Shooter wins S. Korea's 2nd gold at Paris Paralympics

Shooter Park Jin-ho won South Korea's second gold medal of the Paris Paralympics on Saturday, winning the men's 10-meter air rifle standing SH1 event. Park scored 249.4 points for the gold at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre in Chateauroux, south of Paris, beating Yerkin Gabbasov of Kazakhstan who scored 247.7 points. South Korea has won four medals at the Paris Paralympics in shooting alone, including pistol shooter Jo Jeong-du's gold in the men's 10-meter air pistol event on

More SportsSept. 1, 2024

Borrowing nature for one-of-a-kind stay

ANDONG, North Gyeongsang Province -- Andong, a city in the center of North Gyeongsang Province, is a go-to destination for a truly traditional Korean experience where well-preserved cultural heritage abounds. Ranging from the historic Korean Confucian academy Byeongsan Seowon to the old homes of prominent "seonbi" -- virtuous scholars who tried to lead lives of integrity -- of the Joseon era (1392-1910), every corner of the city is a feast for the eyes. A cluster of traditional Korean

TravelAug. 31, 2024

From model violin to world stage: Kim Seo-hyun's musical journey has just began

Without her violin, Kim Seo-hyun appears even younger than her age of 15. But once she holds the violin, she transforms into a charismatic violinist who captivates her audience with every note. Just a year ago, she became the youngest winner of the Tibor Varga International Violin Competition in Switzerland, where she not only secured first prize but also won the Youth Jury Prize, as well as the prize for best interpretation of a commissioned compulsory piece by Silvia Colasanti. She entered t

CultureAug. 31, 2024

[Weekender] Subculture festival in Seoul transcends gaming

“Tech otakus save the world” is a motto from Hoyoverse, the Chinese game giant behind the global subculture gaming phenomenon Genshin Impact. While it might seem exaggerated, the sentiment isn’t entirely off the mark. Subculture gaming, once considered niche, has exploded into a mainstream cultural force -- as is especially evident in South Korea. Subculture games -- games that originally targeted small, dedicated communities with specific cultural interests often rooted in ani

weekenderAug. 31, 2024

Seoul Fashion Week rethinks sustainability, latest tech

Sustainability is back in the limelight as the spring-summer 2025 Seoul Fashion Week kicks off its five-day run Tuesday at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, addressing the urgent concern shared by the fashion industry. One of the 21 brands showcasing their collections on the runway is Julycolumn led by Park So-young. The 41-year-old designer, who opened the previous fall-winter 2024 show in February, will feature pieces that use materials created using recycled plastic bottles. The materials com

Arts & DesignAug. 31, 2024

[What to Watch] 3 summer horror films that are killer at beating the heat

The summer heat seems to be taking its time in going away, meaning there are still ample reasons to watch the latest horror films in theaters. Several horror movies, from Korean occult genre to entertaining Hollywood films, are being released in cinemas now through early September. “Spring Garden” Directed by Koo Tae-jin, the movie revolves around So-hee (Jo Yoon-hee) who lost the joy of everyday life after the sudden death of her husband. She goes to live at a rural mansion -- N

FilmAug. 31, 2024

Nearly 60% of major Korean companies have no immediate hiring plans in H2

Some 57.5 percent of major corporations in South Korea have either not set up plans to recruit new employees in the second half of this year or do not plan to hire at all, a survey showed Thursday. In a recent survey of the top 500 companies by sales, 40 percent said they do not yet have plans to hire college graduates while 17.5 percent said they are not looking for recruits. The poll was conducted on Aug. 5-19 by local pollster Research and Research, under the commission of the Federation of

EconomyAug. 31, 2024

ASF outbreak in Gimpo spurs emergency response ahead of Chuseok

The government said Saturday it has ramped up disinfection efforts and inspections following a confirmed African swine fever outbreak at a pig farm in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, aiming to prevent the disease from spreading as the nation prepares for the upcoming Chuseok holiday. The Central Disaster Management Headquarters convened an emergency meeting to review and implement preventive measures, particularly critical with Chuseok approaching in two weeks. The outbreak, confirmed Saturday, mark

Social AffairsAug. 31, 2024

TWICE's agency cracks down on deepfake videos amid rising industry concerns

JYP Entertainment has vowed strong legal actions against deepfake content involving its artists, amid growing concerns over the proliferation of sexually exploitative deepfake videos. "We are pursuing a robust legal response with no leniency towards deepfake videos, in collaboration with a specialized law firm," the company behind the popular K-pop girl group TWICE said on Friday. "We take the spread of deepfake videos featuring our artists very seriously," it said, adding

K-popAug. 31, 2024

Ex-baseball player ordered to pay W800m won to Padres' Kim Ha-seong in contract dispute case

A former baseball player has been ordered to pay a substantial penalty to San Diego Padres' shortstop Kim Ha-seong for violating an agreement between the two. The Seoul Central District Court ruled in Kim's favor on Friday in a lawsuit against Lim Hye-dong for breach of contract, mandating the defendant to pay 800 million won ($597,000). The dispute originated from a scuffle between the two at a Seoul bar in February 2021. Lim had demanded a settlement from Kim, who was then completi

Social AffairsAug. 31, 2024

Trump says getting along with Kim Jong-un is 'good thing'

WASHINGTON -- Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Friday that "getting along" with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is a "good thing," after his Democratic rival Kamala Harris vowed not to "cozy up to" dictators like Kim. During a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, a key battleground state, former President Trump again boasted about his personal ties with the North Korean leader, as he and the vice president are in a tight race with the presidential elec

Foreign AffairsAug. 31, 2024

US stresses push for 'timely, accurate, unbiased' reporting on NK-related UNSC resolutions noncompliance

WASHINGTON -- The United States on Friday underscored its commitment to finding the "best" way to secure "timely, accurate and unbiased" reporting on noncompliance with North Korea-related UN Security Council resolutions as a key sanctions monitoring panel was disbanded four months ago. A State Department spokesperson made the remarks amid ongoing efforts among the US, South Korea, Japan and other countries to find an alternative to the UN expert panel whose mandate expired

Foreign AffairsAug. 31, 2024

Rust Belt senators call on US gov't to reduce import quota for S. Korean oil country tubular goods

WASHINGTON -- Three senators from Rust Belt states have called on the US government to reduce the import quota for South Korean metal products used in the production of oil and gas, saying the reduced demand and high levels of Korean imports are affecting American companies and workers. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Casey (D-PA), and John Fetterman (D-PA) wrote a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and US Trade Representative Katherine Tai on Thursday, taking issue with the quota f

Foreign AffairsAug. 31, 2024

S. Korea, US to hold high-level talks on N. Korea deterrence next week

South Korea and the United States will hold vice-ministerial talks in Washington next week on deterrence efforts against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday. The fifth meeting of the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group will take place Wednesday (local time), with a focus on assessing the progress on the allies' efforts to deter North Korea's military threats, the ministry said in a release. The talks will also addres

North KoreaAug. 31, 2024

Kim Ae-ran reflects on evolving views of growth in 'One of Them Is a Lie'

Describing her latest novel, “One of Them Is a Lie,” author Kim Ae-ran reflected on how her perspective on growth has changed since the release of her debut work, “My Brilliant Life” (2011). "I wanted to view growth differently. We often think of growth as getting bigger or advancing, but I’ve come to see it as more about shifting perspectives -- when other people’s stories and places enter into us, and those spaces grow within us,” said Kim during

BooksAug. 31, 2024

Rifle shooter Lee Yun-ri grabs silver for S. Korea's 1st medal at Paris Paralympics

Rifle shooter Lee Yun-ri won silver in the women's 10-meter air rifle standing event Friday for South Korea's first medal of the Paris Paralympics. Lee finished in second place with 246.8 points at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre in Chateauroux, south of Paris. Avani Lekhara of India won the gold medal with 249.7 points, and Mona Agarwal of India won bronze with 228.7 points. Lee led Lekhara by 0.8 point with one shot remaining but hit a 6.8 to hand the gold medal to the Indian athlete

More SportsAug. 30, 2024

Top sports body upholds ban on figure skater over sexual harassment charges

The top South Korean sports body on Friday upheld an earlier ban on a female figure skater over allegations she had sexually harassed an underage male teammate, rejecting her claims that she couldn't have harassed him because they were in a romantic relationship. The Fair Play Commission at the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee confirmed the three-year ban issued by the Korea Skating Union in June on Lee Hae-in, the women's singles silver medalist at the 2023 world championships. Th

More SportsAug. 30, 2024

Uber CEO says seeing 'double-digit growth' in S. Korea

The head of US ride-hailing giant Uber said Friday that the company was seeing double-digit growth in South Korea and was "committed" to the country, despite currently having a small market share. The popular platform entered the country a decade ago but was met with large-scale protests by taxi drivers, prompting a ban by Seoul city authorities. Officials in the capital also deemed the company's UberX service illegal as private drivers were matched with passengers despite lacking

Social AffairsAug. 30, 2024

Yoon stresses multilateral ties in Indo-Pacific during meeting with US representatives

President Yoon Suk Yeol received a group of United States Congress members to stress trilateral cooperation between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo, the presidential office announced Friday. Yoon told the lawmakers that close cooperation based on common values shared by the three countries is key to overcoming complex global crises, while expressing appreciation for bipartisan US support for the Seoul-Washington alliance. The US delegation led by Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Michigan) told Yoon that the b

PoliticsAug. 30, 2024

S. Korea to hike fees for surgeries, reduce reliance on junior doctors

South Korea will raise medical service fees for essential procedures and surgeries and reduce large hospitals' dependence on junior doctors as part of a medical reform package introduced amid a prolonged medical confrontation between the government and doctors over the quota expansion of medical schools. Noh Yun-hong, who chairs the presidential special committee on medical reform, said Friday that the government would push forward in creating "physician-centered hospitals" nationwide

Social AffairsAug. 30, 2024