SPOTLIGHT

• World News

  

  Kim and Trump lookalikes draw the crowds in Hanoi

  Cars stopped and tourists gawked at what appeared to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un wanderingthe streets of Hanoi.Days before the second summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump in Vietnam's capital, a Kim impersonator appeared on Friday at the Metropole Hotel, a back-up location for the meeting.Howard X, an Australian, has been cashing in his resemblance to North Korea's leader, especially with the haircut, as he engages with the outside world. US President Donald Trump impersonator Ru

• Theater

  

  ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ from NT Live to screen at National Theater of Korea

  The National Theater of Korea will hold screenings of Benedict Andrews’ production of Tennessee Williams’ “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” and James Macdonald’s reinterpretation of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” by Edward Albee, from March 14 -24 at Daloreum Theater. The National Theater of Korea’s upcoming screenings of the two theater masterpieces are imports from National Theatre Live, the Royal National Theater’s program launched in 2009 to broadcast live performances of British theater works and

• Social affairs

  

  Student hospitalized after Grand Canyon fall to return home

  Park Joon-hyuk, a 25-year-old university student who was hospitalized after a fall at the Grand Canyon National Park in the US, will return to Korea on Friday afternoon with the help of citizens and aviation company authorities. 　Park boarded Korean Air KE006A on Thursday at 11:40 a.m., US time, at the Las Vegas McCarran International Airport. His flight is scheduled to arrive at Incheon around 5:39 p.m. The flight was originally scheduled to arrive early Friday morning, but heavy snow in Las Ve

• Music

  

  BTS launches online archive 'Armypedia' to reach out to fans

  Global K-pop phenomenon BTS has launched an online archive, inspired by its dedicated fans around the world, where their fans, known as Army, can get together to record memories from the band's six-year career, the band's management agency said Friday."Armypedia" at www.armypedia.net has gone online and will officially go into operation starting on Monday to gather together BTS fans to collectively record memorable moments of the six years since BTS' debut on June 13, 2013, according to Big Hit

LATEST NEWS

• 

  Foreign Affairs

  N. Korean leader departs for Hanoi by train: report

  North Korean leader Kim Jong-un departed for Hanoi by train on Saturday for a summit with US President Donald Trump, a news report said.Kim's train left Pyongyang around 5 p.m. local time and is expected to travel through China all the way to Vietnam, Tass news agency reported from Pyongyang, citing an unidentified source. (Yonhap)Kim and Trump are set to hold their second summit on Feb. 27-28.The report said that the train will travel around 4,500 kilometers to Hanoi, which will take over 48 ho

• 

  Foreign Affairs

  N. Korea has long way to go to denuclearize, Yongbyon offer 'significant': ex-CIA official

  North Korea has a long way to go to dismantle its nuclear weapons program, but its offer to shut down the Yongbyon facility is a "significant" step, a former U.S. intelligence official said Friday.(Yonhap)Andrew Kim, who retired in December as head of the Central Intelligence Agency's Korea Mission Center, said North Koreans had complained to him that they weren't getting due credit for the steps they took to honor their denuclearization commitment after the first U.S.-North Korea summit in June

• 

  Education

  S. Korea's average foodstuff price rises sharply in Q4 on summer heat

  The average price of foodstuff in South Korea increased sharply in the fourth quarter of 2018 compared with other major advanced countries, data showed Saturday, apparently due to the scorching summer heat last year. (Yonhap)According to the data compiled by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and Statistics Korea, the average price of foodstuff in South Korea went up 5.1 percent on-year in the October-December period of 2018.It marked the second highest rise compared with

• 

  Foreign Affairs

  Bolton cancels trip to S. Korea: White House

  U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton has canceled his planned visit to South Korea ahead of next week's summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, a White House spokesperson said Friday.(Yonhap)"Ambassador Bolton has canceled his travel to the Republic of Korea to focus on events in Venezuela," the National Security Council spokesperson told Yonhap News Agency on condition of anonymity.A diplomatic source in Seoul earlier told Yonhap, "The White House h

• 

  Foreign Affairs

  Pompeo to travel to Vietnam for summit Feb. 26-28

  U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to Vietnam next week for the second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the State Department said Friday.(Yonhap)Pompeo is scheduled to be in Hanoi Feb. 26-28 to participate in the summit and bilateral meetings with Vietnamese leaders, the department said in a statement.The summit is scheduled for Feb. 27 and 28.Pompeo will also travel to Manila, Philippines, Feb. 28 and March 1 to meet with President Rod

• 

  Foreign Affairs

  Trump says troop withdrawal not on summit agenda

  U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that withdrawing troops from South Korea will not be discussed during his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.(Yonhap)Trump and Kim are set to meet in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Feb. 27 and28 to discuss the dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear weapons program.There have been concerns that the U.S. president will agree to draw down American troops in South Korea as part of a deal with the North."No, it's not, no. It is not a consideration," Trump said at

• 

  North Korea

  Inter-Korean forestry cooperation could make progress 'faster': PM

  South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said Friday that inter-Korean cooperation in the forestry sector could make progress faster than any other joint economic project.He made the remarks while visiting a farming association corporation in Buyeo, South Chungcheong Province."As North Korea needs to produce food and reforest its territory at the same time, the fruit trees that we have improved could play a useful role," Lee said. Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon looks around a food processing factory

• 

  Industry

  NCSoft developing voice command function for mobile games

  NCSoft introduced three future technologies Friday at a media event in Gangnam, Seoul, saying it intends to unveil them by the end of this year. The company’s artificial intelligence center is currently developing hands-free voice command technology, a master server to unite all 160 servers of “LineageM,” and an “unconnected play” function that will allow game characters to remain active and keep developing even when players are offline. Media event for “LineageM” took place in Seoul on Friday.

• 

  World Business

  VietJet to sign major Boeing deal during Trump-Kim summit: sources

  Fast-growing Vietnamese budgetairline VietJet Aviation JSC is expected to sign amajor jet deal with Boeing Co on the sidelines of nextweek's Trump-Kim summit, according to sources familiar with the matter.US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will hold their second summit in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi on Feb 27-28.Holding a signing ceremony during Trump's visit would help emphasize strengthening economic and military ties between the United States and Vietnam. Boeing

• 

  Social affairs

  US missionaries speak out against controversial Gwangju Uprising comments

  US missionaries who lived in Gwangju through the May 18 Democratization Movement in 1980 sent a letter to National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang on Friday, referring to controversial remarks from far-right figures as “blatantly false.”“It was not an organized movement -- it was an illicit assault upon our city of 800,000 people by military forces under the control of Chun Doo-Hwan. … Believe us, we know what happened in Gwangju -- we were eye-witnesses, and we recorded what we saw and experienc

GRAPHIC NEWS

OPINION

• Columnists

  

  Why US and China can’t make a deal

  Optimism that the US and China can reach a trade deal is rising, with another round of intensive negotiations in Washington this week. What buoyant investors are ignoring, however, is that the talks have become a test of strength between the world’s two great powers -- or, more accurately, a test of how accurate each nation’s sense of its own strength is.　The inconvenient fact is that neither country possesses the power to impose its will on the other. The US is not on its own capable of compell

• Columnists

  

  Gwangju deniers damage democracy

  In Gwangju for the first time a few years ago, I walked down Geumnanro, the site of violent clashes between Gwangju locals and troops enforcing martial law on May 18, 1980. Events were being held on the broad avenue closed off to traffic for the day -- a play, a concert and a samulnori performance to name but a few, all commemorating the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement. There were few people in attendance, but that didn’t seem to matter. These were people remembering the massacre in whic

THE INVESTOR

• Deals

  

  Netmarble, Kakao, global PEFs bid for Nexon takeover

  Kakao, Netmarble Games and a couple of leading private equity funds participated in a preliminary bid for Korea’s largest game developer, Nexon, industry sources said Feb. 22. Initially, the deal -- estimated to be worth between 10 trillion won (US$8.88 billion) and 13 trillion won -- was expected to draw offers from global PEFs and substantial foreign companies like Tencent and Disney. But at the last minute, some such as Affinity Equity Partners, KKR and The Carlyle Group withdrew, while inves

• Startups & Investors

  

  WeWork Korea to open 18th location in Seoul in July

  Office-sharing platform company WeWork announced on Feb. 22 that it would open its 18th shared office in Seoul in July. The new location in Seolleung in southern Seoul, which will occupy the entire 20th floor of a building in the district, can accommodate up to 2,700 members — the second largest in size in Korea after WeWork Euljiro in northern Seoul, which can house up to 2,800 members.The building in Seolleung district that WeWork Korea will use for its 18th location.With the opening of the ne

• Industrials

  

  SK hynix moves to clear red tape for chip cluster

  SK hynix is taking steps to overcome the red tape for creating the world’s biggest semiconductor cluster in the Yongin area of Gyeonggi ProvinceOn Feb. 22, the Trade, Industry and Energy Ministry said it plans to ask the Land Ministry to ease the regulations that restrict factory building in the wider Seoul area by next month. If approved, it would mark the first occasion that the Moon Jae-in administration has relaxed such rules. 　The reports come a day after the world’s No. 2 chipmaker said it

• Samsung

  

  Analysts split on whether Samsung Galaxy Fold can be a game changer

  Samsung Electronics’ first foldable smartphone Galaxy Fold impressed some, but naysayers are saying that the phone may not be as big a game changer as Apple’s first iPhone. Meritz Securities, in particular, dished out one of the harshest reviews on the foldable phone by saying the newly unveiled product is far from perfect. Samsung Electronics mobile chief Koh Dong-jin introduces the firm's first foldable smartphone Galaxy Fold during the launch event held on Feb. 20 (local time) in San Fracisco

K-POP HERALD

• 

  ‘Save Me,’ Episode 7, recap

• 

  ‘BTS’ spirit cannot be duplicated’

• 

  50 facts about V of BTS

HERALD INTERVIEW

• Music

  

  Nobody can imitate our powerfulness: Monsta X

• Economy

  

  SK Innovation’s participation to bring better understanding of EV in US city

• Industry

  

  ‘4th industrial revolution’ technologies now crucial for customs clearance

• Foreign Policy

  

  Peace treaty for Korean Peninsula should be on agenda for Trump-Kim summit, peace activist says

PHOTO NEWS

• Culture

  

  Traditional Korean culture alive at King’s Street

  It’s easy to spot beautiful palaces when you walk around Seoul, a city that blends modern and traditional Korean cultures. Changdeokgung, a royal palace built in 1405, is among them. Donhwanum is the main gate of Changdeokgung, the second royal palace built in 1405. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)The palace Changdeokgung viewed from above. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)Visitors clad in traditional Korean hanbok take pictures in front of Donhwamun. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)The main gate

VIDEO

• Automode

  

  Hyundai Motor chief makes video debut on Nexo

• Industry

  

  Netmarble eyes growing business in Thailand

• Social affairs

  

  Contract worker’s funeral held two months after death

• Television

  

  Lee Na-young, Lee Jong-suk to show romance in publishing industry in new rom-com

FEATURES

• Food

  

  Hide and Seek, new, not-quite-underground bakery-deli

  Baked goods, sandwiches and salads at Darling Kitchen offshoot

• Finance

  

  US’ decision on Bitcoin ETF to set mood for Korea‘s cryptocurrency market

  The bearish global cryptocurrency market has prompted investors to turn their attention to “safer” bitcoin exchange-traded funds. But South Korean institutions have kept a tight leash on the whole cryptocurrency industry, instead observing the US’ steps for the time being.“The US has been the front-runner on the cryptocurrency market and related derivatives, and there are strong voices supporting the launch of bitcoin ETFs within the market -- which is why we are observing the progress and respo

• Industry

  

  Iranian firm likely to seize assets of Korean firms amid dispute

  An Iranian business group is seeking to seize the overseas assets of Korean firms after winning a suit against the South Korean government in an investor-state dispute case, according to the financial regulator Wednesday.Enterkhab, owned by Iran’s Mohammad Reza Dayyani, recently got international court approval at Rotterdam, the Netherland, to seize assets of Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, KEB Hana Bank and others, according to officials.The compensation dispute between the Iranian company

• Defense

  

  Military changing to embrace diversity

  Negative attitudes remain to be tackled