The Korea Herald

Quarantine checks on farm imports increase

Apr 12, 2011

Korea’s quarantine inspections of imported farm produce rose 10 percent on-year in the first quarter mainly due to greater local demand for vegetables and fruits, the government said Tuesday.The Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said import inspections were carried out on 43,793 shipments in the January-March period, compared to 39,746 during the same period a year earlier.“Un
POSCO operating income forecast to fall

Apr 12, 2011

Korea’s leading steelmaker POSCO is expected to report an operating income of less than 1 trillion won ($917 million) for the January-March period due to a price freeze amid soaring raw materials costs, analysts said Tuesday.POSCO, the world’s third-largest steelmaker, is set to report its first-quarter earnings next Friday. The steelmaker has been reporting a quarterly operating profit of more th
Finance minister to attend G20 meeting

Apr 12, 2011

Korea’s Finance Minister Yoon Jeung-hyun will leave for the United States this week to attend a Group of 20 (G20) meeting, which will focus on pending global economic and financial issues, officials said Tuesday.The G20 finance ministers’ meeting will kick off in Washington on Thursday for a two-day run, according to the Ministry of Strategy and Finance. Yoon will leave for the meeting on Wednesda
Powerful quake rocks Tokyo

World NewsApr 12, 2011

A man drags a sand bag across a street damaged by liquefaction in the March 11 earthquake in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, near Tokyo, Wednesday, April 6, 2011. (AP-Yonhap News)TOKYO, (AFP) - A strong offshore earthquake rocked Tokyo on Tuesday, swaying buildings in the Japanese capital and stopping subway services.The US Geological Agency put the magnitude at 6.4, at a depth of 13.1 kilometers (8.1
Japan mulls raising nuclear crisis to top level: report

World NewsApr 12, 2011

TOKYO (AFP) - Japan may raise the severity of its nuclear accident to seven -- the top level on an international scale -- from five, the Kyodo news agency reported Tuesday, as workers battled to contain the crisis. Kyodo said preliminary figures from the country's Nuclear Safety Commission revealed the battered Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant had released up to 10,000 terabecquerels of radi
JYJ’s Junsu voted best singer

MusicApr 12, 2011

JYJ’s Kim Junsu was voted the best singer of all Korean idol group members, a local survey has shown.A local newspaper conducted the survey on ten vocal trainers to rank the Korean idol groups and their members based on how well they sing. The results showed 2AM, a four-member male vocal group, as the best. Big Bang took second place. Girl group Kara, who gained sensational popularity in Japan, we
Billions of won found at garlic farm

Social affairsApr 11, 2011

Police have dug out more than 8 billion won ($7.1 million) in cash from the soil of a garlic farm owned by an unemployed man in Gimje, North Jeolla Province, officials said Monday. The money is believed to be part of a slush fund raised by running an illegal gambling website, the officials said, adding the total amount of the illegal fund reached 11 billion won. According to the investigators, the
[Herald Interview] ‘Korean writers should overcome nationalism’

BooksApr 11, 2011

Director of the Seoul International Forum for Literature speaks about the role of literature in multi-platform worldKorean authors should move on from nationalist writing and learn about the current trends in world literature, Kim Seong-kon, director of the third Seoul International Forum for Literature, said.“What the global audience is interested in can be quite different (from what Korean autho
[Herald Interview] Sara Bareilles anticipates fun concert in Seoul

MusicApr 11, 2011

U.S. singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles said she is looking forward to visiting Seoul to hold her first concert in Korea, as she is already familiar with Korean culture.Bareilles plans to showcase her latest songs and familiar songs by other artists at the Hongdae V-Hall in Seoul on May 14 at 7 p.m. “I know that Korean food is amazing and I heard a lot from people who traveled around Korea that the
Choi in upbeat mood

More sportsApr 11, 2011

The U.S. Masters golf championship offers a spectacular trophy and a grand prize for the winner, but there is one more thing -- the green jacket -- that makes the tournament special. It has been coveted by the world’s top golfers for more than 70 years and no Asian golfer has ever won it. Korea’s top golfer Choi Kyung-ju, better known as K.J. Choi, attempted to become the first Asian to don the gr
African Union: Libya accepts cease-fire plan

World NewsApr 11, 2011

Opposition says will study proposal but dictator’s 41 year-old rule must endTRIPOLI (AP) ― A delegation of African leaders said Sunday that their Libyan counterpart, Moammar Gadhafi, accepted their “road map” for a cease-fire with rebels, whom they will meet Monday. They met hours after NATO airstrikes battered Gadhafi’s tanks, helping Libyan rebels push back government troops who had been advanci
Opposition parties unite against GNP in by-elections

PoliticsApr 11, 2011

With the official campaigns for the April 27 by-elections to kick off Thursday after a two-day candidacy registration, opposition parties have successfully moved to form a united front against the ruling party.In the Bundang-B constituency in Seongnam, Lee Jin-hee of the minority New Progressive Party withdrew from the race Monday, making the contest a showdown between candidates from the ruling G
Lawmakers raised W47b in political funds in 2010

PoliticsApr 11, 2011

Ruling and opposition lawmakers raised a total of 47.7 billion won ($44 million) in political donations last year with the ruling party drawing more funds than the competition, the election watchdog said Monday.While the total amount increased by 16 percent from 41.1 billion won in 2009, it came short of the 63.4 billion won collected in 2008 when a nationwide general election was held, according
Seoul raps N.K. for scrapping exclusive tourism agreement

North KoreaApr 11, 2011

South Korea censured North Korea on Monday for terminating an exclusive tourism deal with a South Korean company that has been unable to operate in the communist state for years amid strained inter-Korean relations.North Korea said Friday it has terminated exclusive tourism rights for Hyundai Asan at Mount Geumgang, a resort on its east coast, voicing skepticism over the resumption of the joint ve
Seoul in dilemma over N.K. food aid

Foreign affairsApr 11, 2011

Officials delay food situation report as international calls grow for assistanceUnlike past springs, South Korea has not been making public its own assessment of the food situation in the North, indicating its dilemma as international charity groups are pressing for shipment of aid to the impoverished regime. Since the 1990s, the South Korean government has every February released its estimation o