The Korea Herald

안녕하세요 박형기 기자입니다.

Articles by 박형기

[Newsmaker] Chung Mong-joon in bid to clean up FIFA

SoccerAug 17, 2015

Corruption, scandal, money laundering, internal strife, fraud, power and FBI investigations – the recent allegations surrounding FIFA have all the elements of a Hollywood movie.Chung Mong-joon (Yonhap)Oscar winner, producer and actor Ben Affleck, who is soon to be the next Batman, will produce a movie about FIFA’s alleged misdeeds over the last 20 years, recently involving the bidding processes for the Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 World Cups. The star of this drama may play Charles “Chuck” Blazer,
Hanbit nuclear reactor halts due to coolant pump problems

BusinessAug 8, 2015

A nuclear reactor along the west coast suddenly halted operation due to a malfunction caused by problems in the coolant pump, the state-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. said Saturday. The Hanbit No. 2 reactor at the nuclear power plant in Yeonggwang, 320 kilometers southwest of Seoul, stopped at 2:59 a.m., the company said.One of the four coolant pumps was found to have a problem, which led the reactor to shut down automatically. A fire also broke out caused by overheating in a circuit breake
Ex-first lady returns home from N.K visit

NationalAug 8, 2015

The widow of former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung on Saturday returned home after her rare visit to North Korea, a trip which she hoped could pave the way for inter-Korean dialogue and cooperation.But Lee Hee-ho, 93, failed to have a much-anticipated meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un who extended her the invitation for a four-day visit to the North that started Wendesday."I visited North Korea with a sense of duty, believing that I should contribute to helping inherit the spirit
MERS cases, fatalities remain flat

Social affairsAug 8, 2015

The number of people diagnosed with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in South Korea remained unchanged for 34 days at 186 as of Saturday.The country's death toll from the disease also has remained unchanged at 36 for the past 28 days.Ten patients are still hospitalized, but nine have already tested negative for the disease and are recovering from other complications caused by MERS.MERS is a viral respiratory disease that is also known as camel flu and is often linked to countries in the A
ITU not notified of N. Korea's bid to change standard time

North KoreaAug 8, 2015

A United Nations agency for telecommunications said Saturday it has not been notified of North Korea's bid to change its standard time, amid rising concerns the move may further isolate the country.The remark came as North Korea said Friday it will push back its standard time by 30 minutes to mark the 70th anniversary of liberation from Japan's colonial rule. Accordingly, North Korea's clocks will be moved back a half-hour starting on the upcoming Aug. 15 anniversary.Currently, the two Koreas us
Anniversary revitalized ‘The Last Empress’ soaks in nationalism

CultureAug 2, 2015

The first Korean musical shown on Broadway and London’s West End, the first Korean musical to perform more than 1,000 shows and the first Korean musical to reach an audience of more than 130 million worldwide -- “The Last Empress” -- is now on its 20th anniversary open-run in Seoul.After premiering in 1995 at the Seoul Arts Center, the historical production became an unforeseen local and international success never-before experienced in Korea, setting milestones in the country’s relatively short
Naver to launch global streaming app for K-pop

MusicJul 29, 2015

Naver, South Korea’s biggest search portal, will launch a real-time mobile broadcasting app featuring the country’s hottest and newest K-pop singers and idol bands for the global audience and fans next month.In partnerships with Korea’s major entertainment and talent agencies including SM and YG, the global V app will stream the stars’ live concerts and their daily activities behind the scenes with real-time English subtitles.Also, the video streaming app will have communication features enablin
Iran deal indicates U.S. flexibility on N. Korea: Seiler

North KoreaJul 27, 2015

The United States is willing to show flexibility in nuclear talks with North Korea, if resumed, as demonstrated in a recent deal with Iran, a key Washington official on Pyongyang said Monday."We have long been open to dialogue with the DPRK and we have made quite clear to the DPRK that we are willing to engage in discussions on a range of issues," Sydney Seiler, the U.S. special envoy for the six-party talks, told reporters here. The DPRK is the acronym for the North's official name, the Democra
S. Korea, U.S. to work closely for Koreas' reunification: minister

North KoreaJul 27, 2015

South Korea and the United States will work even more closely together to reunify the two Koreas, Seoul's point man on Pyongyang said Monday.Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo made the remark during an address at a security conference, saying the South Korea-U.S. alliance is "key" to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula."South Korea and the U.S. will work even more closely together to defend the values important to achieving a peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula, such as human
[Up & Coming] Webtoon artist Kim tells stories of hardships with humor

CultureJun 21, 2015

Comic artist Kim Mi-kyung is a realist. She also has a bit of a dark side. People had often told her that she was too honest to create funny, cute characters and cartoons. But Kim said her character traits have proven to be useful in creating comics such as “How I Got Married” and “Fantastic Cosmetic.” She has been writing comics under a pseudonym Kim Fanta, named after a soft drink she used to enjoy drinking when she was young.“Comics that I have created over the years were mostly based on my e
FIFA's Blatter slams US action, Europe 'hate' campaign

SoccerMay 30, 2015

ZURICH, (AFP) - FIFA leader Sepp Blatter said Saturday he was "shocked" at the way the US judiciary has targeted football's world body and slammed what he called a "hate" campaign by Europe's football leaders.In an interview with Swiss television, Blatter said he suspected the arrest of seven FIFA officials on Wednesday under a US anti-corruption warrant was an attempt to "interfere with the congress" at which he was elected Friday.Commenting on the fact that it came only two days before his ele
THAAD is 'excellent deterrent' against N. Korean threats: McCain

North KoreaMay 30, 2015

U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) said Saturday the possible deployment of the U.S. advanced missile defense system on Korean soil should be considered as threats by North Korea have grown."The THAAD system is a very effective and excellent deterrent. I think it is something that has to be considered in light of recent information about the advanced step North Korea has made," McCain said in a press conference in Singapore on the sidelines of the Asia Security Summit, also known as the Shangri-La
MERS fears grow as 13th case confirmed

HealthMay 30, 2015

South Korea reported one more confirmed case of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome on Saturday, raising the total number of people infected with the disease to 13.The latest infected person is the husband of the 12th confirmed patient, according to the Health Ministry. He was in the same hospital where the country's first MERS case was reported to take care of his ill wife. The ministry explained that the new patient does not seem to have contracted the disease from his wife but from Patient N
U.S. calls for joint int'l efforts to stop N.K. nukes

DefenseMay 30, 2015

U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter on Saturday stressed the need to maintain the current multilateral and diplomatic approach to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions."North Korea remains a troubling and provocative exception to the general rule in this (Asia-Pacific) region of countries that pursue systems of peace and stability," Carter said in his speech delivered at the Asia Security Summit, better known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, in Singapore.Five members of the six-party
Singapore urges Japan, Korea, China to put history behind 'properly'

PoliticsMay 30, 2015

The Singaporean prime minister urged Japan on Friday to acknowledge its wartime wrongdoings, while also encouraging South Korea and China to make efforts to move forward.Lee Hsien Loong made the remarks in his keynote speech at the 14th Asia Security Summit, also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, which kicked off that day for a three-day run. The forum, hosted by the British think tank the International Institute for Strategic Studies, brought together defense chiefs and experts from major Asia