President Moon Jae-in is not a “lame duck” yet, but in the final stretch of his term he will need COVID-19 vaccines to win back public support, which has plummeted to record lows. Moon has to confront a number of hot-button issues this year, ranging from the coronavirus to the controversy over whether he should grant pardons to two former presidents. It is also likely that he will seek a breakth...

President Moon Jae-in started the year stressing a goal of reaching carbon neutrality during the unveiling of the nation’s new low-carbon, high-speed train -- the KTX-Eum -- in Wonju, Gangwon Province, Monday. “This year will mark the first year of the nation’s adoption of low-carbon, eco-friendly trains,” Moon said, calling trains key to the government’s push for sustainable growth with innovat...

Later in the day, Moon also announced three minister nominees – Rep. Park Beom-kye of the Democratic Party for justice minister, Rep. Han Jeoung-ae, also from the ruling party, for environment minister and Hwang Ki-chul, a chair professor at Kookmin University, for patriots and veterans affairs minister. Park, a former judge and a three-term lawmaker, will be replacing Minister Choo Mi-ae, who o...

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday nominated a former judge to head the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, a new body handling corruption among senior government officials like prosecutors. After the confirmation hearing report is passed at the National Assembly within 20 days, the new anti-corruption agency, key to the president’s prosecutorial reform, will finally kick...

President Moon Jae-in and other high-ranking government officials will not take salary raises next year, given the economic crisis arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Moon, the highest-paid government official in the nation, will be paid 238.23 million won ($218,095) next year, while Prime Minister Chung Se-kyun will be second with 184.69 million won. The Ministry of Personnel Management recent...

President Moon Jae-in expressed high hopes Tuesday for the imminent launch of a new investigative body that will be tasked with looking into corruption among high-level government officials, such as prosecutors and presidents. Setting up the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, independent from the state prosecution office, is one of Moon’s main campaign pledges and is key...

[케이팝헤럴드(코리아헤럴드)=안성미기자] 코리아헤럴드의 케이팝전문매체 케이팝헤럴드 (Kpop Herald, www.kpopherald.com)가 트위터가 새롭게 선보이는 프리미엄콘텐츠 수익화사업의 국내 파트너사로 선정됐다. 트위터코리아는 29일 보도자료를 내고 광고주들이 트위터 플랫폼에서 케이팝 관련 동영상콘텐츠에 광고를 집행할 수 있는 ‘인스트림 비디오광고(In-stream Video Ads, IVA)’ 서비스를 런칭하고 파트너사를 공개했다. IVA는 트위터가 인증한 프리미엄 비디오콘텐츠 앞에 동영상광고를 삽입해 광고효과를 높이는 서비스로 지난 10월 서비스를 시작했다. 이번 한국출시에 맞춰 케이팝, 드라마 등 한국관련 콘텐츠로 영역을 확장하게 됐다. 트위터코리아 글로벌콘텐츠파트너쉽 김연...

Samsung Group acquired K-Twin Tower, 22-story twin buildings in central Seoul, for a whopping 720 billion won ($620 million) in February. It was a rare purchase for the nation’s largest conglomerate that has been busy selling off its own office buildings in the city center. The central location and big name tenants like Microsoft and Kim & Chang, Korea’s top law firm, were attractive enough but ...

[ THE INVESTOR ] South Korea’s National Pension Service, the largest shareholder of Samsung Electronics , said on Oct. 21 it will vote in favor of the nomination of Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong to the company’s board of directors. The 48-year-old Lee, the only son of the ailing Samsung patriarch, Chairman Lee Kun-hee , was nominated to join the board in September and it will be put to a vo...

[ THE INVESTOR ] Local analysts on Oct. 6 said Elliott Management’s demand for separation of Samsung Electronics and big shareholder payout will be giving a good reason for Samsung Group to speed up the ongoing business restructuring ahead of a pending leadership transfer to a new generation. “Elliott’s demands include most of the process that Samsung is expected to experience in its ongoin...

[ THE INVESTOR ] The Fair Trade Commission said on Sept. 29 that it has decided to impose a 7.17 billion won (US$6.50 million) fine on CJ CGV , CJ Group’s multiplex theater chain, for illegal trading with an affiliate owned by an owner family member. The antitrust watchdog said it has found that JS Communications, an ad unit 100 percent owned by CJ Group Chairman Lee Jay-hyun ’s younger ...

[THE INVESTOR] A group of 14 consumers on Sept. 28 filed a lawsuit against AmorePacific Chairman Suh Kyung-bae following the recent revelation that the beauty giant’s 11 toothpaste products contained toxic chemicals. The chemicals -- methylisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone -- were used in a preservative, called sodium lauryl sulfate, for the company’s popular Median and Songyeom too...

[THE INVESTOR] Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin on Sept. 28 appeared before a Seoul court where judges reviewed an arrest warrant request for him. Shin, 61, is facing embezzlement and breach of trust charges worth about 200 billion won (US$180 million) in a probe into the retail giant’s corruption and slush fund creation scandal. “I will respond to the judges sincerely,” he told reporters...

[THE INVESTOR] Prosecutors on Sept. 26 requested an arrest warrant for Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin in their ongoing probe into the retail giant’s mounting corruption scandal. The Lotte chief, 61, is facing embezzlement and breach of trust charges worth 200 billion won (US$180 million). Sources say his detainment will be decided on Sept. 28, adding that other owner family members -- ...