Assembly votes to let court decide on opposition chief’s arrest warrant

The National Assembly on Thursday voted to pass the motion for a possible arrest warrant that removed the protective immunity of Democratic Party of Korea leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung on day 22 of his hunger strike against the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. The motion’s passage gives the court the Assembly’s permission to decide whether to issue an arrest warrant for Lee, who is a criminal suspect in three corruption cases and a defendant in two ongoing criminal trials. In a plenary sess

PoliticsSept. 21, 2023

Han Sung Motors wins five trophies in Mercedes-Benz Korea contest

Han Sung Motor, the local importer and distributor of Mercedes-Benz, said Thursday it has won five events in this year’s “Korea TechMaster,” a technician competition held by the German brand. Since 2007, Mercedes-Benz Korea has run the Korea TechMaster competition every two years with the aim of further ramping up the brand’s expertise and customer services. Following the preliminary round attended by 969 service center employees, only 40 people remained in the final tour

IndustrySept. 21, 2023

Khanfilter eyes global expansion with innovative air purifier

Khanfilter, a South Korean supplier of high-performance air filters, has seen early success with its air purifier that uses automotive technology to help it remove over 90 percent of odor and particle matter without losing performance in challenging environments. Traditional filters exhibit a sharp decline in performance when exposed to water vapors or oil mist, a common condition in kitchen spaces. However, Khanfilter’s flagship indoor air purifier Khanpure has provided a timely solutio

IndustrySept. 21, 2023

[Herald Interview] Global publishers' take on Korean literature

The K-Literature Fellowship, an initiative organized by the Literature Translation Institute of Korea to promote Korean literature overseas, has been bringing international publishers and literary agents to Seoul since 2018. Over 70 global publishing companies have participated in the program so far, resulting in the publication of some 100 Korean literary works worldwide. This year, the fellowship invited 15 publishing houses from 11 countries to Seoul, where they joined 14 Korean publishers an

BooksSept. 21, 2023

S. Korea slaps sanction on NK defense minister

The South Korean government on Thursday handed out the world's first unilateral sanction on North Korea's defense minister, who had accompanied North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on his recent trip to Russia. The financial sanctions also targeted other individuals and entities allegedly involved in illicit arms and financial transactions with third party countries, most notably Russia. The announcement of sanctions appears to be a tit-for-tat response to indications of illicit military tr

Foreign AffairsSept. 21, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink’s Rose only one to renew with label: report

Of the four members of Blackpink, only Rose renewed her contract with label YG Entertainment, according to a local media report on Thursday. The rest of the foursome will find new agencies but are likely to set aside six months out of a year for group activities, it added. The management firm denied reports that it is still in discussion with all four members. The quartet’s exclusive contract with YG expired in early August. Although fans have been awaiting confirmation on whether the sup

K-popSept. 21, 2023

Asiana Airlines tops customer satisfaction index

Asiana Airlines, South Korea’s second-biggest carrier, said Thursday it received the top marks from a high-rated customer satisfaction index, for ninth consecutive year. According to Asiana, it was ranked No. 1 in the aviation sector of 2023 Korean Customer Satisfaction Index Awards held at Jung-gu, Seoul. This is the 25th time Asiana Airlines has won the category since the customer survey for the aviation sector was first initiated in 1995. Organized by Korea Management Association Consul

IndustrySept. 21, 2023

Parliament passes arrest motion against opposition leader, dismissal motion against PM

The National Assembly on Thursday passed a motion seeking parliamentary consent to the potential arrest of opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, while also passing another motion calling for the dismissal of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. In a 149-136 vote during a plenary session, the Assembly passed the motion to lift arrest immunity for Lee of the main opposition Democratic Party (Democratic Party), who faces breach of trust, bribery and other charges in connection with a scandal-ridden land develop

PoliticsSept. 21, 2023

Fantasy Boys look forward to 'new tomorrow' with debut album

Fantasy Boys embarked on its journey as K-pop artists with its debut album “New Tomorrow” on Thursday. The group consists of 11 members who are among the top 12 finalists from MBC’s idol survival program “Fantasy Boys.” “Because our fans have supported us through the program up until now, we were able to introduce our debut album. With this album, we want to show that each of our members is talented in their own way,” said member Hong Sungmin during a pr

K-popSept. 21, 2023

SPC Samlip to showcase K-desserts at int'l food fair

South Korean confectionery company SPC Samlip has joined global food trade fair Anuga to promote Korean dessert products, the company said Thursday. Anuga is an annual food trade fair held in Cologne, Germany. This year’s edition will run between Oct. 7-11, featuring around 8,000 companies from 100 countries. During the fair, which will attract over 100,000 visitors, SPC Samlip will introduce its 53 products, ranging from yakgwa (deep-fried honey cookies) to hotteok (sweet pancakes with br

IndustrySept. 21, 2023

[Herald Interview] Next & Bio aims to build Asia’s largest library of organoids

South Korean biotech company Next & Bio, which specializes in developing organoid-based medicine solutions, aims to build the largest organoid library in Asia, its CEO told The Korea Herald in a recent interview. Organoids are cell-based in vitro models that mimic many aspects of the complex structure and function of the corresponding human organs. Organoid-based systems have been recently spotlighted as alternatives to animal experimentation in clinical research and precision medicine. &ldq

IndustrySept. 21, 2023

[Photo News] For 2030 Busan World Expo

Hyundai Motor Group is promoting South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan with the automaker's electric vehicles -- the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 -- bearing the slogan "Busan is ready" near Duffy Square, north of New York's Times Square. The Group has been driving the specially painted vehicles around the city during the UN General Assembly, which is taking place in the city this week. (Hyundai Motor Group)

MobilitySept. 21, 2023

Seoul plans to modernize Dongseoul Bus Terminal

Dongseoul Bus Terminal, located in Gwangjin-gu, eastern Seoul, is to be redeveloped into a sailboat-shaped mixed-use development, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s “100-Year Urban Planning Initiative.” The announcement comes after Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon visited New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal, part of Manhattan's Hudson Yards, an 11-hectare, $25 billion real estate development on top of a mid-19th-century railyard with housing, office buildi

Social AffairsSept. 21, 2023

Finance Minister Choo warns of 'higher for longer' rates

Financial Minister Choo Kyung-ho said Thursday high interest rates could persist for longer than expected in response to the US Federal Reserve’s decision to hold its policy rates steady earlier in the day. The US Federal Open Market Committee kept its policy rates unchanged at 5.25-5.5 percent, maintaining the rate gap between South Korea and the US at up to 2 percentage points. The Bank of Korea’s current base rate stands at 3.5 percent. “The FOMC decision shows high rates co

EconomySept. 21, 2023

[News Focus] What are the implications of Yoon naming Russia before NK?

President Yoon Suk Yeol's speech at the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday raised the possibility that Yoon has made it official that North Korea now stands behind Russia in terms of Seoul's priority in foreign relations, which could signal a downturn ahead in the inter-Korean relationship. As the South Korean leader warned North Korea not to pursue information and technology from Russia needed to enhance its weapons-of-mass-destruction capabilities, in ret

North KoreaSept. 21, 2023

Broadcom slapped with W1.91b fine for abusing market power in Korea

South Korea’s antitrust regulator said Thursday it is imposing a fine of 19.1 billion won ($14.2 million) on US chipmaker Broadcom, along with a corrective order, for its unfair business activities against Samsung Electronics. The move came as the US chipmaker forced Samsung to sign a long-term contract to use its telecommunications components in 2020 by abusing its market dominance and using unlawful tactics, including cutting off its supply and technical support, the Fair Trade Commissio

TechnologySept. 21, 2023

Hana Financial launches 24/7 day care centers

Hana Financial Group announced Thursday it will launch a five-year project, Hana-run day care centers, that are open 365 days, even 24 hours a day, with the aim of reversing South Korea’s continually falling birth rate. This new project is a part of the program, Hana Life Journey Support, which strives to alleviate the struggles shared by families going through life-changing events such as marriage, childbirth and aging. Aiming to tackle the nation’s record-low birth rate, Hana has f

IndustrySept. 21, 2023

KG Mobility vows to export 200,000 cars by 2026

KG Mobility on Thursday vowed to sell 200,000 cars in global markets by 2026, expanding its global networks from the Asia-Pacific region to Europe. The South Korean carmaker’s planned sales target consists of 200,000 exports -- 100,000 cars and 100,000 units of complete knock-downs -- unassembled car parts -- and 120,000 units of domestic sales in the citied period. “Based on the cumulative $1 billion exports, we are expected to be awarded as one of the Korean companies to have con

MobilitySept. 21, 2023

Russia-NK military ties could lead to sanctions, Seoul says

South Korea will consider imposing unilateral sanctions as a viable course of action should concrete evidence of illicit military cooperation between North Korea and Russia be confirmed, Seoul's vice foreign minister said Thursday. Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin emphasized that Russia's potential transfer of technologies to enhance North Korea's weapons of mass destruction would constitute a "serious violation of UN Security Council resolutions" if confirmed. "T

Foreign AffairsSept. 21, 2023