[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“My Dearest Fu Bao” (South Korea) Opened Documentary Directed by Shim Hyung-joon Follow Fu Bao on the big screen in her last three months in Korea and see her interactions with the “Fu Bao grandpa” zookeepers, as well as the heart-touching moment when Kang Cheol-won reunites with Fu Bao three months after she is sent to China. “Alien: Romulus” (US) Opened Aug. 14 Horror/Sci-fi Directed by Fede Alvarez In 2142, a group of young space colonizers go on an

FilmSept. 13, 2024

[Lee Byung-jong] ‘Out of the Box’ Universities

As the new fall semester begins, I face my new students with both excitement and dread. Excitement because I can find vibrant youth energy and unquenchable academic zeal from their glowing faces. Dread because the world outside our campus is dark and grim, filled with uncertainties. Once they graduate, students will have to grapple with not only the world’s woes, such as wars and climate crisis, but also their personal perils, notably job scarcity. With these mixed feelings, I happened to

ViewpointsSept. 13, 2024

Appellate court overturns ruling on Deutsche Motors case

The Seoul Central District Court on Thursday overturned the lower court's ruling on a man surnamed Son, who in 2023 was acquitted of charges of providing scammers linked to a 63.6 billion won ($47.4 million) investment fraud in the early 2010s with a trust account, allowing them to manage assets on behalf of himself or the trust's beneficiary. The case has been drawing public attention as President Yoon Suk Yeol's opponents claim that first lady Kim Keon Hee was also suspected to

PoliticsSept. 12, 2024

Natl. football coach shoots down criticism of overreliance on stars

With South Korea having notched their first win in the ongoing Asian World Cup qualification round, head coach Hong Myung-bo on Thursday pushed back against the notion that he is relying too heavily on a few star players without doing much tactical work. Hong returned home Thursday evening after coaching South Korea to a 3-1 victory over Oman in a Group B match of the third Asian World Cup qualification round in Muscat on Tuesday. It came on the heels of a goalless draw against Palestine in Seou

SoccerSept. 12, 2024

Hyundai Motor, GM join hands to shake up EV landscape

Hyundai Motor Group and General Motors have joined forces to explore collaboration in vehicle development, supply chain and clean energy technology, officials announced Thursday. According to the announcement, the top leadership from each auto giant -- including Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun and GM CEO Mary Barra -- recently met at Genesis House New York and signed a memorandum of understanding to seek future collaboration across key strategic areas. Hyundai Motor and GM -- th

MobilitySept. 12, 2024

BMW opens brand's 1st charging hub lounge in Korea

BMW Group opened its newest charging station named BMW Charging Hub Lounge in central Seoul on Thursday, continuing to build upon the German automaker’s commitment to Korea’s electric vehicle transformation. According to BMW Group Korea, Seoul’s new charging facility has six 200 kilowatt-hour chargers and an indoor lounge including a cafe. The chargers will be open for other brands’ EVs as BMW aims to offer all EV drivers comfort and an opportunity to check out its newest

MobilitySept. 12, 2024

Explicit, provocative shows breathe new life into staid National Theater of Korea

If you attend one of the two productions currently running at the National Theater of Korea, you might be surprised by the level of sexual explicitness in the performances. At the Daloreum Theater, the National Theater’s mid-sized theater with about 500 seats, the National Changgeuk Company of Korea’s adult-only production “Madam Ong” runs through Sunday. The changgeuk, or traditional Korean opera, has long been associated with themes of lust and obscenity. At the Han

CultureSept. 12, 2024

Yoon to visit Prague next week to forge 'nuclear energy alliance'

President Yoon Suk Yeol will visit the Czech Republic Thursday next week to forge the so-called "nuclear energy alliance," the presidential office said Thursday. The official visit comes ahead of next year's signing of South Korean firms' nuclear power plant construction bid valued at around 24 trillion won ($17.9 billion). It is the first visit by a South Korean leader to Central Europe's manufacturing powerhouse in nine years. Yoon will "convey the strong willingn

PoliticsSept. 12, 2024

Seoul shares snap 7-day fall on tech gains

Seoul shares closed higher, snapping a seven-day losing streak, on Thursday led by tech gains, with investors expecting the Federal Reserve's rate cut next week after the release of US inflation data. The Korean won traded higher against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 2.3 percent, or 58.72 points, to close at 2,572.09. Trading volume was moderate at 334.63 million shares worth 11.04 trillion won ($8.2 billion), with decliners far exceeding gainers 762 to

MarketSept. 12, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Seventeen’s Jeonghan to enlist late this month

Jeonghan of Seventeen will begin serving his mandatory military duty on Sept. 26, his agency Pledis Entertainment announced Thursday. He will be the first member of the 13-piece act to enlist. He will serve as an alternative social agent, as he had ankle surgery about nine months ago. He, at 29, is one of the three oldest members along with S.Coups and Joshua, but S.Coups was exempted from the duty after knee surgery and Joshua is a US citizen. As previously notified, he will be absent from prom

K-popSept. 12, 2024

1 in 4 Korean workers extend Chuseok holiday with paid leave: survey

Chuseok is one of South Korea’s two biggest traditional holidays, bringing families together under the full moon to wish for a bountiful harvest and honor ancestors. But for hardworking ordinary people in Korea, the holiday's true significance perhaps lies in the rare opportunity it offers for people to escape the daily grind of their jobs. A recent survey conducted by a recruitment platform found that approximately one in four employees -- 25.7 percent -- plan on strategically sandwi

Social AffairsSept. 12, 2024

Blackpink's Lisa wins second Best K-pop award at MTV VMAs

Lisa of Blackpink, who is also a solo artist, won the Best K-Pop award at the MTV Video Music Awards for the second time. The ceremony took place Wednesday at the UBS Arena in New York City. Lisa clinched the Best K-Pop award with her song "Rockstar," surpassing strong contenders like BTS Jungkook's "Seven," NCT Dream's "Smoothie," NewJeans' "Super Shy," Stray Kids' "Lock” and Tomorrow X Together's "Deja Vu." &

K-popSept. 12, 2024

Is NewJeans leaving Hybe?

K-pop group NewJeans has issued an ultimatum against Hybe, demanding the reinstatement of Min Hee-jin as CEO of Ador, by the deadline of Sept. 25. The request was announced during a livestream they held on YouTube Wednesday evening, the post about which was subsequently deleted from X, formerly Twitter. “What we want is for Ador to be restored to its original state with Min Hee-jin as the CEO, where management and producing are integrated. Restore Ador to its original state by Sept. 25,&rd

K-popSept. 12, 2024

OB acquires Jeju Soju, eyes bigger presence abroad

Korea’s largest beer maker Oriental Brewery is seeking to expand its presence in the global soju market amid the rising popularity of the nation’s traditional rice liquor around the world. According to the company, OB, owned by Belgian brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev, has decided to acquire Jeju Soju from Shinsegae Group’s liquor unit Shinsegae L&B. OB will take over the production site, equipment and underground water usage rights associated with Jeju Soju. Details, inc

IndustrySept. 12, 2024

What comes after love? Ex-lovers cross paths in new Coupang Play series

Featuring Japanese heartthrob Kentaro Sakaguchi and Korean actor Lee Se-young, the upcoming Coupang Play's romance series "What Comes After Love" explores a timeless question: What happens when former lovers unexpectedly cross paths once again. "What Comes After Love" narrates the story of Choi Hong (Lee Se-young) and Aoki Jungo (Kentaro Sakaguchi), who meet again by chance five years after splitting up. The series is adapted from the novel of the same name, co-authored

TelevisionSept. 12, 2024

Why is NK back to firing missiles after monthslong hiatus?

North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea from the Pyongyang area Thursday morning, the South Korean military said, marking its first missile launch since July 1 and breaking a more than two-month lull in missile provocations. The timing -- coinciding with weeklong Russia-China military exercises, just one day after the US presidential debate, and as North Korea shifts its focus from flood recovery back to weapons development -- signals what analysts view as a c

North KoreaSept. 12, 2024

Finance chief vows tighter control on household debt

Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok vowed Thursday to curb snowballing household debt and thoroughly control the payment crisis involving e-commerce platforms Tmon and WeMakePrice. The nation's household debt has been on fast growth, sparked by a rise of mortgage loans with the increasing number of housing transactions since around June, Choi said at a meeting of economy-related ministers held at the governmental complex in central Seoul. "The government will work to stably control the risi

EconomySept. 12, 2024

[Photo News] Making Songpyeon for Chuseok

S-Oil CEO Al-Hejazi (right) poses for a photo with a child while making Songpyeon, a traditional Korean halfmoon-shaped stuffed rice cake, in collaboration with the Loveaid Foundation at the company’s headquarters in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on Thursday. With the help of international students from Saudi Arabia and children from the company child care facility, the CEO and 150 company officials prepared Songpyeon and gift bundles worth 60 million won ($44,800) for low-income households. Since 2007,

IndustrySept. 12, 2024

New season, new members, new ideas: Global Biz Forum kicks off fall run

The 6th edition of The Korea Herald’s Global Business Forum kicked off its three-month run in Seoul on Wednesday, with a packed agenda aimed at sparking discussion on global business trends and opportunities in an era of rapid change. The forum will convene weekly on Wednesdays, except on public holidays, for a total of 13 sessions, to facilitate knowledge exchange among global business leaders, finance experts, academics, diplomats and top civil servants. The goal is to build valuable

PeopleSept. 12, 2024