Concerns rise over summer COVID-19 wave

Concerns about a resurgence of COVID-19 are again gripping South Korea, as the country has been witnessing an alarming increase in patients. The uptrend is likely to continue throughout the end of this month, health authorities here said Monday. Just as many are taking summer breaks, the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 has seen a stark rise in recent weeks, with those admitted to 220 hospitals nationwide for the virus standing at 861 in the first week of August -- the highest numbe

Social AffairsAug. 12, 2024

Kyobo Life nurtures future sports stars

Kyobo Life Insurance announced Monday that the Kyobo Life Cup Youth Athletic Competition, a nationwide sports event for young athletes, has completed its 21-day run early this month. The annual event kicked off on June 13, with over 4,000 student-athletes competing in seven sports, including track and field, judo, ice skating, table tennis, gymnastics, tennis and swimming. The insurer said the competition showcased the talents of young athletes with aspirations of representing the country in the

IndustryAug. 12, 2024

Livestreamer Seyeon’s explanation for meeting with Bang sparks further backlash

The controversy surrounding Hybe Chairman Bang Si-hyuk's meeting with 23-year-old AfreecaTV streamer Seyeon in Los Angeles has intensified, despite her attempt to clarify the situation during a livestream Sunday. Seyeon addressed the issue during her internet broadcast on the local video streaming platform at 9 p.m. Sunday, following a notification she posted the day before. The explanation was prompted by a video released by American YouTuber "I am WalKing" last Thursday, which s

K-popAug. 12, 2024

Seoul International Writers' Festival to explore dual nature of literature

The 2024 Seoul International Writers' Festival will take place at the JCC Art Center in Jongno from Sept. 6 to 11 under the theme "Particles and Waves," the Literature Translation Institute of Korea announced Monday. "This year’s theme is inspired by modern physics' definition of light, that it is both a particle and a wave. This definition could be applied not only to physics and natural sciences but also to literature and art," said literary critic Oh Hyung-

BooksAug. 12, 2024

NCSoft shakes up overseas leadership to spur growth

NCSoft announced new leadership appointments at its global offices Monday, as the Korean gaming giant looks to foster new growth and bolster global businesses. NCSoft has appointed Jin Jeong-hee, former head of Pearl Abyss America, as the new CEO of NC America. Pearl Abyss, a Korean game developer, is best known for its popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game franchise Black Desert. With over 15 years of leadership experience at global gaming companies including the US offices of

CompaniesAug. 12, 2024

Heat wave likely to persist until Aug. 22

The weather agency said Monday that it expects the current heat wave to continue at least until Aug. 22, with temperatures until then to record higher than usual. In the past, Korea saw the summer heat easing into fall weather after Aug. 15. However, due to the continued convergence of the Tibetan and North Pacific high-pressure systems over the Korean Peninsula, the Korea Meteorological Administration anticipates the current heat wave to last longer. Until Aug. 22, morning temperatures are expe

Social AffairsAug. 12, 2024

Celltrion gets FDA approval for phase 3 trial of Keytruda biosimilar

South Korean biopharmaceutical firm Celltrion has received US Food and Drug Administration approval to kick off advanced clinical testing for CT-P51, a biosimilar of the breakthrough cancer drug Keytruda, the company announced Monday. CT-P51 replicates the effects of pembrolizumab, marketed under the brand name Keytruda by Merck & Co., known as MSD outside North America. An immunotherapy agent enhancing the body's immune response against cancer cells, pembrolizumab has demonstrated effi

IndustryAug. 12, 2024

Innocean hires former Mediamonks, DDB exec as European COO

Innocean, the marketing communications arm of Hyundai Motor Group, said Monday that it has named Susanne Plumecke, an automotive marketing specialist, as its new European chief operating officer. Plumecke is an industry veteran with over 20 years of experience in marketing brands, mostly carmakers. Plumecke held leadership positions at global marketing companies, including DDB and Mediamonks. Most recently, she oversaw the branding strategies of BMW and Mini as managing director of Mediamonks. I

IndustryAug. 12, 2024

CJ CheilJedang’s Bibigo booth lures K-food enthusiasts in Paris

South Korean food giant CJ CheilJedang said Monday that its Bibigo booth, set up at the Korea House during the Paris Olympics, lured both Korean food enthusiasts and potential business partners during the 18-day run. The Bibigo products showcased at the booth included a range of Korean dishes and snacks, such as tteokbokki, "jumukbap" (stuffed rice balls), corn dogs, and mandu. The company also offered on-site cooking classes for making "gimbap," or seaweed rice rolls, which

CompaniesAug. 12, 2024

Ministry begins probe into badminton body

  The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Monday it is kicking off an inspection of the Badminton Korea Association, following claims of irregularities made by Olympic gold medalist An Se-young. Immediately after she won the gold in the women's singles event in Paris, An suggested that the national team "did not take her injury seriously." Her comment sparked suspicion that she had been forced to play through an injury that had been ailing her since last year. She also al

More SportsAug. 12, 2024

Wanted man turns himself in, two days after hostage situation

A man on the run from the law turned himself in to police two days after he fled officers while shielding himself with a female hostage, who turned out to be his romantic partner. Changwon District Prosecutors' Office said Monday that the suspect in his 50s had turned himself in at around 11:05 p.m. the night before, after police contacted him and persuaded him to do so. He had been on the run since April, when he was supposed to return to prison after being temporarily released for medic

Social AffairsAug. 12, 2024

Seoul mayor confident in 2036 Olympics bid

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon voiced strong confidence in the city's ability to host a profitable and successful 2036 Summer Olympics, citing Seoul's well-established infrastructure and robust public safety measures as key factors that would contribute to the event's success. In a Facebook post on Sunday titled "Again, the Seoul Olympics," Oh reiterated his commitment to bringing the Olympics back to Seoul, a pledge he first made two years ago. After visiting the Paris Olympics

Social AffairsAug. 12, 2024

[ASEAN Plus Korea] Philippines foreign minister says strategic partnership with S. Korea close

The Philippines and South Korea are on the verge of establishing a strategic partnership, said Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo in an interview with The Korea Herald on Thursday. Philippine Foreign Secretary Manalo was in Seoul to meet Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul. The talks focused on expanding cooperation in areas such as supply chains and climate change. Both sides also emphasized the importance of maintaining peace, stability, an

Foreign AffairsAug. 12, 2024

N. Korea slams S. Korea to divert public attention over flood damage: unification ministry

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un took swipe at South Korean media reports on flood damage in the North in an apparent attempt to divert public attention from the emergency situation, Seoul's unification ministry said Monday. During a visit to flood-hit areas of Uiju County in the northwestern province of North Pyongan last week, Kim lashed out at South Korean media reports that floods in areas along the Amnok River generated massive casualties. Kim rebuked South Korean media outlets as the m

North KoreaAug. 12, 2024

DP urges Yoon to withdraw appointment of new chief of Independence Hall of Korea

The main opposition Democratic Party urged President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday to withdraw the appointment of the new chief of the Independence Hall of Korea amid criticism of his controversial views accused of justifying Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule. The appointment of Kim Hyoung-suk as head of the museum focusing on the country's independence movement during the colonial rule has sparked criticism over some of his past remarks seen by critics as "New Right" and pro-Japanese

PoliticsAug. 12, 2024

Pilot program to bring in 300 immigrant workers annually for power line construction

The government will bring in 300 immigrant workers annually through a pilot visa program to address workforce shortages in power transmission line construction, officials said Monday. Under the two-year trial program, the government will issue E-7 work visas to 300 foreign workers annually, who will be employed in the country's power line construction industry, the justice and industry ministries said. The industry is struggling to hire new workers due to its dangerous and demanding work en

Social AffairsAug. 12, 2024

[Bills in Focus] Bank branch closure notice, 'dark patterns' regulation

Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Banking Act Proposed by Rep. Park Hong-bae (Democratic Party of Korea) ● As financial services move to online platforms, many banks have been closing their offline branches. This bill aims to prevent user inconvenience of digitally vulnerable people by mandating prior notice of bank branch closures. Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Minimum Wage Act Proposed by Rep. Song Eon-seog (People Power Party) ● The inflexible application of the minimum wage

PoliticsAug. 12, 2024

S. Korea, US to begin key summertime military exercise next week

South Korea and the United States will begin a major combined military exercise next week to strengthen their joint defense readiness in the face of evolving North Korean military threats, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday. The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise is set to take place from Aug. 19-29, featuring the main computer simulation-based command post exercise, concurrent field training and civil defense drills. The move comes amid heightened cross-border tensions due to Pyongyang

DefenseAug. 12, 2024

FSC chief stresses need to enhance corporate values for strong economy

The chief of the financial regulator called on local companies to actively join the government-initiated corporate value-up program Monday, stressing the need to build a stock market that is "stronger" and can "recuperate faster." Kim Byoung-hwan, head of the Financial Services Commission, made the call in a meeting with the heads of eight local businesses that have made public disclosures about their corporate value-up efforts or promised to do so in the near future. "I

MarketAug. 12, 2024

Seoul shares open higher on eased US recession woes

South Korean stocks opened higher Monday on eased woes over a US recession after last week's rout. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 26.81 points, or 1.04 percent, to 2,615.24 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Major US indexes finished higher Friday following a rout as recession woes diminished thanks to better-than-expected unemployment data. Investors' eyes are now on the US consumer price, producer price and retail sales data due out later this week. In Seoul,

MarketAug. 12, 2024