Iranian President Hassan Rouhani arrives Monday in Italy, beginning his first European tour since a nuclear deal saw sanctions lifted against the Islamic Republic.The visit, whose chief aim is to boost economic ties and which will see Rouhani visit France later this week, had been planned for last November but was cancelled after the deadly jihadist attacks in Paris.  Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (AP-Yonhap)The three-day trip comes a week after Tehran's deal with world powers came into force

Rep. Cho Kyoung-tae, a third-term lawmaker representing Saha-gu in Busan, was once portrayed as a pioneer in condemning localism in politics, as he survived three consecutive elections in the traditionally conservative constituency.But after 12 years as an opposition representative, Cho decided to defect to the ruling party ahead of the upcoming general election, arousing derision and accusations that he had betrayed his political beliefs for the sake of reelection.“I hope that my fresh start ac

Only a week after a Seoul court ordered a university professor to compensate the nation’s sex slavery victims on defamation charges, she appeared in court again on Wednesday to face a criminal trial. 　Park Yu-ha, a professor at Sejong University, was brought to the court after prosecutors indicted her in November on charges of defaming former “comfort women” -- the euphemistic term for Korean women coerced into sex slavery for the Japanese military during World War II -- with her book “Comfort W

Led by Celltrion and Samsung Bioepis, South Korea’s biopharmaceutical companies are making strides in the emerging drug category of biosimilars -- lower-cost replications of the world’s top-selling biologic drugs that have lost patent protection.　Drawing much spotlight this week, Samsung Bioepis, Samsung Group’s biopharmaceutical affiliate, said Sunday that Benepali, its biosimilar copy of Amgen’s blockbuster rheumatoid arthritis treatment Enbrel (etanercept) has been granted sales approval in E

JYP Entertainment, the smallest of Korea’s three main entertainment agencies, is under fire for its handling of the controversy surrounding Taiwanese K-pop star Tzuyu, in which the company made a politically charged statement.The agency’s official homepage was down yesterday and its shares fell nearly to 4,000 won ($3.30) when the stock market opened Monday, down from a 52-week high of over 6,300 won. It closed at 4,300 won. Tzuyu is part of JYP’s multinational nine-member girl group Twice, whic

Tsai Ing-wen, 59, was elected into power, winning 56.12 percent of the more than 12 million votes cast in Taiwan’s presidential election. She was tipped as the favorite to win the three-way race against Kuomintang’s Eric Chu and People First Party’s James Soong.Here’s more about Tsai, who went from law professor to fist-pumping politician within a decade.Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party candidate Tsai Ing-wen raises her hands as she declares victory in the presidential election in Taipei on

By appointing President Park Geun-hye’s former economic strategist as its election campaign chief, the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea has revived what was once the nation’s top policy keyword ― economic democratization. Kim Jong-in (Yonhap)The entry of the distinguished public figure was also seen to indicate the party’s resolve to rise above the recent chain defections of senior party members and the growing competition with Ahn Cheol-soo’s new political party.“The party that will gain p

Consumers still generous toward foreign brands despite scandal, experts say

LONDON (AFP) ― British music legend David Bowie has died after a long battle with cancer, his official Twitter and Facebook accounts said Monday, prompting an outpouring of tributes.Bowie died on Sunday surrounded by family, according to his social media accounts.The iconic musician had turned 69 only on Friday, which coincided with the release of “Blackstar,” his 25th studio album. “David Bowie died peacefully today (Sunday) surrounded by his family after a courageous 18-month battle with cance

Hyundai Motor’s new hybrid EV challenges Toyota’s all-new Prius, armed with competitive fuel efficiency and driving performance

Vice chairman Chung Eui-sun to debut flagship luxury sedan G90 at 2016 Detroit Auto Show

Hanmi Pharmaceutical Group founder and chairman Lim Sung-ki has found himself in the public spotlight since announcing plans to distribute a portion of his personal stocks, worth some 110 billion won ($92.5 million), as a gift of gratitude to all his employees.　The country’s largest drugmaker said Monday it is distributing 900,000 shares of the chairman’s common stocks in Hanmi Science, the holding company of Hanmi Pharma, to the entire workforce.　As a result, some 2,800 Hanmi employees at both

With the imminent launch of a new centrist political party by Ahn Cheol-soo, the leading parties are accelerating their search for a game changer: a well-known and respected public figure who can unite their flock and engage swing voters; somebody like United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.So far, the ruling Saenuri Party appears to have the upper hand over the main opposition, the Minjoo Party of Korea.Ban, in a telephone conversation with President Park Geun-hye on New Year’s Day, comme

The political clock is ticking for President Park Geun-hye.With the next presidential race two years away, the incumbent state leader would normally have more time on her hands before entering her lame-duck period.But in reality, Park is under pressure to come up with impressive achievements by April’s general election. If not, she might lose the spotlight to potential presidential candidates and their campaigns.President Park Geun-hye (Yonhap)The president’s advantage is that she has successful

Maestro Chung Myung-whun was met with howling cheers, applause and standing ovations from his local audience in the conductor’s final concert with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra on Wednesday night. The concert comes just one day after Chung submitted his official resignation as music director, citing the orchestra’s ongoing legal dispute regarding human rights violations by its former head as the reason for his departure after a decade at its helm.   Maestro Chung Myung-whunPrior to the concer