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[Graphic News] Korea has 33m pay TV subscribers: ICT Ministry

　The number of pay TV subscribers in South Korea reached 33 million in the first six months of the year - up 540,000, or 1.67 percent, from the second half of last year - data from the Ministry of Science and ICT showed.　The figure includes paid subscriptions to system operators, satellite broadcasting services and internet protocol television service providers.　Fixed-line and telecom operator KT had the largest market share, over 21.4 percent, with just under 7.1 million subscribers. SK Broadba

Korean drug safety authority reviewing metformin

The Korean drug safety authority said Monday that it is directly reviewing products containing metformin, the Type 2 diabetes treatment whose commercialized variants in Singapore have been tested to contain an unacceptable level of a cancer-causing impurity. This impurity, called N-nitrosodimethylamine, or NDMA, was found in three out of 46 metformin finished products sold in Singapore. Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority recalled the products. Metformin is widely used to treat Type 2 di

Today
Industry
‘Prosecution suggested absence of ex-president at trial‘

The prosecution suggested former President Chun Doo-hwan, on trial on libel charges in connection with his role in the crackdown of the 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising, be absent from the court, his lawyer said Monday. The 88-year-old former Army general, who seized power in a military coup on Dec. 12, 1979, and served as president from 1980 to 1988, was absent from a hearing held Monday at the Gwangju District Court. He has not attended court proceedings, citing frail health.The mo

Today
Social affairs
CICI announces Korea Image Awards winners

The Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI) announced on Monday this year’s Korea Image Awards winners -- SK Telecom, K-pop columnist Jeff Benjamin and jazz vocalist Nah Youn-sun. SK Telecom was awarded the Korea Image Stepping Stone Award for its efforts to commercialize 5G technology worldwide as the nation’s top mobile carrier. SKT CEO Park Jung-ho will be given the award on behalf of the company, according to CICI. The award ceremony will be held Jan. 14 at InterContinent

Today
People
FOC assessment for OPCON transfer is most important task next year: defense minister

Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo called Monday for the military to thoroughly prepare for next year’s assessment for the transfer of wartime operational control from Washington. Presiding over the second meeting to assess the military’s preparedness for the envisioned OPCON transfer, Jeong highlighted the military should be aware that the most important task next year is to successfully complete the Full Operational Capability assessment. Seoul and Washington have been working

Today
Defense
Trial for Cho Kuk relative begins

Former Justice Minister Cho Kuk’s relative Cho Beom-dong on Monday denied embezzlement charges raised against him during the first hearing of his trial in connection with the corruption allegations that led to the former minister’s resignation. Cho Beom-dong, 36, was indicted in October on a number of charges, including embezzlement, over his role in ethically questionable investments in a private equity fund in which the ex-minister’s wife and other family members had in

Today
Social affairs
LTI Korea awards recognize excellence in literary translation

The Literature Translation Institute of Korea announced on Monday the winners of its translation awards this year, recognizing their contributions to the promotion of Korean literature worldwide. The 17th LTI Korea Translation Awards went to Yoon Sun-me, who translated Han Kang’s novel “Human Acts” into Spanish as “Actos Humanos”; Sora Kim-Russel, who translated Kim Un-su’s novel “The Plotters” into English; and Li San-lun and Kim Hwan, who transla

Today
People
[Newsmaker] Cho Kuk appears for questioning in power abuse probe

Former Justice Minister Cho Kuk appeared at the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office for questioning Monday. While in charge of the Blue House civil affairs and justice office, Cho is accused of wrongly suspending an internal investigation of former Busan Vice Mayor Yoo Jae-soo in 2017, then a senior official at the Financial Services Commission. In detention, Yoo was indicted Friday.Prosecutors grilled Cho on his alleged involvement in the abrupt cessation of the internal inspe

Today
Politics
Korea's trade volume exceeds $1tr mark for 3rd year

South Korea's annual trade volume exceeded the $1 trillion mark for a third consecutive year on Monday despite growing protectionism around the globe, the trade ministry said.Accordingly, South Korea is anticipated to remain as the ninth-largest player in terms of trade for the seventh consecutive year, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The annual trade volume first hovered above the mark in 2011, but the country failed to attain the threshold in 2015 and 2016 amid global

Today
Economy
[Zev Chafets] Israel will not be third time lucky

Against all expectations, political logic and basic commonsense, Israel’s major parties have refused to form a unity government, and are dragging an irate public back for a third national election in less than a year.The contest, scheduled for March 3, will likely reprise the two previous stalemates. Early polls show that the underlying electoral arithmetic hasn’t changed. Israel suffers from the same sort of polarization that currently afflicts many other democracies. It is a recipe

Today
Viewpoints
[Lionel Laurent] EU prepares for next Brexit punch-up

After a year of gridlock in Westminster that has frustrated the UK’s attempts to leave the European Union on amicable terms, British voters have handed Prime Minister Boris Johnson a thumping majority to do just that. They might also be handing Brussels a tough new competitor on Europe’s doorstep.This is sobering for the EU, which is on course to lose an important economic and defense partner worth 14 percent of the bloc’s gross domestic product. It could have been much worse,

Today
Viewpoints
[Editorial] Proper choice

In selecting the next PM, Moon should overcome pressure from support base

Today
Editorial
[News Focus] Who should pay for cleanup of former US military bases?

Koreans criticize their government’s decision to pay now, negotiate later

Today
Defense
From time-tested to new productions, diverse musicals on offer in 2020

‘Aida’ bids farewell, ‘Mamma Mia!’ returns and ‘Jamie’ gets Asian premiereWith the year winding to a close, local production companies and theaters have been announcing the musicals set for the stage next year, with lineups including licensed international hits and locally brewed shows alike.Last month, Seensee Company launched a local production of “Aida,” which will continue through Feb. 23 at Blue Square in Yongsan, central Seoul. What is slated

Today
Theater
Hyundai’s Sonata named best sedan in Saudi Arabia

The freshly revamped Sonata by Hyundai Motor was named the best sedan at a motor show held in Saudi Arabia last week, raising prospects for its sales performance in the Middle East.In a vote by a group of auto journalists in the country Sonata won high scores in overall categories that examined the sedan’s design, safety technology and entertainment features, the company said. The result came amid the carmaker expanding its presence in the region’s largest auto market of 400,000-500,

Today
Industry

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