New police team talks teen out of suicide

Two police officers managed to talk a teen out of jumping to his death from an apartment building, officials said Wednesday. According to Seoul Seocho Police Station, the officers were dispatched to an apartment complex in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul after receiving a report at around 8:30 p.m. on Monday that a 16-year-old boy was about to jump from the rooftop of an apartment building. He had climbed over the railing on the roof of the 24-story building and was found crouching on a ledge, appea

Social AffairsJuly 17, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Ateez to drop 4th single in Japan

Ateez will release its fourth single in Japan “Birthday” on Oct. 2, agency KQ Entertainment announced Wednesday. It will consist of six tracks including the lead track of the same title. The upcoming single album comes about seven months after the previous Japanese single “Not Okay,” which topped Oricon’s daily single and weekly combined single rankings before earning platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan in February. The band also

K-popJuly 17, 2024

Frieze, Kiaf mark third collaboration in September

Frieze Seoul and Kiaf Seoul mark their third collaboration in early September as they bring together a variety of art programs across the city, with some 320 galleries from around the world participating. Internationally renowned art fair Frieze Seoul and the home-grown international art fair Kiaf Seoul will kick off at Coex in southern Seoul on Sept. 4. Frieze Seoul will run through Sept. 7 and Kiaf Seoul through Sept. 8. The two art fairs will co-host a talk program in collaboration with the K

Arts & DesignJuly 17, 2024

Korea's weapons in war against suicides

How can a nation fight a suicide crisis? On this question, South Korea, known for having one of the world’s highest suicide rates, may become a compelling case study. Here, as of the end of 2021, one person dies by suicide every 40 minutes. While addressing the root causes of the crisis remains daunting, demanding a comprehensive approach to mental health and a stronger social safety net, critical work is being carried out on the frontlines of suicide prevention. These initiatives, some of

Social AffairsJuly 17, 2024

Seoul shares end lower on profit taking

Seoul shares finished lower Wednesday as foreign investors locked in profits following a two-session winning streak despite overnight Wall Street gains. The local currency rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index shed 22.80 points, or 0.8 percent, to close at 2,843.29. Trade volume was slightly heavy at 534.4 million shares worth 13.6 trillion won ($9.85 billion), with losers outnumbering winners 460 to 409. Foreign investors dumped local shares worth 261.4 bil

MarketJuly 17, 2024

Cattle bones found near Jongmyo

A pile of cattle bones presumed to date back to the Joseon era (1392-1910) has been discovered at an area near Jongmyo -- a special shrine for the deceased kings and queens of Joseon -- in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, according to a research institute Wednesday. A Han Ul Research Institute of Cultural Heritage official explained that this is not the first time that the organization has found cattle bones within Hanyangdoseong -- also known as the Seoul City Wall -- area, but that the bones found in

CultureJuly 17, 2024

National Theater Company’s new director outlines vision for global and domestic expansion

National Theater Company of Korea’s newly appointed director and artistic director Park Jeong-hee has an ambitious vision to create a Korean repertoire for performances overseas. Park began her three-year term in April. She held her first press conference Tuesday at the Myeongdong Theater in Seoul, where she talked about her vision and blueprint for the state theater company. “While foreign directors have often worked with NTCK, our company has rarely showcased its own productions ab

PerformanceJuly 17, 2024

High-ranking NK defector being considered for vice-ministerial post: report

Tae Yong-ho, a former high-ranking North Korean official who defected to South Korea and later became a lawmaker for the conservative ruling People Power Party, could potentially become the first North Korean diplomat-turned-defector to ascend to a vice-ministerial post in South Korea's history, according to a report in local daily Dong-a Ilbo. Tae, 62, is reportedly being considered as one of the candidates for the position of secretary-general of the presidential Peaceful Unification Advi

PoliticsJuly 17, 2024

Google suspends popular search service in Korea

US tech giant Google has recently discontinued offering real-time popular searches in Korea, a feature long banned by its Korean rivals such as Naver and Daum due to the possibility of manipulating public opinion. “We have decided to remove the feature from Google Search in Korea. The feature is no longer available here,” Google Korea said in a statement Wednesday. No further elaboration on the reason and timing of the suspension was given. Naver and Daum suspended their popular sear

TechnologyJuly 17, 2024

Climate Clock to drop below 5-year mark for 1st time on Monday

Starting Monday, the Climate Clock will show less than five years remaining until the Earth exceeds the 1.5 degrees Celcius global warming limit, highlighting the rapid global temperature rise due to carbon emissions. The Climate Clock counts down to the 1.5 C deadline according to data presented by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. It is known for its 80-foot digital clock face in New York City’s Union Square, as well as its other clocks located worldwide in cities such as Se

Social AffairsJuly 17, 2024

Seoul's Gyeonghuigung area to become massive historical park

Gyeonghuigung, a palace from the late Joseon era (1392-1910), and its surrounding area will be transformed into an expanded historical and cultural park in a gradual project running until 2035, the Seoul city government said Wednesday. The new park, covering approximately 136,000 square meters, will be 10 times the size of Seoul Plaza. The project aims to shine a light on Gyeonghuigung, a lesser-known palace, which has attracted fewer visitors compared to the nearby Gyeongbokgung and Deoksugung

Social AffairsJuly 17, 2024

Mom’s Touch takes unique marketing strategy to drive Japan sales

South Korean franchise Mom's Touch announced on Wednesday a series of collaborative marketing initiatives at its recently opened store in Tokyo, partnering with various industries, from Samsung’s Galaxy brand to Samyang’s Buldak ramyeon. Since its opening in April, the Shibuya store in Tokyo has attracted 100,000 cumulative customers and generated 100 million yen ($0.7 million) in sales within 40 days. As part of the move to further boost sales, the store offers free burger-to

IndustryJuly 17, 2024

Celltrion's Remsima SC hits record share in Europe in Q1

Celltrion’s subcutaneous injection formulation of the autoimmune disease treatment infliximab, known as Remsima SC or Zymfentra, has secured a bigger footing in Europe, the Korean biosimilar giant said Wednesday. Citing the global pharmaceutical market research firm IQVIA, Celltrion said that Remsima SC made up about 21 of the market share across Europe in the first quarter of this year, the highest figure since its European launch in 2020. The company attributed the robust growth to its

IndustryJuly 17, 2024

Prosecutors seek arrest warrant for Kakao founder over suspected stock manipulation

Prosecutors on Wednesday requested an arrest warrant for Kim Beom-su, the founder of Kakao Corp., on charges of involvement in suspected illegal stock manipulation during the tech giant’s acquisition of K-pop powerhouse SM Entertainment last year. The Seoul Southern District Prosecutors Office filed a warrant for Kim over allegations of violating the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act. The move comes a week after prosecutors grilled Kim for about five hours on suspicions

Social AffairsJuly 17, 2024

HD Hyundai launches research lab to innovate vessel technology

HD Hyundai announced Wednesday the establishment of its naval technology research institute, aiming to tap into the future naval vessel market. The opening ceremony, held on the same day, was attended by about 50 participants, including HD Hyundai Vice Chairman Chung Ki-sun and HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering CEO Kim Sung-jun. The new research lab is a reorganized entity from the naval technology center of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' special ships business unit and will operat

IndustryJuly 17, 2024

Heavy rain hits Seoul, Gyeonggi

South Korea remained on high alert for torrential downpours Wednesday as heavy rains hit the Seoul metropolitan area and parts of northern Gyeonggi Province, causing rush-hour traffic disruptions and home evacuations. Heavy rains of 100.9 millimeters per hour had battered Munsan in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, for an hour until 7:03 a.m., while Singok-dong in Uijeongbu, just north of Seoul, received 103.5 mm of rain for an hour from 6:22 a.m. Also, nearly 300 reports regarding heavy rains were repor

Social AffairsJuly 17, 2024

Ex-CIA official indicted on suspicion of working with S. Korean spy agency

Sue Mi Terry, a former CIA official and renowned expert on Korean Peninsula issues, has been indicted on charges of acting as an unregistered agent for the South Korean government since at least 2013 and receiving bribes that included luxury handbags and financial support. Terry "advocated ROK policy positions, including published articles and during media appearances, disclosed nonpublic US government information to ROK intelligence officers, and facilitated access for ROK government offic

Foreign AffairsJuly 17, 2024

Price of stardom?

Behind K-pop's rapid growth and immense popularity, there is a persistent, chronic problem that follows fame: Stalkers, often called "sasaeng" in Korea. "I am not sasaeng. I am just a genuine fan who really loves NCT," said an 18-year-old girl who wished to remain anonymous. She claims that all her actions are out of sincere support and love -- taking taxis to follow her favorite singer as he goes about his day and waiting for hours at the airport to take photos of the g

K-popJuly 17, 2024

Horseracing authority takes down 'sexual' YouTube content after controversy

The government-affiliated horse racing authority recently deleted a YouTube video depicting its horses as anime-style woman, after complaints that the content was sexually-suggestive. Rep. Yi Byeong-jin of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea confirmed Tuesday that the Korea Racing Authority has deleted the video introducing its racehorses. The video featuring horses illustrated as anime-style women wearing skimpy outfits, is thought to be inspired by a mobile game that also depicted

Social AffairsJuly 17, 2024

Violence mars ruling party’s leadership race

The ruling conservative party’s leadership race has been plagued by violence, as supporters of different candidates clashed during a joint campaign speech event held early this week. Videos of the speech event held Monday in the central city of Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, showed apparent supporters of former People Power Party interim leader Han Dong-hoon and ex-Land Minister Won Hee-ryong embroiled in a physical altercation. A YouTuber, who is an apparent supporter of Won, yelled

PoliticsJuly 17, 2024