Seoul welfare scheme rebranded as 'Stepping Stone Income'

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced the rebranding of its "Safety Income" scheme as the "Seoul Stepping Stone Income," in order to promote its program as a model welfare program for other regions. The city's signature welfare program was rebranded through a public competition held last month, which garnered 12,580 name suggestions, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. From the five finalists, the city selected "Stepping Stone Income" -- &qu

Social AffairsSept. 5, 2024

S. Korea, US brace for NK 'grave provocations' around US election

South Korea and the United States concluded Wednesday that the possibility of North Korea launching "grave provocations" around the US presidential election in November could not be dismissed, prompting discussions on a coordinated response to a range of potential scenarios. The high-level meeting of the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group, the alliance's premier annual forum for discussing and coordinating security strategy and policy issues impacting the Korean Penins

North KoreaSept. 5, 2024

Korea to mandate better disclosure of veterinary fees

Veterinary clinics will be required to disclose information on the cost of a wider range of treatments starting next year. After pet owners in Korea have complained about unexpectedly hefty bills from vet visits due to a lack of transparency, clinics have been required since January to disclose the costs of 12 veterinary services. This requirement will be expanded to 20 services starting Jan. 1 of next year, the government announced on Thursday. The eight new additions include computed tomograph

Social AffairsSept. 5, 2024

South Korean parties discuss limiting noncitizen voting ahead of municipal election

The two main parties of South Korea are looking to enact tougher requirements for foreign permanent residents to vote in local elections, following a meeting of their two leaders on Sunday. At the weekend meeting, People Power Party’s Han Dong-hoon and Democratic Party of Korea’s Rep. Lee Jae-myung discussed raising the bar for permitting noncitizens with F5 or permanent residency visa status to cast ballots for public offices, sources told The Korea Herald. Following the meeting, th

PoliticsSept. 5, 2024

[팟캐스트] (616) "독도" 얘기에 뭇매 맞는 아이돌?

K-pop groups face dilemmas when confronted with political issues 진행자: 최정윤, Chelsea Proctor 기사 요약: JYP 엔터테인먼트 그룹 소속 Nmixx가 "독도는 우리땅" 노래를 불렀다가 일본 팬들에게 비난을 받고 있는데, 과연 아이돌들에 지리 정치학적 발언을 문제 삼는게 맞을까? [1] K-pop idols continue to grapple with navigating geopolitical controversies, as highlighted by a recent incident involving JYP Entertainment's K-pop group Nmixx. The group performed part of the “Dokdo is Our Land” song in a YouTube video on Aug. 22, sparking a heated dispute

PodcastSept. 5, 2024

Day6 to become 1st Korean band to perform at Gocheok Sky Dome

Korean band Day6 is set to become the first Korean band to hold a standalone concert at the Gocheok Sky Dome, the largest dome venue in Seoul, which can accommodate around 25,000 people. JYP Entertainment announced Wednesday that it is currently planning for the band’s show near the year-end to celebrate their 10th debut anniversary. Specific details of the concert will soon be announced, according to the agency. Day6, a Korean pop rock band consisting of guitarists Sungjin and Young K, ke

K-popSept. 5, 2024

[KH Explains] Is Hyundai’s bet on extended-range EVs a future-proof strategy?

In the race toward electrification, the auto industry has seen a dizzying array of electric vehicle types, from battery electric vehicles to hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and fuel-cell electric vehicles. Now, Hyundai Motor is adding another contender to the crowded mix -- extended-range electric vehicles, or EREVs. Announced on Aug. 28 during the company's CEO Investor Day, Hyundai plans to introduce these new vehicles to the North American and Chinese markets by 2027. What exactly are EREVs?

MobilitySept. 5, 2024

Fans call for zero-waste K-pop industry

Kpop4Planet (K4P), a climate activist group founded by K-pop fans advocating for a more sustainable K-pop industry, held a protest titled "Plastic Album Sins" in front of Hybe’s headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Wednesday, urging the industry to take stronger environmental protection measures. During the protest, K4P cited an August survey that gathered input from over 12,000 K-pop fans here and overseas. According to the survey, 42.8 percent of respondents identified marketing

K-popSept. 5, 2024

[Korea Quiz] Banknotes

Find the answer at the bottom. Portraits of people featured on a country’s banknotes are a reflection of the country's pride, identity and heritage. They often depict prominent figures from the past such as national leaders, scientists, artists or activists who have made significant contributions to the nation’s development. In South Korea, the banknotes come in four denominations: 1,000, 5,000, 10,000 and 50,000 won. Each features a different historical figure from the Jo

Hashtag KoreaSept. 5, 2024

[2024 IFA] Samsung, LG to boast new AI-powered home appliances at IFA

BERLIN -- At this year’s IFA, Europe’s biggest home appliances trade show, two of South Korea’s tech giants, Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, are set to showcase their latest artificial intelligence-powered home appliances. As the IFA celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, about 2,200 companies in IT, consumer appliances and telecommunications will take part from 139 countries. The five-day event, which kicks off in Berlin on Friday, will see 127 Korean companies pa

TechnologySept. 5, 2024

[Herald Interview] Younha delivers hope to people facing new journey

Singer-songwriter Younha returned with a fairytale of comfort and encouragement. Celebrating her 20th debut anniversary this year, Younha embarked on a journey to Australia after the success of her 6th album’s main track, “Event Horizon.” While contemplating the next album, she encountered mangrove trees standing resiliently on a coastline, enduring the salty seawater. It was the moment that sparked the concept for her next album. “My agency suggested exploring stories ab

K-popSept. 5, 2024

[Exclusive] Old Korean Legation building could get historic listing Monday

The decision on whether to designate the Old Korean Legation building in Washington, DC a US historic place worthy of preservation will be made Monday, and it would be “very uncommon” to see the US National Park Service reject the proposed designation, sources confirmed to The Korea Herald. “Action will be taken on this nomination on Sept. 9,” a National Park Service official with direct knowledge of the matter said, referring to the application filed by the DC Historic P

CultureSept. 5, 2024

S. Korea to expand export ban list against Russia, Belarus

South Korea will tighten export controls against Russia and Belarus by expanding its list of items subject to export restrictions, including machine tool parts and sensors, in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, the industry ministry said Thursday. According to the revision to the regulations on trading strategic items, South Korea added 243 more items that can potentially be used for military purposes to the list of items that are banned from shipping to Russia and Belarus, according

Foreign AffairsSept. 5, 2024

S. Korean envoy calls for solidarity among NATO, Indo-Pacific partners against cyberthreats

A senior South Korean diplomat has called for joint efforts among the countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and in the Indo-Pacific to act against growing cyberthreats, the foreign ministry said Thursday. Rhee Dong-yeol, ambassador for international cybersecurity affairs, made the call during the Cyber Champions Summit held in Australia on Wednesday, as he particularly noted the need to address the spread of misinformation as a key focus for international cooperation against cybert

Foreign AffairsSept. 5, 2024

N. Korea sending balloons into S. Korea for 2nd consecutive day: JCS

North Korea again started floating balloons into South Korea on Thursday morning, South Korea's military said, hours after it sent hundreds of balloons across the border the previous day. "As North Korea has again been floating balloons since 9 a.m., we advise the public to beware of falling objects and report to nearby military units or the police when discovering a fallen balloon," the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a notice to reporters. The move came after North Korea sen

North KoreaSept. 5, 2024

[해커스 TOEIC] 토익 점수 Up 단어, Part 5 문제

2) 파트 5 3문제 1. Worried about -------, the CEO hired an IT consultant to look for weaknesses in the company’s network. (A) security (B) exchange (C) comfort (D) material 해석 보안이 걱정되어, 그 최고 경영자는 회사 네트워크의 약점을 찾을 IT 상담가를 고용했다. 해설 명사 어휘 문제 ‘보안이 걱정되어, 그 최고 경영자는 회사 네트워크의 약점을 찾을 IT 상담가를 고용했다’라는 문맥이 되어야 하므로 ‘보안, 안전’이라는 뜻의 명사 (A) security가 정답이다. 참고로 (B) exchange는 ‘교환’, (C) comfort는 ‘위로, 위안’, (D) material은 ‘재료, 물질’의 의미임을 알아둔다. 어휘 cons

English EyeSept. 5, 2024

Seoul shares open sharply up on bargain hunting

Seoul shares opened higher Thursday as investors sought to pick up blue chip bargains, one day after the local market plunged by more than 3 percent on US woes. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 21.63 points, or 0.84 percent, to 2,602.43 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The index had dipped 3.15 percent the previous day on growing concerns of a US economic slowdown following a worse-than-expected manufacturing purchasing managers index for August. US stocks closed mixed ov

MarketSept. 5, 2024

[Graphic News] Number of foreign nationals entering Korea to study exceeds 200,000

The time high in the first half of this year, exceeding 200,000. According to the Korea Tourism Organization, 204,000 people visited for such purposes — a 50.6 percent increase from the same period last year. This growth is largely attributed to global interest in Korean culture, with visitors from China leading the way at 112,724 (55.2 percent). Other top countries include Vietnam, Japan, Mongolia and Uzbekistan. Experts credit the surge to the worldwide popularity of Korean music, film

Social AffairsSept. 5, 2024

[2024 IFA] What to expect from IFA trade show

The IFA, Europe’s biggest tech show, is just around the corner. Celebrating an incredible 100 years of the show, it promises to bring the biggest names in tech together to unveil their latest breakthroughs, with South Korean tech rivals Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics among the largest exhibitors. The annual gathering will kick off in Berlin on Friday for a five-day run. This year’s IFA is ready to host more than 2,200 exhibitors and over 182,000 attendees from 139 countries

TechnologySept. 5, 2024

[Peter Singer, Martin Skladany] Protesting ethically

Climate protesters have disrupted the tennis at Wimbledon, thrown tomato soup at the glass protecting famous paintings, sprayed orange powder on Stonehenge and blocked traffic. In response, European governments have been cracking down on environmental protesters with detentions and fines, and, in one case, with a five-year prison sentence for advocating civil disobedience in a Zoom call. Whether a protest is ethical is distinct from whether it is legal. As Martin Luther King, Jr., argued in his

ViewpointsSept. 5, 2024