SPC invited to Macron’s exclusive dinner in Paris

South Korean bakery giant SPC Group said Wednesday that President Hur Jin-soo attended a dinner banquet hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron at Elysee Palace in Paris earlier this week. He was the only Korean business leader to be invited to the exclusive event marking the 60th anniversary of SIAL Paris, one of the world’s largest food trade fairs. The dinner brought together around 40 global business leaders from major food and distribution companies, including the Netherlands&rsquo

CompaniesOct. 23, 2024

'No tattoo' policies at hotels spark dispute

Controversy over tattoos is brewing again, following reports about several five-star hotels in Seoul banning customers with "excessive tattoos" from using some facilities. One hotel in Yeouido, Seoul, reportedly has a clause allowing it to restrict gym and swimming pool access to customers with "an excessive amount of tattoos, to the extent of causing anxiety or discomfort to others." Another hotel in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, was reported to ban pool use for those with tatto

Social AffairsOct. 23, 2024

S. Korea to allow driver's license tests on EVs

South Korea is planning to allow those taking tests for driver's licenses to do so with electric vehicles, the National Police Agency said Wednesday. According to the NPA, the revision of the Road Traffic Act allowing battery-powered cars to be used at state-run driver's test centers was passed at the Korean National Police Committee meeting on Wednesday. The revision is expected to come into effect as early as this year, in which case test-takers will be able to use EVs next year. Und

Social AffairsOct. 23, 2024

Celebrities to use special security lane at Incheon Airport

Incheon Airport said Wednesday it will allow celebrities to use the security lane that had previously been reserved for flight crew, in a bid to prevent fans from overcrowding the gates. The Incheon International Airport Corp. recently sent guidelines for a process that will allow celebrities to use exclusive security lane at the terminal during departure. This is a bid to minimize the crowd-gathering near the entrance, and is expected to be implemented on Oct. 28. "Celebrities tend to at

Social AffairsOct. 23, 2024

Jail term sought for man who gave baby away in illegal online adoption

The South Korean prosecutors said Wednesday they recently requested a two-year prison term for a man in his 30s for giving up his baby for adoption to someone he met online. In a hearing at the Daejeon District Court, the prosecution sought a jail term and a five-year restriction on the suspect's employment at any institutes related to children. They charged the suspect with violating Article 17 of the Child Welfare Act, which prohibits abandoning or neglecting a child. Last year, the suspe

Social AffairsOct. 23, 2024

Korean artists shine in inaugural Gucci Cultural Month

A photo exhibition of prominent South Korean artists opened Tuesday as part of the inaugural Gucci Cultural Month, a campaign launched by the Italian fashion house to promote the diversity and creativity of Korean culture. “Dual Narratives: Honoring the Visionaries,” running for eight days through Tuesday, explores fresh angles to look at film director Park Chan-wook, pianist Cho Seong-jin, conceptual artist Kim Soo-ja and contemporary dancer Ahn Eun-me. Master photographer Kim Yong-

Arts & DesignOct. 23, 2024

Top security officials of S. Korea, Poland express concerns over NK-Russia military ties

The top security officials of South Korea and Poland on Wednesday expressed concerns over growing military ties between North Korea and Russia and agreed to expand their nations' security and defense industry cooperation in response, the presidential office said. National Security Adviser Shin Won-sik held a meeting with his Polish counterpart, Jacek Siewiera, ahead of a summit between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Polish President Andrzej Duda on Thursday. The two officials disc

PoliticsOct. 23, 2024

S. Korea to maintain close communication with global investors ahead WGBI inclusion

Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok has said South Korea will maintain close communication with global investors to ensure the country's successful debut in a key global government bond index managed by FTSE Russell. Choi made the remark during his meeting in New York with representatives from major U.S. investment companies on Tuesday, noting that South Korea's inclusion in the World Government Bond Index reflects global recognition of its efforts to improve the investment environment. &qu

EconomyOct. 23, 2024

PM vows to closely communicate with Natl. Assembly to enact law for AI industry

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Wednesday the government will collaborate with the National Assembly to promptly enact a law supporting the artificial intelligence industry. Han underscored the importance of the proposed AI Act, which aims to establish a legal framework promoting the AI industry while ensuring the safe use of the technology. "(The government) will closely communicate with the National Assembly to promptly pass the AI Act," Han said during a conference in Seoul. "

PoliticsOct. 23, 2024

[영어답게 표현하기] 유용한 비즈니스 영어 표현들

이번 회에는 저희 책 Advanced Vocab에서 소개한 중상급 영단어들을 알려드립니다. 단어의 우리말 뜻을 기억하는 데에 그치지 않고, 난이도 있는 단어를 실제로 활용하는 단계까지 나아가 보기 바랍니다. 〈순간적이고 급격한 움직임〉 1. onslaught [ɑ́nslɔ́ːt] 맹공격 ‘맹렬한 공격’이라는 뜻이 확대되어, 어떤 일이 맹공격처럼 강하게 발생하는 것을 일컫기도 한다. The American speedskater faced an onslaught of public criticism in Korea in connection with his involvement in the disqualification of a Korean speedskater. 그 미국 빙속 선수는 한국 선수의 실격에 관여해서 한국 국민들로부터 많은 비난을 받았다. ● 그 은행은 파생상품 거래로 손실을 입은 개인 투자자들로부터 소송이 쇄도하고 있다. The

English EyeOct. 23, 2024

Fuel tax cut to be extended by 2 months with adjustments

The finance ministry said Wednesday it will extend the tax cut on fuel by another two months with some adjustments amid the ongoing Middle East crisis. Under the decision, South Korea will apply a 15 percent discount on gasoline consumption and a 23 percent cut on diesel and liquefied petroleum gas, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. South Korea has been applying a 20 percent discount on gasoline consumption and a 30 percent discount on diesel and liquefied petroleum gas, which we

EconomyOct. 23, 2024

Seoul shares open higher on retail buying

Seoul shares opened higher Wednesday on retail buying, though investors remain cautious due to concerns over a slower pace of the Federal Reserve's rate cuts. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) rose 3.53 points, or 0.14 percent, to 2,574.23 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, US stocks closed mixed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.02 percent to 42,924.89, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite rose 0.18 percent to 18,573.13. In Seoul, large-cap stocks

MarketOct. 23, 2024

[Korea Quiz] Han Kang

Find the answer at the bottom. Born in November 1970 in Gwangju, Han Kang's literary career began in 1993 when she published poems in the winter edition of the quarterly magazine, "Literature and Society." Since then, she has been honored with numerous awards, writing work that addresses universal human issues such as death and state violence through intense poetic prose. Most recently, she was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature, becoming the first South Korean and t

Hashtag KoreaOct. 23, 2024

N. Korean leader urges bolstering war deterrence, citing US nuclear threats

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has once again called for enhancing the country's war deterrence, including the readiness of its nuclear capabilities, in response to what he described as growing nuclear threats from the United States, state media said Wednesday. Kim made the remarks during his inspection of "strategic missile bases," the Korean Central News Agency said in an English-language dispatch. The report did not specify the location or the date of the inspection. "As

North KoreaOct. 23, 2024

[Graphic News] Dodgers, Yankees meet in first World Series in 43 years

The Los Angeles Dodgers have secured a spot in the World Series for the first time in four years after defeating the New York Mets. With the Dodgers claiming the National League Championship, a World Series showdown between two of Major League Baseball’s most prestigious teams, the New York Yankees and the Dodgers, will take place for the first time in 43 years. The Dodgers triumphed over the Mets 10-5 in Game 6 of the 2024 MLB National League Championship Series on Monday.

BaseballOct. 23, 2024

[Eye Interview] Charting remarkable year, Anton Hur's journey in literature continues

Acclaimed Korean-to-English translator and newly minted novelist, Anton Hur is navigating his busiest year yet. Based in Seoul, Hur was born in Stockholm and raised in Hong Kong, Ethiopia and Thailand, "but mostly in Korea." So far this year, he has published six translated works, made his debut as a fiction writer, and embarked on a whirlwind international book tour -- with more to come in the remaining months. “I've been traveling a lot this year,” Hur said in an int

BooksOct. 23, 2024

[Kim Seong-kon] Becoming both a progressive and a conservative

If someone says that they are both a progressive and a conservative, or leftwing and rightwing, we may think that they are a sly opportunist, a hopelessly contradictory person, or a case of dissociative identity disorder. Not anymore. Today, a perfectly normal person can become such a broadminded person who can cross the border between the two and embrace them, if they have courage and capacity. Moreover, they are an ideal person we need in order to build a non-polarized, better society. The ren

ViewpointsOct. 23, 2024

[Neeraj Rajasekar] Wrong conversation about voter fraud

For the past decade, the United States has been mired in a repetitive, pointless conversation about “voter fraud,” helped in no small part by Donald Trump’s efforts to undermine voters’ faith in the electoral process. During the presidential debate with Kamala Harris in early September, Trump insisted that he was the true winner of the 2020 election, and he has repeatedly hinted that he will not accept the election results this November if they are not in his favor. Since

ViewpointsOct. 23, 2024

Hezbollah claims drone attack on Israeli PM's residence

Hezbollah claimed responsibility Tuesday for a drone attack last week targeting the home of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and acknowledged that some of its fighters have been taken captive by the Israeli army. Hezbollah spokesman Mohammed Afif made the remarks during a press conference in Beirut's southern suburbs that was cut short following an Israeli evacuation warning for the area. An Israeli strike hit a target hundreds of meters (yards) away from the site of the conferenc

World NewsOct. 22, 2024