SPOTLIGHT

• Food

  

  Chicken stew alley with fishy vibe in Dongdaemun

  Seoul’s alleys are filled with eateries specializing in particular dishes. The Korea Herald takes you on a foodie trip to narrow alleys where decades-old establishments beckon diners with their secret recipes, often handed down through generations. -- Ed.Hidden among massive shopping malls, the back alleys of Dongdaemun are filled with old eateries that have been serving spicy meals for decades. Tucked away near Pyounghwa Market, the wholesale market for clothing, is a meter-wide alley serving c

• Film

  

  ‘Aladdin’ remake is OK, but not enchanting

  Watching the trailer of the “Aladdin,” 2019 remake of the beloved 1992 Disney animation, I thought it would be either be fantastic or a steaming pile of disappointment. To my surprise, it was neither. The Guy Ritchie film had its fun moments, and was an absolute joy to the eyes. Its characters were likeable, but the flick had some clunky storytelling moments and did not really capture the wonder and magic of the original.  “Aladdin” / Walt Disney Co. Korea“Street rat” Aladdin (Mena Massoud) is a

• Industry

  

  US e-cigarette brand Juul lands in Korea

  Despite government efforts to curb smoking, the tobacco industry here and abroad has been advancing with new innovative products, the latest being US e-cigarette maker Juul Labs that formally launched here Wednesday.Juul claims that that its vape pens will hit the local market Friday, challenging the tobacco market here which has recently been led by heat-not-burn tobacco devices.  Juul Lab’s vaping e-cigarette Juul (Kim Da-sol/The Korea Herald)It is the American startup’s first Asia-Pacific ent

• Film

  

  Bong Joon-ho's 'Parasite' receives standing ovation at Cannes

  South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" has premiered at the Cannes International Film Festival Tuesday (local time), with the director getting an eight-minute standing ovation.The new movie from the "Snowpiercer" and "Okja" director tells the story of a poor family becoming obsessed with a rich one after their son gets a job as a tutor for the wealthy family. Renowned actor Song Kang-ho stars in the film, along with Lee Sun-kyun and Cho Yeo-jeong.  South Korean director Bong Joon-ho (E

LATEST NEWS

• 

  Economy

  Gender pay gap widens at large firms in Q1

  The wage gap between male and female workers at large firms here widened in the first quarter from a year earlier, data showed Thursday.Women working for 202 major listed companies were paid an average 15.37 million won ($12,910) in the January-March period, or 63.5 percent of the median pay of 24.2 million won for male employees, according to the data by Yonhap Infomax, the financial news and information arm of Yonhap News Agency.It was slightly lower than the 64.6 percent ratio recorded during

• 

  Film

  Director Bong Joon-ho: stairs are a key metaphor in ‘Parasite’

  CANNES, France -- South Korean auteur Bong Joon-ho said Wednesday that stairs serve as a key metaphor for hierarchical social status and materialism in his Cannes-nominated black comedy “Parasite.” “Nearly 90 percent of the story takes place in a big house, the home of the rich family. It has a vertical structure -- second floor, first floor and basement,” the director said at an official press conference for the 72nd Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France. “Each space is connected by s

• 

  Industry

  Ministry, municipalities in talks to attract foreign investors for projects worth $1.8 billion

  South Korea is negotiating with foreign investors over new investment projects valued at $1.8 billion, according to the government. On Wednesday, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy held a foreign investment policy meeting with 17 regional governments and seven free economic zones. Such meetings are held every quarter to monitor foreign investment and address challenges. The ministry said regional governments and free economic zones are in talks with foreign investors for 29 new investmen

• 

  Industry

  Kogas strives to improve workplace safety

  Korea Gas Corp. said Wednesday it is carrying out activities to improve workplace safety and prevent industrial accidents, along with regional communities and partner companies. Kogas employees hold a campaign for workplace safety on Jan. 29 at its headquarters in Daegu. (Kogas)The state-run natural gas company designates the fourth day of every month as the “day of safety inspections.” On the day, it holds campaigns to improve safety awareness among its employees and the public, in collaboratio

• 

  Industry

  Prosecutors seek arrest warrant for Samsung BioLogics CEO in accounting scandal

  Prosecutors on Wednesday sought an arrest warrant for Samsung BioLogics CEO Kim Tae-han as part of their probe into allegations of accounting fraud at the company. Kim is suspected of ordering its employees to destroy evidence related to alleged fraudulent accounting, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office said. They also sought warrants to arrest two Samsung Electronics Co. vice presidents on similar allegations. Samsung Biologics CEO Kim Tae-han (Lim Jeong-yeo/The Korea Herald)Prosecut

• 

  Industry

  Samsung heir meets former US President George W. Bush

  Samsung Electronics heir apparent and Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong met former US President George W. Bush, in Seoul on Wednesday. They met at a hotel in central Seoul on the first day of the former American president’s visit to Seoul. Lee reportedly asked for advice given the changing global economic environment and shared his vision for Samsung’s growth with Bush during a 30-minute closed-door meeting.  Lee Jae-yong, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics Co., arrives at a hotel in Seoul on Wednesd

• 

  Technology

  Samsung to gain in short term from Trump-Huawei standoff: analysts

  Samsung expected to benefit in short-term

• 

  Industry

  What does Allergan gain from suit against Daewoong?

  Botox-maker Allergan has teamed up with South Korea’s Medytox in suing Daewoong Pharmaceutical and its US partner Evolus, challenging the latter’s legitimacy in sourcing botulinum toxin. Allergan accuses Daewoong of misappropriating trade secrets through a former Medytox researcher who allegedly stole BTX samples and transferred them to Daewoong.This brawl that has been building up since 2016 reached its climax this month, when the United States International Trade Commission ordered Daewoong to

• 

  Social affairs

  Incidence of early puberty up 42.3% in 5 years

  　The incidence of premature puberty has increased in the past five years in South Korea, according to the National Health Insurance Corp.　The number of children who reached puberty too early stood at 95,401 in 2017, up 42.3 percent from 2013. 　Symptoms of precocious puberty include rapid growth, changes in body shape and size, and the development of ability to reproduce before the age of 8 in girls and 9 in boys. 

• 

  International

  Bush in S. Korea for former President Roh's death anniversary

  Former US President George W. Bush arrived in South Korea on Wednesday to attend a ceremony to mark the 10th anniversary of former President Roh Moo-hyun's death.He arrived at Gimpo International Airport in western Seoul on a special Korean Air flight, wearing a jacket and sneakers. He waved to reporters but did not answer a question about whether he has any message for South Koreans.Bush is scheduled to meet with President Moon Jae-in at Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday morning and head to Bongha Vill

GRAPHIC NEWS

OPINION

• Columnists

  

  Insatiable ‘historians,’ enough is enough

  Korea today has an abundant supply of photo artists, poets and historians. New smartphones are equipped with high-definition cameras of 12 to 16 megapixels, which can produce great pictures. But our amateur photographers, many of whom are old, need something different. They go about on city streets, mountains and seashores carrying branded cameras -- the digital version -- with long lenses and even tripods to take thousands of shots of anything within their sight. Poets, of course self-styled, m

• Columnists

  

  Changes in “street economy”

  When I visited South Korea in the spring of 2018, everybody was talking about the breakthrough with North Korea. A year later, everybody is talking about the economy. Small business owners, in particular, are worried about sluggish consumption and rising costs. People in large firms worry about job security and retirement. Most people believe that South Korea has fallen into a Japanese-style slump that will be difficult to overcome. Since the Korean economy began to grow in 1960s, citizens have

THE INVESTOR

• Startups & Investors

  

  The Shortcut to train talent from diverse backgrounds

  Established in January, 2016, The Shortcut, a community-based Finnish organization, has been offering pro-bono training programs for people with diverse backgrounds, including refugees, immigrants, and multicultural youth, to help them get a breakthrough in the technology sector.While nurturing people to have skill sets, the organization also helps quench the thirst for skilled personnel in the startup world. “What we do is accelerate people from diverse backgrounds to think of their own creativ

• Startups & Investors

  

  European nations pitch to attract Korean startups at EXIT Daejeon 2019

  European countries pitched to attract South Korean startups during an event held at the Global Startup Festival Daejeon 2019 on Wednesday. During a sideline event called Startup Talk Concert with Foreign Embassies, officials from Finland, the Netherlands and Australia said their governments and private sector are putting a lot of efforts to nurture domestic and overseas startups.  Christoph Heider, President of the European Chamber of Commerce in Korea, answers questions during a session called

• Startups & Investors

  

  Exit Daejeon 2019 ingrains international mindset in Korean startups

  DAEJEON -- For Seoul-based startup Directional, an hourlong trip to Daejeon was definitely worth it.Eyeing its domestic launch in June, Dthe startup believes international exposure will help take it to the next level. And it had a taste of what that was like at EXIT Daejeon 2019, which offered one-stop startup counseling with foreign startup community builders to pitching session.  Booths are set up insude an exhibition hall at Exit Daejeon 2019 on May 22Son Ji-hyoung/The Investor“The South Kore

• Startups & Investors

  

  Startup CEOs pitch at DAEJEON 2019 forum

  DAEJEON--The competition among 24 startups continued to heat up on May 22, during the second session of the startup pitching event Investment Attraction Audition.Three sessions of the audition are conducted at the global startup conference EXIT Daejeon 2019, which is being held from May 21-23.   Startup pitching event Investment Attraction AuditionSon Ji-hyoung/The InvestorThe top three winners will be chosen on the last day of the conference. The winners will be able to take part in the global

K-POP HERALD

• 

  R&B Singer Katie is ready to step back into the spotlight

• 

  Katie: “Log” review -- a rising R&B star

• 

  BTS notches third No. 1 on Billboard 200 with new album

HERALD INTERVIEW

• Technology

  

  Line pushes Thai startups to scale up

• Food

  

  What makes a good bar, and a good bartender

• Technology

  

  ‘Fortnite billionaire’ envisions VR social media

• Health

  

  Why correct information on clean air matters

PHOTO NEWS

• Travel

  

  Where have all the flowers gone?

  　Along the overpass-turned-park Seoullo 7017 are large pots of flowers that have unfamiliar foreign names but are commonly spotted on the streets of South Korea. 　Among them are pink flowers with the Russian nomenclature Schlippenbach, also known as chuljjuk in Korean, one of the most widespread spring flowers here. Abies Koreana Wilson, better known in Korea as the Christmas tree, also stand on the bridge. 　According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, all the flowers being displayed at Seoul

VIDEO

• Technology

  

  ‘Fortnite billionaire’ envisions VR social media

• Food

  

  Traditional liquor-based cocktails beckon adventurous drinkers

• Automode

  

  Experts urge joint efforts for ASEAN EV market formation, growth

• Industry

  

  Blue Bottle Coffee opens first store in Korea

FEATURES

• Economy

  

  In efforts to curb apartment prices, rate hikes seemingly pushed aside

  SEJONG -- The Moon Jae-in government has repeatedly expressed its commitment to lower housing prices in Seoul, amid an extraordinary situation in which many apartments surged in price more than 50 percent from late 2016 through 2018.Most of its anti-speculation measures have been mapped out by the Finance Ministry, the Land Ministry and the Financial Services Commission.But the presidential office has refrained from seeking to normalize apartment prices by normalizing interest rates. This is des

• Social affairs

  

  Surging Sejong population appeals to mega-shopping malls, hospitals

  SEJONG -- It is now seven years since the government relocated numerous ministries and agencies to the newly developed special autonomous city of Sejong, neighboring the northwestern part of Daejeon, as part of its efforts to decongest Seoul.Sejong has 14 dongs -- administrative divisions -- including Eojin-dong where the Government Complex is located, one eup -- town -- and nine myeons –- townships. (Graphic by Heo Tae-seong/The Korea Herald)Though the city is rapidly expanding, its infrastruct

• Social affairs

  

  We saw helicopters firing in Gwangju: US missionary

  GWANGJU -- Gwangju streets at this time of the year are full of banners on events related to the May 1980 Democratic Uprising as the city remembers the brutal military crackdown on protesting citizens under former President Chun Doo-hwan, with exhibitions, forums, music contests and food sharing.The deadly military crackdown left an estimated 160 dead and some 5,000 injured in the course of 10 days from May 18, 1980.Experts say the figure is expected to be higher given that many of the dead were

• Defense

  

  The first step toward military service: The medical exam

  Upon receiving a letter from the Military Manpower Administration summoning him for his mandatory medical exam, Choi Seong-ryong, who had just turned 19, was both excited and worried. It signaled that he was now an adult with the responsibility to serve in the military.Technically still at war with North Korea, South Korea maintains a draft system that requires almost all able-bodied male citizens aged 19 to 36 to serve in the military for about two years. A mother and son get blood drawn at the