Seoul shares open higher ahead of BOK rate decision

South Korean stocks opened higher Friday as the country's central bank was set to hold a rate-setting meeting later in the day. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 0.68 percent, or 17.55 points, to 2,616.71 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Investors' eyes are on the results of the Bank of Korea's monetary policy meeting to be held later in the day, where it is widely expected to start its rate-cutting cycle. Overnight, Wall Street lost ground amid mixed bets on

MarketOct. 11, 2024

[Well-curated] Zero-waste, ‘Aladdin’ pop-up, cutesy shop

Reduce, reuse, rehydrate At A Cup of Dungji in Michuhol-gu, Incheon, you can enjoy a delicious drink while reflecting on the environment. Though it may seem like any other cafe with its warm wooden interior and sunlight pouring through large windows, A Cup of Dungji is a special space run by the zero-waste brand Sojunghan Everything. Here, you can explore a vegan menu and learn about resource-recycling methods. All dishes are vegan, with no eggs, butter or milk used. Drinks that usually require

CultureOct. 11, 2024

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

WE Hotel presents nature-friendly promotion WE Hotel, a premium health resort located in Seogwipo, on the southern side of Jeju Island, is offering a new eco-friendly package. The “Go, Green Package” includes a one-night stay in WE Hotel’s superior room with a view of the island's iconic volcanic mountain Hallasan, breakfast for two, and all-green-rated vegan amenities. Guests who arrive at the hotel using public transportation or electric vehicles receive a 30,000-won vou

CultureOct. 11, 2024

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“The Wild Robot” (US) Opened Oct. 1 Animation Directed by Chris Sanders Roz (Lupita Nyong'o), a newly manufactured robot shipwrecked on an uninhabited island with no human inhabitants, learns to adapt to the local wildlife and becomes the adoptive mother of an orphaned goose. “Joker: Folie a Deux” (US) Opened Oct. 1 Crime/Musical Directed by Todd Phillips Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), a failed comedian, is institutionalized at Arkham, awaiting trial for his crime

FilmOct. 11, 2024

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Fall blooms in Jangseong Check out fall flowers -- everything from cosmos to sunflowers, verbenas to zinnias -- all in their full glory in Jangseong-gun, South Jeolla Province. For the past nine years, the Jangseong Hwangryong River Fall Flower Festival has been one of the major local attractions. The festival, which saw over 60,000 visitors on its first day, runs for nine days through Sunday. For more details, visit jangseong.go.kr. Gimpo Laveniche Festival This year’s Gimpo Lav

TravelOct. 11, 2024

[Lee Byung-jong] Time for stronger Seoul-Tokyo ties

For many young South Korean tourists, Japan is no doubt their favorite travel destination. It's close, cheap and familiar. They can indulge in shopping or enjoy tonkatsu (fried pork chops) or ramen. Yet until recently, they didn’t publicize or brag about their trips to Japan on social media. A strong anti-Japan sentiment caused by diplomatic rows between Seoul and Tokyo kept them from doing so. But all that has changed since their leaders began to mend bilateral relations early last

ViewpointsOct. 11, 2024

Han Kang's 'first reactions' after winning the Nobel Prize

South Korean novelist Han Kang, who won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature on Thursday, said she will "celebrate quietly tonight" having tea with her son. "I'm so surprised and I'm absolutely honored," Han said in a phone interview with the Swedish Academy in a video released shortly after the winning announcement. Speaking in English, Han said she had just finished dinner with her son at home in Seoul, and they were both very surprised by the news. "I didn

BooksOct. 11, 2024

'Han Kang enters the canon of greatest literature'

Winning the Nobel Prize in literature means that Han Kang and her works are now acknowledged, legitimized and confirmed forever in the canon of the greatest writers and books ever published in the world, said Barbara J. Zitwer in an interview with The Korea Herald on Thursday. Zitwer, the founder of her eponymous New York-based literary agency, is one of the pioneers in introducing Korean literature abroad. As the agent who championed "The Vegetarian," she previously mentioned in the previous in

BooksOct. 10, 2024

Exploring works of Han Kang

The first South Korean and the first Asian woman Nobel laureate in literature, Han Kang was born in November 1970 in Gwangju, a city in southwestern South Korea. When she was nine, Han's family moved to Seoul where she would go on to study Korean literature at Yonsei University. Her family is a literary one -- her father is the well-known novelist Han Seung-won and her older brother is also a writer. Her literary career began in 1993 when several of her poems were published in the winter ed

BooksOct. 10, 2024

Major online bookstores crash due to high traffic after Han Kang wins Nobel Prize in literature

South Korea's two major online bookstores said Thursday their sites briefly crashed due to high traffic soon after homegrown author Han Kang was announced as the winner of the Nobel Prize in literature. "We fielded complaints that people weren't able to get on our website, and when they did, pages were slow to load," an official at Kyobo Book Centre said. "Since we did not anticipate Han Kang winning the award, we don't have any stock of her books. We have contacted

BooksOct. 10, 2024

Yoon celebrates Han Kang's winning of Nobel literature prize as 'monumental achievement'

President Yoon Suk Yeol congratulated novelist Han Kang on winning the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature Thursday, calling it "a monumental achievement" in the history of Korean literature "It is a monumental achievement in the history of Korean literature and a national celebration that brings joy to all the people," Yoon wrote on his Facebook page during his visit to Laos to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit. "You have transformed the painful wounds

BooksOct. 10, 2024

Kremlin rejects S. Korean claim of N. Koreans fighting in Ukraine

Russia on Thursday rejected a recent South Korean claim that North Korean soldiers were likely fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine. During a parliamentary audit session in Seoul on Tuesday, South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun said it was "highly likely" that North Korea had deployed troops in support of Russia, because the two countries have a mutual treaty "akin to a military alliance." Kim also said a recent media report on North Korean troop casualties in

Foreign AffairsOct. 10, 2024

Literature honor marks S. Korea’s 2nd Nobel Prize

Author Han Kang became the second South Korean to win a Nobel Prize on Thursday, as she was recognized with the laureate honor in literature by the Swedish Academy. Preceding Han was Kim Dae-jung, the late South Korean president who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 to honor his efforts to revive democracy in South Korea and improve relations with North Korea. The Nobel Prize committee said the award motivation was “for his work for democracy and human rights in South Korea and in East Asi

PoliticsOct. 10, 2024

South Korean author Han Kang wins 2024 Nobel Prize in literature

South Korean author Han Kang has won this year's Nobel Prize in literature, becoming the first South Korean to be honored with one of the world's most prestigious literary awards. The Swedish Academy's Nobel Committee announced the winner Thursday in Stockholm. Han was recognized “for her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life,” said Mats Malm, permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy. The committee said that &q

BooksOct. 10, 2024

S. Korea, Laos vow to combat deforestation together

South Korea's forest agency announced Thursday that it has established a cooperative organization with Laos to enhance joint efforts in combating deforestation and promoting sustainable forest management. The organization, the REDD+ Cooperation Center, focuses on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. It is based on the REDD+ Act, a framework adopted in February under the UN for implementing, monitoring and managing programs aimed at conserving forests and reducing ca

IndustryOct. 10, 2024

[Breaking] South Korea's Han Kang wins 2024 Nobel literature prize

South Korean author Han Kang has won the 2024 Nobel Prize in literature, clinching the country's first honor in one of the world's most prestigious literature awards. The Nobel committee on Thursday called “her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life.”

CultureOct. 10, 2024

South Korean same-sex couples make push for marriage equality

Eleven gay and lesbian couples will attempt to register their marriages in South Korea on Friday, expecting to launch a legal process they hope will get the country to recognize marriage equality. The couples expect the local authorities will decline to register their marriages because South Korea does not currently recognize same-sex unions. They plan to file a lawsuit if they cannot register and, eventually, to force the constitutional court to give a ruling. One of the women planning to regis

Social AffairsOct. 10, 2024

Rival parties clash over first lady's alleged involvement in nominations

Lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party clashed Thursday over allegations that first lady Kim Keon Hee was involved in nominating candidates for a 2022 by-election and the April 2024 parliamentary elections. During a parliamentary audit of the National Election Commission, the state election watchdog, the People Power Party lawmakers dismissed the allegations, which have been raised by the media and the opposition bloc, as having nothing to do with the

PoliticsOct. 10, 2024

Teenage N. Korean defector shares horrific story of life in reclusive regime

A North Korean teenage defector on Thursday shared her horrific story of life in the reclusive regime during a forum hosted by South Korea's unification ministry. "I wear makeup and go out here in South Korea, but my friends in North Korea can't even wash properly, let alone wear makeup. Some friends smell because they can't bathe, but we live understanding each other," Noh Jin-hae recalled. The 16-year-old girl, who defected from North Korea in 2019, recalled her harsh

North KoreaOct. 10, 2024