North Korean trash balloons reaching South Korea more successfully: JCS

The latest batch of trash-carrying balloons sent by North Korea made their way to South Korea more successfully this time, reportedly causing a fire and falling around the country’s most significant political buildings like the presidential office and the National Assembly. The count of North Korean balloons launched Wednesday stood at around 500 as of Thursday morning, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, with about 480 of them falling within South Korea. No balloons we

DefenseJuly 25, 2024

Yoo Seung-ho to make stage debut as drag queen in 190-minute 'Angels in America'

Actor Yoo Seung-ho hopes to make a bold transformation on stage with his role in the Korean production of the play "Angels in America." Yoo has been cast as Prior Walter, a gay character and drag queen, who becomes a victim of social prejudice and self-hate after being diagnosed with AIDS and is abandoned by his lover. This is a stage debut for the actor who started as a child actor in 2000 and has appeared on television dramas and films. "There wasn't a specific reason. I ju

PerformanceJuly 25, 2024

Qoo10 liquidity crisis sparks massive complaints, fears of wider damage

Tensions are escalating over the liquidity crisis of online shopping platforms WeMakePrice and Tmon, both owned by Singapore-based e-commerce company Qoo10, sparking massive complaints and fears of wider damage. The platforms failed to pay money owed to sellers in May, prompting traders to leave the platform as well as customer complaints. In an urgent press conference Thursday, Ryu Hwan-hyun, CEO of WeMakePrice, said the value of delayed payments by the company was some 4 billion won ($2.9 mill

IndustryJuly 25, 2024

Yoon urges municipalities to embrace foreigners

President Yoon Suk Yeol said Thursday that local governments' cooperation with the state was crucial in encouraging foreign residents to settle here to address the population crisis in South Korea. At a meeting held in Hongseong-gun, South Chungcheong Province, Yoon, who presided over a meeting with heads of the autonomous governments, said the central and local governments should take preemptive actions to support foreign nationals to settle and work in Korean society, as the country faces a gr

PoliticsJuly 25, 2024

Yoon taps economics expert as population planning aide

President Yoon Suk Yeol's office announced Thursday it has established a new senior presidential secretary position dedicated to addressing South Korea's population crisis. Yoon's office also said You Hye-mi, an economics professor at Hanyang University, was appointed as the inaugural senior secretary tasked with tackling South Korea's low birth rate and addressing the nation's demographic challenges. Chung Jin-suk, Yoon's chief of staff, told reporters that You's position will serve as a "

PoliticsJuly 25, 2024

Hybrid sales drive up Hyundai Motor's Q2 earnings

Hyundai Motor Company on Thursday reported a record-breaking quarterly revenue for the second quarter of this year, marking a 6.6 percent increase from last year to reach 45.02 trillion won ($32.6 billion). The company attributed the results to an improved sales mix driven by the rising popularity of hybrid vehicles, which accounted for a double-digit proportion of sales for the first time, along with favorable currency exchange rates. In the same April-June period, Hyundai's operating prof

MobilityJuly 25, 2024

Bill for special probe into Marine's death nixed in Assembly revote

A bill recently vetoed by President Yoon Suk Yeol that would mandate a special counsel investigation into the Defense Ministry's and military's response to a Marine's death, was scrapped at the National Assembly on Thursday amid intensifying bipartisan struggle. The revote had 194 votes in favor to 104 against the bill. Overriding a presidential veto requires a majority of the 300-member body to be present with two-thirds of them in favor. There was one abstention in the revote th

PoliticsJuly 25, 2024

First lady apologized for causing public concern: lawyer

First Lady Kim Keon Hee apologized for causing public concerns as she attended questioning by the prosecution, her lawyer said Thursday. Kim's legal representative, lawyer Choi Ji-woo, said in a YouTube interview that she told the prosecution before the interrogation began on Saturday, adding that she feels sorry for letting the people down as first lady. Amid growing criticism over speculations that the first lady was receiving preferential treatment by being questioned at a venue outside

Social AffairsJuly 25, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Seventeen to tour from October

Seventeen surprised fans with the news that it will launch an international tour in October. The band unveiled a trailer for the event after its fan meeting in Seoul on Wednesday which gave the audience a sketch of tour “Seventeen Right Here,” which will take it across Asia and the US. The tour is named after its best-of album, “17 Is Right Here,” that was rolled out in April and sold over 2.96 million copies in the first week. The album debuted on Billboard 200 at No. 5

K-popJuly 25, 2024

2NE1 to reunite in concert in October

Legendary K-pop girl group 2NE1 is celebrating its 15th anniversary with a much-anticipated concert in October. 2NE1's “Welcome Back” concert will take place Oct. 5-6 at the Olympic Hall in Olympic Park, Seoul, according to YG Entertainment. The concert comes more than a decade after the group's “All or Nothing in Seoul” concert in March 2014. 2NE1, composed of CL, Sandara Park, Park Bom and Minzy, debuted in 2009. The members were known for their bold performan

K-popJuly 25, 2024

Illit’s ‘Magnetic’ is Spotify's most streamed K-pop track outside Korea in H1

K-pop girl group Illit’s song “Magnetic,” the featured track of its debut album “Super Real Me,” was Spotify's most streamed K-pop track outside of Korea in the first half of this year. Spotify, the world’s most popular audio streaming platform, unveiled its Global Impact List in South Korea consisting of 30 K-pop tracks that were streamed the most overseas in the first half of 2024. Illit’s “Magnetic” released on March 25 recorded 300 m

K-popJuly 25, 2024

Korean stocks dip nearly 2% on tech, auto losses

South Korean shares dipped by nearly 2 percent Thursday as tech and auto stocks crashed following an overnight drop on Wall Street. The local currency fell slightly against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 48.06 points, or 1.74 percent, to close at 2,710.65. Trading volume was heavy at 433 million shares worth 13.4 trillion won ($9.67 billion) with losers outnumbering gainers 728 to 160. Foreigners remained net sellers for a second straight session, dumping a n

MarketJuly 25, 2024

Korea unveils tax reform bill to spur economy

South Korea unveiled its tax code revision bill Thursday, featuring a major overhaul of the outdated inheritance tax system and new measures to boost investment and encourage marriage. Featuring tax cuts and incentives, the plan is expected to reduce tax revenue by approximately 4.4 trillion won ($3.17 billion) over the next five years. However, the government projects that economic recovery later this year will improve revenue conditions and offset this reduction. "This year's tax rev

EconomyJuly 25, 2024

Man who let his father die due to financial difficulties to be released on parole

A 25-year-old man currently serving a prison term for patricide will be released next Tuesday on parole, a Daegu-based civic group said Thursday. In a highly publicized case in 2021, the man was convicted after he stopped providing food and medication for his terminally ill father due to financial difficulties. The victim had been bedridden since suffering a brain hemorrhage in September 2020, not being able to eat or relieve himself on his own. But his son, who had been on his mandatory mili

Social AffairsJuly 25, 2024

TOEIC instructor who sold test answers to test-takers sentenced to 3-year jail term

A Seoul court recently sentenced a former hagwon teacher to a three-year jail term for selling TOEIC test answers to multiple test-takers for money. The Seoul Eastern District Court found the defendant surnamed Hong guilty of obstruction of business as stipulated in Article 314 of the Criminal Act. In addition to the jail term, the court also ordered the seizure of 76.6 million won ($55,000) in assets. Investigators found that the 27-year-old defendant had committed the crimes to fund internet

Social AffairsJuly 25, 2024

Seventeen announces world tour at fan meeting

K-pop sensation Seventeen of Pledis Entertainment concluded its eighth fan meeting with a surprise announcement of a world tour later this year. Seventeen held two editions of "2024 SVT 8th Fan Meeting (Seventeen in Carat Land)" at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Tuesday and Wednesday. The event left unforgettable memories for both the fans in attendance and those from 118 countries and regions watching live. By the end on Wednesday, Seventeen released a teaser video announcing its world

K-popJuly 25, 2024

What is happening at Hybe?

Hybe CEO Park Ji-won has been replaced by Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) Lee Jae-sang, just three months after becoming embroiled in a dispute between Hybe and Ador CEO Min Hee-jin. The controversy began when Hybe launched an internal audit on Min over an alleged attempt at a hostile takeover of Ador on April 22 and Min held a press conference three days later to push back. Park, along with Hybe Chairman Bang Si-hyuk, were the main targets of Min, who blamed Park and Bang for failing to manage the

K-popJuly 25, 2024

LG Electronics achieves record earnings in Q2

LG Electronics said Thursday it achieved its all-time high quarterly earnings in the April-June period this year, largely buoyed by the solid growth of its home appliance and vehicle component businesses. Sales increased 8.5 percent on-year to 21.7 trillion won ($15.7 billion) in the second quarter of this year, while operating profits soared 61.2 percent to 1.2 trillion won during the same period. The company attributed the upbeat earnings to the "balanced" management of its core busi

IndustryJuly 25, 2024

S. Korea, China shifting from tensions to cooperation: Seoul

The vice ministers of South Korea and China committed on Wednesday to achieving tangible outcomes in their bilateral cooperation and exchanges, which have recently regained momentum, departing from the period of diplomatic chill that persisted until last year, the South Korean Foreign Ministry said Thursday. South Korea's First Vice Foreign Minister, Kim Hong-kyun, met with China's Executive Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ma Zhaoxu, the highest-ranking of the vice ministers, in Seou

Foreign AffairsJuly 25, 2024

Police seek arrest warrant for driver in deadly car crash

The police sought an arrest warrant Wednesday for the driver behind the fatal car crash that killed nine pedestrians near Seoul city hall earlier this month, according to officials on Thursday. On July 1, a sedan crashed into pedestrians waiting for a traffic light at an intersection near Exit No. 7 of Seoul’s City Hall Station in Jung-gu, central Seoul. The car drove in the wrong direction and hit the pedestrians before colliding with two other vehicles. The crash resulted in nine fatalit

Social AffairsJuly 25, 2024