Court approves process to find new owner for beleaguered e-commerce platforms

A Seoul court has approved the process to find a new owner for e-commerce platforms TMON and WeMakePrice placed under court-led rehabilitation since early September after failing to make payments to vendors using their platforms, an official said Wednesday. The Seoul Bankruptcy Court has selected the EY Hanyoung accounting firm as the lead manager for the process to sell the e-commerce platforms to help resolve the massive payment delays, the court's appointed custodian, Jo In-cheol, told Y

Social AffairsOct. 23, 2024

UK and Germany sign 'milestone' defense deal

London and Berlin on Wednesday hailed a "milestone" in military cooperation, as they signed a new defense pact that would see German submarine-hunting planes operate from British bases and counter threats from Russia after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Europe's two biggest defense spenders said the Trinity House Agreement, signed by defense ministers John Healey and Boris Pistorius, would strengthen NATO's "European pillar" at a time of increased threat from t

World NewsOct. 23, 2024

KBS nominates main anchor Park Jang-beom as new president

The board of directors at South Korea's largest public broadcaster KBS on Wednesday recommended its main news anchor as new president and CEO, officials said. During an extra board meeting in the day, Park Jang-beom was chosen to replace current CEO Park Min to be the 27th president of the broadcaster out of three candidates, including the incumbent chief. The decision needs approval from President Yoon Suk Yeol. If confirmed, the new president's term will begin on Dec. 10 to run throu

Social AffairsOct. 23, 2024

Hyundai Rotem to develop world's 1st hydrogen fuel-based tank: sources

Hyundai Rotem Co., a South Korean defense solutions company, has been working on developing the world's first hydrogen fuel-based tank for the military, industry sources said Wednesday. In collaboration with the Agency for Defense Development and other defense technology research institutes, Hyundai Rotem is designing a next-generation tank model as part of its plans to upgrade the K2 main battle tank, according to the sources. This new tank, which is planned for production after 2040, wi

IndustryOct. 23, 2024

BTS member J-Hope throws out ceremonial pitch in Korean Series

J-Hope, a member of the global K-pop sensation BTS, threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 2 of the Korean Series in his hometown Wednesday. Wearing a cap and a jacket bearing the Korean Series logo, J-Hope tossed the pitch prior to the second game of the South Korean baseball championship round between the home team Kia Tigers and the Samsung Lions at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 270 kilometers south of Seoul. J-Hope is from Gwangju. J-Hope was discharged from mandatory mil

K-popOct. 23, 2024

North Korean troops in Russia, US defense secretary says

ROME -- US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday there is evidence that North Korean troops are in Russia, and it remained to be seen what they would be doing there. "There is evidence that there are DPRK troops in Russia," Austin told reporters in Rome, using North Korea's formal name - the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "What exactly they are doing? Left to be seen. These are things that we need to sort out," Austin added. Ukrainian President Vo

DefenseOct. 23, 2024

S. Korea secures additional 34 passenger manifests from Ukishima ship sinking

Japan provided South Korea on Wednesday with another batch of passenger manifests from the 1945 sinking of a Japanese vessel that is known to have killed thousands of Koreans aboard. The Ukishima Maru sank in waters off the Aomori Prefecture in August 1945 following an explosion in the hull. The ship was transporting Koreans, many of whom were forcibly mobilized for wartime labor, back to their homeland, as Korea was liberated from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule. South Korea's foreign m

Foreign AffairsOct. 23, 2024

NIS says some 3,000 North Korean soldiers deployed for Russia

The South Korean spy agency believes up to 10,000 members of North Korean forces could be deployed in Russia’s war on Ukraine by December, according to vice chairs of the National Assembly intelligence committee on Wednesday. “To date around 3,000 North Korean soldiers have been sent to Russia, with an additional 1,500 to be dispatched sometime soon. By December, the number of soldiers dispatched is expected to total 10,000,” Rep. Park Sun-won told reporters after he was briefe

PoliticsOct. 23, 2024

Public Design Festival to expand to improve design for public spaces

The Public Design Festival 2024 will kick off on Friday, centered in Seoul and Daejeon, focusing on how the design quality of public spaces in South Korea can evolve to better serve its citizens. The festival will foster discussions with experts and highlight examples from across the country. The third edition of the design festival, “Public Design for Embracement” held by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, will expand in scale from last year including 185 public spaces, th

Arts & DesignOct. 23, 2024

Former MMCA director explores Korean art's rise on global stage

This year has seen a record amount of global attention given to Korean artists. This is according to Lee Ji-yoon, CEO of SUUM Project, a contemporary art curating agency. Mentioning the major events and solo exhibitions taking place across the world, the former managing director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art shed light on Korean art in the global context, focusing on how Korean artists began to assert a presence in the global art scene over the past 30 years. She was givi

Arts & DesignOct. 23, 2024

[Contribution] SGATAR in Seoul: NTS driving cooperation in tax administration

By Choi Jae-bong, Vice Commissioner of National Tax Service Nestled in the southeastern corner of France lies the small sovereign state of Monaco, a tranquil city-state renowned for actress Grace Kelly and Formula 1 racing. However, in 1962, this peaceful city-state found itself at the center of a tense standoff along its borders due to a conflict over taxation between French tax authorities and taxpayers. Taking advantage of the fact that Monaco has no income tax, many French taxpayers sought

EconomyOct. 23, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] NCT Wish’s Riku to miss tour for health reasons

Riku of NCT Wish suspended activities for health reasons, announced SM Entertainment Tuesday. He has been feeling under the weather and will focus on treatment and recovery as per doctor’s advice, and will therefore miss the NCT subunit’s upcoming tour in Japan, added the company. The idol debuted in February as part of the six-member team which is set to host two concerts each in six regions in his native country -- Ishikawa, Kyoto, Kanagawa, Hyogo, Fukuoka and Aichi -- from Nov.

K-popOct. 23, 2024

Doctor under fire for labeling patient's fat tissue as 'lard' in medical report

A South Korean doctor is facing backlash for allegedly describing a patient’s fat tissue as “pig lard.” The incident was revealed Tuesday on JTBC’s current affairs show “Scandal Supervisor." A patient who had been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism visited a local hospital after experiencing heart palpitations and shortness of breath. For further assessment, the doctor ordered a CT scan and she paid around 800,000 won ($579). When reviewing the scan results, the pa

Social AffairsOct. 23, 2024

Seoul shares end higher on tech, auto gains; won slips for 8th day

Seoul shares closed higher Wednesday on tech and auto gains amid concerns over a possible slower pace in the Federal Reserve's rate cuts. The Korean won continued to slip against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 28.92 points, or 1.1 percent, to close at 2,599.62. Trade volume was moderate at 345.96 million shares worth 9.25 trillion won ($6.7 billion), with gainers outpacing losers 448 to 408. Institutions and foreigners bought a combined 510 billion won w

MarketOct. 23, 2024

[KH Explains] Tesla’s vague robotaxi vision may let Hyundai-Waymo narrow gap

Tesla’s recent unveiling of its Robotaxi prototype has generated some buzz, but the absence of critical details leaves room for competitors -- such as Hyundai Motor Group -- to potentially make up ground in the race toward autonomous vehicles. While Tesla remains a dominant force in electric vehicles and self-driving technology, its latest announcement raises as many questions as it does excitement. At the Tesla event named "We, Robot," held at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank,

MobilityOct. 23, 2024

[LLG] Repairing toys seemed like simple task. It turned out to be deeply emotional

In "Toy Story 3," protagonist Andy grew older, developed other interests and ultimately gave his toys away to a little girl before leaving for college. But not everyone finds themselves able to say "goodbye" to their toys like Andy. And when years of wear and tear take their toll, those toys often find their way to Kim Kap-yeon, the CEO of ToyTalez. For Kim's clients, her work is about far more than just repairing stuffed animals. "Our customers come in and say, &

Hashtag KoreaOct. 23, 2024

[Herald Interview] Korea building law database system for foreign nationals: minister

The South Korean government is stepping up its efforts to make the country more foreigner-friendly by building an accessible database system of the country's laws and legislation, the minister of government legislation told the Korea Herald earlier this month. As South Korea pushes to embrace foreign workers and immigrants to address population decline, the Ministry of Government Legislation -- a body focused on making the nation's legal system clear, consistent, and accessible both do

Social AffairsOct. 23, 2024

[From the Scene] S-Oil’s Shaheen project on track for 2026 completion

ULSAN -- The construction site of S-Oil’s Shaheen project at its Onsan plant in Ulsan showed little to no activity Tuesday afternoon. Although the day’s workflow had seemingly stopped due to heavy downpours in the morning, the officials from S-Oil and Hyundai Engineering & Construction said the building process of the Shaheen project had already reached 40 percent completion. “Four major construction firms -- Hyundai E&C, Hyundai Engineering, Lotte E&C and DL E&

CompaniesOct. 23, 2024

[Behind the K-pop Scene] 'I hope to inspire many people in my country who share similar dreams'

Debuting in a K-pop group is often likened to searching for a needle in a haystack, and for aspiring idols who aren’t Korean nationals, the odds are even slimmer. Nguyen Trung Kien, who goes by the stage name Kien, is one of the rare few to have made his dream come true. The 19-year-old Vietnamese idol has undergone a long and challenging journey to reach the K-pop stage as a member of the newly debuted boy group ARrC. Although ARrC’s future is yet to be determined -- they debuted on

K-popOct. 23, 2024

N. Korea's support puts Putin in its debt: experts

North Korea's dispatch of personnel to support Russia's invasion of Ukraine -- even if their military involvement is limited or indirect -- could put Russian President Vladimir Putin in Pyongyang's debt, experts said. The development may also set the stage for reciprocal support from Moscow for Kim Jong-un's aggressive ambitions, especially if North Korean casualties occur in the Ukraine war. Whether North Korea has dispatched troops to Russia remains a hotly debated issue, w

Foreign AffairsOct. 23, 2024