Solo debut rush of K-pop artists

In the latter half of this year, the K-pop scene will witness several high-profile solo debuts of K-pop artists. Yoon San-ha of Astro releases his debut solo mini-album "Dusk" on Tuesday, marking a significant milestone in his eight-year career. The album features six tracks, each designed to signify the stages of dusk, from the setting sun to the deep night. San-ha, who debuted as the youngest member of Astro in 2016, has been steadily building his solo musicality, contributing to the

PerformanceAug. 3, 2024

[Weekender] Loconomy: Food makers flock to locally sourced ingredients

Food items made with locally sourced ingredients have emerged among food companies in Korea. This approach, which aligns with those companies’ corporate social responsibility efforts, supports economic growth in rural areas and offers unique experiences for consumers, collectively known as "loconomy." On July 11, McDonald’s Korea launched the Jinju Pepper Cream Cheese Burger and Jinju Pepper Cream Cheese Muffin, both using peppers produced in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Provinc

weekenderAug. 3, 2024

[Drama Tour] Feel ‘My Mister’ mood in Yongsan

Yongsan-gu in central Seoul is one of the go-to spots for both local and overseas travelers. The district became popular for its Itaewon neighborhood -- where people can experience and enjoy a variety of international cultures -- many years ago. It also beckons history buffs with the National Museum of Korea and the War Memorial of Korea. Today, it is easy to spot young, vibrant K-pop fans near Sinyongsan Station, where the headquarters of Hybe, the K-pop powerhouse behind BTS, are located. Mean

TravelAug. 3, 2024

Police begin review of sword, knife weapon possession nationwide

The National Police Agency said Thursday it has begun a monthlong inspection on sword and knife weapon possession across the country and related regulations, in response to a man attacking another resident of an apartment complex in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul with a sword, killing him. The South Korean police immediately began a detailed review of the 82,641 swords registered as under individual possession in the country, set to continue until Aug. 31. It includes checking criminal records, reports of

Social AffairsAug. 3, 2024

Fried chicken flies home: K-drone delivery takes off this month

With full-scale drone delivery services starting this month, residents on remote islands or inland locations can now receive food, daily necessities and first aid supplies with greater ease and convenience. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the K-drone delivery service commenced on the first day of August, covering 32 island districts, 17 regional park areas and one port across 14 municipalities. Although the service initially launched on Jeju Island in July, this

Social AffairsAug. 3, 2024

Trump says agrees with Fox News to debate Harris on Sept. 4

WASHINGTON -- Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said late Friday that he had agreed to debate his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, on Fox News on Sept. 4. "I have agreed with FoxNews to debate Kamala Harris on Wednesday, September 4th," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. It was not immediately clear if Harris had agreed to the debate. Trump's post came hours after the vice president had secured the Democratic Party's nomination as standar

World NewsAug. 3, 2024

Israeli airstrike kills 5 in West Bank, including Hamas commander

RAMALLAH, West Bank -- An Israeli airstrike on a vehicle in the occupied West Bank killed a commander in the Palestinian armed group Hamas on Saturday, Hamas media reported, while Palestinian news agency WAFA said four other men were also killed. The identities of the others were not clear, according to the WAFA report, which cited health officials. The Israeli military said it had carried out an airstrike against a militant cell around the West Bank city of Tulkarm. Hamas media said a vehicle c

World NewsAug. 3, 2024

At least two dead after landslides in southwest China

Landslides in southwest China on Saturday destroyed homes and caused a highway bridge to collapse, killing at least two people and leaving around 17 others missing, authorities said. State broadcaster CCTV said "local mountain torrents and landslides" swept away part of Ridi village in Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan province. The disasters killed two people and left 12 missing, CCTV reported, adding that "the disaster situation is undergoing further verification.&quo

World NewsAug. 3, 2024

Trump says he got people back from N. Korea amid attention on prisoner swap with Russia

WASHINGTON -- Former US President Donald Trump has highlighted that he brought back home some people held in North Korea during his presidency, as public attention shifted to a landmark prisoner swap deal that saw the release of 16 people from Russian captivity this week. In an interview with Fox Business on Thursday, Trump called the deal a "win" for Russian President Vladimir Putin, while President Joe Biden and his staff were credited with facilitating what was hailed as the largest

Foreign AffairsAug. 3, 2024

Harris formally secures Democratic presidential nomination

WASHINGTON --US Vice President Kamala Harris has officially earned the necessary number of delegate votes in a virtual voting process to become the Democratic Party's standard-bearer for the Nov. 5 presidential election, the party's national committee chief said Friday. Just a day after online voting kicked off, Harris, the only party candidate, received more than a majority of votes from delegates to become the nation's first woman-of-color presidential nominee as she has been

World NewsAug. 3, 2024

Kim Min-jong wins silver in men's judo

PARIS -- Kim Min-jong won the silver medal in the heaviest weight class in men's judo at the Paris Olympics on Friday, after falling to French legend Teddy Riner in the final. Kim lost by an ippon (a full point) to Riner in the men's +100-kilogram final at Champ-de-Mars Arena in Paris. Riner clinched his third Olympic gold medal with a decisive "harai-goshi," or a hip throw, with 16 seconds left in the four-minute battle. Kim's was the second judo medal of Friday for S

More SportsAug. 3, 2024

Kim Ha-yun wins bronze in women's judo

PARIS -- Kim Ha-yun earned a bronze medal in women's judo at the Paris Olympics on Friday, after battling her way through the repechage. Kim, world No. 4 in the women's +78 kilograms, defeated third-ranked Kayra Ozdemir of Turkiye in the bronze medal contest at Champ-de-Mars Arena in Paris. Kim had earlier lost in the quarterfinals but then won a match in the repechage round to reach one of two bronze medal matches. And then Kim defeated Ozdemir by scoring two "waza-ari," o

More SportsAug. 3, 2024

Kim Woo-jin, Lim Si-hyeon win archery mixed team gold medal

PARIS --Kim Woo-jin and Lim Si-hyeon joined forces for the mixed team gold medal in archery at the Paris Olympics on Friday, South Korea's third archery gold and seventh gold overall in France. Kim and Lim defeated Germany by the set score of 6-0 at Invalides in the French capital. Kim and Lim had earlier helped the men's and women's teams win gold medals in Paris. They joined sabre fencer Oh Sang-uk as two of three double gold medalists for South Korea here. Kim and Lim will ea

More SportsAug. 3, 2024

Kim Won-ho, Jeong Na-eun win silver in badminton mixed doubles

PARIS -- South Korea captured its third archery gold medal of the Paris Olympics on Friday, going a perfect 3-for-3 so far with two more medal events remaining in the sport it has long dominated. A day after getting shut out of medals, South Korea also collected medals in judo and badminton on Friday. In archery, Kim Woo-jin and Lim Si-hyeon were on target for the gold medal in the mixed team event. They defeated Florian Unruh and Michelle Kroppen of Germany by the set score of 6-0. South Kore

More SportsAug. 3, 2024

Fencer Oh Sang-uk wins fans over with looks, charm and classy actions

South Korean fencer Oh Sang-uk has won new fans both in Korea and abroad after his second gold medal of the Paris Olympics on Wednesday. The 27-year-old is the first Korean fencer to capture two gold medals in a single Olympic Games, and has seen his Instagram followers roughly double since arriving in the French capital. Oh's page has a little over 225,000 followers as of Thursday morning. "Congrats!!! I'm from Brazil and I watched your victory! I'm very happy!!! Be health

More SportsAug. 2, 2024

Yoon to leave for summer vacation next week

President Yoon Suk Yeol will leave for a summer vacation next week, his office said Friday. Yoon is scheduled to go on vacation starting next Monday, but the exact duration or itinerary have not been fixed and remain flexible, an official from the presidential office said. The official added that Yoon may visit a regional military facility to meet and encourage servicemen or a marketplace to inspect people's livelihoods, the official said. Earlier this week, Yoon urged Cabinet members to fu

PoliticsAug. 2, 2024

Court grants troubled Tmon, WeMakePrice 1 month for self-debt restructuring

A court on Friday granted cash-strapped e-commerce platforms Tmon and WeMakePrice one month to seek debt restructuring on their own, after they failed to make payments to their vendors. The decision by the Seoul Bankruptcy Court to allow an autonomous restructuring support program (ARS) for Tmon and WeMakePrice came as the platforms' delayed payments are estimated to reach 274 billion won ($200 million). The total amount is estimated to escalate to nearly 1 trillion won if future payments a

IndustryAug. 2, 2024

Thailand's top diplomat requests S. Korea's support for smooth entry of Thai travelers

Thailand's top diplomat requested the South Korean government Friday to make it more convenient for Thai travelers to visit, the foreign ministry said, amid reports of negative sentiment within the Southeast Asian country due to Thai travelers being denied entry. The request was made during bilateral talks between South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and his Thai counterpart, Maris Sangiampongsa, in Seoul, the ministry said in a release. Since last year, stricter screening under the ne

Foreign AffairsAug. 2, 2024

Baseball game canceled due to severe heat for 1st time

Severe heat caused the cancellation of a South Korean baseball game Friday. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said the regular-season game between the LG Twins and the Lotte Giants scheduled in the southeastern city of Ulsan was scrapped due to extreme heat. This marks the first game in the KBO's 42-year history to be canceled because of heat wave. Per KBO regulations, games may be canceled in cities where the highest daily temperature has reached 35 C for at least two consecutive days.

BaseballAug. 2, 2024

Shin Yu-bin loses in women's singles semifinals in table tennis, off to bronze medal match

PARIS -- Shin Yu-bin lost to the defending champion Chen Meng in the women's singles semifinals in table tennis at the Paris Olympics on Friday, a result that sent the South Korean to the bronze medal match. Shin, world No. 8, bowed out against the fourth-ranked Chinese 4-0 (11-7, 11-6, 11-7, 11-7) at South Paris Arena 4 in the French capital. Shin, 20, is off to the bronze medal match on Saturday. She will face the loser of the other semifinal match set for Friday, between Sun Yingsha of C

More SportsAug. 2, 2024