The Korea Herald

Iran threatens to boycott Olympics 2012 over logo

World NewsMar 3, 2011

Official logo for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. (MCT)Iran threatened to boycott the 2012 London Olympic Games unless its logo is changed, insisting that the games’ logo symbolizes Israel, according to news reports.A formal letter of complaint was sent to the International Olympic Committee by the Iranian committee over the logo which it claims spells out “Zion,” a biblical term referrin
Korea-EU FTA bill to be tabled in parliamentary committee

Mar 3, 2011

A ratification motion for the free trade agreement between South Korea and the European Union will be presented to a parliamentary committee on Thursday for approval, lawmakers said. The ruling Grand National Party aims to pass the Korea-EU FTA motion through the National Assembly Committee on Foreign Affairs, Trade and Unification next Wednesday after two days of intensive discussion at its leg
S. Korean cycling recruits help of retired French racer

More sportsMar 3, 2011

Chasing their first Olympic medal on tracks, South Korean cyclists have recruited help of a former world champion French cyclist. The Korea Cycling Federation announced Thursday that Frederic Magne will visit South Korea next Wednesday to discuss training regimens with local officials. Magne will also give a lecture in Seoul on the state of today's world cycling. "Magne will provide strong supp
S. Korea's industrial output grows 13.7 pct in Jan.

Mar 3, 2011

South Korea's industrial output grew for the 19th straight month in January, a strong indication that the national economy is continuing to expand, a government report showed Thursday. According to the report by Statistics Korea, production in the mining and manufacturing industries rose 13.7 percent last month from the same month a year earlier. The output has increased since July 2009. Outpu
S. Korea's foreign reserves hit fresh high in Feb.

Mar 3, 2011

South Korea's foreign exchange reserves climbed to a new high in February as a weaker U.S. dollar boosted the conversion value of assets in other currencies, the central bank said Thursday. The country's foreign reserves reached US$297.67 billion as of the end of February, up $1.71 billion from the previous month, according to the Bank of Korea. The reserves rose for the third consecutive mont
Seoul shares open higher on auto, tech gains

Mar 3, 2011

South Korean stocks got off to a strong start on Thursday, fueled by advances in shares of automakers and technology firms, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose17.37 points, or 0.9 percent, to 1,945.61 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Autos propped up the KOSPI with Kia Motors rising more than 2 percent and Hyundai Mobis, the country's largest auto par
Judicial trainees protest gov't law school policy

Social affairsMar 2, 2011

A group of prospective judges, prosecutors and lawyers on Wednesday raised their voices against the government's recent decision to employ law school graduates as state prosecutors, refusing to take part in the admissions ceremony for the national judicial training center. Under the current judicial laws, after passing the national bar examination, some 1,000 prospective judges, prosecutors a
Korea accelerates stealth fighter acquisition efforts

DefenseMar 2, 2011

Boeing’s F-15SE, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 most likely candidates for FX-III projectSouth Korea is accelerating moves to purchase a high-end fleet of stealth fighter jets to counter North Korea’s asymmetrical threats and keep pace with neighboring countries seeking to secure their own radar-evading combat aircraft.Under the FX-III acquisition project worth around 10 trillion won ($8.86 billion), the
More authentic ‘Miso’ draws in bigger crowds

TheaterMar 2, 2011

Foreigners flock to Chongdong Theater’s dance and musicAs the clear yet sorrowful tune of a “haegeum,” a traditional Korean musical instrument, resonated throughout Chongdong Theater in Jeong-dong, central Seoul, on Tuesday evening, the audience grew quiet and all eyes were set on stage. A soft light focused on a corner of the stage where an orchestra was set. The orchestra consisted not of violin
Mungyeong hopes to host 2015 Military World Games

More sportsMar 2, 2011

For most South Korean people, Mungyeong in North Gyeongsang Province is associated with “Mungyeong Saejae,” a mountain trail that helped Koreans in the Joseon era living in the southeastern peninsula pass over the Sobaek Mountains to get to Seoul.This week Mungyeong is busy welcoming the evaluation committee that will assess the city’s bid to host the 2015 Military World Games. The committee arri
Defector groups continue to send anti-North leaflets despite threats

Social affairsMar 2, 2011

Defector groups Wednesday pledged to continue flying propaganda leaflets across the border despite North Korea’s recent threat of “direct firing” at the South’s psychological warfare sites.“The empty threats from the North have repeated over the past four years. There is nothing special this time as well,” said Park Sang-hak, a North Korean defector and head of the Fighters for Free North Korea. “
Stagflation looms large on extended inflation: experts

Mar 2, 2011

Consumer prices rise 4.5% in Feb.Consumer prices in February rose above the government’s target for the second month in a row amid signs of slower growth, bolstering concerns of stagflation.The Consumer Price Index advanced 4.5 percent from a year ago to a 27-month high, following January’s 4.1 percent gain from last year. The Bank of Korea targets inflation rates to remain at 3 percent level for
Samsung scoops 30 design awards

Mar 2, 2011

Samsung Electronics Co. announced Tuesday that it won 30 prizes, including two top honors, at an international design exhibition.The Korean electronics giant said it grabbed 30 awards at the 2011 iF Product Design Award. Organized by the International Forum Design in Hanover, Germany, since 1953, the award recognizes products for their overall design, originality and their consideration for enviro
Vizio overtakes Korean firms in N. American LCD TV market

Mar 2, 2011

Korean TV makers were overtaken by Taiwan‘s Vizio Inc. in North America’s liquid crystal display TV market last year, according to a market research firm Wednesday.Vizio sold 6.96 million LCD TVs in the United States and Canada, accounting for 18.2 percent of LCD TVs sold in the market last year, according to data from market researcher DisplaySearch. Samsung sold 6.72 million LCD TVs in 2010, cla
LG wins import ban on PlayStations in Europe

IndustryMar 2, 2011

LG Electronics Inc. said Wednesday that it has won an injunction from a Dutch court to temporarily ban Japanese electronics giant Sony Corp. from shipping PlayStation game consoles to Europe. “LG requested the import ban on products that infringed on our patents as part of our patent protection policy,” Yoon Won-il, LG’s spokesman at the company’s headquarters, said by phone. The order from a civi