Korean livestreamer arrested in Thailand for attacking massage shop owner

A South Korean man was arrested in Pattaya, Thailand for allegedly assaulting a massage shop owner who objected to him livestreaming his visit, according to local media. The Bangkok Post reported on Thursday that the incident occurred earlier the same day at 12:36 a.m. at a massage shop in Bang Lamung district. The man had reportedly visited the shop several times and livestreamed without permission. The shop owner, 43, initially tolerated the man’s behavior, considering he was a tourist.

Social AffairsNov. 18, 2024

[K-pop 101] Celebrate your fave K-pop artist’s birthday at a ‘birthday cafe'

Have you ever attended a birthday party without the guest of honor? That’s exactly what K-pop fans are doing: celebrating their favorite artists' birthdays at cafes that allow them to be used for this purpose. In Hongdae and Myeong-dong in Seoul, where many of these birthday cafes are located, you’ll find cafes decorated with neon signs, posters and balloons in honor of various K-pop idols. Fans from both Korea and abroad flock to these celebrations. “I live in Japan, but

K-popNov. 18, 2024

Seoul shares rise over 2% on strong Samsung buying

South Korean stocks jumped more than 2 percent Monday as investors scooped up Samsung Electronics' shares on the chip giant's massive buyback plan. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) gained 52.21 points, or 2.16 percent, to close at 2,469.07. It marked the largest daily gain since Sept. 26, when the Kospi jumped 2.9 percent Trade volume was moderate at 431.2 million shares worth 10.4 trillion won (US$7.5 billion), with gai

MarketNov. 18, 2024

[Herald Interview] Woo Do-hwan on portraying complex character in rom-com 'Mr. Plankton'

For Woo Do-hwan, portraying the main character in Netflix's new romantic comedy series "Mr. Plankton" was far from purely romantic or comedic. The life of Woo's character Hae-jo, who was born through in vitro fertilization, spirals into turmoil from the age of 8 when it is discovered he was an unintended product of a sperm mix-up, and that the man he believes to be his father is not actually his biological father. The discovery tears the family apart as the mother dies and

TelevisionNov. 18, 2024

With 'Suneung' discounts, theme parks eye influx of high school seniors

South Korea's iconic theme parks are offering large discounts for this year’s Suneung-takers, looking to lure high school seniors and graduates looking to shake of some exam stress. This year's suneung, South Korea’s college scholastic aptitude test, took place on Nov. 14. The theme parks have begun their annual promotions aimed at test-takers looking to destress and celebrate their hard work. Everland -- South Korea’s largest theme park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province -

TravelNov. 18, 2024

South Korea to launch 3rd spy satellite from Vandenberg base by year-end

The South Korean military is close to launching a third spy satellite, to be a key asset in monitoring North Korea. The third military reconnaissance satellite will be carried into orbit atop Space X’s Falcon 9 rocket, like the first two, around the third week of December from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, according to the Ministry of National Defense on Monday. The upcoming launch is part of the South Korean military’s project to place five reconnaissance satellites

DefenseNov. 18, 2024

Police persuade man not to jump off Han River bridge

A man in his 20s was talked out of jumping off a Han River bridge by Seoul police officers, Saturday, police said Monday. Seoul's Seocho Police Station at 8:50 p.m. on Saturday received a report from the man's friend that he appeared to have gone to the Han River alone after getting drunk. The police tracked his cell phone to find him standing near the southern end of the Banpo Bridge, and requested rescue authorities to install an air mattress beneath the concrete floors of the river

Social AffairsNov. 18, 2024

LG Energy Solution inks exclusive battery deal with Bear Robotics

LG Energy Solution said Monday it forged an exclusive deal with US-based Bear Robotics to supply its cylindrical batteries, marking a significant expansion into sectors beyond electric vehicles. The battery maker’s 21700 cylindrical cells -- measuring 21 millimeters in diameter and 70 mm in height -- will be installed in Bear Robotics’ service robot “Servi Plus” and logistics robot “Carti.” The financial details of the deal were not disclosed. “This is n

MobilityNov. 18, 2024

Kim Jong-un orders full war readiness to justify NK troop deployments: Seoul

The Unification Ministry in Seoul suggested Monday that the North Korean leader's directive for full war readiness -- alongside his framing of the Ukraine war as the start of global military intervention by the US and the West -- was likely intended to quell probable dissent in North Korea over the regime’s deployment of troops to support Russia in Ukraine. Kim Jong-un issued the order and delivered his speech on Nov. 15, the final day of the two-day 4th Conference of Battalion Comman

North KoreaNov. 18, 2024

W10tr buyback plan fires up Samsung stock

Shares of Samsung Electronics continued to gain Monday, following the company’s announcement of a share buyback plan worth 10 trillion won ($7.17 billion) on Friday, partly recovering from a steep decline the previous week. Samsung Electronics shares closed trading at 56,700 won Monday, up 3,200 won or 5.98 percent from the previous trading day, according to the Korea Exchange. During intraday trading, the price surged to as high as 57,500 won. The rebound comes after the shares sank to an

MarketNov. 18, 2024

Smart city expo calls for climate resilience in urban development

BARCELONA, Spain — Scholars, industry leaders and government officials gathered in Barcelona earlier this month to pursue a shared vision of sustainable urban development. The annual Smart City Expo World Congress, in its 14th edition, commenced its three-day run on Nov. 5. Hosted by the city of Barcelona and Fira Barcelona, the congress serves as a global hub for urban development that connects people and companies working to build better cities. Under the theme "Live Better," t

Social AffairsNov. 18, 2024

[Bills in Focus] Flexible work hours for high-tech, fairness in network fees

Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Labor Standards Act Proposed by Rep. Ko Dong-jin (People Power Party) ● To enhance the competitiveness of Korea’s national high-tech strategic industries, this bill aims to exempt the R&D sector in industries such as semiconductors, displays, biotechnology and secondary batteries from the current weekly cap of 52 work hours. Rep. Ko, a former CEO of Samsung Electronics, emphasized that flexibility in working hours is essential for boosting produc

PoliticsNov. 18, 2024

Korea, Mongolia target clean energy, health care in deeper collaboration efforts

Korea and Mongolia took significant steps to deepen their partnership at the third Korea-Mongolia Future Strategy Forum, held Friday in Busan, where experts shared insights and challenges in collaborating in the areas of energy and health care. Energy: Tapping into Mongolia’s vast potential The first session focused on energy cooperation, a key area where the two nations can complement each other. Mongolia, with its vast reserves of coal and critical minerals like lithium and cobalt, i

IndustryNov. 18, 2024

Seoul mulls hiring foreign nationals as local bus drivers

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on Monday that it is pushing to hire foreign nationals as bus drivers on local community routes as the city struggles to deal with a chronic manpower shortage in the transportation sector. The city government requested last month that the Office for Government Policy Coordination expand the E-9 visa program to include the transportation sector and to extend the employment period for E-9 visa holders from three to five years. Currently, E-9 visas are is

Social AffairsNov. 18, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Seventeen subunit BSS to return soon: report

The return of Seventeen subunit trio BSS is pending, according to a local media report Monday. The subunit of Seungkwan, Dogyeom and Hoshi had already finished shooting a music video in Seoul, it added. The group's agency, Pledis Entertainment, only said it would make an announcement when the date is finalized. The trio was launched in 2018 with digital single “Just Do It” and dropped first single album “Second Wind” in February last year. It nabbed eight trophies fr

K-popNov. 18, 2024

Cold wave alerts issued, below-zero temperatures through Wed.

Most regions were issued cold wave alerts Monday as South Korea saw a 10-degree drop in average temperatures compared to the previous day, with the cold expected to continue into Wednesday. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, most parts of Korea saw temperatures dip below freezing, with average morning temperatures reaching as low as minus 5 degrees Celsius and daytime temperatures ranging between 6 C to 13 C, which is 1 C to 3 C lower than previous years. With Seoul seeing mor

Social AffairsNov. 18, 2024

Emu Cinema sheds light on filmmaker Lee Myung-se’s works

Emu Cinema, an independent arts theater in Jongno-gu, Seoul, is holding a special exhibition highlighting filmmaker Lee Myung-se and his works. Four of his films -- “Their Last Love Affair” (1996), “Nowhere to Hide” (1999), “M” (2007), and his latest, “The Killers” (2024) -- will be screened throughout the month. On Tuesday, Lee will hold a special talk with audience members on his movie “Nowhere to Hide,” celebrating the movie’s

FilmNov. 18, 2024

Health care joins energy as key focus in Korea-Mongolia ties

The third Korea-Mongolia Future Strategy Forum took place Friday at The Westin Josun Busan, bringing together over 150 prominent leaders to explore opportunities for collaboration in energy, health care and education. Korea and Mongolia first established diplomatic ties in 1990, and their relationship has flourished since. Busan and Ulaanbaatar, as official cooperative cities, have been at the forefront of this bond, promoting exchanges in culture, health care and tourism. Through the forum, lea

IndustryNov. 18, 2024

Hyundai Rotem to supply armored vehicles to Peru

Hyundai Rotem, South Korea’s sole tank manufacturer, announced Monday that it has signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement with Peru to advance plans for exporting armored vehicles to the country. The agreement, signed Saturday between Hyundai Rotem President Lee Yong-bae and Jorge Zapata, CEO of Peru’s Army Weapons and Ammunition Factory, lays the groundwork for exports of K2 tanks and wheeled armored vehicles to Peru, representing a preliminary step toward a formal contract aim

IndustryNov. 18, 2024

[팟캐스트] (637) 빙그레 "바나나맛우유 용기, 국가문화유산 등재 추진"

진행자: 홍유, Elise Youn Chubby banana milk bottle eyes national heritage listing 기사 요약: 빙그레가 가공우유 제품 '바나나맛우유' 단지 모양 용기의 국가등록문화유산 등재를 추진한다. [1] For over half a century, yellow banana-flavored milk has held a special place in Korean culture, gracing supermarket shelves as a nostalgic favorite across generations. Now, its maker, Binggrae Co., aims to elevate the beloved drink’s status even further. grace: 꾸미다 nostalgic: 향수어린 [2] The Korean dairy maker said Sunday that it is launch

PodcastNov. 18, 2024