HONGCHEON, Gangwon Province -- The opening day of the Hongcheon Ice Fishing Festival on Jan. 10 was marked by tourists pouring out of shuttle buses, clad in thick down jackets and gloves, to find the sun beaming down on an unfrozen river.The river is usually completely frozen over by this time in January, offering punters the chance to catch local trout from holes drilled into the river. But not a sliver of ice was to be found on the opening day of the festival, which last year welcomed approxim

As Koreans halt operations and leave on an exodus for their hometowns for the Lunar New Year holiday, travelers and expats alike may find themselves scratching their heads as to how to spend their weekend. This year, Seollal falls on Jan. 24-26, giving South Koreans a three-day weekend to celebrate with their loved ones.Customs, family and food are at the heart of this national holiday. However, in recent times, there has been a shift away from traditional celebrations, meaning more to do for th

The ranking of fair assets held by large conglomerates in South Korea has changed over the past decade, with only seven out of 59 surveyed firms having maintained the same rank, data from corporate tracker CEOScore showed.CEOScore surveyed assets and capital of firms with assets of at least 5 trillion won ($4.3 billion) -- defined as large conglomerates by the Fair Trade Commission. Among the top six groups, Samsung, Hyundai and SK saw their assets rise rapidly by at least 100 trillion won from

진행자: 임현수, Paul Kerry 1. [Feature] Weekend rallies in central Seoul a headache for residents 아이튠즈(아이폰): https://itunes.apple.com/kr/podcast/koliaheleoldeu-paskaeseuteu/id686406253?mt=2 팟빵 (안드로이드): http://www.podbbang.com/ch/6638 기사요약: 매 주말 서울 도심에서 열리는 시위가 지역 주민들에게는 소음 등의 골칫거리를 제공 [1] Protesters chanting anti-government slogans and marching with loudspeakers in traffic lanes closed off for them have become a common sight on Saturdays in central Seoul in recent years. *loudspeaker: 확성기 *traff

The bumpy political path of our republic in the 21st century has had two major upheavals involving former presidents: the suicide of Roh Moo-hyun and the impeachment of Park Geun-hye. They resulted from aggravated power contests. Political power has alternated between the right and left, like seasonal winds blowing on this peninsula, northwesterly in winter and southeasterly in summer. Ideological polarization has developed, along with a vicious circle of political vendetta, as rivals fail to ma

The recent tense, dangerous exchanges between the United States and Iran have revealed a great deal about US President Donald Trump’s management of his foreign policy. The main conclusion is that he doesn’t have one. Weighty decisions are made on the basis of gut reactions and often-contradictory impulses -- for example, simultaneously seeking agreement and threatening the use of force. If there is any overarching vision or philosophy, it is that he wants to avoid another long, costl

Household expenditure in South Korea logged 656.85 trillion won ($570 billion) in the first three quarters of last year, of which 11.42 percent was spent on buying food and nonalcoholic beverages. The ratio of money spent on buying food items by households was the lowest since 11.39 percent in 2014.　(khnews@heraldcorp.com)

I was not surprised when leading Democratic primary contenders began endorsing a “wealth tax” along the lines of what has been proposed by my University of California, Berkeley colleagues Gabriel Zucman and Emmanuel Saez. What has surprised me is the level of pushback these candidates have received, particularly from those who should be in favor of anything that moves the United States toward a more progressive tax system. When I first began studying public finance, I was taught that

UK-based Mundipharma said Monday it has secured a partnership with Korea’s Samsung Bioepis to commercialize its first-wave biosimilar candidates in Taiwan and Hong Kong.The partnership covers Samsung Bioepis’ biosimilar candidates in the field of immunology and oncology, including SB5 (adalimumab), SB4 (etanercept), SB3 (trastuzumab) and SB8 (bevacizumab). Mundipharma will be the exclusive commercialization partner, while Samsung Bioepis will remain responsible for clinical developme

Samsung Electronics’ share price has skyrocketed on the back of a rosy outlook for this year’s semiconductor business and revitalized smartphone market, giving a boost to the asset value of major shareholders, according to data from the Korea Exchange.Since December last year, the value of shares held by Chairman Lee Kun-hee and the National Pension Service rose by 2 trillion won and 6 trillion, respectively, in a month.　(khnews@heraldcorp.com)

This is a moment -- in the wake of the Soleimani killing and the mild Iranian response -- when everyone needs to take a deep breath.Iranian officials are clearly shocked and debating their options. They will have to factor in the fallout if, as evidence indicates, Iran mistakenly downed a Ukrainian airliner.Whether or not it was necessary or wise to kill Gen. Qassem Soleimani, his death won’t produce World War III. The Iranian response, as I’ve written, will be asymmetric and occur o