Banks, blue-chips tipped for Value-up Index

With South Korea's sole bourse operator set to introduce this month a stock index comprised of Korean companies well complying with the government-led corporate value-up program, the market expects bank shares and large-cap stocks to make the list. As part of the value-up program announced earlier this year, Korea Exchange is to launch the Korea Value-up Index in September, enlisting “best practice” companies to boost the appeal of the local stock market. Though the bourse opera

MarketSept. 4, 2024

K-pop agencies hop on the virtual artist bandwagon

The entertainment industry continues to be captivated by the virtual K-pop artist phenomenon, despite initial skepticism that it would fade into obscurity like the once-popular notions of the metaverse and NFTs. As virtual idols are increasingly being recognized beyond the niche market, major K-pop agencies such as SM Entertainment and Hybe are entering the virtual artist market, aiming to replicate the success of virtual groups like Vlast's Plave. Jumping on the bandwagon SM Entertainment

K-popSept. 4, 2024

[Contribution] Korea can find new hope in rural areas

By Song Mi-ryung, minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs Can rural areas in South Korea give the nation new hope? According to an analysis conducted by the Bank of Korea last year, the level of population concentration in Korea’s urban areas was 431.9 percent, more than four times higher than the OECD average of 95.3 percent. This research findings show that, if the country succeeds in lowering its urban population concentration level to the OECD average, then the total fertilit

PoliticsSept. 4, 2024

Stress and unhealthy stress relief fan cancer prevalence in Korea

High stress and subsequent unhealthy eating habits are key factors contributing to the surge in cancer diagnoses in South Korea, according to Kim Eui-shin, a leading cancer specialist. He also noted that the country’s negative perception of cancer is a major hurdle in its fight against the disease. In a recent appearance on the YouTube channel “Jisik Hansang,” Kim identified stress as a significant cancer risk factor. “Korean society is very competitive, and there is no s

Social AffairsSept. 4, 2024

[KH Explains] Marrying your virtual partner? Era of AI companionship dawns

Every morning, Jung-in wakes up to her AI boyfriend Tae-joo's video call, telling her she has 30 minutes to prepare for work before her bus comes. As she hurries out the door, Tae-joo smiles and calls out, "Take your umbrella with you, it's raining today!" Tae-joo in real life has fallen into a coma, and Jung-in restored her comatose boyfriend as an astronaut in this virtual world called Wonderland. With AI Tae-ju always accessible inside her smartphone and TV screens, Jung-i

IndustrySept. 4, 2024

First Korean Confucian Culture Expo launched

The Korean Confucian Culture Expo began its five-day run Wednesday in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, bringing Confucianism closer to the public with interactive programs. The expo marks the first-ever nationwide event by the Institute of Korean Confucian Culture since it opened in 2022. Key programs, scheduled from Friday to Sunday, will engage audiences of all ages, from the K-Confucianism English Speech Contest for youngsters to the K-Confucianism International Forum for those older and i

Arts & DesignSept. 4, 2024

Conflict flares over special counsel bill on Marine's death

Tensions between the rival parties have escalated in recent days over the opposition's move to float a revised version of a special counsel probe bill into the death of a young Marine, as it claimed to have added an earlier suggestion from the ruling party leader into the latest version of the legislation. On Wednesday, the ruling People Power Party and main opposition Democratic Party of Korea clashed over opposition parties' move to propose the latest and fourth version of the bill t

PoliticsSept. 4, 2024

More ERs cut nighttime operations during Chuseok

More emergency departments are suspending nighttime operations or providing services during the upcoming Chuseok holiday due to severe workforce shortages, despite efforts to recruit additional staff and the deployment of military physicians to mitigate disruptions. Ajou University Hospital in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, notified patients that it would only admit patients needing around-the-clock cardiopulmonary resuscitation or those in severe conditions from 7 a.m. every Thursday to 7 a.m. the

Social AffairsSept. 4, 2024

Illegal immigration starts to fall from last year's record high

Among foreign nationals in South Korea, approximately 1 in 6 -- 15.8 percent -- is here illegally, according to government data from the end of June. Out of the country's total foreign population of 2.61 million -- including tourists and other nonresidents --- 414,730 are in the country without permission, according to Justice Ministry statistics for June. That is down from the record high of 430,389 in October last year. The proportion is also down from 20 percent at the end of 2021, as th

Social AffairsSept. 4, 2024

Adaptation of Dutch best-seller ‘A Normal Family’ highlights ‘Korean’ elements

Dutch author Herman Koch’s best-seller novel “The Dinner,” which has been adapted into films around the world three times already, becomes “A Normal Family” in the hands of director Hur Jin-ho, who said he has highlighted “Korean elements.” Hur, the director behind the country’s legendary 1998 romance flick “Christmas in August,” marks his return to the silver screen with the adaption. His latest work was the JTBC series “Lost&rdq

FilmSept. 4, 2024

Leaders of S. Korea, New Zealand vow to elevate ties

The leaders of South Korea and New Zealand on Wednesday agreed to enhance security cooperation and pledged to elevate bilateral relations to a "comprehensive strategic partnership" by expanding collaboration in trade, investment, security and technology, according to the office of President Yoon Suk Yeol. Condemning the growing threat posed by military exchanges between North Korea and Russia as well as Pyongyang's nuclear development program, Yoon and New Zealand's Prime Min

PoliticsSept. 4, 2024

'The Devil's Plan Season 2' to return bigger with games devised by fans

Jung Jong-yeon, producer of the hit Netflix survival game series "The Devil's Plan," said the series' second season has been upgraded to showcase an intricately designed filming set, alongside games created by some of his most dedicated fans. In its first season, "The Devil's Plan" brought together 12 contestants, including actors, doctors and YouTubers, to compete in a battle of wit and strategy. Upon its release in September 2023, the show quickly gained glob

TelevisionSept. 4, 2024

LG Innotek to showcase next-gen chip substrates at KPCA 2024

LG Innotek said Wednesday it is showcasing its innovative semiconductor substrates at this week's KPCA Show 2024, held at the Songdo Convensia in Incheon, from Wednesday to Friday. The KPCA Show is the largest annual exhibition of printed circuit board and electronic packaging, hosted by the Korea PBC and the Korea Printed Circuit Association for 21 years. LG Innotek plans to unveil its package substrate and tape substrate products along with high-value semiconductor substrates, called Flip

IndustrySept. 4, 2024

1 out of 3 households in Gyeonggi live alone

A full 31.2 percent of the 5.5 million total households in Gyeonggi Province consist of just one person as of last November, a report by the regional government showed Wednesday. As of November 2023, there were a total of 1.71 million single-person households in the province, up from 1.63 million the previous year. A full 21.9 percent of all single-person households nationwide are in Gyeonggi. South Korea's most populous province, Gyeonggi has a population of 13.67 million as of August 2024

Social AffairsSept. 4, 2024

Number of foreign students in Korea hits record high

The number of foreign students enrolled in South Korean universities exceeded 200,000 this year, stepping closer to the government's goal of attracting 300,000 by 2028. The number of international students enrolled at colleges in 2024 is 208,962, a 25 percent increase from 2022, the year before the plan was implemented, according to the education ministry at a briefing on its Study Korea 300K Project. It follows separate Justice Ministry data, which measures by visa rather than enrollment,

Social AffairsSept. 4, 2024

Incheon Airport, Trip.com join hands to win back Chinese tourists

Incheon International Airport Corporation said Wednesday it has signed a mutual partnership with Trip.com Group, a global one-stop travel service provider, to lure more Chinese travelers to Korea. The signing event was attended by Lee Hag-jae, president and CEO of Incheon International Airport, and Edison Chen, vice president of global destination marketing and public relations at Trip.com Group, at the Inspire Entertainment Resort in Incheon on Tuesday. Under the agreement, the two companies

IndustrySept. 4, 2024

SK chief discusses chips, energy, AI cooperation with US senators

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won discussed ways to bolster economic cooperation between South Korea and the United States with a group of US senators on Tuesday in Seoul and asked them for bipartisan efforts to support Korean companies, the Korean conglomerate said Wednesday. “SK Group has been setting up semiconductor ecosystems in both Korea and the US, and through this, we will be able to contribute to strengthening the two countries’ (artificial intelligence) leadership,” sai

CompaniesSept. 4, 2024

Yoon administration proposes 1st hike in pension charges in 27 years to slow fund depletion

The South Korean government on Wednesday laid out plans to raise the mandatory national pension contribution rate by 4 percentage points from the current 9 to 13 percent starting next year, with the intention of extending the life span of the state-sponsored public retirement pension scheme by at least 16 years. This reform plan comes as the national postretirement fund's financial viability remains doubtful, with the country suffering from the double whammy of low birth rates and an aging

PoliticsSept. 4, 2024

SK Telecom, Perplexity team up for AI-powered search engine

SK Telecom, South Korea’s largest wireless carrier by membership, announced Wednesday a partnership with Silicon Valley-based AI search unicorn Perplexity to revolutionize traditional keyword-based search into a more dynamic, conversational experience. With the conversational AI market projected to expand from $13.2 billion in 2024 to $49.9 billion by 2030, Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas and its sole Korean partner SK Telecom revealed their collaborative ambitions at a joint press confere

TechnologySept. 4, 2024

Golfzon launches hybrid indoor golf course in China

Golfzon, Korea's leading screen golf operator, said Wednesday that it launched its new City Golf hybrid indoor course in Tianjin, China. This new platform offers an 18-hole golf experience by merging virtual screen golf with actual greens, under the motto "a premium golf course that can be enjoyed in cities." City Golf allows players to tee up and approach shots on a screen, after which the screen opens to enable play on real greens. Depending on the hole, players can also make ap

CompaniesSept. 4, 2024