'Parent chance': Inherited privilege sparks outcry

South Korean politics is once again in an uproar following recent revelations of wealth transfers from several high-level government officials to their children. These officials, nominated for high-ranking positions requiring National Assembly confirmation, have reignited fierce debates about elite privilege, inheritance schemes and the ethical obligations of public servants in the last few weeks. In a society that demands strict financial integrity and transparency from its leaders, these incid

Social AffairsAug. 7, 2024

Conference to examine activist artists’ contribution to Korean independence

The National Museum of Korean Contemporary History will hold a conference Friday to explore independence activist artists ahead of Liberation Day next week, the state-run museum said Wednesday. The event will look at how Korean artists and their works boosted efforts towards achieving independence from Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule, with seven academics discussing their research in different fields. A keynote speech by Kim Jeong-in, a historian teaching at Chuncheon National University of

Arts & DesignAug. 7, 2024

Eximbank to fund $260m for new airport project in Philippines

The Export-Import Bank of Korea said Wednesday that it will provide a $260 million loan to support the development of a new airport in Dumaguete, Philippines. Yoon Hee-sung, chairman and CEO of Eximbank, met with Ralph G. Recto, the secretary of the Philippine Department of Finance, in Manila on the day to sign the Economic Development Cooperation Fund loan agreement. The project aims to establish a new airport in central Philippines with the capacity to handle 2 million passengers per year. The

IndustryAug. 7, 2024

Govt. rolls out W1.2tr aid package for Qoo10 liquidity crisis

The Korean government announced on Wednesday a policy support package totaling 1.2 trillion won ($871 million) to address damage from Tmon and WeMakePrice payment delays, with refunds for general products to be completed within the week. The measures, part of a follow-up support plan announced by the Finance Ministry, include an additional 600 billion won in emergency funds for vendors impacted by the delays, supplementing the 560 billion won announced last week. These additional funds will be s

IndustryAug. 7, 2024

[LLG] Son's mission to preserve memories of 93-year-old mom earns him unexpected recognition

Last year, Kang Heon-koo, 63, undertook an intriguing personal project: reconstructing a map of his family's now-defunct old village using the memories of his 93-year-old mother. The goal of the map-making was twofold: to visually preserve his mother’s memories before they fade and to keep himself engaged in a productive pursuit during retirement. With his old Samsung Galaxy smartphone, he recorded the process of piecing together the lost landscape of a small village in Bucheon, Gye

FilmAug. 7, 2024

[Photo News] CEO delivers cool relief

Posco Future M CEO Yoo Byung-og (left) hands out refreshing drinks to employees Wednesday during his visit to the company's synthetic graphite anode material plant in Pohang, North Gyeonsang Province, where temperatures reached 33 degrees Celsius. He also joined fun activities like darts and a lucky draw, with winners taking home travel and ice cream vouchers. This initiative is part of a company-wide effort for management to visit sites in Gwangyang, Sejong, Seoul, and Gumi, continuing u

CompaniesAug. 7, 2024

Hyundai Casper Electric aims to prevent sudden acceleration

Hyundai Motor Company on Tuesday showcased an array of distinguished features of the automaker’s newest battery-electric vehicle the Casper Electric, including the automaker’s latest technology that can prevent sudden acceleration incidents. Named Pedal Misapplication Safety Assist, or PMSA, the new technology automatically controls the vehicle’s speed when the driver floors the acceleration pedal suddenly from a standstill if there is an obstacle within one meter away from eit

MobilityAug. 7, 2024

Yoon San-ha of Astro ‘Dive’ into solo journey

Yoon San-ha of the boy band Astro set off on a journey as a soloist with his first mini album "Dusk." The singer debuted as the youngest member of Astro in 2016. The album's title symbolizes the transition from being an Astro member to his new solo artist identity. “When I started preparing the album, I pondered what kind of music I could make and my unique color. Then I decided to incorporate those struggles into the album,” said the singer at a press conference held

K-popAug. 7, 2024

Online dictionary launched to save Jeju language

Jeju Island, a beloved tourist spot, is home to Jejueo, a language on the brink of extinction despite the island's popularity. To preserve the language and promote its learning among young generations, the Jeju Dialect Institute launched an online dictionary on Tuesday, which contains over 20,000 word definitions. It also features a collection of Jeju dialect content spanning from literature to songs and videos. The digital source, built upon the institute-made dialect dictionary released

Social AffairsAug. 7, 2024

Samsung Olympic phones popping up for resale

The Olympic Edition of Samsung Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 is appearing on online secondhand marketplaces, according to the French news outlet Le Parisien on Tuesday. Samsung, the official sponsor of the ongoing Paris Olympics has distributed nearly 17,000 phones to athletes and their teams. According to the report, dozens of the phones are being sold as new and sealed on platforms like eBay and Leboncoin. Some listings even include the original welcome note and tote bag that came with the phone. P

More SportsAug. 7, 2024

Law to ban dog meat takes effect

South Korea's law to ban the act of breeding or slaughter in dog farms, as well as the distribution of dog-sourced meats, came into effect Wednesday, as the country is working to compensate over 5,600 shops in the domestic dog farm industry on the verge of the shutdown. With the implementation of the law, the government will map out support packages to those involved in the dog meat industry, including dog farms and dog meat restaurants. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural A

Social AffairsAug. 7, 2024

Celltrion Q2 net profit drops 48%

Celltrion Inc., a South Korean biopharmaceutical company, said Wednesday its second-quarter net profit plunged 48 percent from a year earlier due to costs following a merger with its sales and marketing affiliate last year. Its net profit came to 78.5 billion won ($57.1 million), compared with 150.9 billion won a year ago, the company said in a regulatory filing. Its operating profit also decreased 60.4 percent on-year to 72.5 billion won, but sales jumped 66.9 percent to 874.7 billion won. Desp

EconomyAug. 7, 2024

PM says hospitals will extend application period for trainee doctor programs

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Wednesday the government will allow hospitals to extend the application period for trainee doctor programs this week to help them recruit more junior doctors. Han made the remark after only 104 candidates, or 1.4 percent of trainee doctor positions available at 126 hospitals, had applied for the training programs that begin next month amid a prolonged standoff between the government and the medical community. "Within this week, the government will extend the

PoliticsAug. 7, 2024

[Korea Quiz] 1988

Find the answer at the bottom. For South Koreans, 1988 was one memorable year. It is because in 1988, the nation hosted the Summer Olympics, a much-anticipated opportunity to show the world how the once impoverished nation had developed. Although the country had hosted the Asian Games two years earlier, which provided valuable experience in managing international sports events, the 1988 Games were unmatched in terms of their grandeur. Korea underwent years of preparations to present itself

Hashtag KoreaAug. 7, 2024

NK leader describes recovery work in flood-hit region as 'revolutionary construction'

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has attended a ceremony to dispatch young workers to flood-affected areas on the northern border, describing the restoration efforts as a "gigantic revolutionary construction campaign," state media said Wednesday. The border city of Sinuiju and Uiju County in North Phyongan Province were recently struck by heavy rains. While North Korea has not released detailed information on the damage, South Korean media outlets have reported that the number of dead o

North KoreaAug. 7, 2024

[영어답게 표현하기] 유용한 비즈니스 영어 표현들

이번 회에는 저희 책 Advanced Vocab에서 소개한 중상급 영단어들을 알려드립니다. 단어의 우리말 뜻을 기억하는 데에 그치지 않고, 난이도 있는 단어를 실제로 활용하는 단계까지 나아가 보기 바랍니다. 〈법, 규칙〉 1. quorum [kwɔ́ːrəm] 정족수 라틴어로 of whom이라는 뜻이며, 회의가 유효하기 위한 정족수를 뜻한다. ‘정족수를 채우다’라고 할 때는 meet을 써서 meet the quorum이라고 표현할 수 있다. The board of directors charter specified that a quorum required ten directors, so with only nine directors in attendance, the meeting was cancelled. 이사회 헌장은 정족수를 채우려면 10명의 이사가 필요하다고 명시했는데 9명의 이사만 출석하여 회의는 취소되었다. ● 정족수에 미달할 경우 회

English EyeAug. 7, 2024

Seoul shares open higher on US gains, but jitters linger

Seoul shares opened higher Wednesday, tracking gains on Wall Street, two days after their worst rout over fears of a US recession. However, some analysts said worries about market turmoil linger. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) rose 12.17 points, or 0.48 percent, to 2,534.32 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The Kospi ended 3.3 percent higher Tuesday after plunging nearly 9 percent Monday due to massive selloffs amid concerns over a recession in the United States. Overn

MarketAug. 7, 2024

Govt. to shorten payment settlement period for e-commerce platforms, step up market oversight

The government will push to shorten the period of payment settlement for e-commerce platforms to their vendors and require that companies separately manage funds needed for payments in an effort to prevent a recurrence of the crisis involving Qoo10-owned marketplaces, the finance ministry said Wednesday. They are part of follow-up measures by the government to respond to payment delays by TMON and WeMakePrice, which also called for an additional 600 billion won (US$435.57 million) of financial s

Social AffairsAug. 7, 2024

S. Korea reports biggest current account surplus in about 7 years in June: BOK

South Korea posted its largest current account surplus in about seven years in June, driven by robust exports led by semiconductors, central bank data showed Wednesday. The country's current account surplus reached US$12.2 billion in June, marking a surplus for two consecutive months, according to data compiled by the Bank of Korea. The June surplus is the largest since September 2017, when the surplus was $12.3 billion. The latest performance was driven by a robust goods account, which tot

EconomyAug. 7, 2024