Fitness center rejecting senior citizen is age discrimination: rights commission

A fitness center’s rejection of the annual membership application of a 68-year-old senior citizen is an act of age discrimination, the state human rights commission stated Tuesday. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea announced that it had recommended the fitness center, which was not named, to revise its internal policies that prevent seniors aged 65 and older from obtaining annual gym memberships. The complainant had been using the club for the past 5 years by purchasing one-tim

Social AffairsOct. 29, 2024

Seoul City to spend W6.7tr to encourage couples to have kids

The Seoul city government will spend 6.7 trillion won ($4.9 billion) from 2025 to 2026 to financially help residents raise children, city officials said Tuesday. The city government said it was expanding an existing childbirth encouragement project launched in February as part of efforts to increase the country's low birth rate. The earlier version of the project took a comprehensive approach to supporting caregivers by providing financial assistance for infertility treatments across all in

Social AffairsOct. 29, 2024

Innocean hosts 2024 Partners Day for shared growth

Innocean, a South Korean marketing agency affiliated with Hyundai Motor Group, held its annual Partners Day event Tuesday. The event, which brought together around 180 executives and employees from partner firms, provided a platform for open dialogue and strategic discussions on shared growth, according to the company. This year’s gathering featured presentations on Innocean’s collaborative initiatives and introduced a range of new programs aimed at enhancing partner capabilities. Th

CompaniesOct. 29, 2024

Asia-Pacific tax chiefs gather in Seoul to bolster cooperation

The Asia-Pacific region’s largest annual tax administration meeting launched Tuesday in Seoul, bringing together top tax officials from 18 countries to advance tax administration and bolster international cooperation. The 53rd annual meeting of the Study Group on Asia-Pacific Tax Administration and Research opened at Shilla Hotel in central Seoul, hosted by South Korea's National Tax Agency. This is the fourth time Korea has hosted this gathering, and the first since 2013. Around 180

EconomyOct. 29, 2024

Lambda CEO upbeat on AI partnership with SK Telecom

Lambda CEO Stephen Balaban expressed his anticipation of teaming up with SK Telecom, South Korea's largest wireless carrier by membership, ahead of his upcoming visit to the country as a keynote speaker for the SK AI Summit on Nov. 4-5. “As we continue working toward a world where access to computing is as easy and ubiquitous as electricity, there’s no better partner than SK Telecom -- a telecommunications company that connects people around the world and truly understands how A

IndustryOct. 29, 2024

SK Inc. to enhance shareholder policy in value-up push

SK Inc., the holding company of South Korea's SK Group, has unveiled a three-year corporate value-up plan that includes enhanced shareholder benefits. In a plan unveiled Tuesday, the company vowed an annual dividend of about 280 billion won ($202 million), maintaining a minimum payout of 5,000 won per common share annually until 2026. Additionally, the company plans to buy back and retire 1 to 2 percent of its market capitalization in treasury shares each year. These efforts will be finance

IndustryOct. 29, 2024

Celltrion's Zymfentra secures more insurance coverage in US

Celltrion has secured contracts to list its Zymfentra — the world’s only subcutaneous injection formulation of its infliximab Remsima — across all public and private insurance sectors managed by the top three US pharmacy benefit managers. Celltrion announced Tuesday that it had recently finalized an agreement with a pharmaceutical group purchasing organization representing one of these major pharmacy benefit managers to secure the listing of Zymfentra in private insurance formu

IndustryOct. 29, 2024

Posco, JSW team up to build integrated steel facility in India

South Korean steelmaker Posco Group said Tuesday it plans to establish a comprehensive steel manufacturing facility in India in partnership with Indian steel giant JSW Group. The facility will incorporate core processes -- ironmaking, steelmaking and rolling -- aiming for an annual production capacity of 5 million tons. Odisha, located on India’s eastern coast, is currently being considered as the site for the facility, with plans for future capacity expansion, the company said. The joint

CompaniesOct. 29, 2024

[Photo News] Gimjang in US

South Korea's leading kimchi maker Daesang said Tuesday it hosted the 2024 Jongga Kimchi Blast, an annual event dedicated to promoting kimchi in the US. The event featured a kimchi cooking contest and a "gimjang" experience, where around 200 residents tried traditional kimchi-making at a local mall in New Jersey. In New York, the cooking contest drew 381 contestants, including chefs, teachers and accountants, each crafting unique kimchi-based dishes. California-based food styl

IndustryOct. 29, 2024

Kyuhyun to drop 1st solo LP 'Colors'

Kyuhyun is set to release his first full-length solo album, marking a decade since his solo debut. Kyuhyun’s agency Antenna announced his first LP "Colors" with a teaser image on the agency's official social media channels. The album is scheduled for release on Nov. 27. Known for his warm and steady vocals, Kyuhyun is a member of the veteran boy group Super Junior and a beloved ballad singer. The upcoming album will be Kyuhyun's first full-length album since his solo de

PerformanceOct. 29, 2024

6 in 10 college seniors, grads not actively job hunting: survey

Over 60 percent of young Korean job candidates are not actively pursuing careers amid intensified negative sentiments surrounding the job market, data showed Tuesday. Some 60.5 percent of 1,235 Korean university seniors and recent graduates — 748 individuals — identified their job-seeking status as passive or dormant, according to a survey conducted this year by The Federation of Korean Industries. This figure combines three groups: 30.9 percent who described their job hunting as per

Social AffairsOct. 29, 2024

Rose’s ‘APT.’ sets record for women in K-pop

Rose’s single “APT.,” a collaboration with Bruno Mars, debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated Nov. 2, marking a new record for female K-pop artists. According to Billboard, “APT.” is the first song by a female K-pop artist to enter the Hot 100’s top 10 chart. Previously, the highest-charting track by a K-pop female act was Blackpink's "Ice Cream," a collaboration with Selena Gomez that peaked at No. 13. Only BTS, its members Jimin

K-popOct. 29, 2024

Seventeen’s Seungkwan releases lengthy message amid Hybe controversy over internal documents

Seventeen’s Seungkwan posted a lengthy message on social media Tuesday complaining about the treatment of pop stars here. The post was considered by some readers to be a criticism of Hybe, following a controversy surrounding an internal document disclosed during a National Assembly audit. The document included derogatory remarks about the physical appearance of K-pop artists. Seventeen is under Pledis Entertainment, a subsidiary of Hybe, and Seungkwan's remarks can be seen as the firs

K-popOct. 29, 2024

Fox Sister: A Korean tale darker than your average ghost story

'Tis the season for all things eerie and macabre. As jack-o'-lanterns cast their glow and costumed revelers share tales of ghosts and ghouls, it's worth remembering that the thrill of supernatural horror isn't unique to Western tradition. While Halloween only caught on in South Korea in the late 90s via Western immigration and pop culture, Koreans have long nurtured their own rich supernatural tradition. Their folklore brims with spirits, demons and shape-shifting creatures t

Hashtag KoreaOct. 29, 2024

J.Y. Park to return with new song, concert

J.Y. Park, the head of K-pop powerhouse JYP Entertainment, is set to close the year with a new song and concert. JYP Entertainment unveiled a teaser image for J.Y. Park's new digital single, "Easy Lover," via social media channels on Monday. This song, celebrating his 30th anniversary in the industry, follows his 1980s-inspired synth-pop single "Changed Man," released in November 2023, and will be his first in about a year. Actors Cha Joo-young, known from the Netflix hi

PerformanceOct. 29, 2024

Yoon says N. Korea's troop deployment in Russia constitutes security threats to S. Korea, world

President Yoon Suk Yeol said Tuesday that North Korea's troop deployment in Russia constituted security threats to both South Korea and the world, denouncing what he calls "illegal" military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow. Yoon made the remark during a Cabinet meeting amid North Korea's deployment of its troops in western Russia, with all signs suggesting that the North's troops may soon be ready for battlefield deployment against Ukraine forces. "This ill

PoliticsOct. 29, 2024

N. Korean foreign minister departs for Russia amid troop dispatch

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui has departed for Russia for an official visit, the North's state media reported Tuesday, in a visit that comes as the United States said the North sent about 10,000 soldiers to train in eastern Russia. The visit by Choe to Russia is expected to include discussions about a potential visit by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to Moscow amid deepening military ties between the two countries. Choe left Pyongyang International Airport on Monday, the Korea

North KoreaOct. 29, 2024

[해커스 TEPS] 텝스 시험대비 단기간 고득점 단어 & 문법 5문제

2) 해커스 텝스 문법 Part Ⅰ Choose the best answer for the blank. 1. A: Why are they questioning the security guard? B: There was a window __________________ last night. (a) to break (b) broken (c) to have been broken (d) having been broken 해석 A: 그들은 왜 경비원에게 질문을 하고 있나요? B: 지난밤에 깨진 창문이 있었거든요. 해설 수식어 거품 채우기 문장에 주어(There), 동사(was), 보어(a window)가 있는 완전한 문장이므로, 빈칸 이하는 수식어 거품이다. 보기의 동사 break와 함께 문맥상 ‘지난밤에 깨진 창문이 있었거든요’라는 의미가 되어야 하므로, ‘깨진’이라는 의미로 명사 window를 수식할 수 있는 분사 (b) bro

English EyeOct. 29, 2024

S. Korea vows active response to US' investment curbs on China

The United States' planned restriction of investment in key technology sectors in China is expected to have a limited impact on the South Korean economy, but Seoul will closely analyze the measure and devise responses if necessary, the finance ministry said Tuesday. On Monday, the US Treasury Department issued final rules to curb US investments in artificial intelligence, semiconductors and other advanced technology sectors in China, effective Jan. 2, 2025, citing national security risks. &

Diplomatic CircuitOct. 29, 2024

Seoul shares open lower despite US gains

South Korean stocks started lower Tuesday despite overnight gains on Wall Street. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) lost 12.01 points, or 0.46 percent, to 2,600.42 in the first 15 minutes of trading. U.S. stocks finished higher ahead of earnings reports of major tech firms. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.65 percent, and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.26 percent. In Seoul, market bellwether Samsung Electronics fell 0.69 percent and its chipmaking rival SK hynix went d

MarketOct. 29, 2024