Military prosecutors indict intel official over leaking 'black agent' info

The defense ministry's prosecutors' office on Tuesday indicted a military intelligence official for allegedly leaking information of South Korean espionage agents operating overseas. The official at the Korea Defense Intelligence Command, whose identity is withheld, was arrested earlier this month on allegations of handing over personal information of "black agents" to a Chinese national of Korean descent, who is possibly an informant for North Korea's intelligence agenc

DefenseAug. 27, 2024

Daegu mayor says plan to form unified gov't with N. Gyeongsang Province failed

The plan to integrate the southeastern city of Daegu and surrounding North Gyeongsang Province has failed, the mayor of Daegu, Hong Joon-pyo, declared Tuesday. Hong said in a social media posting that "it would be hard to expect consent from the provincial assembly of North Gyeongsang Province" for the proposed integration of the local governments. The Daegu mayor had set a Wednesday deadline for his latest proposal, which calls for the establishment of unified provincial government of

PoliticsAug. 27, 2024

N. Korea sent over 13,000 containers suspected of carrying arms to Russia: lawmaker

North Korea has sent more than 13,000 shipping containers suspected of carrying arms to Russia since mid-2022 amid deepening bilateral military ties, a lawmaker said Tuesday, citing a military intelligence report. The North delivered the shipments that could hold more than 6 million 152-millimeter artillery shells through its eastern port of Najin over the roughly two-year period, according to a Defense Intelligence Agency report submitted to Rep. Kang Dae-sik of the ruling People Power Party. T

North KoreaAug. 27, 2024

Presidential chief of staff avoids prison term for defaming late President Roh

A Seoul court on Tuesday ordered presidential chief of staff Chung Jin-suk to pay a fine of 12 million won ($8,998) for defaming the honor of the late President Roh Moo-hyun through a social media post, while overturning the initial ruling of a six-month prison term. The charges against Chung stemmed from a Facebook post he made in September 2017, in which he claimed that Roh's wife, Kwon Yang-sook, and their son had received bribes from a businessperson closely associated with Roh. In the

PoliticsAug. 27, 2024

Jo Jung-suk says his wife Gummy gave him most confidence for 'A-List to Playlist'

Korea's beloved actor Jo Jung-suk said his wife and popular singer Park Ji-yeon, more famously known by her stage name Gummy, has been his greatest source of confidence in pursuing his dream of becoming a singer, via Netflix original "A-List to Playlist." "A-List to Playlist" will follow actor Jo Jung-suk's quest to fulfill his dream of debuting as a singer-songwriter. The eight-part series documents Jo's 100-day journey to create an album, with support from

TelevisionAug. 27, 2024

Why K-Pop idols face stricter scrutiny: cultural and economic forces behind Korea's high standards

The recent drunk driving incident involving BTS's Suga and the criticism he has faced have sparked discussion about why K-pop idols face such strict scrutiny. Experts point to the unique fan-idol relationship and the way entertainment companies treat idols more as products than individuals. The domestic K-pop fandom is intense and deeply involved. Every K-pop group has a dedicated fandom that supports its idols in every conceivable way. When a group releases a new album, fans often purchase

K-popAug. 27, 2024

[News Analysis] Are movie tickets in Korea too expensive?

Veteran actor Choi Min-sik’s remarks on an interview show recently have sparked debate about whether movie tickets at South Korean cinemas are indeed expensive. While his comment drew mixed reactions, the country’s largest multiplex cinema chain decided to halve its ticket prices for four days. “Movie theaters have raised (ticket) prices a lot. Please lower them a bit. If you suddenly raise them like that, I wouldn’t go anywhere either (even as an actor). Do you think peo

FilmAug. 27, 2024

Yoon vows crackdown on deepfake porn as digital sex crime surges

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday called for a thorough investigation and identification of digital sex crimes involving deepfake pornography, amid growing concerns over the rapid spread of sexually explicit content made using artificial intelligence. “Recently, deepfake videos targeting an unspecified number of people have circulated rapidly on social media,” Yoon said at a Cabinet meeting. “Anyone can be a victim of such digital sex crimes. I urge all authorities involved

Social AffairsAug. 27, 2024

[Korea Quiz] National flag

Find the answer at the bottom. In the center of the South Korean national flag, known as the Taegeukgi, there is a yin and yang symbol with red on the top and blue on the bottom. The four corners of the flag feature groups of black bars, each with a specific meaning: The top left bars, the “geon,” symbolize the sky. The top right ones, the “gam,” symbolize water. The bottom right “gon” bars stand for the earth, and the left “ri” bars fire. The wh

Hashtag KoreaAug. 27, 2024

Two takes on 'La Bayadere' set to dazzle this fall

This fall, Seoul will see a captivating artistic duel, as two leading ballet companies stage their productions of “La Bayadere,” a timeless ballet masterpiece. The Universal Ballet will perform the piece from Sept. 27 to 29, while the Korean National Ballet’s production will go onstage Oct. 30 to Nov. 3. Both productions will be staged at the Seoul Arts Center’s Opera House. “La Bayadere,” which translates to “The Temple Dancer” in French, is set a

PerformanceAug. 27, 2024

Seoul shares down for 3rd day on US tech slump

South Korean shares closed lower Tuesday to extend their losing streak to a third day, taking a cue from overnight losses on Wall Street. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) shed 8.76 points, or 0.32 percent, to close at 2,689.25. Trade volume was light at 259.7 million shares worth 7.95 trillion won ($5.97 billion). Winners, however, outnumbered losers 434 to 423. Institutions bought a net 36.9 billion won worth of shares, while

MarketAug. 27, 2024

Ador’s Min Hee-jin replaced by new CEO amid ongoing dispute

Min Hee-jin is stepping down as CEO of Hybe music subsidiary Ador, with the company announcing on Tuesday that Kim Ju-young has been appointed Ador's new CEO. The decision came amid an ongoing dispute between Min and Hybe that began in April over her alleged attempt to seize management rights of Ador. “On the 27th, the company held a board meeting and appointed Kim Joo-young, a current Ador director, as the new CEO,” the statement read. “While former CEO Min Hee-jin is ste

K-popAug. 27, 2024

Campaign calls for mutual respect between Koreans, Filipinos

Business leaders, politicians and diplomats from Korea and the Philippines, attending a meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul on Monday, stressed the importance of mutual cultural understanding and respect between the people of both nations, the event’s organizer said Tuesday. According to the Seoul-based Sunfull Foundation, the "K-Respect Campaign" event was attended by 37 members of the Korea-Philippines Economic Council, led by Chairman Robert Yupangco, along with lawmaker

PoliticsAug. 27, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Zerobaseone continues 1m sales streak with 4th EP

The fourth EP from Zerobaseone sold more than 1 million copies on release day, as did all three previous albums, agency WakeOne Entertainment said Tuesday. EP “Cinema Paradise” was released Monday and debuted atop the iTunes Top Albums chart in 15 regions and the main track “Good So Bad” landed on its Top Songs chart at No. 8. The lead single also claimed the top spot on the Top 100 chart of LINE Music, a leading music website in Japan, while all seven songs from the mi

K-popAug. 27, 2024

93% of parents in Korea's youngest city oppose shared kick scooters

Some 93 percent of the parents of children and teens living in Sejong say they do not need any electric kick scooter sharing systems in the city, a survey showed Tuesday. Kim Hyo-sook, city council member of South Korea's youngest city in terms of average age, commissioned the survey from the Sejong City Office of Education of 4,325 parents in the area whose children are currently in kindergarten, elementary, middle or high school. A total of 4,025 said they do not need shared kick scoote

Social AffairsAug. 27, 2024

Top-earning delivery rider dies after traffic accident

A food delivery rider, who had risen to internet stardom as the highest-earning delivery driver in the nation, died Sunday night, a month after he was struck by a bus while riding his motorcycle. According to the Incheon Yeonsu Police Station on Tuesday, the fatal accident took place at 2:30 p.m. in Yeonsu-go, Incheon, July 31, when an intra-city bus collided with the delivery worker in his 40s at a crossroad. Investigations revealed that the bus driver had violated a traffic signal, striking th

Social AffairsAug. 27, 2024

Why Korea suffers record travel deficit despite K-culture boom

A growing number of foreign travelers are visiting Korea amid the global popularity of K-culture. But many more Korean nationals are traveling abroad, leading the nation’s travel deficit to a six-year record in the first six months of this year. According to a recent joint report by the Bank of Korea and the Korea Tourism Organization, the country recorded a travel deficit of $6.48 billion in the first half. The figure represents the largest deficit since the $8.74 billion recorded in 20

IndustryAug. 27, 2024

'I am sorry for cheating on my wife': K-drama star's faux apology goes viral

"I made the unacceptable mistake of cheating on my wife. I offer my deepest apologies to the viewers." Actor Ji Seung-hyun, who stars in the hit K-drama "Good Partner," recently appeared in a YouTube video that at first glance looks like the real deal -- from the clickbait title ("I am Sorry") to the solemn-faced celebrity against a plain gray backdrop, bowing deeply before the camera as he delivers his pained apologies to the public. The video checks all the boxes

CultureAug. 27, 2024

[Photo News] OLED brings art to life

LG Electronics is bringing the late ink wash master Suh Se-ok’s iconic work, reimagined by his son, artist Suh Do-ho, to life on billboards across Seoul, Incheon, New York and London ahead of Frieze Seoul 2024. The four-day event, starting Oct. 4 at Coex in Gangnam, Seoul, will feature Suh’s 1978 work "Walker” displayed on LG’s transparent OLED display. The tech giant also on Tuesday announced a three-year partnership with the National Museum of Modern and Contempora

CompaniesAug. 27, 2024

K-pop singer Kwon Eun-bi makes acting debut in Japanese film ‘Stolen Identity: The Last Hacker’

K-pop star Kwon Eun-bi is making her official debut as an actor through a Japanese film, “Stolen Identity: The Last Hacker,” set to hit local theaters on Nov. 1. A poster and trailer for the Japanese film starring Kwon Eun-bi were unveiled Tuesday. The film is the third installment of “Stolen Identity,” an adaptation of the novel series of the same name by Japanese author Akira Shiga. The first installment released in 2018 became a massive hit, attracting over 1.5 million

K-popAug. 27, 2024