IOC apologizes for S. Korea gaffe in Olympics opening ceremony

The International Olympic Committee apologized Saturday for a gaffe during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics in which South Korean athletes were incorrectly introduced as North Korean. As the South Korean delegation sailed down the Seine River in the French capital, they were introduced with the official name for North Korea: "Republique populaire democratique de Coree" in French, then "Democratic People's Republic of Korea" in English. "We deeply apologise

Foreign AffairsJuly 27, 2024

S. Korea's top diplomat calls for sending 'united message' against N. Korean nukes at ASEAN-led gathering

South Korea's top diplomat on Saturday called for sending a "united message" against North Korea's nuclear development program at a foreign ministerial gathering led by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul made the call during the ASEAN Plus Three foreign ministers' meeting in Vientiane, noting that North Korea is causing uncertainties on the Korean Peninsula and the region through its provocations and military cooperation with

Foreign AffairsJuly 27, 2024

[Weekender] What we are reading at Korea Herald

The weather has been nothing short of erratic in Seoul, swinging from torrential rain to searing heat. Amid such atmospheric unpredictability, there’s no better moment to retreat indoors with a stack of books. Here are some summer reading recommendations from The Korea Herald. Lee Joo-hee Managing editor, The Korea Herald "American Diplomacy" by George F. Kennan "American Diplomacy" by the late diplomat and historian George F. Kennan is a compilation of his lectures a

BooksJuly 27, 2024

[What to watch] 3 Korean box office flops with cult followings for unpredictable laughs

While it’s certainly harder to call Korea’s box office flops “great” movies to watch, some have gained cult followings similar to B-movies, due to being “so bad they’re good.” Korean movies in this vein don’t fall into a particular genre or follow a typical storyline. They are unpredictable and elicit uncontrollable laughs, rather than forced ones. How good these movies actually are is a tricky question to answer. But if you have any love for black

FilmJuly 27, 2024

[Weekender] Summer reads: Suggestions for books to take with you on vacation or staycation

The weather has been nothing short of erratic in Seoul, swinging from torrential rain to searing heat. Amid such atmospheric unpredictability, there’s no better moment to retreat indoors with a stack of books. To help you do just that, The Korea Herald asked around for some summer reading recommendations. The responses of the following figures, arranged alphabetically, have been edited for length and clarity. Cha In-pyo Author/actor "Questions and Answers on Trees" by Hwang Kyu

BooksJuly 27, 2024

Vacationers headed for East Coast should expect substantial traffic: agency

Traffic between Seoul and Gangwon Province is expected to surge considerably during the summer vacation season, with trips from Seoul to the eastern coast taking as long as five hours and 50 minutes. According to the Gangwon Provincial headquarters of the Korea Expressway Corporation, an estimated 433,000 cars a day were expected to be on the expressways of the province between July 25 and Aug.11, the peak of the vacation season in South Korea. This is up 11.6 percent from the daily 386,000 ca

TravelJuly 27, 2024

Klook makes Everland priority passes foreigner-friendly

Travel and leisure e-commerce platform Klook announced on Thursday that two types of foreigner-friendly tickets that offer priority access to Everland attractions are now available. Everland is the largest theme park and zoo in South Korea, located in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. Everland’s priority boarding ticket Q-Pass is available exclusively on Klook. The two Q-Passes -- Plan-it 2 and Plan-it 3 -- allow ticket holders to make reservations for the theme park's popular attractions, i

TravelJuly 27, 2024

17-year-old who died at church was subject to severe abuse: document

A high school girl who recently died at a church had been subjected to severe abuse by church members including sleep deprivation and physical labor, a bill of indictment provided by the South Korean prosecution showed. Rep. Yoo Sang-bum of the ruling People Power Party on Wednesday revealed the content of the document he received from the prosecutors, which showed details of their investigation related to the girl's death on May 15. Three members of the Incheon church are currently on tr

Social AffairsJuly 27, 2024

What ultraluxury hanok looks like, if built right

YEONGWOL, Gangwon Province -- Luxury travel is incomplete without a stay at a high-end hotel, where the pampering includes exquisite food, decor and seclusion, while sessions for restoring mental and emotional wellness enrich the experience. All that is available at the Hanok Heritage House in Yeongwol County, Gangwon Province -- the latest example of how far entrepreneurs are willing to go when refashioning “hanok,” the traditional Korean house. The architect behind the $130 million

TravelJuly 27, 2024

PM says S. Korea will not tolerate any N. Korean provocations

South Korea will not tolerate any provocations from North Korea, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Saturday, as the country marked the 71st anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War. Han made the remark during a ceremony in Seoul commemorating the sacrifices made by U.N. forces that supported South Korea during the three-year conflict, which began with North Korean aggression and ended without a peace treaty. "Through overwhelming strength and solidarity w

Foreign AffairsJuly 27, 2024

S. Korea backs Japan's Sado mines UNESCO bid contingent on colonial history disclosure

South Korea on Saturday consented to Japan's long-pursued bid to have the gold and silver mines on Sado Island designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, signaling a step towards reconciliation over historical disputes. Seoul's agreement is contingent on Tokyo's commitment to take concrete actions to confront and acknowledge the dark history of forced Korean labor at the Sado mines during its colonial rule from 1910 to 1945, the Foreign Ministry in Seoul said. South Korea approve

Foreign AffairsJuly 27, 2024

Military vetting info leak of agents spying on N. Korea

The military is conducting an investigation into a leak of personal information of agents assigned to an intelligence unit tasked with spying on North Korea, sources said Saturday. The Korea Defense Intelligence Command discovered about a month earlier that classified information, including personal data of its agents stationed overseas, had been leaked, prompting an investigation by the Defense Counterintelligence Command. The leaked information is said to have included those on official cove

DefenseJuly 27, 2024

About 11 pct of med students register for 2025 state licensing exam

About 11 percent of medical students have registered for next year's state licensing examination amid a prolonged walkout by trainee doctors over medical reform plans. According to the health ministry Saturday, 364 out of some 3,200 medical students eligible for the licensing examination registered before the deadline. Many medical students have been collectively boycotting classes in protest against the government's increase of the nationwide medical school quota by some 1,500 seats f

Social AffairsJuly 27, 2024

S. Korea demands meeting with IOC chief over opening ceremony gaffe

The South Korean sports ministry said Saturday it is seeking a meeting with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach over a gaffe during the opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics in which South Korea was incorrectly introduced as North Korea during the parade of athletes. In a statement, the ministry said Jang Mi-ran, the second vice minister of sports who attended the ceremony in the French capital Friday, has asked the IOC to arrange a meeting with Bach over the incident, and

Foreign AffairsJuly 27, 2024

N. Korean leader says 'kindred' ties with China to be 'firmly' carried forward

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said "kindred" relations with China will be "firmly" carried forward as he visited a monument symbolizing bilateral ties, state media reported Saturday, amid suspected signs of strain between the traditionally friendly countries. On Friday, Kim visited the Friendship Tower in Pyongyang, which was erected to commemorate China's participation in the 1950-53 Korean War, and paid tribute to fallen Chinese soldiers during the war, a day ahe

North KoreaJuly 27, 2024

Retail investors pay huge chunk of stock transaction tax in 2023

Retail investors paid 4.57 trillion won ($3.29 billion) in stock transaction tax last year, accounting for 75 percent of the total, industry data showed Saturday. The government collected around 6.06 trillion won in stock transaction tax last year, and foreign investors paid nearly 1 trillion won in the tax last year, according to the Korea Securities Depository on Saturday. The data came as the government is seeking to scrap a capital gains tax on financial investments while cutting the tax o

MarketJuly 27, 2024

'Games Wide Open': 33rd Summer Olympic Games kick off in Paris

PARIS -- The first Summer Olympic Games in Paris in 100 years kicked off Friday with a one-of-a-kind opening ceremony held on the city's main artery celebrating the cultural diversity of France, a marathon of a show that pushed the boundaries of what is possible in Olympic ceremonies. Some 6,800 athletes from 205 national delegations, including the Refugee Olympic team, marked the start of the 17-day competition by riding boats equipped with cameras on a 6-kilometer floating parade on the

More SportsJuly 27, 2024

Parliament passes broadcasting bill, ruling party lawmakers exit in protest

The opposition-controlled National Assembly passed one of the four contentious broadcasting bills aimed at reducing the government's influence over public broadcasters Friday, with lawmakers of the ruling party leaving in protest. The passage followed the main opposition Democratic Party ending the ruling People Power Party's filibuster during a plenary session after 24 hours. The bill was then put to a vote and passed in a 183-0 vote, in which only lawmakers from opposition pa

PoliticsJuly 26, 2024

2 YouTubers in 'mukbang' star blackmail case arrested

A local court on Friday issued arrest warrants for two YouTubers accused of blackmailing and extorting "mukbang" YouTube star Tzuyang. The Suwon District Court issued the warrants after questioning Lee Jun-hee and Jeon Kuk-jin, known by their YouTube channel names, Gujeyeok and Jujakgambeolsa, respectively, on charges of blackmail, threats and extortion against Tzuyang. The court cited the gravity of their charges, as well as concerns over secondary victimization of the YouTube s

Social AffairsJuly 26, 2024

SK hynix confirms W9.4tr investment in Yongin Cluster's 1st fab

SK hynix, the world's second-largest memory chip maker, said it has decided to invest about 9.4 trillion won ($6.77 billion) in building the first manufacturing plant and business facilities of the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster in a board meeting on Friday. The chipmaker plans to start construction of the first fab in the Yongin cluster in March next year, and complete it in May 2027. The envisioned manufacturing plant will produce next-generation DRAM, including High Bandwidth Memory, a rep

IndustryJuly 26, 2024