SPOTLIGHT

• World News

  

  Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld dead: Chanel

  PARIS(AFP) -- Superstar designer Karl Lagerfeld has died at the age of 85, his fashion label Chanel confirmed on Tuesday.  Karl Lagerfeld (AFP-Yonhap)The announcement came just weeks after the man known as the "Kaiser" in the industry did not appear at shows during Paris Haute Couture week for Chanel, which he has led since 1983.

• Social affairs

  

  Paroled murderer charged with larceny

  A 60-year-old murderer who was paroled in October is now charged with larceny after being accused of stealing a wallet in a Gwangju internet cafe in January. As a result, his parole may be revoked. The man was originally sentenced to 11 years in jail in 2009 for murdering a Gwangju-based karaoke owner with whom he was having an affair. When he was originally questioned by police in connection with the murder, he unsuccessfully argued that the victim’s death was an accident and that a refrigerato

• Economy

  

  Koreans traveling more but spending less

  South Koreans traveling overseas spent a record amount last year, but spending per person declined, central bank data showed Wednesday.The current account for last year showed travel expenditures of $31.97 billion, the highest since recordkeeping began in 2006. (Yonhap)Past figures show increases from $15 billion in 2009 to $20 billion in 2012, $25 billion in 2015 and $31.69 billion won in 2017.The increase, however, was the smallest since the global financial crisis of 2009 at 0.9 percent, comp

• Social affairs

  

  YouTuber finds body at abandoned hospital

  A YouTuber found a corpse over the weekend while streaming a show at an abandoned hospital in Gwangju.According to Gwangju Police on Monday, the 30-year-old YouTuber surnamed Park entered the hospital at midnight Saturday as part of his show about exploring abandoned places.  This photo is not related to the article.Although the hospital is fenced off, as it was shut down 10 years ago, Park sneaked into the premises and was exploring the place when he discovered the body on the floor in a ward.

LATEST NEWS

• 

  People

  OCA director-general receives honorary degree from Kookmin University

  Husain Ali Al Musallam, director-general of the Olympic Council of Asia and the first vice president of the Federation Internationale de Natation, which administers international competitions in water sports, was presented with an honorary Ph.D. in sports science by Kookmin University on Monday.At the 11 a.m. ceremony, the former swimmer received the degree from university President Yu Ji-soo and Park Chan-ryang, the dean of its graduate school. Husain Ali al-Musallam (center), director-general

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  North Korea

  NK leader could visit China next month after summit with Trump: source

  North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could visit China next month after his second summit with US President Donald Trump, a source said Wednesday. A week after the first summit with Trump, in June last year, Kim visited Beijing to brief Chinese President Xi Jinping on the results of the talks with Trump in Singapore. Kim also visited China in May before the first summit.The same pattern could repeat this time, the source said. Kim visited Beijing last month and could travel to the neighboring ally ag

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  Economy

  Govt. picks two locations for smart industrial zones

  South Korea's industry ministry on Wednesday announced its first batch of locations to establish what it calls smart industrial zones, which will utilize high-end information and communication technologies to improve companies' productivity.The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said it decided to apply smart factory technologies in the industrial complex of Changwon, 398 kilometers south of Seoul, along with the Banwol-Sihwa complex southwest of the capital city.(Yonhap)The announcement com

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  Economy

  Drivers use less gasoline in 2018 amid higher fuel prices

  A gasoline-burning automobile consumed an average 1,159 liters last year, down 2.4 percent from a year earlier, as drivers cut back on spending probably to cope with high prices, industry data showed Wednesday.According to the Korea Petroleum Association, the figure marks the lowest since 2006, when the comparable figure was 1,153 liters of gasoline.(Yonhap)The owners of gasoline-burning autos spent some 1.83 million won ($1,620) on average last year to run their vehicles and an average 153,000

• 

  Automode

  Infiniti unveils all-new QX50 premium crossover

  The five-passenger QX50 compact crossover by Japanese automaker Nissan’s luxury car brand Infiniti hits the South Korean market Wednesday with a redesigned interior and exterior. The 2019 model features the 2.0L VC turbo engine with technology developed for the first time in the world’s combustion engine history, according to the company.  (Infiniti)The technology is based on a multilink system that automatically controls the range of the engine’s piston for optimized power and fuel efficiency,

• 

  North Korea

  Moon offers to ease US burden in talks with NK

  Moon says Seoul could take burden of 'corresponding measures'

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  World News

  Bernie Sanders announces he is running for US president

  WASHINGTON (AFP) -- Senator Bernie Sanders announced Tuesday he is running for president, launching a second bid for the White House after a surprisingly strong run for the Democratic nomination in 2016.Sanders, 77, made the announcement in a radio interview in his home state of Vermont."I wanted to let the people of the state of Vermont know about this first," Sanders said on Vermont Public Radio.Bernie Sanders (AP-Yonhap)The self-described Democratic socialist joins an already crowded field of

• 

  Foreign Policy

  FM Kang holds talks with top UAE official ahead of crown prince's visit

  South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha held talks with a top United Arab Emirates (UAE) official on Tuesday and discussed the planned visit of Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan next week, Seoul's foreign ministry said.During the talks with Khaldoon Al Mubarak, chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority of Abu Dhabi, in Seoul, Kang welcomed the crown prince's upcoming visit and expressed hope for the expansion of cooperation between the two countries. (Yonhap)The de fa

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  Social affairs

  S. Korea to expand application period of flexible work hours system

  Representatives from labor and management in South Korea agreed on Tuesday to revise the flexible work hours system to expand its application period, a presidential advisory council said.The Economic, Social and Labor Council said the two sides agreed to expand the application period for the flexible work hours system, which allows companies to adjust working hours of employees in a lump-sum manner, to six months from the current three months. (Yonhap)The council consists of representatives from

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  World

  James tops NBA rich list: Forbes

  　LeBron James remains the top-earning player in the NBA while an increasing number of stars have boosted their income through off-field activities, according to Forbes.　Forbes said that Los Angeles Lakers star James was the highest-paid player in basketball for a fifth straight year, pocketing an estimated $88.7 million in 2018-19.　Around $35.7 million of James's earnings came from salary and bonuses, while $53 million was generated through endorsements.　Golden State Warriors ace Stephen Curry r

GRAPHIC NEWS

OPINION

• Columnists

  

  Be confident and overcome inferiority complex

  Watching popular American sitcom “The Big Bang Theory,” Korean viewers could be appalled at the character Sheldon making fun of Howard for holding only a master’s degree from MIT. In the show, Sheldon, who is a theoretical physicist with a Ph.D. from Harvard, openly mocks Howard for his lower academic degree and his alma mater, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. If a Korean TV series aired such a scene of belittling a specific degree or university, it would immediately create a nationwide sc

• Columnists

  

  Embrace diversity or accept divorce

  Two major divorces are in the making in March. The obvious one is Brexit, which officially occurs on March 29. The other is the deadline for the US-China trade negotiations on March 1, when US tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports will increase from 10 percent to 25 percent. Even though a trade deal is likely, as both sides want to have a deal and the market is expecting one, this will come down to the wire as the gap in what can be achieved in the deal is still daunting.　Both negotia

THE INVESTOR

• Startups & Investors

  

  SoCar CEO to counter lawsuit by taxi drivers

  As the opposition to carpooling services by taxi operators is heating up here, prominent startups are against such moves to stall disruptive technologies that benefit customers.“I think it’s probably just some taxi drivers, but please stop harassing companies in a new industry with different standards,” Lee Jae-woong, founder and CEO of mobility company SoCar, wrote on Facebook on Feb. 18 in response to a lawsuit filed by taxi drivers. On Feb. 11, nine taxi drivers including officials from the S

• Startups & Investors

  

  SendBird raises US$52m funding to ‘go beyond simple messaging’

  American-Korean startup SendBird said on Feb. 19 it has raised US$52 million in series B round funding to further advance its customizable chat and messaging API service for mobile and web applications. San Francisco-based ICONIQ Capital led the fundraising, which was also joined by existing investors such as Shasta Ventures, August Capital, Y Combinator and Funders Club.  Courtesy of SendBirdThe new round of funding -- following a US$16 million series A funding in December 2017 -- is meant to a

• Finance

  

  Hana Financial partners with SK Telecom and Kiwoom Securities for internet-only bank

  Hana Financial Group announced on Feb. 19 that it will partner with Kiwoom Securities and SK Telecom to form a consortium to establish an internet-only bank.The three firms are seeking to win state approval for a new internet-only bank as the Financial Services Commission plans to issue preliminary approval for a third such bank this year.Kiwoom Securities, the most used online brokerage firm, will be the largest stakeholder of the consortium. Agreeing on the needs of the new internet-only bank

• Stocks & Bonds

  

  CJ ENM denies Netmarble’s US$2b stake sell-off rumors

  Korean entertainment giant CJ ENM denied rumors on Feb. 19 that it intends to sell off its 21.96 percent of stakes in mobile gaming giant Netmarble, which was worth some 2.24 trillion won (US$1.99 billion) valued at the previous day’s stock price. "CJ ENM is not on the move to sell off Netmarble stakes," CJ ENM said in a disclosure. This came after stock market operator Korea Exchange had ordered CJ ENM to clarify the rumors by 6 p.m. on Feb. 19. Courtesy of NetmarbleRelated:LG Uplus’ bid for CJ

K-POP HERALD

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  8 cover songs BTS made their own

• 

  ‘Save Me,’ Episode 6, recap

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  50 facts about V of BTS

HERALD INTERVIEW

• Economy

  

  SK Innovation’s participation to bring better understanding of EV in US city

• Industry

  

  ‘4th industrial revolution’ technologies now crucial for customs clearance

• Foreign Policy

  

  Peace treaty for Korean Peninsula should be on agenda for Trump-Kim summit, peace activist says

• Television

  

  ‘I have fans in their 20s now’: ‘SKY Castle’ star Yum Jung-ah

PHOTO NEWS

• Travel

  

  Walking through early 1900s at Seoul Station

  Crowds of daily commuters and tourists hopping on and off KTX bullet trains make it easy to overlook the old Seoul Station, which was restored to its former glory almost half a decade ago. The red-brick Western-style building, which opened in 1925 during the Japanese colonial rule of Korea, no longer serves as a train station. In 2012, it was revamped into Culture Station Seoul 284, an exhibition space. Its turquoise Byzantine-style central dome is a stark contrast to its modern surroundings, in

VIDEO

• Industry

  

  Netmarble eyes growing business in Thailand

• Social affairs

  

  Contract worker’s funeral held two months after death

• Television

  

  Lee Na-young, Lee Jong-suk to show romance in publishing industry in new rom-com

• Food

  

  Seoul’s sweet rendezvous with chocolate, ‘Salon du Chocolat’

FEATURES

• Economy

  

  Gasoline prices set to bounce back amid reduced output

  SEJONG -- The nation’s gasoline prices have seen a sharp drop over the past few months, and to a certain extent this eased the financial burdens of ordinary people and small business owners amid economic difficulties.After peaking at 1,690.31 won ($1.50) per liter on Nov. 4, gasoline prices fell below 1,350 won on Jan. 12 before sinking to 1,342.24 won on Feb. 15. This month’s low marked a 20.5 percent drop from three months earlier and the lowest level seen in 35 months. Gasoline prices posted

• Health

  

  Imports of medical cannabis to be allowed next month

  A revised narcotics bill that goes into effect March 12 will give the green light to imports of medical cannabis for self-treatment under strict conditions.Under the revised law, cannabis derivatives that have been approved abroad for self-treatment purposes can be brought into South Korea through the Korea Orphan and Essential Drug Center, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.(Yonhap)People with diseases for which there are no alternative means of treatment in Korea can import four

• Social affairs

  

  Local subsidies encourage foreign ‘bride buying’

  Rural counties offer men marrying foreign brides money to defray costs

• Social affairs

  

  Unchanged taximeters confuse drivers, passengers after implemented rate hike

  Rushing to a business meeting, Kim Ha-min, 34, took a taxi. The fare on the taximeter showed 6,100 won ($5.42), but the driver told him to pay extra money as the fare has been raised.“I don’t remember exactly, but I had to pay some extra 1,000 won,” Kim said.“I couldn’t really check the fare table hung at the front seat, as I was in a hurry, but I’m not sure the calculation was right.” A table hung behind a taxi’s front seat shows new cab fares. (Yonhap)The basic taxi fare in Seoul has increased