Retired weightlifter receives belated bronze medal in Paris ceremony

A dozen years after competing in what turned out to be his last Olympic Games, former South Korean weightlifter Jeon Sang-guen received his bronze medal in a ceremony in Paris on Friday. In a special ceremony by the Eiffel Tower on the sidelines of the 33rd Olympic Games, Jeon was belatedly presented with the bronze medal from the men's +105-kilogram event at the 2012 London Olympics. Jeon, now 43 and long retired from the sport, originally placed fourth with a total of 436kg. Ruslan Albego

More SportsAug. 9, 2024

Mercedes-Benz's crisis management capacity questioned amid lax stance on S. Korean EV fire

Questions have been raised over the crisis response capacity of Mercedes-Benz Korea Ltd., as the company remained largely silent for over a week on an electric vehicle fire scare that started from one of its vehicles. Public concerns over EV safety mounted in the country after a spontaneous fire that began in a parked Mercedes-Benz EV ended up obliterating an entire parking garage inside an apartment complex in Incheon, 27 kilometers west of Seoul, either completely destroying or damaging over 1

IndustryAug. 9, 2024

DP claims gov't pressure behind death of senior official of anti-corruption agency

The main opposition Democratic Party vowed Friday to reveal the truth behind the recent death of a senior official of the state anti-corruption agency, saying government pressure led to his death. Until recently, the official of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission had served as acting chief of the agency's anti-corruption bureau and oversaw inquiries into politically sensitive cases, including first lady Kim Keon Hee's acceptance of a luxury handbag and opposition leader Le

PoliticsAug. 9, 2024

N. Korea unilaterally applies for taekwondo's inscription as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage

North Korea has unilaterally applied to list taekwondo, a traditional Korean martial art, as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, the UNESCO website showed Friday. The North submitted an application to the UNESCO headquarters in March to include taekwondo on the ICH list, according to the UNESCO website. UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage is expected to decide on the application in 2026, after assessing taekwondo's qualificat

North KoreaAug. 9, 2024

Yoon visits military headquarters on last day of summer vacation

President Yoon Suk Yeol visited the headquarters of the armed forces in the central city of Gyeryong on Friday to inspect security posture and examine preparations for upcoming joint military drills between South Korea and the United States, his office said. Yoon's visit to the Gyeryongdae military headquarters, about 160 kilometers south of Seoul, came on the last day of his five-day summer vacation. During the visit, Yoon met with the top commanders of the Army, Air Force and Navy at a wa

PoliticsAug. 9, 2024

Qoo10 seeks merger of embattled e-commerce subsidiaries TMON, WeMakePrice

The chief of Qoo10, the Singapore-based parent firm of TMON and WeMakePrice, said Friday it has begun a process to merge the two e-commerce platforms to help resolve the liquidity crisis facing the companies. On Thursday, Qoo10 applied for the establishment of a new business entity named K-Commerce Center for World with an initial capital of 1 billion won ($730,000) to proceed with the merger plan, the company said in a statement. The merger between TMON and WeMakePrice requires approval from th

IndustryAug. 9, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] NCT Dream to drop English-language single

NCT Dream will release the English-language single “Rains in Heaven” on Aug. 23, label SM Entertainment said Friday. Mark participated in writing the lyrics for the 80s-style pop tune which blends drum, bass and synthesizer sounds and soothes listeners with empathy. The seven members perform the song for the first time during the North American and European leg of NCT Dream's upcoming world tour “The Dream Show 3: Dream()scape” which begins Aug. 31. The tour starte

K-popAug. 9, 2024

Seoul moves to ban overcharged EVs from underground parking

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Friday new measures to prevent fires caused by overcharging electric vehicles, including banning EVs with over 90 percent battery levels from entering underground parking in residential buildings. The municipal government explained that electric vehicle fires can result from various factors, including external impacts and battery defects, with excessive charging also recognized as a significant cause. The policy comes a week after an Incheon incident w

Social AffairsAug. 9, 2024

New chief of Independence Hall of Korea accused of being ‘pro-Japan’

The Yoon Suk Yeol administration’s recent appointment of a conservative professor who is accused of supporting the New Right political movement that justifies Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule over the Korean Peninsula as the source of Korea's modernization, as chief of the national museum dedicated to the country’s independence movement, has been met with a torrent of criticism from independence fighters' descendants. The Heritage of Korean Independence, a Seoul-based or

Social AffairsAug. 9, 2024

Customs agency opens probe into Tmon, WeMakePrice

The Korea Customs Service has initiated an investigation into potential damages related to overseas product purchases made through the troubled e-commerce platforms Tmon and WeMakePrice. The probe comes in response to customer reports that items purchased through these platforms cleared customs but were not delivered. "We have launched an internal investigation following reports from customers and media that a courier company moved these items to a different location inside the country upon

IndustryAug. 9, 2024

Ottogi rebrands as Otoki to enhance global reach

South Korean food giant Ottogi said Friday it will change its English name to Otoki to make the brand more recognizable to international consumers. "We decided to pursue this rebranding to clarify the company's identity for global consumers while introducing a modernized symbol that feels more approachable. This will resolve confusion surrounding the pronunciation of our English name," said a company official. As a part of the rebranding initiative, its mascot received a face-lift

CompaniesAug. 9, 2024

N. Korea names 4 new ambassadors in less than 10 days

North Korea has named new ambassadors to four countries since late July, marking its first ambassadorial appointments since February 2021 after the COVID-19 pandemic. From July 30 to Thursday, North Korea's Foreign Ministry announced the appointments of ambassadors to Vietnam, Singapore, Romania and Cuba on its official website. Han Su-chol has been appointed as the ambassador to Cuba, the Foreign Ministry announced Thursday, without providing further details. Han is believed to be the indi

North KoreaAug. 9, 2024

Seoul reverses course, lifts greenbelt limits to fuel housing growth

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon on Friday emphasized that easing greenbelt development restrictions is crucial to addressing the city's housing demands, particularly for newlyweds, as part of broader efforts to tackle South Korea's pressing low birth rate. Oh acknowledged Seoul's historical reluctance to lift greenbelt restrictions but argued that current challenges, including population decline due to low birth rates and the urgent housing needs of young couples, make this change necessar

Social AffairsAug. 9, 2024

Seoul shares end over 1% higher on calmed recession woes

South Korean stocks finished more than 1 percent higher Friday as investor sentiment was boosted by better-than-expected recent US jobless data, soothing recent recession fears that had rocked global financial markets. The local currency gained against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 31.7 points, or 1.24 percent, to close at 2,588.43. Trade volume was moderate at 464.3 million shares worth 9.5 trillion won ($6.96 billion), with gainers largely outnumbering de

MarketAug. 9, 2024

Hospitals commence additional recruit of trainee doctors amid standoff

Local training hospitals began announcing new recruitment notices for trainee doctors Friday, eight days after the Ministry of Health and Welfare called for additional recruitment notices due to low turnout during the initial recruitment round two weeks ago. The second round of recruitment for local training hospitals is scheduled to last until Aug. 14 for first-year resident doctors and until Aug. 16 for second to fourth-year resident doctors. The government plans to hold written examinations f

Social AffairsAug. 9, 2024

‘The Roundup: Punishment,’ ‘Inside Out 2’ lead CJ CGV profits in Q2

South Korea’s largest multiplex cinema chain CJ CGV saw a fifth consecutive quarter of operating profit in the second quarter this year thanks to the success of megahit films, according to the company. CJ CGV said its April to July sales increased by 7.6 percent on year to 430 billion won ($315 million). Its operating profit over the same period increased 26.4 percent on-year to 22.3 billion won. The company attributed such performance to an increase in moviegoers who went to the cinema to

FilmAug. 9, 2024

Naver's operating profit surges 27% in Q2

South Korean internet giant Naver on Friday reported record-high quarterly revenue of 2.6 trillion won ($1.91 billion) for the April-June period this year, thanks to profit increases in all of its major businesses including the search platform and cloud service. During an earnings call, Naver Chief Executive Officer Choi Soo-yeon said the company will enhance the user experience by launching a “search feed” feature and adopting AI tools in the second half of the year. Choi also said

IndustryAug. 9, 2024

New members of Fifty Fifty unveiled

The four new members joining Keena to form the second generation of the K-pop girl group Fifty Fifty have been unveiled. On Friday, Fifty Fifty dropped a clip on YouTube introducing its new members — Yewon, Chanelle, Hana and one whose name has not been revealed. Yewon is a 19-year-old born in Korea who took part in the JTBC idol survival program “R U Next?” that launched the girl group Illit and was organized by Hybe subsidiary Belift Lab. Yewon was formerly a trainee at Sourc

K-popAug. 9, 2024

Meritz Fire joins protracted race for MG Insurance acquisition

A three-way takeover battle for MG Non-Life Insurance began Thursday, with Meritz Fire & Marine Insurance entering the prolonged race as a new contender. According to local reports, three companies submitted letters of intent to participate in the fourth preliminary bidding for MG Insurance on Thursday. The contenders include Meritz Fire & Marine Insurance and private equity firms Dayli Partners and JC Flowers. Meritz Fire, the non-life insurance arm of local financial holding company Me

IndustryAug. 9, 2024

Anti-corruption official leading first lady probe found dead

A senior official from South Korea's anti-corruption body, who had spearheaded high-profile and politically sensitive investigations involving first lady Kim Keon Hee and former opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, was found dead Thursday. The official was found deceased in his apartment in Sejong City with a suicide note at around 9:50 a.m. Thursday by a person who visited the apartment after the official failed to show up to work or answer calls. Police are looking into the exact circumstance

Social AffairsAug. 9, 2024