SPOTLIGHT

• Culture

  

  TVXQ’s Yunho rises as icon of relentless passion

  K-pop idol Yunho of TVXQ has become an icon of positive energy and can-do spirit, inspiring many of the nation’s frustrated young people.  (JTBC) The veteran singer, who made his debut more than 15 years ago and has been performing ever since, recently appeared on various TV programs and shared his self-empowerment tips.Yunho’s morning routine, which he revealed on MBC’s “I Live Alone” in March, starts with dance practice. As soon as he gets out of bed, he turns on the TV, plays his concert vide

• Music

  

  BTS renews contract with Big Hit Entertainment

  Here’s good news for BTS fans: The K-pop heavyweight group has inked a deal to work with its agency for another seven years. Representing the act, Big Hit Entertainment said Thursday that it had signed a seven-year contract with all seven bandmates of BTS out of “deep trust and affection.”In its sixth year now, BTS still has over one year left in its first deal -- seven-year contracts have become the standard in K-pop -- but both sides decided to seal the deal early, which the agency explained i

• Industry

  

  Coupang opens Halloween-theme store

  South Korean e-commerce company Coupang said Thursday that it had opened a Halloween-concept store, offering some 250,000 Halloween items.According to Coupang, there are 20 categories of products including costumes, trick-or-treat candies and party and packing items.  (Coupang)For promotion, Coupang will offer discount coupons applicable to some of the Halloween makeup products. Those who purchase more than 50,000 won ($45) of Halloween products will be given a 7,000 won discount coupon.“As more

• Social affairs

  

  Man steals W40 m by ripping off window guards in Seoul

  A man in his 50s has been arrested for reportedly stealing money by ripping off window railings from old apartments. (Yonhap)The man faces a charge of stealing 40 million won ($35,300) worth of money and valuables in a total of 10 burglaries. The crimes occurred mainly in the Gangnam and Dongjak districts in Seoul.Many of the man’s thefts targeted vacant homes during Chuseok and other holidays. A police official encouraged people to “repair windows of old apartments and store valuables in safe p

LATEST NEWS

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  Automode

  Hyundai, Kia reviewing US Senate request to testify over engine fire

  Kia refutes claim of manufacturing defects in a 2014 Kia Soul that it's connected with drug abuse

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  Defense

  Controversy erupts over US military’s tightened base access for Koreans in Japan

  　Controversy has erupted over the United States military’s decision to impose extra scrutiny on South Koreans visiting US bases in Japan, prompting speculation as to the reasoning behind it. 　According to US military newspaper Stars and Stripes, US Forces Japan has recently added South Korea to a list of nations whose citizens must undergo additional screening before they can be escorted onto installations.　USFJ said the measure is a part of the routine process for reviewing its policies for thi

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  Food

  Promotions and packages

  Halloween fun at Millennium Seoul Hilton The Oak Room, the Millennium Seoul Hilton’s traditional English-style bar, will host a Halloween party on Oct. 27. The bar will be decorated with jack-o’-lanterns, staff will be dressed in costumes and a live trio will be singing. A face painting artist will be on hand to decorate guests’ faces with Halloween-inspired designs. Entrance is free, and those who arrive in costume will be given a free welcome drink.Cafe 395, the hotel’s all-day dining restaura

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  Film

  Movies in theaters this week

  Dark Figure of Crime (Korea) Opened Oct. 3Crime, Drama, MysteryDirected by Kim Tae-kyunConvicted murderer Kang (Ju Ji-hoon) calls up detective Kim Hyung-min (Kim Yoon-seok) from his cellphone and confesses to six additional murders that were never reported to authorities. Kim investigates the cases, and soon learns that Kang’s testimony is mixed with lies and the criminal is manipulating him.Venom(US)Action, Adventure, Sci-fi Opened Oct. 3Directed by Ruben Fleischer Investigative journalist Eddi

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  Food

  Latest list of Michelin stars in Seoul released

  Mingles and Alla Prima join 2-star realm

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  Travel

  Festivals, sights around Korea

  Daejeon Science Festival Daejeon Science Festival provides a chance for visitors to experience advanced technology, particularly with hands-on activities for children.It is runs Oct.19-22, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. The festival is open to visitors of all ages, free of charge, although some paid programs are also available.Call the travel hotline at 1330 for more information in Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese. The homepage (www.djsf.kr) is only in Korean.Busan One Asia Festiv

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  Fashion

  Can Seoul Fashion Week ever be show for the people?

  Though promoting itself as ‘festival for people,’ fashion event remains exclusive to industry insiders

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  Industry

  GS Group chairman urges CEOs to tap into Southeast Asia

  The head of South Korean energy-to-retail giant GS Group urged CEOs of affiliates to seek ways to make inroad into the Southeast Asian market by taking Thailand as a strategic base, the company said Thursday.At a meeting with GS CEOs held in Bangkok, Chairman Huh Chang-soo stressed the importance of the market, citing the fast economic growth and increasing demand to build infrastructure. GS Group Chairman Huh Chang-soo (right) tries a product exported by South Korean company 9tails at a studio

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  Politics

  16 Seoul city employees committed suicide under mayor Park Won-soon: lawmaker

  A total of 16 low-ranking civil servants working for the Seoul Metropolitan Government took their own lives since Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon took office in 2011, many of them due to work-related stress, a lawmaker claimed during the parliamentary inspection of the city government Thursday.　According to Rep. Hong Moon-pyo of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, among the 16 deaths, 10 of them have been recognized as “deaths related to work stress” by the Government Employees Pension Service. 　

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  North Korea

  N. Korean newspaper calls on Japan to atone for its wartime crimes

  North Korea's official newspaper on Thursday called on Japan to abstain from insulting the victims of Japanese wartime sexual slavery and sincerely atone for its past wrongdoing.In a commentary written by an unidentified person, the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North's ruling party, lambasted what it described as Japan's shamelessness, citing a recent episode in which a Japanese person appeared to kick a statue symbolizing its wartime sexual slavery victims in Taiwan. (Yonhap)Las

GRAPHIC NEWS

OPINION

• Columnists

  

  People vs. money in America’s midterm elections

  All eyes are on the United States as November’s Congressional elections approach. The outcome will answer many alarming questions raised two years ago, when Donald Trump won the presidential election.Will the US electorate declare that Trump is not what America is about? Will voters renounce his racism, misogyny, nativism and protectionism? Will they say that his “America First” rejection of the international rule of law is not what the US stands for? Or will they make it clear that Trump’s win

• Columnists

  

  Saudi crisis shows US needs new way to deal with dictators

  The disappearance of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi has precipitated a new crisis in US-Saudi relations. Yet that crisis has also revived a much older dilemma in American strategy: How to deal with allies that also happen to be morally abhorrent, even murderous, dictatorships.　The rapid spread of democracy from the 1970s through the early 2000s eased this dilemma, by aligning the frontiers of freedom more closely with the frontiers of America’s European and Asia-Pacific alliances. Yet the proble

THE INVESTOR

• LG

  

  LG Display, Lenovo join hands for foldable tablet PC

  LG Display and Lenovo, the world’s largest PC maker, have joined hands to launch a foldable tablet PC possibly later next year, according to industry sources on Oct. 17. The display maker is expected to supply 13-inch OLED-based panels. Considering the big size even when folded, the device is unlikely to be used as a smartphone. “The two firms have recently signed a non-disclosure agreement. They have officially started the development project with aims to launch the device later next

• Retail & Consumer

  

  BTS renews contract with Big Hit Entertainment

  Big Hit Entertainment said on Oct. 18 that seven-member K-pop boy band BTS that is making waves globally has renewed its contract. “We signed a seven-year contract with BTS based on our existing trust and affection,” Big Hit Entertainment informed its shareholders. BTSThe band that is topping Billboard charts had earlier signed a seven-year contract with Big Hit Entertainment in 2013. The members still had a year left before the original contract ends but decided to extend the con

• Samsung

  

  Samsung expands startup program for innovation

  Apart from its smartphones, there is something that tech giant Samsung Electronics is well known for: human resources practices to groom employees into “royal” and high performing, managers.Many say that the firm’s HR policies and practices were what made Samsung one of the largest conglomerates in Korea.After participating in courses of an on-the-job training program, for example, new Samsung employees often transform into the so-called “Samsung Man,” which carries a connotative

• Retail & Consumer

  

  SKINFOOD sued by franchisees for seeking court receivership

  Korean cosmetics maker SKINFOOD said on Oct. 18 that four of its franchisees have filed a lawsuit against it for seeking court receivership.“We are currently having talks with our franchisees to find a solution,” a SKINFOOD official said in a statement.Despite the company’s effort, according to sources, more franchisees are currently preparing to file a lawsuit against the company and CEO Cho Yoon-ho, after it announced on Oct. 8 that it has filed for court receivership due to mou

K-POP HERALD

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  BTS renews contract with Big Hit

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  Gong Yoo to star in feminist film

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  Kiha & The Faces to disband

HERALD INTERVIEW

• Music

  

  Jung Eun-ji says she sings to comfort herself

• Finance

  

  Former forensic technician creates new biometric standard

• Diplomatic Circuit

  

  Costa Rica, South Korea kindred spirits in sustainability: first lady

• Automode

  

  Dream Gream offers taste of real art world, broadens aspirants’ horizons

PHOTO NEWS

• Politics

  

  First ladies of South Korea and France walk arm in arm

  South Korean first lady Kim Jung-sook and her French counterpart Brigitte Macron put on a display of friendship Monday as they locked arms together during a tour around the Louvre Museum.Kim, who accompanied President Moon Jae-in on a state visit to France, spent nearly an hour and a half at the museum, enjoying famous artwork including the original paintings of “Mona Lisa” and “Portrait of Louis XIV” with Macron. (Yonhap)The first ladies of the two countries met for a second time following the

VIDEO

• Social affairs

  

  Sunfull Internet Peace Prize goes to Japanese anti-hate speech network, online activist

• Automode

  

  Adding an artful touch to CSR: Han Sung Motor focuses on coloring Seoul, nurturing young artists

• Automode

  

  Car from the future: Nexo excels but faces hydrogen indifference

• Culture

  

  Aged barbers’ trimming skills impress young customers

FEATURES

• Culture

  

  Sharing life with furry friends through ‘PetTube’

  After spending a hard day at work or school, many hit YouTube in search for pet-related videos. In Korea, these furry creatures can be referred to as “LAN cable pets,” or “online pets.” Those who want to live with a furry companion but who are not in a situation to do so have recently turned to YouTube to meet their dream pets online. In recent years, pets have become heavyweight players on the online platform. According to YouTube, total hits on dog-related videos from January to July increased

• Automode

  

  Hyundai partners with French firms for hydrogen drive

  Hyundai Motor has signed a memorandum with French energy firms to expand the sale of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, the company said Wednesday.Under the agreement, the South Korean carmaker will partner with Air Liquide SA and Engie to promote the use of FCEVs and hydrogen refilling stations across France.The agreement came after Hyundai announced a plan to export 5,000 FCEVs to France by 2025.Hyundai Motor President Chung Jin-haeng (left), Engie President for hydrogen business Michele Azalbert (c

• Finance

  

  Watchdog to tighten compliance regulations for financial firms

  Stricter compliance regulations are to be adopted for financial institutions within the watchdog’s jurisdiction to enforce stricter internal control and prevent errors and fraud, according to the market watchdog Financial Supervisory Service.According to a preliminary set of measures unveiled Wednesday, at least 1 percent of the entire staff and executives in a financial institution should be assigned to compliance operations, while compliance officers must be executives of the company with at l

• Industry

  

  Toward stronger partnership between Korea and Southeast Asia

  Government, business leaders discuss ways to strengthen Korea-ASEAN ties at The Korea Herald Biz Forum