S. Korean Ji Yu-chan grabs stunning swimming gold

  HANGZHOU, China -- South Korean swimmer Ji Yu-chan soared to a shock gold medal in the men's 50-meter freestyle at the Asian Games here Monday. Ji won his first career Asiad gold with an Asian Games record time of 21.72 seconds at Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Aquatic Sports Arena in Hangzhou. He beat out Ho Ian Yentou of Hong Kong by 0.15 second. The reigning 100m freestyle champion, Pan Zhanle of China, took the bronze in 21.92 seconds. Ji's was South Korea's first swimming gold medal

More SportsSept. 25, 2023

Jang Jun wins gold in men's -58kg taekwondo at Hangzhou

HANGZHOU, China -- South Korea's Jang Jun claimed the gold medal in his first Asiad taekwondo appearance, winning the men's -58kg title at the 19th Asian Games in China on Monday. He defeated Mahdi Hajimousaeinafouti of Iran 2-0 in the gold medal match for the men's -58kg competition at Lin'an Sports Culture & Exhibition Centre in the host city of Hangzhou. The victory brought Jang the first Asiad medal and South Korea the third gold from the Korean martial art followin

More SportsSept. 25, 2023

S. Korean Lee Joon-hwan wins silver in judo

HANGZHOU, China -- South Korea's Lee Joon-hwan grabbed silver in men's judo at the 19th Asian Games in China on Monday, one of three judo medals for the country on Day 2 of the medal race. Lee lost to Somon Makhmadbekov of Tajikistan by waza-ari, or a half point, in the final of the men's -81kg event at Xiaoshan Linpu Gymnasium in Hangzhou on Monday. Makhmadbekov scored his decisive point with Harai-goshi-gaeshi, or a hip sweep counter, at the 2:14 mark. Lee struggled to mount m

More SportsSept. 25, 2023

[Herald Interview] As a wanderer, Yoshitomo Nara does not confine himself to art

Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara has returned to Seoul, bringing with him ceramic works that are a departure from his iconic paintings of children most people here are familiar with. The artist broke the long-held perception in Seoul about his works at the exhibition “Yoshitomo Nara: Ceramic Works” at Pace Gallery in Hannam-dong, central Seoul. One might be baffled upon encountering these monochromatic ceramic works rather than his paintings of wide-eyed children, which were last displ

Arts & DesignSept. 25, 2023

Seoul city hosts World Cities Summit Mayors Forum

The first Mayors' Forum of the 12th biennial World Cities Summit Mayors Forum took place on Monday at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in eastern Seoul. "I am pleased to discuss sustainable and inclusive cities in Seoul, where 'accompanying the weak' is a core value," said Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon while delivering his welcoming remarks at the forum on Monday. Oh also shared the city government's policy achievements with "Seoul Learn," an online learning platform for

Social AffairsSept. 25, 2023

Opposition leader to attend court hearing on arrest warrant

Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung will attend an upcoming court hearing on his arrest warrant on corruption charges, his party said Monday. The hearing to be held Tuesday at the Seoul Central District Court will mark his first public appearance since ending a 24-day hunger strike on Saturday. Lee, the chair of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), will be accompanied by his lawyer for the hearing, DP spokesperson Kwon Chil-seung said in a briefing. Lee has been under medical treatment after h

PoliticsSept. 25, 2023

[Photo News] PM Han at Dondeokjeon opening

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo (second from right) participates in a brushwork painting performance at the opening ceremony of Dondeokjeon in Seoul on Monday. Dondeokjeon, a Western-style building at Deoksugung, opened to the public Tuesday following a six-year restoration. The building was once used as a royal guesthouse and venue for diplomatic events during the Korean Empire (1897-1910). The two-story structure, built between 1902 and 1903 during the reign of King Gojong to commemorate the 40th

CultureSept. 25, 2023

Reconstructed Dondeokjeon hall in Deoksu Palace to open to public

Dondeokjeon, a historic Western-style building in Seoul's Deoksu Palace used as a royal guesthouse during the Korean Empire (1897-1910), will open to the public Tuesday after being reconstructed in its original shape, the Cultural Heritage Administration said. The reconstruction was part of the agency's broader plan to restore the original states of royal palaces, which were damaged during the 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. The two-story building, known to have

CultureSept. 25, 2023

Inter-Korean military agreement should be abolished: defense chief nominee

South Korea's defense minister nominee has said the inter-Korean military agreement should be abolished in light of its adverse security implications for South Korea in a written statement submitted to the National Assembly. The nominee, Rep. Shin Won-sik of the ruling People Power Party, who previously served as a three-star general, repeatedly reiterated his critical stance on the inter-Korean comprehensive military agreement that was signed on Sept. 19 during the inter-Korean summit in 2

DefenseSept. 25, 2023

Seoul prepares for first major military parade in ten years

For the first time in a decade, Seoul citizens will witness a large-scale military parade, with tanks and armed forces marching across the city center Tuesday amid escalating tensions with North Korea. Major thoroughfares will be closed throughout the day for the event celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Korean Armed Forces' founding, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced on Sept. 20. The march will commence at the Seoul Air Base at 1:30 p.m. following a memorial ceremony. From

Social AffairsSept. 25, 2023

[Photo News] Cultural diplomacy

The Greek Embassy and Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI) co-hosted a forum acknowledging the growth of social media communication as part of an initiative to strengthen cultural diplomacy at the Greek ambassador’s residence in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, on Tuesday. The event was attended by members of the diplomatic corps, CICI members, the media and members of the Greek community in Korea. (CICI)

Foreign AffairsSept. 25, 2023

[Herald Interview] S&P economist tells Korea to brace for worst-case scenario with China

China’s economic slowdown could deteriorate more than initially projected, increasing the strain on Korea’s export-reliant growth in the short term, an economist from S&P projected. “The number one issue (in China) has to do with private sector debt and over-leveraging. That is a problem that has been building for more than a decade," Diego Iribarren from S&P Global Market Intelligence said in an interview held in the company’s office in central Seoul on Sept

EconomySept. 25, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Seventeen takes down teaser for 11th EP

The teaser video for Seventeen’s 11th EP was brought down on Sunday, said agency Pledis Entertainment. The Beijing version of the trailer for “Svt Right Here,” one of the promotions for the EP “Seventeenth Heaven,” was uploaded on Saturday. It portrayed chamomile flowers bloom against the backdrop of the Great Wall of China. Some fans, however, pointed out that it was insensitive considering that China is strictly against content set against its cultural heritage.

K-popSept. 25, 2023

SKT, OpenAI hold AI competition for social good

SK Telecom said on Monday that it successfully wrapped up its international AI competition, “Prompter Day Seoul 2023,” held in partnership with OpenAI. The event’s theme centered around building AI innovations beneficial to humanity. The two-day event first had 226 teams proposing concepts leveraging OpenAI's generative AI model. After online qualifiers, 20 of these teams showcased their AI innovations at Dreamplus Gangnam, a shared office space in Seoul on Saturday and Su

TechnologySept. 25, 2023

[Howard Davies] Bank supervision: Quality matters

Bank capital is back in the financial headlines. In late July, US banking regulators, led by the Federal Reserve, announced plans to finalize the so-called Basel 3 reforms (which banks like to call Basel 4, owing to their significant impact). The aim, according to a joint agency proposal, is “to improve the strength and resilience of the banking system” by modifying large capital requirements to better reflect underlying risks, and by applying more transparent and consistent requirem

ViewpointsSept. 25, 2023

Samsung Biologics attends CSLA investor forum

Samsung Biologics said Monday the company participated in CSLA's flagship investor forum which was held in Hong Kong on Sept. 11-14, to promote the company’s vision and business strategy. The investors’ forum, one of the largest of its kind in Asia, is held by CLSA, an institutional broker and investment group owned by CITIC Securities. Around 400 Asian companies and some 3,000 people from the industry joined the latest edition of the forum. Samsung Biologics was the only Korean

IndustrySept. 25, 2023

4th Global Biz Forum kicks off to discuss 'next prosperity'

The fourth edition of The Korea Herald’s Global Business Forum kicked off Wednesday at Grand Hyatt Seoul, under the theme of “Next Prosperity." The 13-week forum, held every Wednesday, is aimed at discussing strategies for shaping the future prosperity and choices of Korea. Attendees of the forum share knowledge of the international community and overseas investment opportunities to expand business networks. Attending the kick-off ceremony, outgoing Indonesian Ambassador Gandi S

PeopleSept. 25, 2023