60% of rain forecasts wrong during Seoul's rainy season

Nearly two-thirds of South Korea's weather agency's forecasts for Seoul during the rainy season this year were incorrect, data showed Thursday. Rep. Lim Lee-ja of the ruling People Power Party analyzed Korea Meteorological Administration's rain forecast for Seoul from June 29 to July 27, and compared it to the actual weather in the South Korean capital. The KMA predicted rain for 27 of the 29 days. Lim found that of the 27 days it was supposed to rain, forecasts for 16 of these

Social AffairsOct. 5, 2024

Nearly 2 in 3 mothers give birth via cesarean section

Nearly two-thirds of Korean women who gave birth last year did so via cesarean section, data shows. According to data from the National Health Insurance Service, obtained and released Thursday by the ruling People Power Party Rep. Kim Mi-ae, the proportion of women undergoing surgical delivery stood at 64.2 percent last year. The data highlights a consistent rise in C-section deliveries over the past five years, from 51.1 percent in 2019 to 61.6 percent in 2022. The upward incline continued in

Social AffairsOct. 5, 2024

'Will AI steal my job?' Koreans among nationalities feeling most threatened by AI

Local researchers conducted an analysis on a recent international survey about various social challenges, and found that South Koreans are among the people who are the most likely to feel that AI technology could threaten their jobs. Scholars of the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs studied the data provided by the study "Societal Challenges, Public Opinion and Public Policies in 10 Countries," a survey of 10 countries conducted by the Digital Futures at Work Research Cente

Social AffairsOct. 5, 2024

PPP urges swift ratification of new S. Korea-US defense cost deal

The ruling People Power Party on Saturday called for efforts by the opposition-controlled National Assembly to swiftly ratify a new defense cost-sharing deal between South Korea and the United States. Seoul and Washington inked the five-year deal, named the Special Measures Agreement, on Wednesday, about a month before the US presidential election to be held Nov. 5. Under the agreement, South Korea will pay 1.52 trillion won ($1.14 billion) in 2026, up 8.3 percent from the previous year, for the

PoliticsOct. 5, 2024

Reigning Korean Series MVP wants another taste of championship; opponent seeks revenge

After helping his LG Twins end a 29-year title drought in South Korean baseball last year, shortstop Oh Ji-hwan wants nothing more than another taste of the championship this year. With the Twins set to face the KT Wiz in the first round of the Korea Baseball Organization postseason Saturday afternoon, Oh said the pressure may be off the shoulders of the Twins players. But that doesn't mean there is any less drive or motivation. "I want to keep winning," Oh said at Jamsil Baseball

BaseballOct. 5, 2024

Opposing managers taking contrasting pitching plans into KBO postseason series

With his bullpen considerably weaker than the team's title run from a year ago, LG Twins manager Youm Kyoung-youb said Saturday he will need his starters to munch up innings. In ending a 29-year title drought in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) in 2023, the Twins leaned heavily on their bullpen. But gone is the closer from that season, Go Woo-suk, who signed with the San Diego Padres in January. Setup man Jung Woo-young just had his worst regular season of his career, and not many reli

BaseballOct. 5, 2024

Military aircraft evacuating S. Koreans in Lebanon returns home

A South Korean military aircraft evacuating Korean nationals and their families from Lebanon returned home Saturday, as Israel intensifies ground operations against the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah inside Lebanon, the South Korean government said Saturday. A total of 96 South Korean nationals and one foreign family member who had been residing in Lebanon arrived at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, at 12:50 p.m. local time aboard a South Korean Air Force KC-330 Cygnus transp

Foreign AffairsOct. 5, 2024

From thrillers to animation: Netflix's 2025 Korean originals promise universal fun, fresh stories

Netflix, a global streaming service, plans to roll out seven Korean original films next year, responding to rapidly evolving content consumption trends as movie viewing extends beyond traditional theaters. The company prioritized "enhancing quality and expanding diversity" when selecting the films for next year, Kim Tae-won, director of the Content & Business team at Netflix Korea, said at a press conference Friday night on the sidelines of the Busan International Film Festival (BI

FilmOct. 5, 2024

Additional case of lumpy skin disease confirmed in S. Korea

South Korea has reported another case of lumpy skin disease in cattle, government officials said Saturday, raising the number of confirmed cases this year to eight. The case broke out Friday at a livestock farm located in Goseong, about 160 kilometers northeast of Seoul, according to the agriculture ministry. The new case was reported just one day after similar cases were confirmed at farms in Yangyang, 154 km northeast of Seoul, and Pyeongtaek, 64 km south of the capital. To prevent further inf

Social AffairsOct. 5, 2024

Daily stock trading volume dips to lowest in Sept. amid sluggish conditions

The daily stock trading volume fell to the lowest of the year last month as worsening market conditions spooked investors, data showed Saturday. The average daily trading volume of listed shares came to 16.67 trillion won ($12.36 billion) in September, the lowest since the start of the year, according to the data from the Korea Exchange, operator of South Korea's main bourse. The reading also marks an 8 percent decline from 18.2 trillion won the previous month. The figure has been a steady

MarketOct. 5, 2024

Korean bands get their day in the sun, finally

Bands are dominating local charts at the moment, led by JYP Entertainment's pop-rock sensation Day6. With four of their old and new tracks among the top 10 on Melon’s music chart as of Friday -- “Happy” and “Welcome to the Show” claiming the No. 1 and No. 3 spots and “Melt Down” and “Time of Our Life” holding strong at No. 4 and No. 6, respectively -- it’s clear the Korean music scene is in the midst of a band craze. Day6 is no new

K-popOct. 4, 2024

At least 14 dead in worst Bosnian floods in years, officials say

KISELJAK, Bosnia (Reuters) -- At least 14 people died in floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday and many others were missing as torrential rain and landslides destroyed homes, roads and bridges across the center of the country, officials said. The municipality of Jablanica, about 70 kilometers southwest of the capital Sarajevo, where the deaths were reported, was completely cut off after road and railway links were destroyed. Bosnia's inter-ethnic presidency -- a Bosniak, Serb and Croat

World NewsOct. 4, 2024

Injured captain Son Heung-min dropped from nat'l team for World Cup qualifiers

South Korea captain Son Heung-min will not play in two World Cup qualifying matches later this month due to a left hamstring injury, the national football federation announced Friday. The Korea Football Association said the national team staff had decided to drop Son from the 26-man squad to "protect the player's health," after Son sustained his injury during a UEFA Europa League match for Tottenham Hotspur against Qarabag on Sept. 26 in London. Son has since missed two matches --

SoccerOct. 4, 2024

Israeli airstrikes rock southern suburbs of Beirut and cut off a key crossing into Syria

BEIRUT (AP) -- Israel carried out a series of massive airstrikes overnight, hitting suburbs of Beirut and cutting off the main border crossing between Lebanon and Syria for tens of thousands of people fleeing Israeli bombardment. The blasts in Beirut's southern suburbs sent huge plumes of smoke and flames into the night sky and shook buildings kilometers away in the Lebanese capital. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on what the intended target was, and there was no informati

World NewsOct. 4, 2024

FM Cho holds 1st phone talks with Japan's new foreign minister

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul on Friday held his first phone talks with Japan's new foreign minister, Takeshi Iwaya, and discussed bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues, Seoul's foreign ministry said. During the 25-minute conversation, Cho congratulated Iwaya on his inauguration and proposed the two sides closely communicate to expand cooperation between South Korea and Japan, the ministry said. Describing the Seoul-Tokyo ties as "very important" re

Foreign AffairsOct. 4, 2024

Arrest warrant sought for Qoo10 CEO over massive payment delays

Prosecutors on Friday requested an arrest warrant for Ku Young-bae, CEO of Singapore-based Qoo10, which owns Korean online shopping platforms Tmon and WeMakePrice, for alleged fraud, embezzlement and breach of duty over large-scale e-commerce insolvency incidents. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office also sought warrants to arrest Tmon CEO Ryu Kwang-jin and WeMakePrice CEO Ryu Hwa-hyun. The prosecution said it filed for the warrants for them considering the significance of the incident,

Social AffairsOct. 4, 2024

Biannual palace festival to kick off next week

The biannual festival at the four biggest Joseon-era (1392-1910) palaces in Seoul will start a five-day run Wednesday packed with performances from ballet to classical music and musicals. The K-Royal Culture Festival, held in spring and fall, will host performances at Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung. At Gyeongbokgung, “The Royal Concert: Ballet and Sujecheon” will be performed Oct. 10-13, showing a blend of ballet and the royal court music of Joseon. On O

Arts & DesignOct. 4, 2024

Hyundai Motor joins forces with Waymo to bolster foundry business

Hyundai Motor announced Friday that it has entered a multi-year, strategic partnership with Google’s autonomous driving technology subsidiary Waymo as the Korean automaker looks to bolster its newly established autonomous vehicle foundry business. According to the announcement, the two sides will work together to integrate Waymo’s sixth-generation fully autonomous technology into Hyundai’s all-electric sports utility vehicle Ioniq 5. The Ioniq 5s headed for the Waymo fleet will

MobilityOct. 4, 2024

BTS-themed moon jar to be unveiled on Hangeul Day

Cultural objects like a white porcelain moon jar will be reimagined with a BTS theme, Hybe, the label behind the K-pop superstars, announced Friday. Fourteen items decorated with BTS lyrics and designs linked to the seven-member boy band have been created in the latest collaboration between Hybe and the state-run National Museum Foundation of Korea, Hybe said. A white porcelain moon jar and a seated pensive bodhisattva and are some of the items to be made public Wednesday, which is also Hangeul

K-popOct. 4, 2024

First state-run center promoting studying in Korea to open in LA

A Korean government-run institution to attract international students from the US interested in studying in Korea will be established and operated for the first time in Los Angeles, the Education Ministry has said. Consisting of office space and an exhibition room to promote studying in Korea, the Study in Korea Information Center in LA will provide assistance to students by connecting them with universities in Korea, according to officials. The establishment comes after the ministry acknowledge

Social AffairsOct. 4, 2024