Coupang’s one-day luxury delivery service rebrands as R.LUX

South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang said Wednesday that it has rebranded its one-day delivery service for premium beauty products as R.LUX, introducing a dedicated app to enhance user experience. Initially launched as Rocket Luxury in July 2023 as part of Coupang’s strategy to expand into the premium beauty market, the service was rebranded as R.LUX to elevate the shopping experience and create a stronger, more distinctive identity, the company said. The platform offers improved featur

CompaniesOct. 2, 2024

Copyright group seeks cooperative solutions for music at gyms

Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA), the largest music copyright management organization in the country, plans to prioritize raising copyright awareness through active promotion, rather than taking legal action against gym owners not compliant with the copyright music regulation. KOMCA Chair Chu Ga-yeoul recently visited 11 centers across the country responsible for collecting music copyright fees from gyms, collecting on-site complaints. “Creating an environment where copyright ho

K-popOct. 2, 2024

Prosecution closes 'Dior bag' case amid opposition uproar

The prosecution on Wednesday closed its high-profile case concerning the first lady's alleged acceptance of a luxury handbag caught on a hidden camera, despite the outcry of the opposition parties, accusing the law enforcement agency of surrendering to power. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office announced Wednesday that it will not charge the giver nor the taker of the expensive gifts amounting to 5 million won ($3,800) combined, including a Christian Dior handbag valued at 3

PoliticsOct. 2, 2024

S. Korea to send military aircraft to evacuate nationals from Middle East

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday directed the immediate dispatch of military aircraft to evacuate nationals from the Middle East as tensions escalated rapidly with intensified clashes between Israel and Iran as well as its backed militias Hezbollah and Hamas. "The president emphasized that protecting South Korean nationals in Israel and the Middle East is of utmost importance and instructed that all necessary measures be taken," his office said in a statement issued fo

Foreign AffairsOct. 2, 2024

[Exclusive] Jogye Order to donate $1m to Yale for study of Seon Buddhism

The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the largest Buddhist sect in Korea, will donate $1 million to Yale University to promote Korea’s Seon Buddhism -- the first-ever such gift to a foreign university and the largest one-off contribution to any organization overseas in the history of the Jogye Order. A ceremony making the donation official will take place Oct. 10 at the Ivy League school in New Haven, Connecticut, with Jogye Order President the Ven. Jinwoo, Yale University President Maurie M

CultureOct. 2, 2024

Korea Zinc's tender offer, Young Poong's second filing further bring feud to head

Korea Zinc, the world's largest zinc smelter, is launching a tender offer to repurchase shares valued at up to 3.1 trillion won ($2.25 billion) to defend its position in the ongoing management dispute with Young Poong, its largest shareholder, and private equity firm MBK Partners. Korea Zinc Chairman Choi Yun-beom announced Wednesday during a press conference in Seoul that the company’s board has resolved to initiate this tender offer for treasury shares. Choi said the tender offer ai

IndustryOct. 2, 2024

Court confirms sentence for rapper who attempted to evade national service

A South Korean rapper who pretended that his mental illness had worsened in order to shorten his mandatory national service will be subject to a suspended prison term, the country's top court confirmed Wednesday. Announcing the ruling, which it said was made last month, the Supreme Court upheld a 14-month sentence, suspended for two years, for the rapper Nafla, who was convicted last year of violating the Military Service Act and the Criminal Act, specifically for obstructing the performanc

Social AffairsOct. 2, 2024

Netflix period flick ‘Uprising’ opens 29th BIFF, in first

BUSAN -- Netflix original Korean period film “Uprising,” opened the 29th Busan International Film Festival on Wednesday, the first time that a major streaming platform movie has opened Asia’s largest film festival. “Uprising,” directed by Kim Sang-man (“Midnight FM”), follows the story of Cheon-young (Gang Dong-won), a personal servant and member of the slave class, and his young master Jong-ryeo (Park Jung-min), set in the mid-Joseon era (1392-1910). In

FilmOct. 2, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Stray Kids to release 2nd LP in Japan next month

Stray Kids are set to roll out their second full-length album in Japan “Giant” on Nov. 13, label JYP Entertainment said Tuesday. The eight-member act debuted in Japan in March 2020 with the best-of album “SKZ2020” and has put out three mini albums, two physical singles and a full-length album. Their latest EP, “Social Path (feat. LiSA)/ Super Bowl - Japanese ver.,” from September last year swept all Oricon charts -- daily, weekly, weekly combined and monthly a

K-popOct. 2, 2024

Russian ambassador hopes for improved ties with Seoul

Georgy Zinoviev, the Russian ambassador in Seoul, told South Korean lawmakers on Wednesday that although the relations between the two countries were going through a difficult time, he believed they would improve in the future. “I would like to take this opportunity to say that even though South Korea and Russia are going through a rough patch at this moment, I believe there is still a lot of potential for expanding cooperation and resuming dialogue in the future,” he said, speaking

PoliticsOct. 2, 2024

Zyx Technology eyes SE Asia expansion with cutting-edge design software

South Korean design software developer Zyx Technology unveiled its latest products at Automation World Vietnam 2024 held in Ho Chi Minh City, in an effort to expand its business in Southeast Asia, the company said Wednesday. At the event, Zyx Technology introduced its flagship products: its general-purpose design software ZyxCAD, the AI-powered Works and Zyx Designer, and its GIS based Smart Construction Platform. These advanced tools are designed to improve design efficiency and support smart

IndustryOct. 2, 2024

[Herald Interview] Hanwha Life Esports aims high with 2024 LoL Worlds

Hanwha Life Esports completed its David-and-Goliath story and shocked many spectators by defeating Gen.G in the League of Legends Champions Korea Summer finals, winning the title for the first time in September. Not only did HLE upset the team expected to win gold this year, but its victory ended T1 and Gen.G's dominance in the LCK finals, with the two teams having enjoyed a total of five consecutive championship victories since 2022. But Choi “Dandy” In-gyu, the head coach for

More SportsOct. 2, 2024

Food tycoon Paik Jong-won's Theborn Korea pushes toward IPO

Celebrity entrepreneur and chef Paik Jong-won’s yearslong effort to list his food franchise firm Theborn Korea on the country’s main bourse has cleared its first hurdle, yet challenges remain as the fate of the company heavily depends on his fame. Supported by a strong brand lineup and the rising public profile of its CEO Paik, Theborn Korea passed the preliminary review by the Korea Exchange for its initial public offering on Aug. 30, about three months after submitting its applicat

CompaniesOct. 2, 2024

Scalpers using macros to resell Byeon Woo-seok, Lim Young-woong tickets busted

South Korean police have caught scalpers in their 20s and 30s for using macro tools to illegally buy performance tickets for popular stars like Lim Young-woong and Byeon Woo-seok, then reselling them at premium prices. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said on Tuesday that they had apprehended seven individuals, identified as college students, job seekers and soldiers, who used automated macro programs from 2021 until August of this year to snatch highly sought-after tickets and resell them o

Social AffairsOct. 2, 2024

Seoul shares dip for 3rd day amid Middle East tensions

Seoul shares closed lower for the third consecutive day Wednesday as investors sat on the sidelines amid the escalating tension in the Middle East following Iran's massive missile attack against Israel. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index dropped 1.22 percent, or 31.58 points, to 2,561.69. Trading volume was moderate at 341.9 million shares worth 9.38 trillion won ($7.1 billion), with losers far outnumbering winners at 705 to 177. F

MarketOct. 2, 2024

[Herald Interview] Pappano connects LSO with Korean audiences

On Tuesday night, conductor and pianist Antonio Pappano stood before the Korean audience at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts’ Grand Theater with the London Symphony Orchestra, marking the orchestra's first Korean tour under the new music director. The 64-year-old conductor took the helm of the LSO from Simon Rattle this summer, after leading the Royal Opera House since 2002. Pappano's extensive experience in the opera realm has profoundly influenced his conducting style.

CultureOct. 2, 2024

Define Seoul 2024 to explore simplicity in design

The second edition of Define Seoul, a design and art fair launched by Art Busan, will expand its scale with special exhibitions and more participating galleries in October in the hip Seoul neighborhood of Seongsu-dong. The design art fair was inaugurated last year as an art fair for collectors that integrates fine art and design. The second edition under the theme of “The Meaning of Simplicity: Attitude Towards life in a Rational Era" is curated by designer Yang Teo, who also curated

Arts & DesignOct. 2, 2024

N. Korea may revoke 1991 Inter-Korean Basic Agreement in parliament: Seoul

North Korea may revoke the Inter-Korean Basic Agreement, which has served as a pivotal foundation for the development of inter-Korean relations and efforts toward peaceful reunification for more than three decades, during its parliamentary session scheduled for next week, the Unification Ministry in Seoul said Wednesday. The potential action aligns with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's public declaration that the two Koreas are engaged in relations between "two hostile states" lo

North KoreaOct. 2, 2024

Samsung tightens its belt amid crisis winds

Samsung Electronics, a leading tech giant in smartphones and semiconductors, is seen implementing austerity measures, reducing headcounts and downsizing celebratory events as it falls behind global peers in its core product markets. On Wednesday, Bloomberg reported Samsung Electronics is expected to lay off about 10 percent of its total overseas staff of 147,000, with the latest headcount cut being carried out in its headquarters in Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand. The company already

IndustryOct. 2, 2024

Herald chairman becomes head of lay Jogye Buddhists group

Herald Corp. Chairman Jung Won-ju was inaugurated as the president of the Lay Buddhist Association at a ceremony held Wednesday at Jogyesa in Seoul. Some 200 people attended the ceremony held at the main hall, Daeungjeon, of Jogyesa, Jogye’s headquarters. Jung’s inauguration comes as the sect is stepping up efforts to promote its style of meditation, called “seon,” to win over both the domestic public and international followers. Jung echoed the sentiment. “Seon has

CultureOct. 2, 2024