korea Director Catherine Heejin Kim holds a o

• 

  Social affairs

  4,000 kilometers of business and pleasure

  After its first expressway -- the 28.8 kilometer Seoul-Incheon route -- was built in 1968, South Korea set about rapidly expanding its highway network. Two years later, the new decade saw the completion of the Seoul-Busan expressway -- a project personally overseen by late President Park Chung-hee and often considered a milestone in Korea’s industrialization. Since then, the network of highways have expanded to over 4,000 kilometers, and nearly 700 kilometers of new and extensions will be added

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  Culture

  Take in the autumn breeze at Sangam Sky Park

  There have been many big incidents in South Korea this year.But let bygones be bygones. It is right time to enjoy the scenic beauty because autumn is the most beautiful season of the year.And there are places where you can find its special charms, even in the middle of the city.One such recommendation is the Sky Park in Sangam-dong, Seoul.Visitors can appreciate tall metasequoia trees while hiking to the park, located 98 meters above sea level.It is the highest neighborhood park Seoul, where vis

• Editorial

  Every five years

  Investigation into past cases smacks of political vendetta

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  Social affairs

  Farmers, animal rights groups clash at pro-dog meat trade rally

  At least 400 dog meat farmers staged a protest in Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on Friday, calling on the government to legalize the dog meat trade and classify dogs used as pets separately from those raised for human consumption. Unleashed dogs are inside cages during the dog meat farmers' protest in central Seoul, Friday. YonhapIn one of the largest pro-dog meat rallies ever held in South Korea, an association of Korean dog meat farmers marched toward the presidential office Cheong Wa Da

GRAPHIC NEWS

OPINION

• Columnists

  

  US must think outside the box on NK

  The Trump administration often talks about North Korea policy as if it’s an on-off switch. President Trump thundered Tuesday that the US will “totally destroy” North Korea to defend itself and its allies. But Defense Secretary James Mattis blandly insisted the next day that it’s “still a diplomatically led effort.”Somewhere in this maze of public statements-including Thursday’s announcement of new economic sanctions on North Korea -- there’s a nuanced American policy. But the seeming binary opti

• Columnists

  

  Trump’s welcome flirtation with the UN

  When you discount the rhetorical overkill, the most surprising thing about Donald Trump’s address to the United Nations Tuesday was how conventional it was. He supported human rights and democracy; he opposed rogue regimes; he espoused a global community of strong, sovereign nations. Pretty shocking stuff.Because he’s Trump, the zingers got the headlines: He repeated his childish, snarky (but sort of funny) playground denunciation of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. “Rocket Man is on a suicide m

THE INVESTOR

• Automobiles

  

  [BEHIND THE WHEEL] Genesis G70, a well-packed sports sedan

  Luxury midsize sedan Genesis G70 -- Korean auto giant Hyundai Motor’s answer to segment-defining BMW 3-Series and Mercedes Benz C-Class -- lives up to its high expectations, boasting high performance. For the latecomer Genesis to go on par with the German luxury heavyweights, it had to arm the new G70 with high-tech, solid performance, comfort and plenty of luxury features to be taken seriously. G70 did just that, though it lacks a certain spark to poach loyal consumers entirely a

• Economy

  

  [DECODED X] Chip off the shoulder

  DECODED X is more than just news. It’s a weekly brief of critical political and economic events in Korea and their takeaway, created by The Investor staff for an exclusive group of opinion leaders. To ensure content quality, DECODED X is offered as a paid service.Corporate annual subscription fees are set at US$3,000, but The Investor is handing out special discounts this year. For more details, please contact Monica Lee (jylee@heraldcorp.com), or call 82-727-0616. You can also get in touch with

• Samsung

  

  Samsung, SK hynix shares surge on rosy DRAM outlook

  Samsung Electronics and SK hynix both saw their respective share price hit an all-time high on Sept. 22, thanks to the rosy outlook for memory chips.Samsung’s shares climbed by 1.52 percent to 2,655,000 won in early morning trading while that of SK hynix increased 1.44 percent to 84,300 won.The stocks have been on the upward trend in recent weeks as they are expected to ride the momentum in the DRAM market this year. For Samsung, the robust initial sales of the Galaxy Note 8 is al

• Bio & Medicine

  

  Samsung Bioepis’ Humira biosimilar gets approval in Korea

  Samsung Bioepis has received marketing authorization from the Korean drug regulator for its version of AbbVie’s blockbuster arthritis drug Humira to bring its third biosimilar product to the home market, according to news reports on Sept. 22. SB5, also known as Imraldi in Europe, is a copy version of Humira, the world’s best-selling drug with US$16 billion in global sales.Despite the green light from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, SB5 is unlikely to hit local pharmacy shelv

K-POP HERALD

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  Yulhee dating Choi Min-hwan

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  ‘Kingsman’ stars show love for Korea

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  HyunA looks comfy and sexy in photo shoot

HERALD INTERVIEW

• Technology

  

  Kakao seeks to go global with content distribution business: CEO

• Industry

  

  Suprema seeks opportunity in mobile fingerprint scanner

• Finance

  

  Hacker-turned-CEO brings digital currency offline

• Industry

  

  ‘Samsung wants to bring idea of Silicon Valley project to Korea’

PHOTO NEWS

• Culture

  

  Take in the autumn breeze at Sangam Sky Park

  There have been many big incidents in South Korea this year.But let bygones be bygones. It is right time to enjoy the scenic beauty because autumn is the most beautiful season of the year.And there are places where you can find its special charms, even in the middle of the city.One such recommendation is the Sky Park in Sangam-dong, Seoul.Visitors can appreciate tall metasequoia trees while hiking to the park, located 98 meters above sea level.It is the highest neighborhood park Seoul, where vis

VIDEO

• Culture

  

  Ever-expanding universe of ramen

• Defense

  

  Seoul carries out missile drill targeting NK’s nuclear sites

• Social affairs

  

  Cheonan-Nonsan Expressway collision results in 11 casualties

• Social affairs

  

  Extended Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway unveiled

FEATURES

• Social affairs

  

  W17m booze tab: Itaewon bars face probe over foreign tourist ripoff

  A promise of a fun night out at a bar in Itaewon left an American tourist with a booze tab totaling 17 million won ($15,000).Seoul police said on Thursday owners and employees at three bars in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, have been indicted without detention for overcharging foreign tourists.One of the indicted bar owners, surnamed Lee, allegedly charged an American tourist 17 million won for drinks he had during his one hour and 40 minutes stay at the bar.An American tourist was charged 17 million won

• Social affairs

  

  Seoul's subway Line No. 2 may get 24-hour service: official

  Seoul Metro is considering operating its subway line No. 2 around the clock. Kim Tae-ho, managing director of Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation said it will run Subway Line No. 2 all night every Friday and Saturday during a test period. (Yonhap)Subway Line No. 2 is the most used line in Seoul and connects the city’s key areas. There has been an increasing demand for late night service.By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@heraldcorp.com)

• Social affairs

  

  Korean colleges alert about ‘spy cam’ on campus

  The recent rise in the number of “spy cam” cases on campus is pushing colleges to come up with measures to protect students and make sure their policies keep up with the reality of campus life.According to The Herald Business on Thursday, a growing number of universities, including top-rated Seoul National University, are grappling with the reports of spy cams on campus.(Yonhap)At College of Natural Sciences building in Seoul National University last month, a male student was reportedly caught i

• Social affairs

  

  3 in 10 divorces happen after 20 years of marriage

  Three out of 10 divorced couples in South Korea last year were married for at least 20 years, setting a new record in “gray divorces,” a judicial yearbook showed Wednesday. According to 2017 Judicial Yearbook released by the Supreme Court, 32,594 couples got a divorce after living together for more than 20 years, accounting for 30.4 percent of all the divorces last year. The proportion of divorces accounted for by couples who have lived together for more than 20 years has been gradually increasi