The Korea Herald

Criticism rages over power cuts

IndustrySept 16, 2011

Government vows to cap peak demand, boost reservesMillions of residents and industrial workers remain outraged on Friday even after the government apologized for massive power cuts that blasted the country on Thursday, vowing not to repeat the mistake.An unseasonable heat wave forced the Korea
Not just science fiction: Planet orbits 2 suns

World NewsSept 16, 2011

This image provided by NASA shows an artist’s depiction showing a discovery by NASA’s Kepler mission of a world where two suns set over the horizon instead of just one. (AP-Yonhap News)MOUNTAIN VIEW, California (AP) -- Astronomers say a bit of science fiction is now reality. They‘ve spotted a planet
Denmark gets first female P.M. after left’s win

World NewsSept 16, 2011

COPENHAGEN (AP) ― Denmark has elected its first female prime minister, ousting the right-wing government from power after 10 years of pro-market reforms and ever-stricter controls on immigration.Near complete official results showed Thursday that a left-leaning bloc led by Social Democrat Helle Thor
Berlusconi might face new trial

World NewsSept 16, 2011

ROME (AP) ― Already facing criticism over Italy’s financial crisis and engulfed in a sex scandal, Premier Silvio Berlusconi might face another trial in Milan.The latest storm surrounding Berlusconi centers on a 2005 banking scandal. A Milan judge said Thursday that Berlusconi has pushed for the publ
Phone rivalry drives down RIM earnings

World BusinessSept 16, 2011

BlackBerry maker struggles to compete with Apple, Google’s AndroidTORONTO (AP) ― Shares of Research In Motion plummeted more than 18 percent after hours after the BlackBerry maker reported its net income and revenue declined sharply in its fiscal second quarter.The results show continued struggle to
[Editorial] Power blackouts

EditorialSept 16, 2011

Unprecedented power blackouts struck Seoul and many parts of the nation Thursday, causing enormous inconvenience to the public and temporarily disrupting industrial and commercial activity in the affected areas.The unexpected power outages, the first of their kind in Korea, paralyzed banks, offices,
[Editorial] Peak wage system

EditorialSept 16, 2011

Domestic banks are among the first companies in Korea to adopt a peak salary system, which extends retirement age for senior employees in return for gradually reducing their salaries in the years leading up to retirement. They introduced the new arrangement one after another following an example set
[Jonathan Weil] European bank blowups hidden with shell games

ViewpointsSept 16, 2011

The last time the world had a major banking crisis, fair-value accounting rules were near the top of the list of scapegoats most likely to be denounced by government and industry leaders. Not so this go-around. Today many of Europe’s largest financial institutions are seemingly on the brink again, d
[Robert Reich] Perry’s plan to help blue states

ViewpointsSept 16, 2011

Of all the nonsense Texas Gov. Rick Perry spews about states’ rights and the 10th amendment, his dumbest is the notion that states should go it alone. “We’ve got a great Union,” he said at a Tea Party rally in Austin in April 2009. “There’s absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But if Washington cont
Japan’s new trade chief must act on nuke issues

ViewpointsSept 16, 2011

Former chief Cabinet secretary Yukio Edano was named economy, trade and industry minister Monday to succeed Yoshio Hachiro, who resigned over insensitive remarks and actions toward disaster-hit areas.Edano served as secretary general of the Democratic Party of Japan and chief Cabinet secretary under
No end in sight 10 years on

ViewpointsSept 16, 2011

Ten years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, people still remember the collapse of the two World Trade Center towers. But the world has changed in those 10 years. The 9/11 attacks have greatly changed the Middle East, the U.S. and even the world. But it’s hard to tell who has
Burma is not changing enough for recognition

ViewpointsSept 16, 2011

The speech by Burmese Foreign Minister U Wunna Muang Lwin to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva earlier this week was very impressive. He discussed at length the progress his country has been making since the new government under President Thein Sein was formed in March. He said Burma
[Frank Ching] As China rises, so does fear

ViewpointsSept 16, 2011

The latest issue of Foreign Affairs magazine carries an article on the inevitability of China becoming the next superpower, one of a mounting cascade of articles on America’s decline and China’s rise. For many Chinese, it is high time for their country to regain its rightful place in the world,
Industrial art attack

TheaterSept 16, 2011

Old tobacco factory hosts international craft biennale; soy sauce factory spruces upTwo of South Korea’s oldest and dullest-looking factories have been given a makeover. Although they may not be as dazzling as Willy Wonka’s magical factory in Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” the old
Highlights

MusicSept 16, 2011

Classical Music“Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra”: The world-renowned Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, led by conductor Simon Rattle, will come to Seoul again for concerts for two days on Nov. 15 and Nov. 16. Sponsored by Samsung Electronics and organized by Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation, the first ev