SPOTLIGHT

• Film

  

  Luc Besson explains why ‘Valerian’ is a bit unusual

  By Rumy Doo

  Acclaimed filmmaker of ‘Leon’ says his new sci-fi epic aims to make adults dream

• Music

  

  Electrifying show by Gallagher, Foo Fighters; could’ve been more?

  By Yoon Min-sik

  The fans waited a very long time for a kick-ass show, which they got but not for very long.Liam Gallagher and Foo Fighters sent tremors down the city of Seoul and shivers down the spines of music fans gathered at Jamsil Stadium in Songpa-gu, Seoul on Tuesday. “Live Forever Long” offered Korea a chance to see Gallagher and Foo Fighters for the first time in five and two years, respectively. And it did not disappoint.Liam Gallagher performs during the “Live Forever Long” concert in Seoul on Tuesda

• Music

  

  DIA returns full of love with ‘Love Generation’

  By Hong Dam-young

  K-pop act DIA returned fully charged with powerful energy with its third EP “Love Generation.” Clad in black-and-white school uniforms, the group’s nine singers sparkled as they took to the stage at a media showcase for their new EP in Seoul on Tuesday. DIA is short for “Diamond.”(Yonhap)“Love Generation” marks DIA’s first release since its second full-length album “YOLO” four months ago. The EP delves into the feelings of a teenage girl dabbling in love. Each track features a different musical

• North Korea

  

  Drug trafficking hits major cities in North Korea: report

  By Kim Min-joo

  North Korea faces growing problems linked to drug trafficking, Japanese news media reported Wednesday. According to the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper, about 500 people were apprehended in the month of May last year for drug trafficking in an unidentified North Korean city and nearby areas.  (Yonhap)The reclusive regime’s crackdown suggests drug trafficking, which initially emerged along its Chinese border, is now spreading across other major cities. The Japanese daily based its report on a lecture

LATEST NEWS

• 

  Politics

  Moon's approval rating rises to 74.4%

  President Moon Jae-in's approval rating rose from a week earlier this week, a poll showed Thursday, despite the widespread public scare over contaminated eggs that forced the president to personally apologize.In a survey conducted by Realmeter at the request from local radio station tbs, 74.4 percent of all respondents said they approved the president's management of state affairs.The latest survey was conducted on Monday through Wednesday, and on 1,522 voters throughout the country. It had a co

• 

  Industry

  Samsung, LG sued over digital TV technology in US

  South Korean electronics giants Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc. have been sued in the United States over alleged collusion concerning digital television broadcasting technology, industry sources said Thursday.Chinese home appliance maker Haier Group Co. recently filed a lawsuit with a federal court in New York, accusing Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Philips and Zenith of colluding to inflate the licensing fee for the US-based Advanced Television Systems Committee standard.In the lawsui

• 

  Finance

  Gold funds shine on flight to safety

  Gold-related funds in South Korea have posted stellar returns over the past month, data showed Thursday, as geopolitical risks chilled the stock market and stoked investors' flight to safety.Those funds posted an average return of 3.49 percent in the month to Wednesday, the top performer among local investment funds worth 1 billion won ($880,000) or more, according to the data from financial information provider FnGuide.Comparable yields were 2.31 percent for exchange traded funds focused on ove

• 

  North Korea

  New US sanctions against N. Korea could bite: expert

  WASHINGTON -- The latest United States sanctions against North Korea could have the intended effect of disrupting its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, but only over time, a US expert said Wednesday.A day earlier, the US Treasury announced sanctions targeting Chinese and Russian entities and individuals suspected of facilitating the North's weapons programs.Robert Manning, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said that although many argue that sanctions do not work, they are wrong beca

• 

  Economy

  Koreans' overseas card spending hits record high in Q2

  Overseas card spending by South Koreans hit a record high in the second quarter despite a decline in the number of people going overseas, the central bank said Thursday.In the April-June period, overseas card spending amounted to $4.18 billion, up 20.6 percent from a year earlier, according to the Bank of Korea. From a quarter earlier, the Q2 tally marked a 4-percent increase.Overseas card spending includes purchases made with debit and direct payment cards, in addition to credit cards. (Yonhap)

• 

  Economy

  Deregulations can offset side effects of corporate tax hike: finance minister

  South Korea's finance chief said Wednesday that the government will examine steps to ease regulations to help offset the negative side effects of a looming corporate tax hike.Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon made the comments during a session of the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts in parliament when asked about the possible fallout from more taxes on employment and growth.Still, Kim did not elaborate on deregulations. South Korea has been pushing to lift or ease unnecessary business restr

• 

  Industry

  Investment by global chipmakers soar in Q2 on Samsung

  The combined investment rolled out by global chipmakers in the second quarter reached record-high levels fueled by efforts made by Samsung Electronics Co., data showed Thursday.According to industry tracker IC Insights, global chipmakers made a facility investment worth $23.5 billion in the April-June period. The total is the highest figure to date. (Yonhap)Over the first half, the companies made an investment worth $42.5 billion, rising 48 percent from $28.7 billion tallied a year earlier.The i

• 

  Industry

  Whisky customers opting for low-proof products amid market slump

  South Korea's whisky market, which has been contracting for eight years in a row, is showing some changes as buyers opt for low-proof products and brand diversity, industry watchers said Thursday.Scotch whisky over 40 proof had dominated the market, but is being replaced by those with weaker alcohol content, according to data. Sales of high-proof Scotch whisky fell 46 percent in the January-July period this year compared with the same period in 2014. Sales of low-proof whisky, however, surged 13

• 

  Business

  Samsung unveils Galaxy Note 8 with smarter S Pen

  Samsung Electronics launched its much-awaited flagship smartphone Galaxy Note 8, the first Note model after its predecessor Note 7 fiasco last year.The Korean tech giant debuted its 6.3-inch Note 8 with smarter S Pen stylus, a bigger infinity display and a bolstered camera on Wednesday (local time) in New York. “From the infinity display to the enhanced S Pen and a powerful dual camera, the Galaxy Note8 lets people do things they never thought were possible," Koh Dong-jin, president of Samsung's

• 

  World

  China urges US to drop new sanctions on Chinese companies

  BEIJING, (AP) - China on Wednesday urged US to withdraw new sanctions it imposed on Chinese companies that Washington says are supporting North Korea as it carries out increasingly ambitious missile tests.On Tuesday, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on 16 mainly Chinese and Russian companies and people for assisting North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs and helping it to make money to support those programs.(Yonhap)Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told r

GRAPHIC NEWS

OPINION

• Columnists

  

  How to beat North Korea at nuclear blackmail

  By Bloomberg

  “Strategic patience” is out as the US approach to North Korea, and “strategic accountability” is the new term of art. That’s according to an op-ed article by Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. “The object of our peaceful pressure campaign,” they write, “is the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”While I heartedly approve of finally providing clarity beyond President Donald Trump’s bombastic statements, we should be realistic. I understand the reasons fo

• Columnists

  

  Moon needs courage to be hated

  By Lee Joo-hee

  It is literally impossible to please everyone, yet we constantly make the mistake of believing one should, or can.Imagine trying to please 51,744,948 people. That is what President Moon Jae-in set out to do, vowing to become “everyone’s president” as he was sworn in as the 19th leader of the fastidious crowd three months ago. With the dust of political chaos barely settling down, Moon’s inauguration promise seemed an invitation to criticism. It was comparative to, for instance, former US Preside

THE INVESTOR

• Shareholders

  

  Naver founder reduces stake amid heightened antitrust scrutiny

  [THE INVESTOR] Naver founder Lee Hae-jin has reduced his stake in the internet giant ahead of the change of its legal status as chaebol, which will lead to heightened antitrust scrutiny. According to a regulatory filing on Aug. 23, Lee, who is currently serving as global investment officer, sold 110,000 shares worth 81.8 billion won (US$72.30 million) in a block deal. The selling price, 743,990 won apiece, was about 3 percent discount on the closing price on Aug. 22. He now owns 4.31 percent sta

• Industrials

  

  SK hynix may be far from acquiring Toshiba

  [THE INVESTOR] Amid news of the ongoing meeting between the top management of Japan’s Toshiba and US-based hard drive manufacturer Western Digital in Tokyo, industry observers are raising the possibility that South Korea’s SK hynix may be far from acquiring Toshiba’s chipmaking unit, according to news reports on Aug. 23.  According to a report by Japan’s Nikkei, the meeting of the chiefs of the two longtime business partners -- Toshiba CEO Satoshi Tsunakawa and Western Digital CEO Stephen Millig

• LG

  

  LG to build EV-parts factory in US

  [THE INVESTOR] LG Electronics said on Aug. 23 it will build a factory for the production of electric vehicle parts in the US with an estimated US$25 million.The construction of the plant in Hazel Park, near the industrial city of Detroit, will be completed early next year, LG said. The factory will produce battery packs for electric cars and gradually expand the scope to other key parts, it added. Battery packs produced by LG Chem for Chevrolet BoltLG already operates its vehicle-components offi

• Mobile & Internet

  

  SK Planet mulls exit from Indonesia

  [THE INVESTOR] SK Planet, operator of the nation’s top online open market 11st, is considering selling its stake in an Indonesian joint venture aiming to exit the highly-competitive market, according to news reports on Aug. 23. SK Planet set up a 50:50 joint venture Elevenia with Indonesia’s telecom operator XL Axiata in 2014. The Korean firm invested about 50 billion won (US$44.21 million) at the time. Reports said the Indonesian retail giant Salim Group is considering acquiring Elevenia in its

K-POP HERALD

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  Pristin returns with rebellious ‘Schxxl Out’

• 

  Lee Sa-gang on 'Autumn in My Heart'

• 

  Lee Gi-kwang on his solo album

HERALD INTERVIEW

• Film

  

  Lee Jong-suk on playing a delicate serial killer

• Social affairs

  

  How comfort women statues got to ride Seoul buses

• Film

  

  Actor Jang Dong-gun once thought himself unattractive

• Technology

  

  Neofect eyes global lead in smart rehabilitation device market

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

• Social affairs

  

  Campaign on to spread basic floating skills, curb drowning deaths

• Social affairs

  

  Coin-op game arcades struggle to find appeal beyond nostalgia

• Social affairs

  

  Gay pride parade in Seoul draws record number

• More sports

  

  Stephen Curry thrills fans, hosts youth clinic on Korea trip

FEATURES

• Finance

  

  Banks sway between recruitment and downsizing

  By Bae Hyun-jung

  Major banks are holding off their second-half employment notice, pressed between their financial need for downsizing and the Moon Jae-in administration‘s drive for job creation.While the central bank and a partially state-controlled bank vowed to expand recruitment, most commercial banks prolonged their ambiguous silence, apparently reluctant to make pre-emptive moves.The Bank of Korea said Tuesday that it will hire 70 new employees in the latter half of the year, increasing its recruitment by s

• Social affairs

  

  Human rights watchdog examines care facilities for signs of abuse

  By Bak Se-hwan

  The National Human Rights Commission of Korea announced Monday that it will release human rights abuse data from local care facilities that serve people with physical and mental disabilities.(Yonhap)In a joint national survey conducted by the watchdog and three activist groups, some 292 care facilities users nationwide have been interviewed since last month on whether they have experienced abuse. “The in-depth research is part of our effort to look into possible violations of human rights among

• Music

  

  DJ duo Garenz hopes to fill clubs with own music

  By Hong Dam-young

  The Korea Herald is introducing Korean singers, musicians and actors poised to join the next wave of top stars in a twice monthly series. -- Ed.

• Politics

  

  Political parties experience internal frictions in push for reform

  By Jo He-rim

  Three months into the new Moon Jae-in administration, political parties across the aisle are experiencing internal friction as they push for reforms before local elections slated for June next year. Ruling Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers are divided over their chairwoman’s plan to establish a committee to improve the party, and change nomination rules for the local elections.Rep. Choo Mi-ae, the party leader, said current party regulations should be changed to allow the nominations of new fi