SPOTLIGHT

• K-pop

  

  BLACKPINK's new song debuts at No. 33 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart

  BLACKPINK landed at No. 33 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart with its latest single "How You Like That," according to the American music trade publication Tuesday, setting a new record for K-pop girl groups. Billboard's official Twitter account announced that "How You Like That" will debut at No. 33 on this week's Hot 100 chart, and at No. 1 on Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart. BLACKPINK beat its previous record as the highest-charting K-pop girl group with "Kill

• K-pop

  

  Bang shares his formula behind BTS’ success

  In a recent paper published by Harvard Business School, Big Hit Entertainment Chairman Bang Si-hyuk shared how global sensation BTS deviates from the typical K-pop idol system and has more autonomy than other K-pop bands. During his interview with the authors of “Big Hit Entertainment and Blockbuster Band BTS: K-Pop Goes Global,” Bang said the band’s contract renegotiations -- a period when many stories of conflict arise among K-pop artists -- took place without the interventi

• Television

  

  K-dramas walk a fine line with controversial scenes

  While the SBS drama series “Backstreet Rookie” has not responded to viewers’ complaints about its sexual objectification of women, the drama has been embroiled in yet more controversy, this time over the racist portrayal of a foreign character. During the show’s fifth episode that aired Friday, a man who introduces himself as Nigerian encounters a Korean man with a similar dreadlocked hairstyle to his own in a convenience store and the two suddenly embrace each other as

• Theater

  

  ‘Broadway 42nd’ shows glamour of musical

  Dance-focused musical delivers message that ‘show must go on’ at all costs

LATEST NEWS

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  Travel

  Hantan River area listed as UNESCO Global Geopark

  The Hantan River area near the inter-Korean border has been designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark, officials said Tuesday. The UN body made the decision to add the 1,165-square-kilometer area to the list during a meeting in Paris, according to the Gyeonggi provincial government. The designation raised the number of South Korean geoparks on the list to four, including the southern island of Jeju, Cheongsong in the southeast and Mount Mudeung in the southwest. "We will put special efforts

• 

  Social affairs

  USFK expresses regrets over soldiers' unruly behavior at beach

  The US Forces Korea on Tuesday expressed regrets over its soldiers' unruly behavior in the southeastern city of Busan on US Independence Day last week, vowing to fully cooperate with South Korean authorities' investigation and to take appropriate disciplinary action against those involved. The unidentified service members are accused of creating disturbances by setting off firecrackers at Haeundae Beach on Saturday night and even shooting some of them toward citizens in an apparent Fourth of J

• 

  Foreign affairs

  S. Korea to provide US$4m in aid to 14 countries hit by locust swarms

  South Korea decided Tuesday to provide US$4 million in humanitarian aid to 14 countries suffering from food crises due to desert locusts, the foreign ministry said. The assistance will be provided to Yemen, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Kenya and other Southwest Asian and African countries via the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), according to the ministry. In East Africa alone, more than 25 million people are estimated to be in a food crisis. Of the total, 11 m

• 

  Money

  Citibank Korea launches AI chatbot consulting service

  Citibank Korea said Tuesday it has launched an artificial intelligence-based chatbot consulting service to bolster its untact (contactless) digital customer service. According to the South Korean subsidiary of the New York-based bank, the service provides round-the-clock consulting for customers that need immediate consulting. It can be used after adding Citibank channel via messenger app KakaoTalk. The AI chatbot will help customers find the nearest Citibank branch and provide information

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  Social affairs

  Sports ministry to cooperate with legal authorities to root out abuse in athletics

  The sports ministry vowed Tuesday to work closely with legal authorities to help eliminate abuse in athletics while reaffirming its commitment to zero tolerance against any misconduct. The announcement came in light of a snowballing abuse scandal in triathlon. Choi Suk-hyeon, a 22-year-old triathlete, took her own life late last month after enduring years of apparent physical and verbal abuse from her coaching staff and older teammates on her semi-pro club in Gyeongju, 370 kilometers southeast

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  Money

  Korean Air to sell off inflight service operations to Hahn & Co.

  South Korea’s cash-strapped flag carrier Korean Air Lines said Tuesday it plans to sell its inflight meal catering and duty-free units to local private equity firm Hahn & Co. “As for the divestment of inflight catering services and duty-free operations, Korean Air has given Hahn & Co. the exclusive rights to negotiate,” it said in a disclosure after a board meeting at 4 p.m. “Korean Air will continue to discuss the details about the transaction with Hahn &

• 

  Industry

  Korea, Spain discuss cooperation in digital, green tech

  South Korean and Spanish business experts discussed potential partnerships, especially in digital and green technologies, at a virtual conference on Tuesday. The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry held the 21st Korea-Spain Economic Cooperation Committee meeting online in collaboration with the Spanish Chamber of Commerce. The meeting comes after a phone conversation between President Moon Jae-in and King Felipe VI of Spain last month. It aims to serve as an opportunity to build momentum

• 

  Technology

  LG Electronics’ Q2 earnings better than feared

  LG Electronics on Tuesday announced its preliminary earnings for the second quarter of this year, beating forecasts by market watchers over concerns about sales falls during the COVID-19 outbreak. According to the earnings guidance, LG is expected to have posted 12.8 trillion won ($10.7 billion) in revenue and 493.1 billion won in operating profit for the April-June period. The figures were down 17.9 percent and 24.4 percent, respectively, from a year earlier. The second-quarter operating

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  Industry

  NCSoft’s market cap soars, briefly entering top 10

  NCSoft continued to perform strong at the stock market, briefly entering the top 10 market capitalization list on Monday, nudging top automaker Hyundai Motor. Hyundai Motor managed to recover its 10th place as of Tuesday, though the gap between NCSoft remained at 76.1 billion won ($63.6 million). NCSoft is the only South Korean game company to have breached the 20-trillion-won mark in market valuation. The game company’s market cap reached 21.8 trillion won at the closing bell on the

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  Arts&Design

  Culture Station Seoul 284 to unveil ‘New Discovery of Travel’ exhibition online

  Culture Station Seoul 284 will unveil the “New Discovery of Travel” exhibition online on Wednesday at 8 p.m. Audiences can enjoy the online content during the “2020 Special Travel Week” which runs from July 1 through July 19 on Culture Station Seoul 284’s YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/seoul284official). The exhibition is themed around the question of “Why do we travel?” It was originally scheduled to run from June 23 to Aug. 8, but the opening wa

GRAPHIC NEWS

OPINION

• Viewpoints

  

  American lockdown exceptionalism

  As the number of COVID-19 cases starts to rise again in many states, the question is whether residents of those states will tolerate another lockdown. I used to think so, but it is increasingly clear that Americans have become comfortable with a remarkably high number of casualties. There is a mechanism of social conformity at work here. Most people will not tolerate a small risk to their lives to dine out, for instance -- but they might if all their friends are doing the same. The appeal of a

• Viewpoints

  

  Nord Stream 2 could sever trans-Atlantic ties

  US President Donald Trump is furious at Germany for many reasons, not all of them fathomable. In phone conversations with Angela Merkel, he’s allegedly called the German chancellor “stupid” and denigrated her in “near-sadistic” tones. Though this be madness, there is -- on rare occasions -- method in it. One such case is Nord Stream 2. It is an almost-finished gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea between Russia and Germany, running next to the original Nord Stream. &l

THE INVESTOR

• Finance

  

  S. Korea to expand IP financial investment market to W1.3tr by 2024

  South Korea aims to foster its intellectual property financial investment market to 1.3 trillion won ($1.08 billion) by 2024 to help firms deal with liquidity issues triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, the nation’s IP office said on July 2. 　The Korean Intellectual Property Office announced 14 specific tasks under four pillars that would establish platforms for individuals and firms to directly invest in IP and profit from royalties, sales and even lawsuits. 　Funneling quality IP rig

• Deals

  

  Russia approves HDC’s Asiana takeover, final stage for merger deal cleared: HDC

  South Korean midsized builder HDC Hyundai Development Co. said Friday that it has received approval from Russian aviation authorities for HDC’s planned takeover of flag carrier Asiana Airlines, but added that renegotiation of the acquisition terms is still underway. 　Regarding the merger deal involving the air carrier, HDC had to receive approval from six of the nations that Asiana flies to as a prerequisite. 　HDC had planned to complete the deal by the end of April after regulators in

• Automobiles

  

  Hyundai Mobis invests W25b in US tech funds for future mobility

  South Korea’s Hyundai Mobis said on July 2 it has injected 25 billion won ($20 million) in Silicon Valley tech funds ACVC Partners and MOTUS Ventures, as part of its move to secure future mobility technology and next-generation business opportunities. 　ACVC Partners and MOTUS Ventures have been actively discovering and supporting startups which focus on developing future mobility core technologies, including next-generation sensors, biometrics and robotics.  　 Hyundai Motor Group

• Deals

  

  Korean PEF inches closer to KDB Life acquisition

  Korean private equity firm JC Partners has become a preferred bidder to buy a controlling stake in KDB Life Insurance, in policy lender Korea Development Bank’s move to exit from a troubled financial institution that has strived to turn around amid restructuring. 　JC Partners was the sole participant in the open bidding process to sell KDB Life Insurance, whose 92.73 percent stake is jointly controlled by KDB and investment house Consus Private Equity, according to KDB on July 1. The bidd

K-POP

• 

  BLACKPINK's new song debuts at No. 33 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart

• 

  Bang shares his formula behind BTS’ success

• 

  With 'Heng:garae,' Seventeen earns astounding feat after Big Hit integration

HERALD INTERVIEW

• Film

  

  Lee Bong-geun moves pansori from stage to big screen

• Transport

  

  COVID-19 to reshape logistics: DHL exec

• Culture

  

  CHA head reveals ambition to promote Korean cultural heritage worldwide

• Industry

  

  ‘Lithium-ion batteries are approaching theoretical limits on energy density’

PHOTO NEWS

• Culture

  

  Daejanggeum Park, birthplace of K-drama

  Daejanggeum Park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, is one of the largest open sets in South Korea, where period dramas, movies and commercials are filmed.  It is a semipermanent set that has been modeled after the architectural styles and traditional Korean houses of the Three Kingdoms period, Goryeo kingdom and Joseon era.  Starting with the production of the drama “Shindon” in 2005, numerous dramas and movies, including “Daejanggeum,” “Jumong” and

VIDEO

• Social affairs

  

  Convenience stores begin selling lighter, droplet-blocking masks

• Culture

  

  Why Seongsu-dong is called ‘Brooklyn of Seoul’?

• Culture

  

  A home transformed into a shared office for NPOs

FEATURES

• Social affairs

  

  Pandemic frays support system for the disabled

  Jung Soon-kyeong’s day starts with changing the diaper of her 18-year-old daughter Cho Hye-won. She then spoon-feeds, washes and runs every errand for her as her sole, round-the-clock caregiver. Brain lesions mean Cho has severe paralysis. And now, Jung feels both she and her daughter are trapped in their home, cut off from the world, since the coronavirus outbreak. “Hye-won became more anxious after her small outdoor activities were restricted because of the virus,” Jung s

• North Korea

  

  Seoul makes renewed push for NK engagement, but chances of success seen slim

  With a top US envoy for North Korea due in Seoul this week, South Korea is making a renewed push to restart the peninsular peace process, but prospects are dim with an apparently unwilling North Korea, experts said Monday. Pyongyang said Saturday it would no longer deal with Washington, which it said saw engagement as a tool to power through its political crisis, in a statement by Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui. The message poured cold water on expectations in the South that President M

• Industry

  

  StoneAge World, Netmarble’s profitable game

  Hollywood loves sequels because they guarantee success. In this sense, when South Korean game publisher Netmarble said it would launch a mobile version of StoneAge, expectations were running high. StoneAge was a popular PC game that was serviced between 2003 and 2015 in Korea where users could collect and tame dinosaur pets. However, not all sequels succeed, as witnessed by X-Men: Dark Phoenix and Men in Black: International. Unfortunately, StoneAge World is one of them. More often than not

• Markets

  

  Will Kospi be alright when short sellers return in September?

  SEJONG -- An eye-catching issue in the nation’s economy is whether the growth of gross domestic product will bounce back in the second half of the year after touching a bottom in the first half. While GDP growth was minus 1.3 percent in the first quarter, compared to the previous quarter, there is a possibility that the coming figure for the second quarter (April-June) will also post negative growth or dip further. Exports fell by 11.2 percent in the first half, on an on-year basis. For