Category: Seoul, South Korea

US-Japan alliance ‘cornerstone’ of stability: Mattis1 hour ago

US Defence Secretary James Mattis today told his Japanese counterpart that their alliance remained a “cornerstone” of regional stability as he wrapped up a visit aimed at reassuring key Asian allies about Washington’s commitment to their security. Japan and the US have a decades-long security alliance while US-South Korea military ties date back to the 1950-53 Korean War.

North Korea ‘fires security chief’ in new Kim Jong Un purge

North Korea’s state security minister was sacked last month, presumably over corruption, abuse of power and torture committed by his agency, Seoul has said. A vehicle loaded with North Korean missiles during a mass military parade in Pyongyang, as it was reported that the country’s security chief has been sacked North Korea’s state security minister was sacked last month, presumably over corruption, abuse of power and torture committed by his agency, Seoul has said.

U.S., South Korea agree to deploy THAAD this year, South says

U.S. and South Korean defence chiefs have agreed to deploy a U.S. missile defence system in South Korea this year to counter the threat from North Korea, South Korea’s defence ministry said on Friday. U.S. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis is on his two-day visit to Seoul, meeting South Korean top officials including Defence Minister Han Min-koo.

South Korea president’s office block prosecutors’ searches1 hour ago

South Korean officials today turned away prosecutors trying to search the president’s mountainside compound, a confrontation that highlights the tensions of an investigation into a scandal that knocked President Park Geun-hye from power. Prosecutors want to question Park and search her presidential Blue House for more information about events that led to her impeachment in December.

NHK biased in reporting Seoul-Tokyo comfort women deal: civic groups

Japanese public broadcaster NHK was accused by local civic groups on Thursday of selectively airing misinformed opinions that were in favor of an agreement between Seoul and Tokyo on the “comfort women” issue. The groups — Violence Against Women in War Research Action Center and the National Movement for Resolving the Issue of the Military Comfort Women — held a press conference at the National Diet’s House of Representatives to address what they called NHK’s “biased program” on Jan. 24. “NHK has created a bias towards South Korea by manipulating information regarding public opinion and movement.

US Defense Secretary Mattis: Only North Korea need fear missile defense

There’s only one reason the US will deploy the THAAD missile defense system in South Korea, Defense Secretary James Mattis said Thursday as he arrived in the country on his first overseas trip as Pentagon chief. “THAAD is for defense of our allies’ people, of our troops who are committed to their defense and were it not for the provocative behavior of North Korea we would have no need for THAAD out here,” Mattis said, referring to the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system.

Ban Ki-moon abandons S. Korea presidency bid

Former United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon announces an end to his attempt to seek South Korea’s presidency at the National Assembly in Seoul on February 1, 2017. Photo: AFP Former United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon abruptly ended his attempt to seek South Korea’s presidency Wednesday, dropping a lifetime of diplomacy to denounce his country’s political establishment.

Defector: North Korean Regime Crumbling

Declaring that “Kim Jong Un’s days are numbered,” one of the highest-ranking North Korean officials to ever defect to South Korea shared rare firsthand knowledge and insight into the what he describes as the deteriorating situation inside the secretive and repressive Kim Jong Un regime. “The elite class, which had supported North Korean society, has turned their backs on Kim Jong Un.

Samsung Looks to Repair Consumer Trust

Samsung’s apology and diagnosis of the Galaxy Note 7’s battery problems marked the company’s most concerted attempt to move past its biggest recent crisis, but concerns over product safety could continue to weigh on its brand. At an event in Seoul this week, Samsung blamed the overheating of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones on problems with the manufacturing and design of the device’s batteries.

Samsung says batteries caused Note 7 fires, delays new phone

SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of – Samsung Electronics says flaws in the design and production of batteries used in its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone, not its hardware or software, made it prone to catch fire. Samsung said Monday that it was responsible for not ensuring the design specifications given to its suppliers were failsafe but believed its investigation into the problem would help the entire industry counter overheating risks with lithium batteries.

A Hyperloop-esque plan is taking shape in South Korea

As the likes of Hyperloop One move toward implementing their technology, competitors around the world are showing an interest in similar high-speed transportation systems. Having apparently taken note of Elon Musk’s plan for a super-fast ” Hyperloop ” transportation system, engineers in South Korea are now working on their own remarkably similar technology.

No major changes to US-NK ties under Trump: professor

Despite the rhetoric, the Trump administration is unlikely to make a drastic change to its relations with North Korea in the long term, as its deep economic ties with China, the North’s primary backer, would limit its policy options, said Choi Jong-kun, a renowned scholar on Northeast Asian security in Seoul. He stressed South Korea badly needs strategic thinking in its relations with allies and neighbors, and the country should avoid getting involved in unnecessary disputes to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

Crossing red lines: What’s annoying Asian nations most?

In this Nov. 10, 2016, file photo, a TV screen shows images of then U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, right, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea. South Korea takes offense first, and most regularly, with Japan, largely over disputes stemming from Tokyo’s 35-year colonization of the Korean Peninsula in the early 20th century.

US requests South Korea’s help in detaining former UN chief Ban Ki-moon’s brother

THE U.S. government has asked South Korea to arrest a brother of former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on charges that he engaged in a bribery scheme to carry out the sale of a Vietnamese building complex, a U.S. prosecutor said on Friday. During a court hearing in federal court in Manhattan, Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Noble said that a request had been made for the arrest of Ban Ki-sang, who was an executive at South Korean construction firm Keangnam Enterprises Co Ltd. South Korea’s Justice Ministry was discussing the request to arrest Ban but “it is not yet a formal consultation,” Yonhap news agency quoted an unnamed source in the country’s judiciary as saying.

Seoul court considers arrest of Samsung de facto head

A South Korean court is considering whether to approve the arrest of Samsung Electronics vice chairman Lee Jae-yong, one of the country’s wealthiest business leaders, on charges of bribery and other offences. Lee, the only son of Samsung’s chairman, did not speak to a crowd of reporters when he arrived and left the Seoul Central District Court on Wednesday.

[From the scene] Lee Jae-yong’s grueling day

Samsung Group’s de facto leader Lee Jae-yong is possibly at the lowest point of his life as he nervously waits for a court’s decision on his arrest warrant. The heir apparent of the nation’s largest conglomerate has been placed behind bars until the court decides on Lee and his company’s fate, most likely by early Thursday morning.

Chinese SUV launched in Korea

A Chinese SUV, the Kenbo 600, made its debut in South Korea on Wednesday, becoming the first Chinese passenger vehicle to be marketed here. China-Korea Motor Co., the local importer and distributor of the Chinese vehicle, unveiled the Kenbo 600 in a ceremony held at its Incheon headquarters, just west of Seoul.

Finance minister vows to put more focus on job creation

South Korea’s finance minister said Wednesday that he will put more policy priority on creating more jobs in the new year to reinvigorate the economy. “The government will accelerate its drive to focus on job creation,” Finance Minister Yoo Il-ho said in a minister-level meeting held in Seoul.

Swedish central bank chief says cashless…

The head of the Swedish central bank has said changing to a cashless society is a major trend as a growing number of people are rapidly reducing the use of notes and coins in favor of electronic payments. Riksbank Governor Stefan Ingves said notes and coins are not going to disappear, though they will be used less and less.

South Korean prosecutors seek to arrest Samsung heir

DECEMBER 06: Lee Jae-Yong, vice chairman of Samsung leaves to adjourn for lunch during a parliamentary hearing over the Choi Soon-sil gate probe at the National Assembly on December 6, 2016 in Seoul, South Korea. South Korea started the parliament hearing with leaders of nine South Korean conglomerates including Samsung, Hyundai and Lotte over the tens of millions of dollars given to foundations controlled by Ms Park’s friend Choi Soon-sil, the woman at the center of the scandal.

South Korea prosecutors accuse Samsung chief of bribery, seek arrest

South Korea’s special prosecutor’s office said on Monday it was seeking a warrant to arrest the head of Samsung Group , the country’s largest conglomerate, accusing him of paying multi-million dollar bribes to a friend of President Park Geun-hye. Samsung Electronics vice chairman Jay Y. Lee arrives to attend a hearing at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, December 6, 2016.

China and Russia promise ‘countermeasures’ against a US-Korean missile defense system

China and Russia have expressed concern about a US plan to deploy an antimissile system in South Korea and vowed to take unspecified “countermeasures,” state media reported. The countermeasures “will be aimed at safeguarding interests of China and Russia and the strategic balance in the region,” China’s state news service Xinhua said on January 13. “China and Russia urged the United States and South Korea to address their security concerns and stop the deployment of [the antimissile system] on the Korean Peninsula,” Xinhua said.

Samsung leader quizzed for over 22 hours in South Korea corruption scandal

A protester sweeps an effigy of Jay Y. Lee, co-vice-chairman of Samsung Electronics Co., outside Samsung’s Seocho office building in Seoul, South Korea, on Friday, Jan. 13, 2017. Prosecutors questioned Samsung vice-chairman and heir apparent Jay Y. Lee for about 22 hours in an influence-peddling probe that has reached the highest levels of government and business in South Korea.

Ban Reiterates Presidential Ambitions, Calls For National Integration

By Song Sang-ho INCHEON, Jan 13 — Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday reiterated his presidential ambitions, calling for joint efforts to bring together a nation suffering from a slew of economic, security and political challenges, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported. During the speech he gave after his arrival at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, Ban fell short of declaring his presidential bid, but he stressed his resolve to work “for a change of politics, not for a change of government.”

Former UN chief keeps 2nd place in S. Korean presidential poll

Former United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon, who is scheduled to return to South Korea, his home country, later Thursday, has kept his second place in presidential polls for two weeks, a survey showed. Support for Ban, whose second, five-year term as the UN head ended late last year, was 20.3 percent this week, according to a poll of 1,511 voters conducted by local pollster Realmeter between Monday and Wednesday.

Former UN chief keeps 2nd place in S. Korean presidential poll

Former United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon, who is scheduled to return to South Korea, his home country, later Thursday, has kept his second place in presidential polls for two weeks, a survey showed. Support for Ban, whose second, five-year term as the UN head ended late last year, was 20.3 percent this week, according to a poll of 1,511 voters conducted by local pollster Realmeter between Monday and Wednesday.

Bird flu-plagued South Korea agrees to buy US eggs

In this Dec. 28, 2016, file photo, customers look at eggs at a discount store in Seoul, South Korea, a day after government officials announced that millions of chickens would be culled because of an outbreak of bird flu. Because of the spreading bird flu outbreak, South Korea has asked the United States for the first time to ship it shell eggs.

NK leader’s public activity in decline since 2013: data

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s public activity has been on the decline since 2013 as he is seen to have established his power base, reducing the need to show his presence publicly, a Seoul government official said Tuesday. The North’s leader conducted public activities on 132 occasions in 2016, down 14 percent from the previous year, according to the data compiled by South Korea’s unification ministry.

Korea to spend W937.2b won in 2017 for Winter Olympic preparations

South Korea plans to spend 937.2 billion won this year in support for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games preparations, the sports ministry said Tuesday. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said its 2017 budget for the Olympic preparations is down 49.4 percent from 2016, due largely to a decrease in costs of facility construction that has entered the final stretch.

24 Apache helicopters to be deployed in Korea by Feb

US Forces Korea plans to deploy 24 Apache helicopters to South Korea by next month to better counter growing threats from North Korea, military officials said Monday. As part of a scheduled rotational deployment, the 24 AH-64D Apache heavy attack helicopters will gradually replace the 30 OH-58D Kiowa Warrior observation and light attack choppers by early February, the USFK and the Ministry of National Defense said in a joint statement.

[Herald Interview] – Era of free banking is over’: Citibank

Brendan Carney, head of customer banking at Citibank Korea, speaks during an interview with The Korea Herald at his office in central Seoul on Dec. 27. As banking becomes more mobile and branchless, it is also to bring a change in the way people perceive traditional banking services, and Citibank has introduced a new maintenance fee system to encourage customers to adopt faster to the new trend, according to Brendan Carney, senior vice president of Citibank Korea. With the introduction of the account maintenance fee system, which will start from March, the bank will charge new customers with less than 10 million won in bank deposits with monthly fees of between 3,000 won and 5,000 won.