The Korea Herald

Hyundai’s hydrogen drive faces dilemma

TransportJul 4, 2022

Ambition to make smaller, more powerful fuel cell battery appears to have hit a snag
S. Korean icebreaker begins 13th Arctic mission

EconomyJul 4, 2022

South Korea's sole icebreaker kicked off its 13th Arctic mission Monday to conduct research on clues about climate change in the North Pole, a local polar research institute said. The Araon left the western port of Incheon for a 92-day mission to study the causes of abnormal weather conditions there and the impact of global warming on its ecosystem, the Korea Polar Research Institute said. It is the Araon's first Arctic mission in three years, which had been delayed in the wake of the
##Maroon 5 faces backlash for using Rising Sun flag in world tour poster

MusicJul 4, 2022

Maroon 5 faces backlash for using Rising Sun flag in world tour poster By Jie Ye-eun Rock band Maroon 5 has been embroiled in controversy for using the design of a disputed Japanese Rising Sun flag in its world tour poster. The band recently announced through its official website that it will kick off the tour in Quebec City on Saturday and travel to Asia to perform in Singapore, Seoul, Tokyo, Osaka, Manila and Bangkok. The five-piece act’s Seoul concert is scheduled for Nov. 30 at Gocheok S
‘SK Innovation’s green transformation has high potential for success’

IndustryJul 4, 2022

SK Innovation’s green transformation strategy, announced a year ago, has “a very high potential for eventual success,” said one US scholar who cited its “clarity of purpose of vision,” “well-reasoned plan of execution” and an “intangible advantage of culture and management systems.” In a column published in SK Innovation’s SKinno News on Friday, Kannan Ramaswamy, chair professor of global strategy at Arizona State University’s Th
DP decides not to allow ex-interim leader Park to run for natl. convention

PoliticsJul 4, 2022

The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) on Monday rejected a request from former interim leader Park Ji-hyun that she be allowed to run for party chairmanship at an upcoming national convention despite her lack of qualification. Park, a 26-year-old politician seen as a symbol of generational change in the DP, has declared her bid for the party's chairmanship, a month after she stepped down as the party's interim leader following its crushing defeat in last month's local election
S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases drop due to fewer tests

Social affairsJul 4, 2022

South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell below 10,000 on Monday due to fewer tests over the weekend. The country added 6,253 new COVID-19 infections, including 164 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,395,864, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Monday's tally declined from 10,059 the previous day but nearly doubled from 3,423 a week ago. The daily count tends to fall on Mondays and Sundays due to fewer tests on the weekend before rising toward the
Key player's injury adds intrigue to battle for KBO postseason spots

BaseballJul 4, 2022

An unfortunate injury to one of the best hitters in South Korean baseball is expected to turn an already compelling battle for postseason berths into an even more intriguing affair. The Kia Tigers have lost outfielder Socrates Brito for up to a month to a broken nose. The Dominican slugger took a fastball by SSG Landers starter Kim Kwang-hyun to the face during Saturday's game in Incheon, some 30 kilometers west of Seoul. Brito went down in immediate pain and was taken to a local hospital.
[Hwang’s China and the World] The end of appeasing North Korea, time to deal with its fundamental interest

North KoreaJul 4, 2022

In recent weeks, the Korean Peninsula had two situations going on in the South and North. South Korea was holding its first summit on May 21 with US President Joe Biden in Seoul, just 10 days after President Yoon Suk-yeol’s inauguration. The two leaders agreed on escalating the alliance into a “Global Comprehensive Strategic Alliance.” South Korea has decided to cooperate with the US in high-tech fields and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). They also agreed to resta
[Hwang’s China and the World] Japan’s China policy, between firmness and flexibility

Foreign affairsJul 4, 2022

Since China overtook Japan in terms of economy in 2010, Japan‘s vigilance and checks against China have been visibly rising. Mostly, the two countries have a wide gap regarding issues surrounding the East China Sea, South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. The Russia-Ukraine war re-emphasizes the importance of traditional Japanese geopolitics. In addition, technological competition -- the core of supply chain and future hegemony -- intensifies Japan’s foreign and security policies an
S. Korea's power demand hits new high in June amid hot weather

EconomyJul 4, 2022

South Korea's electricity demand touched a fresh all-time high in June as the country was struck by an early heat wave, data showed Monday. The country's maximum power demand averaged 71,805 megawatts (MW) last month, up 4.3 percent from a year earlier and marking the highest tally for any June, according to the data from the Korea Power Exchange. June also represented the first time the figure has surpassed the 70,000-MW level for the month. The power exchange said unusually hot weath
Yoon says he will decide soon on health minister nominee's appointment

PoliticsJul 4, 2022

President Yoon Suk-yeol said Monday he will decide soon on whether to appoint his health minister nominee amid allegations she diverted political funds for personal use. Kim Seung-hee is under investigation by prosecutors for allegedly using her political funds when she was a lawmaker to pay for her husband's car insurance and car rental fee in violation of the Political Funds Act. The nominee has denied any wrongdoing, saying there was an accounting error. "When it comes to the bigges
S. Korea set to launch govt.-private task force on Japan's wartime forced labor

Foreign affairsJul 4, 2022

South Korea plans to launch a government-private consultative body later Monday on ways to resolve the longstanding diplomatic row with Japan about compensation for the Korean victims of wartime forced labor, one of the major sticking points in their relations. First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong is scheduled to preside over the inaugural session of the team composed of government officials and experts, as well as legal representatives of the victims and their families, according to his mi
box office-June tally

FilmJul 4, 2022

South Korea's box office reported 15 million admissions for June, marking the largest monthly tally for over two years, data showed Monday. A total of 15.5 million people went to theaters last month, up 6.3 percent from 14.6 million a month earlier, according to the data compiled by the Korean Film Council. It is the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic that the monthly audience numbers topped the 10 million level for two straight months. And the June figure marked the highest since 16.84
[Graphic News] A global look at mass deaths of trafficked migrants

WorldJul 4, 2022

　Fifty-three migrants died after being abandoned in a tractor-trailer in the sweltering Texas heat on June 27, one of the worst tragedies to claim the lives of migrants smuggled across the border from Mexico to the US. 　The deaths were the latest in what has become a global series of mass deaths occurring during human trafficking attempts.
Rival parties looking to reach last-minute compromise over parliamentary committee formations

PoliticsJul 4, 2022

The rival parties were looking to reach a last-minute compromise Monday to end an impasse in parliamentary committee formations that has left the National Assembly in limbo for more than a month. The floor leaders of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) failed to reach an agreement on the issue Sunday, though they agreed to hold negotiations until a National Assembly plenary session is convened in the afternoon. The DP, which holds 170 out of 299 seat