Controversial cult leader’s sentence reduced to 17 years

Jeong Myeong-suk, the cult leader who gained global notoriety for sexual offenses documented in the Netflix series “In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal,” had his prison sentence reduced to 17 years by an appellate court on Wednesday. Known to his followers as the "Jesus Morning Star," Jeong is the leader of the Christian Gospel Mission. He was initially sentenced last December to 23 years in prison for the rape and sexual assault of three female believers. Upholding Jeong&#

Social AffairsOct. 3, 2024

Samsung, Hyundai chiefs to accompany Yoon on Singapore trip

A group of business leaders, including Samsung Electronics Co. Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Euisun Chung, will accompany President Yoon Suk Yeol on his visit to Singapore next week, industry sources said Thursday. Yoon is set to embark on a three-nation trip on Sunday to visit the Philippines, Singapore and Laos to attend the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and hold bilateral talks, according to his office. In Singapore, Lee is expected to attend a

PoliticsOct. 3, 2024

Bucheon comics fest kicks off, drawing comics lovers

The 2024 Bucheon International Comics Festival, one of South Korea's biggest comics-related events, launched its four-day celebration on Thursday, attracting comics lovers with a variety of engaging events. Organized by the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency, the festival kicked off with an opening ceremony that featured various sessions, including the presentation of Bucheon Comics Awards, an annual recognition of standout Korean comics. The top honor at the Bucheon Comics Awards went to "J

TelevisionOct. 3, 2024

Apple TV+ documentary follows vibrant, fearless lives of haenyeo

BUSAN -- While there are a number of TV shows, documentaries and even fictional movies -- “Smugglers” (2023) -- that depict the lives of “haenyeo” or women sea divers, “The Last of the Sea Women” focuses on the vibrant and fearless lives of these brave, cool women. Korean American director Sue Kim said she wanted to show the joy and strength of these haenyeo and how they are empowered by their profession, which traces its roots to more than 100 years ago. &ldq

FilmOct. 3, 2024

Yoon aims to elevate ties on Southeast Asian trip

President Yoon Suk Yeol is poised to visit Laos for the South Korea-ASEAN summit in Vientiane, Laos, on Oct. 10, with both sides working to upgrade ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the highest level in ASEAN's diplomatic hierarchy. Laos will be one of the three Southeast Asian nations Yoon plans to visit next week, along with the Philippines and Singapore. This year's summit between South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will mark a watershed moment, K

PoliticsOct. 3, 2024

[Herald Interview] Social media era creates more challenges for pastry chefs

Julien Perrinet, Hyatt’s executive pastry chef for the Asia Pacific region based at the Park Hyatt Tokyo, aims to offer a stunning gastronomic experience to those with a sweet tooth at an upcoming chefs’ collaboration between Park Hyatt Seoul and Park Hyatt Tokyo. The French-born Perrinet, 42, has honed his pastry skills across multiple countries -- France, Canada, Qatar, China, Singapore, India and more -- and did not hesitate to share some of his concerns before showcasing desserts

TravelOct. 3, 2024

[EYE] With Hangeul-shaped cookies, duo hopes to bring fun to the table

Tyler Rasch and Nidhi Agrawal, who have called South Korea home for years, are no strangers to wearing many hats. Rasch is a well-known TV personality renowned for his encyclopedic knowledge of Asian history and culture. He's also an author, translator, social media influencer and climate activist. Agrawal, who moved to Korea in 2016 keen on bridging the Indian and Korean markets, has a background across the IT industry and has juggled numerous TV and lecture appointments. The two public pe

Hashtag KoreaOct. 3, 2024

Ex-presidential official’s leaked phone call rattles conservative bloc

In a startling revelation, a leaked phone conversation in which a former presidential official urged a YouTube news channel reporter to discredit the current leader of the ruling People Power Party during the party's leadership race has alarmed the conservative bloc in recent days. Voice of Seoul, a far-left YouTube-based news channel, recently uploaded an apparent recording of a phone conversation between Kim Dae-nam, formerly the acting secretary for public communication at the presidenti

PoliticsOct. 3, 2024

LG Display to swing back to profit next year: Analysts

South Korean display maker LG Display is expected to emerge from the red next year as the company speeds up efforts to reorganize its business structure to focus on high-value-added organic light-emitting diode panels, market analysts said Thursday. LG Display has been experiencing consecutive yearly deficits, logging operating losses of 2.5 trillion won ($1.9 billion) and 2.08 trillion won in 2023 and 2022, respectively. This year, the losses will continue, but the company should be able to red

IndustryOct. 3, 2024

[From the Scene] Hyundai Mobis catalyzes electrification with new mobility tech

UIWANG, Gyeonggi Province – Hyundai Mobis, a car parts manufacturing affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group, on Wednesday opened its electrification research wing to the press in Uiwang, 24 kilometers south of Seoul. The wing, built as a leading tech center for developing and testing key parts for electric vehicles, was completed in August 2023, and has been in use since December. With a record-breaking 1.7 trillion won ($1.3 billion) in investment this year alone, the company has introduced 65

MobilityOct. 3, 2024

YouthMeta seeks to leverage Japan's crypto enthusiasm

South Korea-based crypto data aggregator YouthMeta is seeking a bigger footing in Japan, a country which has been showing a stronger interest in the investment tool recently, according to the company. YouthMeta provides a cryptocurrency price prediction service through its Goya Premium Chart, suggesting the best time to buy and sell more than 200 crypto assets listed on Binance. With the company having over 30,000 users across 27 countries, Japan stands out as a particularly vibrant market with

IndustryOct. 3, 2024

[Herald Interview] Buddhism will 'pave way' for stronger Korea India ties

Buddhism can strengthen the ties between South Korea and India, according to Indian actor Gagan Malik. Malik is known for playing the role of Prince Siddhartha in the 2013 film “Sri Siddhartha Gautama,” for which he won best actor at the 2014 World Buddhist Film Festival, but he is also a Buddhist activist and an actor. Malik recently visited Korea, invited by the International Interchange Development Association here. “India is the cradle of Buddhism. The country has seen a gr

PeopleOct. 3, 2024

[KH Explains] Is private equity giant MBK a risk-taker or renegade?

MBK Partners, the country’s leading private equity house with over $30 billion to its name, has once again found itself meddling in an ownership turmoil, as it moves beyond its typical buyout-and-exit strategy. Last month, MBK announced plans to acquire around 15 percent of the world’s biggest zinc smelter, Korea Zinc, through a tender offer, joining hands with friend-turned-foe Young Poong. With the bidding price raised once, the tender offer could go up to 2.3 trillion won ($1.75 b

IndustryOct. 3, 2024

[Herald Interview] 'Dancing with P' explores dance's legacy after death of Pina Bausch

“Dear members of Tanztheater Wuppertal, I am Lee Kyung-sung, a theater director from South Korea.” The play “Dancing with P” opens with this letter Lee wrote in the summer of 2021 to the renowned German dance company founded by Pina Bausch (1940-2009), the legendary figure who transformed the landscape of contemporary dance. “After Pina passed away in 2009, I often saw her works performed on stage, because Tanztheater Wuppertal was still touring worldwide. While it

PerformanceOct. 3, 2024

On the shared experience of diaspora

In a world increasingly shaped by the displacement of people due to war, climate crises, and economic hardship, diaspora literature has the power to counter rising waves of hate and discrimination. This was the message shared by Jennifer Kwon Dobbs, a Korean American poet and adoptee, and Cho Hae-jin, author of "I Met Loh Ki-wan," the novel that inspired the Netflix film "My Name is Loh Ki-wan." The two writers met on Sunday during a diaspora literature event hosted by the Li

BooksOct. 3, 2024

Kospi slump hits retail investors hard in Q3, but foreign investors gain

Local retail investors experienced significant losses from Korean shares in the third quarter while foreign investors fared relatively well amid the Kospi’s bearish trend in the period, market data showed on Thursday. According to the Korea Exchange, the most purchased stock by South Korean retail investors from July to September was Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest memory chipmaker, with net purchases totaling 7.82 trillion won ($5.9 billion). Following Samsung, SK hynix, th

MarketOct. 3, 2024

[Reporter’s Notebook] Was Netflix film opening BIFF really a bad thing?

BUSAN -- The most heatedly discussed topic at this year’s Busan International Film Festival is whether it was appropriate for a big-budget streaming platform title opening Asia’s largest film festival. BIFF has positioned itself for decades as a gateway to discover emerging filmmakers and support independent films. So many industry insiders, film journalists and critics were surprised by BIFF’s decision to open the festival with Netflix’s violent action flick “Upris

FilmOct. 3, 2024

Pay debate plagues foreign nanny pilot

As Seoul's six-month foreign caregiver pilot program marks its first month on Thursday, significant unresolved issues -- particularly over pay. The initiative, led by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Ministry of Employment and Labor, aims to offer affordable child care and light and incidental help with housework. The six-month pilot, limited to Seoul households, primarily dual-income with multiple children, and employing only Filipino national women aged 24-38, began on Sept. 3 wi

Social AffairsOct. 3, 2024

35% of S. Koreans view unification 'unnecessary'

Skepticism toward unification with North Korea is rising in South Korea, with the proportions of people who view it as "unnecessary" and those who see it as "impossible" reaching record highs since 2007, when the poll started. According to the survey on the public unification perception, released by the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies from Seoul National University on Wednesday, 35 percent of respondents indicated that unification is either "entirely unnecess

Social AffairsOct. 3, 2024

Medical standoff heats up as SNU approves leaves for striking students

The monthslong medical standoff entered a new phase this week after Seoul National University became the first institution to approve leave of absence requests from striking students who have been boycotting classes to protest the government's plan to increase the medical school admissions quota. Despite government warnings of severe repercussions, SNU's decision on Monday prompted a swift response from the Ministry of Education, further escalating tensions between the medical communit

Social AffairsOct. 3, 2024