SPOTLIGHT

• Food

  

  When dining alone, can you be carnivorous?

  K-pop act Mamamoo’s Hwasa sparked a gopchang craze earlier this month with her appearance on the MBC reality show “I Live Alone.” She visited a gopchang restaurant by herself and devoured the dish of cow’s small intestines. The very next day, people lined up in front of the featured eatery, waiting for two to three hours. Sales also soared at other gopchang restaurants across the nation. In reality, however, eating gopchang alone is not easy. Most of the people who lined up to have gopchang came

• Social affairs

  

  Over 15% of S. Korean schoolchildren battle digital addiction: survey

  A government survey showed Friday that over 15 percent of South Korean elementary and middle schoolers are addicted to either the internet or smartphones. According to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the survey polled a total of 1.29 million students -- fourth graders, seventh graders and 10th graders -- in March and April. The results indicated that some 196,337 schoolchildren, or 15.2 percent, refuse to put down their phones or stop going on the internet, an increase from 14.3 perc

• Music

  

  Boy band sues entertainment agency for ‘poor’ treatment

  A five-piece Korean boy band debuted during the summer of 2016 after signing a contract with an agency in December 2015. However, the group’s hopes of becoming part of the next generation of Hallyu were shattered in less than a year.The agency, downsizing its workforce, did not provide the band with a manger, a vehicle or vocal and dance lessons.The bandmates were asked to pay for their own hairstyling and makeup, as well as aesthetic procedures such as dermal fillers and botulinum toxin injecti

• Travel

  

  Hyatt’s Andaz to launch in Seoul

  Andaz, a luxury boutique hotel brand under Hyatt, is set for its first launch in Korea. The brand under the global hotel chain Hyatt plans to open its first hotel in Seoul by 2019, Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced Wednesday. A Hyatt affiliate has entered into agreements with Kt estate Inc. and Hotel HDC Co., Ltd. for the development of Andaz Gangnam. An architectural rendering of Andaz Gangnam (Baum Architects)The new boutique hotel will be situated near Apgujeong Station.Andaz Gangnam is expected t

LATEST NEWS

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  Social affairs

  Number of jobless college graduates hits record high in May

  　The number of unemployed college graduates in South Korea hit a record high in May, government data showed Saturday, in the latest sign of a tightened job market for young adults.　The number of jobless people with bachelor‘s degrees and above reached 402,000 in May, up 76,000 from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.　It marked the largest monthly figure since 2000, the statistics agency said. (Yonhap)　The statistics agency said unemployed people with bachelor’s de

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  North Korea

  U.S. to send 215 caskets to N. Korea to get back remains of soldiers killed in Korean War

  The U.S. military plans to send 215 empty caskets to North Korea via the inter-Korean border on Saturday to get back the remains of American soldiers killed during the Korean War, a South Korean military official said.About 30 U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) vehicles carrying the caskets were scheduled to depart from the Camp Humphreys base in Pyeongtaek for the border village of Panmunjom on Saturday afternoon, the official said on condition of anonymity.　“North Korea will repatriate the remains in th

• 

  More sports

  Rangers’ Choo Shin-soo ties career high with 35-game on-base streak

  　Texas Rangers’ South Korean designated hitter Choo Shin-soo has tied his career high by reaching base safely in 35 consecutive games.　Choo went 2-for-4 with his 14th home run of the season against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Friday (local time). (Yonhap)　Batting leadoff as the designated hitter, Choo launched a two-run shot off Minnesota starter Fernando Romero in the top of the fifth inning, keeping his streak alive and giving the Rangers a 4-0 lead. Choo

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  Economy

  Average monthly income of single-person households below spending

  　One-person households are spending more than their income on average, data showed Saturday, in a sign of economic trouble for a growing number of such households.　The average monthly income of one-person households came to 1.69 million won (US$1,520) in the fourth quarter of 2017, according to data compiled by Statistics Korea.　The statistics office said one-person households spent 1.77 million won per month on average last year. It marked the first time that the average income of one-person ho

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  Politics

  Cheong Wa Dae expresses condolences over ex-PM's death

  The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae expressed condolences Saturday over the death of former Prime Minister Kim Jong-pil, saying the legacy he left in South Korean politics will remain for a long time.　Kim, who served as prime minister twice and as a lawmaker nine terms, died earlier in the day at the age of 92.　“The hand stains and footprints that the deceased left in the modern history of South Korean politics won’t be removed easily,” (Yonhap)　Yoon Young-chan, senior presidential secretary f

• 

  Politics

  Former Prime Minister Kim Jong-pil dies at age 92

  Late Kim remembered as 'Perennial No. 2 man,' prominent politician during 'three Kims era'

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  Politics

  Ex-S. Korean premier Kim Jong-pil, spy agency founder, dies

  SEOUL (AP) -- Kim Jong-pil, the founder of South Korea's spy agency who also served twice as prime minister, first under his dictator boss and later under a man his agency kidnapped, has died. He was 92. 　 　Kim was declared dead on arrival at Seoul’s Soonchunhyang University Hospital from his home on Saturday, said hospital official Lee Mi-jong. He described the cause of death as age-related complications.  　  Kim Jong-pil (Yonhap)　A retired lieutenant colonel, Kim was a key member of a 1961 cou

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  Finance

  S. Korean shares to move in tight range next week

  South Korean shares are expected to remain in a relatively tight range next week as investors take to the sidelines amid global trade tensions, analysts said Saturday.　The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed at 2,357.22 points on Friday, down from 2,404.04 points a week earlier.　The local stock market started lower Monday, falling more than 1 percent amid heightened worries over a U.S.-China trade war.  　U.S. President Donald Trump announced new tariffs on Chinese products

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  Politics

  Former Prime Minister Kim Jong-pil dies

  Former Prime Minister Kim Jong-pil died Saturday at age 92.Kim died at 8:15 a.m., an aide said.　Kim was taken to Soonchunhyang University Hospital in Seoul from his home in Shindang-dong, and he was already dead on arrival, hospital officials said.　He is believed to have died of old age.　Born in 1926, Kim graduated from the Korea Military Academy and played a key role in the 1961 military coup led by Park Chung-hee, who rose to president and ruled South Korea for 18 years.　Kim served as prime mi

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  North Korea

  N. Korea media reports on family reunion agreement with South

  North Korean state media on Saturday reported on an agreement with South Korea to hold reunions of families separated by the Korean War but didn‘t provide dates and other details.　On Friday, Red Cross officials of the two sides agreed to hold family reunions from Aug. 20-26 at the North’s Mount Kumgang on the east coast. The reunions will involve 100 families from each side. (Yonhap)　The agreement was the latest reconciliatory move between the two countries.　On Saturday, the North‘s official Kor

GRAPHIC NEWS

OPINION

• Columnists

  

  Mr. Putin, seize chance to release dissidents

  On Monday, the US State Department called on Russia to release “more than 150” political and religious prisoners. In this political climate, an appeal like that from the US would usually be the best way to ensure they remain behind bars. But the State Department may have picked a good moment: President Vladimir Putin could show largesse by pardoning the prisoners while the eyes of the world are on Russia and the World Cup.　The Russian human rights group Memorial, which maintains the most complet

• Columnists

  

  China digs a trench for US trade siege

  If you’re about to start a trade war, best ensure your citizens are in an optimistic mood.　That’s one way of looking at the US tax cuts passed in November. Stimulus from that law will boost economic growth by about three-quarters of a percentage point this year and next, Federal Reserve Gov. Lael Brainard said last month –- no doubt one reason the S&P 500 index finished just 3.8 percent below its record high on Tuesday despite the growing drumbeat on trade.　Not content with returning fire on pla

THE INVESTOR

• Retail & Consumer

  

  JYP takes second leap with new HQ, strategy

  JYP Entertainment, the 20-year-old K-pop powerhouse that rolled out Twice, 2PM, Suzy, Wonder Girls and Rain, is taking the second leap to drive innovation and expansion to reach more global audiences. Calling it “JYP 2.0,” the agency’s namesake founder and largest shareholder Park Jin-young announced the blueprint for the firm, which includes a new headquarters, organizational changes and debuting non-Korean groups, during his rare appearance at a startup event in Seoul. “We are m

• Samsung

  

  Samsung to miss 350 million smartphone shipment goal

  Samsung Electronics is likely to miss its annual smartphone shipment goal of 350 million units, according to those close to the matter. “Samsung's goal this year is 350 million units, which is higher than originally reported, and considering the lower-than-expected sales of the Galaxy S9 and its struggling mobile business in China, the figure appears to be a far-fetched goal,” an industry source briefed on the matter told The InvestorSamsung’s initial plan was to ship 320 million

• Mobile & Internet

  

  Naver to invest in Sequoia’s new venture fund: report

  Korean internet giant Naver is investing in Sequoia Capital’s new venture capital fund, according to Korea Economic Daily on June 22. The firm reportedly decided the investment in a recent board meeting. The exact amount was not revealed. The Silicon Valley-based Sequoia, an early investor in the most successful tech companies like Apple and Airbnb, is tapping investors to raise up to US$8 billion for its new venture fund Sequoia Global Growth III -- the largest after SoftBank Gro

• Economy

  

  FTC chief vows to cooperate with EU to handle issues in Korea

  Fair Trade Commission head Kim Sang-jo on June 22 said that he will solve economic issues here through learning and cooperating with the European Union. Kim Sang-jo　“One of the most important tasks of Korea is to unite the dividided society and increase social connection,” Kim said during a European Chamber of Commerce luncheon meeting in Seoul. “Because European member countries all have different historical background and economic development stages, EU has been moderating diffe

K-POP HERALD

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  Twice to drop first Japanese studio album

• 

  Jo Jung-suk, Gummy to tie the knot this fall

• 

  Son Ye-jin dazzles in southern France

HERALD INTERVIEW

• Culture

  

  Master calls for Korea to bring geomancy into open

• Music

  

  Jaurim’s music revolves around humans, world they live in

• Book Review

  

  Now is time to talk about Korean literature

• Industry

  

  Taking global Starbucks phenomenon to next level

PHOTO NEWS

• Soccer

  

  ‘Red Devils’ spill out to the streets for World Cup

  World Cup 2018 kicked off last week in Russia. As for South Korea, the first group match against Sweden on Monday revived the tens of thousands of “Red Devils” to take to the streets to cheer for the national team once again.In front of Gwanghwamun Square in the center of Seoul, 25,000 people wearing the iconic red uniforms and head bands resembling a devil’s horns became the Red Devils, while 5,000 also watched Korea’s first match via large outdoor screens installed at Seoul Square in front of

VIDEO

• Fashion

  

  Private perfume pioneer aims to bring solace through scents

• Soccer

  

  South Korean team trains for World Cup in Russia

• Food

  

  Satisfying sweet tooth with red beans, patbingsu

• Culture

  

  Small bookstores draw book lovers with specialty-driven curation

FEATURES

• North Korea

  

  Trump’s remark on US war remains fuels confusion

  　US President Donald Trump’s remark over the remains of US service members fueled confusion in South Korea, despite the president’s apparent attempt to correct his previous suggestion that the remains have been sent back from North Korea to the US. 　During his meeting with cabinet members Thursday, Trump said the remains of US troops missing in the Korean War were in the process of being returned to the US from North Korea. The president said Wednesday that the remains have been sent back. 　Trum

• Automode

  

  Affordable foreign cars pose threat to South Korean carmakers

  South Korean carmakers now face tougher competition at home as their foreign counterparts are becoming increasingly cost-competitive, on top of their preconceived image as being higher-end or safer.Domestic sales of foreign cars led by German automakers rose 21.7 percent compared to a year prior to 26,133 in May last year, while those of locally produced cars sold by automakers like Hyundai and Kia Motors fell 2 percent to 131,638, according to recent data from the Ministry of Trade, Industry an

• Technology

  

  Samsung focuses on solid-state batteries at forum

  Professor Lee Se-hee of the University of Colorado delivers a presentation on solid-state batteries at a forum hosted by Samsung Electronics on Friday. (Samsung Electronics)Samsung Electronics focused on solid-state batteries as the next generation of lithium-ion batteries at an open forum on related technologies, it said Friday. The South Korean tech titan held the event to keep track of the latest progress in development of the new batteries and share industry cases. The forum held at Seoul Na

• Technology

  

  Fall of Korea’s top carpool app amid financial struggle, regulatory hurdles

  South Korea’s top carpooling startup Poolus has laid off around 70 percent of its employees as part of business restructuring initiated by growing financial difficulties and regulatory hurdles that have weighed down on the app’s growth.　　Poolus confirmed Thursday that its CEO Kim Tae-ho had resigned as of June 7 during a board meeting. The startup said it has been seeing “stagnant earnings and operational difficulties due to regulatory issues” and will “re-examine the viability of its business a