DAEJEON -- An LG Chem researcher places two battery cells – one made with the company’s proprietary ceramic-coated safety reinforced separator, known as SRS, and the other made with polyolefin – on a hot plate of about 180 degrees Celsius. Immediately the polyolefin separator melts away and the cathode and anode in the battery gets mixed up, which the researcher explains makes it prone to catch a fire. LG’s patented separator, meanwhile, endures the heat and works normally in the battery, which

Not content to reach for Mars and dethrone fossil fuels, tech entrepreneur Elon Musk on Tuesday is turning his focus to delving into people‘s minds.　In a message fired off Tuesday on Twitter, Musk appeared to confirm he is creating a startup called Neuralink devoted to enabling brains to interface directly with computers, accessing processing power and perhaps even downloading memories for storage.　“Long Neuralink piece coming out on (blog platform) @waitbutwhy in about a week. Difficult to dedi

Donald Trump’s son-in-law and top aide Jared Kushner will appear before a Senate panel investigating Russian interference in the US election, the White House said Monday.　Kushner, 36, was Trump’s main intermediary with foreign governments during the 2016 election campaign and now plays that role in the White House.　He arranged meetings between Trump and leaders from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.　Jared Kushner (left), senior adviser to the president,

Starting off the “primary week” leading to the main presidential race, the initial goal for most presidential aspirants has been to stand equal to unchallenged liberal front-runner Moon Jae-in.And it was Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo of the People‘s Party who grasped this strategic position by marking a sweeping victory in his party’s primary race in the country‘s southwest Jeolla provinces over the weekend.Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, founder and former co-chief of the smaller opposition People’s Party (Yonhap)Rep

Hong Kong's new leader Carrie Lam pledged Sunday to mend political rifts after winning a vote dismissed as a sham by democracy activists who fear the loss of the city’s cherished freedoms.　Hong Kong has been semi-autonomous since it was handed back to China by colonial ruler Britain in 1997.　But 20 years on, there are serious concerns Beijing is disregarding the handover agreement designed to protect Hong Kong‘s way of life. 　 epa05871204 Hong Kong Chief Executive Election candidates John Tsang

JINDO, South Jeolla Province -- Several hours after rusted parts of the sunken Sewol ferry’s structure finally emerged from the waters on Thursday, the mother of a victim still missing at sea wept aloud at the port nearest the wreckage on the island Jindo. “I really miss you, my son. I hope he gets out of the freezing water and meets me here,” the mother of Yang Seung-jin, a teacher at Danwon High School in Ansan, told The Korea Herald at the Paengmok port. “How handsome my son is! He was a good

Duty-free operators and air carriers in Korea are seeking out ways to increases sales among tourists from countries other than China, as Beijing’s travel ban is expected to cut deep into revenues this year.Dependency on Chinese consumers has been high in Korea, as indicated by data for February that showed the impact of anticipation of the travel ban.According to the Korea Duty Free Shops Association, sales at duty-free outlets here hit a record high in February to reach $1.14 billion. The growt

When former president Park Geun-hye was proudly sworn into office as the nation’s first female leader, she would have never imagined this day would come – being questioned by the prosecution as a criminal suspect. It only took 47 seconds for ousted Park to get out of her black sedan, stand for photos and deliver her two-sentence message to the public before entering the prosecution’s office Tuesday.  Former President Park Geun-hye speaks to reporters after arriving at the Seoul Central District

When Suh Kyung-bae, Amorepacific Group chairman, inherited the family business 20 years ago, the cosmetic firm was teetering due to low demand and financial rigidity.Not only was the country suffering from the Asian financial crisis at the time, but the local beauty industry as a whole was facing a wave of foreign cosmetics that poured in after the government completely lifted a ban on imports. Amorepacific Group Chairman Suh Kyung-bae (Amorepacific)The second-generation chaebol scion could have

Following the monthslong street rallies that peacefully removed President Park Geun-hye from office, some politicians in South Korea say that the protesters should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for being a role model for other troubled democracies. 　Massive protests by citizens holding candles pushed the parliament to vote to impeach Park on Dec. 9 over a corruption scandal involving Park’s friend Choi Soon-sil. It was upheld by the Constitutional Court on March 10, which many hailed as

Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Mong-koo renewed his board membership at Friday’s shareholder meeting with the carmaker’s largest institutional investor, National Pension Service, abstaining from the vote.The 79-year-old Hyundai chief retained his seat on the nine-member board for the seventh time with his membership set to expire in 2020. At the meeting the wage limit of the board members was set at 15 billion won ($13.2 million), the same as last year. Chung‘s son, Vice Chairman Chung Eui-s

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Wednesday claimed a dominating parliamentary election victory over anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders, who failed the year’s first litmus test for populism in Europe.　Provisional results with over half the votes counted suggested Rutte’s party won 32 seats in the 150-member legislature, 13 more than Wilders’ party, which took only third place with 19 seats. The surging Christian Democratic Appeal claimed 20.　Following Britain’s vote to leave the European Union a

The amount Samsung Electronics will invest in the booming semiconductor business this year is being widely discussed among related industries and the financial market, even though the world’s top chipmaker has yet to announce its final plan.According to the semiconductor industry on Wednesday, Samsung is currently looking at its annual investment plan, which includes building a new production line within the current 17 Line in the company’s Hwaseong Campus in Gyeonggi Province, and constructing

Opposition raises tension on Hwang’s possible bid in presidential race, but skepticism grows on his actions amid worsening public sentiment

Former President Park Geun-hye’s loyalists and aides are showing unrelenting support for the disgraced leader even after the top court forced her out of office over a corruption scandal. On Sunday evening, Park moved from the presidential residence back to her private house in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul, and some eight lawmakers greeted her at the entrance of her house. A large crowd of supporters also gathered to welcome her return. Rep. Cho Kyung-hwan (right) and other lawmakers of the Libe