[Robert Fouser] Some changes in Korean since the 1980s

Languages change all the time, and Korean is no exception. In the age of social media, words that go viral quickly become mainstream, but other changes happen slowly and are hard to notice. I started learning Korean in 1983, and the 41 years since then have revealed a number of interesting changes. The most obvious change is the decline in the use of Chinese characters. In the early 1980s, Chinese characters were much more common in newspapers, books and street signs. Newspapers used vertical te

ViewpointsAug. 9, 2024

Woo Ha-ram finishes 11th in men's 3m springboard diving

Woo Ha-ram ended up well off the podium in the men's 3-meter springboard diving event at the Paris Olympics on Thursday. Woo scored 374.15 points to finish in 11th place among the 12 finalists at the Aquatics Centre in Saint-Denis, north of Paris. This was Woo's second straight appearance in the 3m springboard final. He had finished fourth in Tokyo in 2021, the best Olympic performance by a South Korean diver, but did not come close to topping that Thursday. He was in 11th place afte

More SportsAug. 8, 2024

President may grant liberal ex-governor clemency

  The Ministry of Justice on Thursday reportedly prepared a list of high-profile politicians convicted of crimes who would be eligible to be granted either special amnesty or rehabilitation by President Yoon Suk Yeol next week. Among them on the list is liberal bigwig Kim Kyoung-soo, formerly a lawmaker and South Gyeongsang Province governor. The 56-year-old Kim, convicted for his involvement in the high-profile "Druking" opinion-rigging scandal in July 2021, is likely to be rehab

PoliticsAug. 8, 2024

Tokyo bronze medalist Jun Woong-tae 4th after fencing ranking round in modern pentathlon

The reigning bronze medalist Jun Woong-tae ranked fourth after the opening fencing event of the modern pentathlon at the Paris Olympics on Thursday. Jeon went 22-13 in his 35 fencing matches in the men's ranking round and earned 235 points to rank fourth out of 36 athletes. A win-loss record of 25-10 is worth 250 points. Athletes earn five points for each additional victory and lose five points for each additional defeat beyond the 10th. Jun won bronze at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics to become

More SportsAug. 8, 2024

Golf gold medalist Park In-bee misses out on IOC election

The 2016 Olympic women's golf champion Park In-bee has missed out on an election for membership on the Athletes' Commission of the International Olympic Committee, failing to earn enough support from fellow Olympians to join two other South Koreans at the top Olympic body. The IOC announced voting results for the Athletes' Commission on Thursday in Paris, and Park was not among the four newly elected members. Members on the Athletes' Commission have an eight-year term, and

More SportsAug. 8, 2024

Diver Kim Su-ji misses out on final in women's 3m springboard

Kim Su-ji just missed out on the final of the women's 3-meter springboard diving at the Paris Olympics on Thursday. Kim finished 13th among 18 divers in the semifinal with 272.75 points at the Aquatics Centre in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, with only the top 12 moving on to the final. Kim finished 6.15 points behind the last qualifier, Yasmin Harper of Britain. Kim will be the first reserve in case a finalist cannot compete Friday. Kim ranked seventh after her first dive with 58.50 points

More SportsAug. 8, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Ive drops pre-release from upcoming Japan EP

Ive has unveiled “Crush,” the focus track from its second EP in Japan, in advance to the full release to come on Wednesday. In the music video for the summery pop tune, the six bandmates frolick under the sun, enjoying the season and having fun together. The EP “Alive” is due out on Aug. 28 and will consist of five tracks, including two new songs – “Crush” and “Will.” The latter was used as an opening theme song for the “Pokemon”

K-popAug. 8, 2024

Sport climber Seo Chae-hyun advances to final in women's combined event

Sport climbing medal hopeful Seo Chae-hyun qualified for the women's combined event final at the Paris Olympics on Thursday, making up enough ground in the lead portion of the competition after struggling in bouldering earlier in the week. Seo tied for fourth in the lead semifinal with 72.1 points at Le Bourget Sport Climbing Venue in Le Bourget, north of Paris. Combined with 44.2 points from the bouldering semifinal Tuesday, Seo finished eighth overall among 20 climbers with 116.3 points

More SportsAug. 8, 2024

Badminton star An Se-young apologizes to fellow athletes for stealing spotlight

The Paris Olympic badminton champion An Se-young apologized to fellow South Korean athletes Thursday for stealing spotlight away from them with her recent criticism of the national badminton federation. Moments after winning the women's singles gold medal in Paris on Monday, An lashed out at her national team and the Badminton Korea Association for their poor handling of her knee injury, and for outdated and inefficient operations, among other things. She even said she found it difficult

More SportsAug. 8, 2024

Govt. to ease greenbelt restrictions in Seoul

The South Korean government announced it plans to supply more than 80,000 housing units in Seoul and adjacent areas over the next six years by removing restrictions on developing greenbelt areas in the capital for the first time in 12 years. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Ministry of Economy and Finance on Thursday announced a real estate development plan that aims to stabilize the housing market amid soaring apartment prices in the capital. “The key to stabilizin

EconomyAug. 8, 2024

KT&G profits jump in Q2, led by overseas cigarette sales

South Korea’s leading tobacco manufacturer KT&G on Thursday reported a surge in its earnings in the second quarter of this year, largely driven by the upbeat performance of its overseas business. The company posted 321.5 billion won ($233 million) in operating profits in the April-June period, a 30.6 percent jump from a year ago. Sales also increased 6.6 percent to 1.424 trillion won on-year. Its overseas business, in particular, drove up its earnings overall, the company said. Oversea

IndustryAug. 8, 2024

Concerns grow with e-scooters following BTS Suga’s drunk driving

After Suga, a member of the K-pop group BTS, admitted Wednesday to drunk driving an electric scooter, concerns have been raised calling for stronger regulations and management of personal mobility devices. Oh Seo-yeon, a 28-year-old office worker based in Seoul, told The Korea Herald that she finds herself being extra cautious when walking around the city because of personal mobility devices like electric scooters or motorized bicycles. “There are countless times where I almost got run ove

Social AffairsAug. 8, 2024

Stay cool inside

Heading to one of South Korea’s several coastal getaways, a water park or an exciting festival is a great decision for a refreshing summer. But avoiding outdoor activities may be a better option, as the country has been caught up in an ever prolonged heat wave. Though people can easily find their own chilly summer paradise at practically every street corner -- think comics cafe, ubiquitous coffee franchises, bingsu (creamy shaved ice) spots and internet cafes -- there are more options, som

TravelAug. 8, 2024

Nexon posts record Q2 earnings on upbeat China sales

Nexon has set a new record for second-quarter revenue and operating profits, driven by the exceptional performance of Dungeon & Fighter Mobile in China, which launched in May earlier this year. In its latest filing to the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Thursday, Nexon reported a 64 percent year-over-year increase in operating profit, reaching 45.2 billion yen ($310.2 million) for the second quarter of this year. Revenue for the quarter surged 30 percent to 122.5 billion yen, and net income rose 63

CompaniesAug. 8, 2024

[Herald Interview] K-drama remakes aim to cater to streaming viewers

Masterpiece K-dramas from the early 2000s are soon to make a return this time as reimagined by their original creators. Korean streaming platform Wavve is currently undertaking a "New Classic" project, which will bring popular K-dramas from the past such as "My Lovely Sam Soon" and "I'm Sorry, I Love You," in a new format. The original 70-minute, 16-episode series will be condensed into 40-50 minute episodes with 6-8 episodes per series, and will feature new so

TelevisionAug. 8, 2024

Seoul shares end two-day rise after global sell-off

South Korean stocks ended a two-day rebound after the global crash as investor sentiment was dampened by lingering US recession woes and the sluggish performance of big tech firms. The local currency slightly fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index dropped 11.68 points, or 0.45 percent, to close at 2,556.73. Trade volume was moderate at 477.7 million shares worth 11.2 trillion won ($8.1 billion), with losers closely beating winners 464 to 423. Foreigners and i

MarketAug. 8, 2024

Kakao founder indicted with detention on stock manipulation charges

Kim Beom-su, the founder of Kakao Corp. has been indicted with detention Thursday on charges of stock price manipulation tied to the South Korean tech giant’s takeover of SM Entertainment last year. The Seoul Southern District Prosecutor's Office charged Kim with violating the Capital Markets Act, accusing him of inflating SM Entertainment’s share price in a bid to acquire a controlling stake in the K-pop agency during a competitive bidding war against Hybe. Hybe is the parent c

Social AffairsAug. 8, 2024

Defense chief apologizes over leak scandal

Minister of National Defense Shin Won-sik apologized Thursday over high-profile allegations that a Defense Intelligence Command official leaked agents’ identities to Chinese hackers earlier this year. “I would like to apologize to the South Korean people for the public display of the (alleged) leak of military secrets and the bickering that ensued among senior intelligence officials,” Shin said at a National Assembly national defense committee meeting. At Thursday’s defen

PoliticsAug. 8, 2024

Is S. Korea neglecting children's call to abolish 'no-kids zones'?

The South Korean government has turned a blind eye towards a joint request by a group of a hundred children and teens here calling for the elimination of restaurants and cafes banning the entrance of children, a local news report revealed Thursday. A joint resolution calling for the riddance of so-called "no-kids zones," drafted last year by a hundred students aged 10 to 17 from across the country -- elected by their peers to represent them at a government-organized 20th National Child

Social AffairsAug. 8, 2024