The Korea Herald

S. Korea to seek global currency swap at G20

World BusinessOct 4, 2011

South Korea is pushing for a global currency swap scheme during the Group of 20 meetings as part of efforts to strengthen the financial safety net against global market turbulences, Seoul officials said Tuesday.The global currency swap scheme is aimed at strengthening the financial safety net by all
North Korea, U.S. set talks on war dead for Oct. 16-18 in Bangkok

North KoreaOct 4, 2011

North Korea and the United States have agreed to hold “working-level” talks on resuming recovery missions for the remains of American troops killed during the Korean War on Oct. 16-18 in Bangkok, a senior Seoul diplomat said Tuesday. The talks come amid a flurry of recent diplomatic efforts by South
BIFF emerges as hotbed of new talent

FilmOct 4, 2011

BUSAN ― Asia’s largest annual film festival opens with a glittering cast in South Korea on Thursday as it seeks to cement its place on the world cinema stage against growing competition.The Busan International Film Festival, now in its 16th edition, is moving into a new $140 million permanent home,
‘Encourage suicidal persons to speak their minds’

PoliticsOct 4, 2011

“As Immanuel Kant put it, no one really wants to kill himself. Suicide is in any case a forced surrender of life,” according to Prof. Kim Jong-gab of Konkuk University’s Institute of Body Culture Study. “They seem to have voluntarily killed themselves but those who commit suicide must have been corn
9 N.K. defectors arrive in S. Korea

North KoreaOct 4, 2011

Nine North Korean defectors who were spotted in a small boat off Japan’s west coast last month arrived in South Korea on Tuesday after Tokyo sent them on to their desired destination, a Foreign Ministry official in Seoul said. The defectors, including three children, were found drifting on the woode
BIG BANG nominated for MTV Europe Music Awards

MusicOct 4, 2011

Korean boy band BIG BANG has been nominated for the World Wide Act Asia Pacific award of the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards (EMA), the group’s agency YG Entertainment announced on Monday.Established in 1994 by MTV Networks Europe to celebrate the most popular European music, the EMA this year newly cr
Overnight interrogations by prosecutors surge over 3 years

Social affairsOct 4, 2011

Despite an official order in 2006 to limit overnight interrogations by prosecutors in order to protect human rights, their frequency surged nearly 2.5-fold over the past three years, a report showed Tuesday. A total of 554 people were held overnight for questioning by prosecutors in 2010, up 151 per
TVXQ, T-ara top Oricon weekly charts

MusicOct 4, 2011

Album cover of TVXQ’s “Tone.”(S.M. Entertainment)K-pop group TVXQ and girl group T-ara topped Japan’s Oricon Weekly Charts for the week of Sept. 28.TVXQ’s “Tone” sold more than 205,000 copies in the first week of its release to top the albums chart, while T-ara’s “Bo Peep Bo Peep” sold more than 50,
POSCO signs 5-year supply agreement with Shell

IndustryOct 4, 2011

By Choi He-suk POSCO announced on Tuesday that it signed a long-term steel plate supply contract with Royal Dutch Shell.According to POSCO, the agreement is one of the first in which a steelmaker has signed on as a sole supplier to a multinational oil company.Under the agreement, signed on Sept. 28,
GIC members set up online arts journal

Expat LivingOct 4, 2011

Gwangju International Center members Selina Orrell and Maria Lisak have set up a new arts journal.Called the Social Discourse of Disquiet, the online journal aims to be a platform for writers, artists and photographers to share their work.The journal is looking for artists who would like their work
Homeplus sets up team for shared growth

IndustryOct 4, 2011

By Lee Ji-yoonHomeplus, the nation’s No. 2 supermarket chain, said Tuesday it has launched a team responsible for shared growth with its business partners. The team was organized in April to better support transactions of small and medium-sized suppliers and improve contract conditions, the company
Household loans log first fall in 8 months

Oct 4, 2011

South Korean banks’ household loans fell for the first time in eight months in September as lenders joined the regulator’s move to curb growing household debt, industry data showed Monday.Household loans extended by top lender Kookmin Bank and three other major banks amounted to 276.9 trillion won (
Military to purchase 40 helicopters to support amphibious landing

DefenseOct 4, 2011

The military will purchase 40 new helicopters by 2023 to strengthen the Marine Corps’ amphibious landing capabilities, a ruling party lawmaker said Tuesday.Citing a parliamentary inspection report from the military, Rep. Chung Mi-kyung of the Grand National Party said that the helicopters specializi
Meet the world-famous designers at iDEA Herald Design Forum

IndustryOct 4, 2011

Chris BangleChris BangleBest known as a chief designer of BMW Group, the American automobile designer is now in Korea as a design consultant for Samsung Electronics. He became famous for his controversial updates of the BMW 7 Series E65 in 2002. Despite much criticism of his revolutionary designs, t
Herald design forum opens to eager audience

IndustryOct 4, 2011

The iDEA Herald Design Forum will be kicking off Thursday for a two-day event to gather top industrial designers from both home and abroad.Once here, they will suggest ideas for new designs and help cater to savvier customers who are now demanding more than just function from products.The forum will