Park Bo-young, Ahn Jae-hong to host Busan film fest opening ceremony

Actors Park Bo-young and Ahn Jae-hong have been announced as the hosts of the opening ceremony of the 29th Busan International Film Festival, which kicks off Oct. 2. The 29th BIFF’s opening ceremony takes place at the Busan Cinema Center BIFF Theater at 7 p.m., Oct. 2. Park, 34, made her acting debut with drama series “Secret Campus” (2006) and rose to prominence as a leading rookie in Korean cinema after hit family comedy “Scandal Makers” (2008). In 2015, her film

FilmSept. 6, 2024

Park Chan-wook-produced Netflix period flick ‘Uprising’ to be released Oct. 11

Netflix original Korean period film “Uprising” will be released Oct. 11, the global streaming platform confirmed Friday. “Uprising,” directed by Kim Sang-man (“Midnight FM”), gained attention as award-winning director Park Chan-wook’s first-ever project with Netflix. Park has participated as a co-screenwriter and producer. “I’ve been writing the screenplay (for this project) for a long time and completed it in 2019. Because it’s a perio

FilmSept. 6, 2024

Korea to certify safety of EV battery from October

The South Korean government said Friday it will certify the safety of electric vehicle batteries beginning October, four months ahead of the initial plan, as it rolled out various measures to prevent EV fires. According to the government’s EV fire safety management measures, both domestic and imported auto brands will be subject to the authorities’ EV battery certification requirement. The government will disclose the information of the battery cell manufacturer, battery type and key

MobilitySept. 6, 2024

Two Korean women arrested for stealing tourist's bag in Turkey

Two South Korean women were released after being detained by Turkish authorities for allegedly stealing a bag containing around $17,000 in cash from another tourist, according to news reports on Thursday. Turkey’s Demiroren News Agency and other media outlets reported that the two women were arrested by police on suspicion of theft and released after questioning on Aug. 28. The two women, who were traveling in the country, were accused of stealing a bag belonging to an Albanian tourist on

Social AffairsSept. 6, 2024

Yoon approves appointment of new defense minister

President Yoon Suk Yeol approved the appointment of Kim Yong-hyun, former head of the Presidential Security Service, as defense minister and presented a certificate of appointment on Friday, his office said. Kim, a retired three-star Army general and close aide to Yoon, was nominated to the post last month to replace then minister Shin Won-sik, who has since served as national security adviser. Following Yoon's election in May 2022, Kim led efforts to relocate the presidential office from C

PoliticsSept. 6, 2024

Military deploying anti-drone system to counter N. Korean drone threats

The defense ministry said Friday the military has been deploying an integrated anti-drone system in multiple locations across the country to counter threats posed by unmanned aerial vehicles from North Korea. The move comes as South Korea has pushed to bolster its drone response capabilities after five North Korean drones crossed the border in December 2022, with one of them entering Seoul. The military failed to intercept any of them, raising questions over its readiness. "The anti-drone i

DefenseSept. 6, 2024

Japanese PM Kishida due in S. Korea for last summit with Yoon

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is set to visit South Korea on Friday for talks with President Yoon Suk Yeol as Kishida is preparing to leave office with a legacy of improving long-frayed relations with Seoul. Yoon and Kishida are scheduled to hold summit talks later Friday, their 12th summit in just about two years. It will also be their last summit as Kishida has given up on reelection as prime minister and leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party after three years on the job. Durin

Foreign AffairsSept. 6, 2024

[김대균의 영어산책] 최신 한국 일본 토익 기출 단어 정리 (1)

토익 단어를 모아 나가는 과정을 계속하고 있다. 한국과 일본은 토익 응시 회수가 다르다. 24년 기준 최근 8월 25토익이 일본은 362회차인데 한국은 523회차이다. 토익을 처음 만드는데 일본이 미국 ETS에 투자하여 시작했지만 응시 횟수는 한국이 많다. 이 중에 500회를 보고 있는 필자 응시 기록이 정기 토익 시험 세계 최다 응시 기록이다. 한 회에 새로 보이는 단어가 5~10개인데 일본 도쿄대 대학원에 다니는 한국인 학생 Jax[영어이름]님과 필자의 일본 친구들의 도움으로 단어를 더 모을 수 있었다. 그것을 정리하여 제공한다. promptly - (ad.) 신속하게, 즉시 (Without delay; at once) ★★★★ (ex) She promptly replied to the email, resolving the issue quickly. (그녀는 이메일에 신속하게 답변하여 문제를 빠르게 해결했다.) transferable - (a.) 양도할 수 있는,

English EyeSept. 6, 2024

Seoul shares open lower ahead of US jobs data

South Korean shares opened slightly lower Friday ahead of the US jobs report that may serve as another indicator of a possibly looming recession. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index shed 7.63 points, or 0.30 percent, to 2,567.87 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The index has been on a steady decline since Tuesday, when the United States reported a worse-than-expected manufacturing purchasing managers index. The US is set to release its latest jobs data Friday. In Seoul, large caps

MarketSept. 6, 2024

S. Korea logs current account surplus for 3rd month in July

South Korea racked up a current account surplus for the third consecutive month in July, driven by robust exports, central bank data showed Friday. The country's current account surplus reached $9.13 billion in July, marking a surplus for the third consecutive month, according to data compiled by the Bank of Korea. The July surplus was smaller than the previous month's $12.56 billion, the largest since September 2017. The country's goods account racked up an $8.49 billion surplus in July followi

EconomySept. 6, 2024

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

DoubleTree by Hilton Seoul Pangyo offers Teenieping-themed package DoubleTree by Hilton Seoul Pangyo, located in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, is collaborating with hit animation “Catch! Teenieping.” The “Teenieping Adventure” package offers a one-night stay with breakfast at the hotel restaurant, Demeter, for three guests, an animation character-themed suitcase with a name tag, tickets to the nearby “Catch! Teenieping” theme park and access to the hotel swimmi

TravelSept. 6, 2024

[Well-curated] Create custom cases, attend an art salon and play 'the floor is lava'

Customize smartphone cases at Casetify Buying new accessories for and decorating your smartphone might be some of the easiest ways to refresh your look nowadays. Though there are many unmanned stores and pop-up shops featuring smartphone-themed merchandise, pay a visit to Casetify to customize your phone covers with the inspiration-filled designs. Located at the second basement floor of The Hyundai Seoul -- the biggest department store in Yeongdeungpo-gu, western Seoul, Casetify displays a wide

CultureSept. 6, 2024

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Lim Young Woong: Im Hero the Stadium” (South Korea) Opened Aug. 28 Documentary Directed by Jung Hyun-cheol, Jo Woo-young South Korean hit trot singer Lim Young-woong's two concerts in May that attracted a combined 100,000 people at Seoul World Cup Stadium come to the big screen. “Alien: Romulus” (US) Opened Aug. 14 Horror/Sci-fi Directed by Fede Alvarez Set in 2142, a group of young space colonizers go on an adventure and land in a derelict space station, only t

FilmSept. 6, 2024

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Design & Art at DDP Through Sept. 8, artists will adorn Dongdaemun Design Plaza with their works, lighting up the Seoul landmark during the annual DDP Design & Art festival. Artists whose works will be on display include Kim Whan-ki, a pioneer of abstract art in Korea, and Felice Varini, a Paris-based Swiss visual artist who paints in urban spaces. The UK-based art and design collective Studio Vertigo will exhibit a giant heart-shaped installation made with more than 11,000 mirrored

TravelSept. 6, 2024

[Robert Fouser] Learning Korean and Chinese characters

Learning Korean continues to grow in popularity around the world, but the speed of growth may be slowing as the popularity of K-pop has plateaued. Universities in many countries have seen a decline in second language learning as part of a broader shift away from the humanities. Over time, this could result in a weakening of important institutional support for Korean classes. According to the “2023 Duolingo Language Report,” an annual report produced by the popular language learning p

ViewpointsSept. 6, 2024

Natl. football team's sellout streak ends as fans express displeasure

South Korea failed to sell out their World Cup qualifying match in Seoul on Thursday, the first time since October last year that the Taegeuk Warriors did not play in front of a full house at home. The Korea Football Association (KFA) said about 4,000 tickets had been left unsold an hour before the 8 p.m. kickoff for the Group B match of the third round in the Asian World Cup qualification between South Korea and Palestine at Seoul World Cup Stadium. The stadium seats about 65,000. South Korea h

SoccerSept. 5, 2024

Industry, science ministers discuss economic cooperation with Czech envoy

South Korea's industry and science ministers met with a senior Czech official Thursday to discuss bilateral cooperation, building on a recent nuclear power plant deal between the two countries. Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun met with Czech National Security Adviser Tomas Pojar who was visiting Seoul as a special envoy of the prime minister, expressing hope for closer ties in areas including the nuclear energy industry, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. In July, the Cz

IndustrySept. 5, 2024

Son Heung-min earns 128th cap, alone in 4th on all-time S. Korean list

South Korean captain Son Heung-min earned his 128th international cap on Thursday to grab the sole possession of fourth place on the country's all-time list. Son was inserted into the starting lineup against Palestine in the countries' Group B match of the third round in the Asian qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The match was to kick off at 8 p.m. at Seoul World Cup Stadium. Son, captain for both South Korea and the Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, had been tied with L

SoccerSept. 5, 2024

N. Korea sends trash balloons into S. Korea for 2nd consecutive day: JCS

North Korea floated trash-carrying balloons into South Korea for a second straight day on Thursday, South Korea's military said, the latest in its repeated provocations Seoul condemned as "senseless." The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the North launching some 480 trash balloons from late Wednesday until 12 p.m. Thursday, with around 100 trash bundles landing in Seoul and northern parts of Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital. In a notice sent to reporters at

Social AffairsSept. 5, 2024