Han Dong-hoon back at helm of People Power Party

The ruling People Power Party wrapped up its 2024 national convention on Tuesday with Han Dong-hoon back at its helm. At the finale of the convention in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, Han emerged victorious in the contentious four-way race to be the party’s chair. He won more than 62 percent of the ballots from the 408,272 registered voters who participated, according to the party’s final count. In his victory speech, the former justice minister said he wanted to transform his party into

PoliticsJuly 23, 2024

'I, the Executioner' invited to 49th TIFF

South Korean filmmaker Ryoo Seung-wan’s latest action film, “I, the Executioner,” has been invited to the 49th Toronto International Film Festival, continuing its streak of acclaim after premiering at the Cannes Film Festival in May, CJ ENM announced Tuesday. “I, the Executioner" is a sequel to 2015 blockbuster “Veteran.” "Veteran," which attracted 13.4 million cinemagoers in Korea during its run, was showcased in the vanguard category at the 20

FilmJuly 23, 2024

Seomjae to debut AI-powered math program at CES 2025

Seomjae, a Seoul-based education solutions developer, is set to launch officially its AI Retrieval-Augmented Generation model-based mathematics learning program at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next January. In preparation for the launch, Seomjae announced on Tuesday that it completed gathering beta testers for the program. The beta test, starting on July 29 and lasting about a month, will involve 50 students from Seoul, Ulsan, and Boston. The program, developed over two years by a

TechnologyJuly 23, 2024

K-pop agency Starship apologizes for security assault on fan

South Korean label Starship Entertainment apologized for the excessive security actions taken against a fan of its boy group Cravity at an airport last month. The K-pop agency posted an official statement to the boy band's fan community on Monday in response to a fan’s post on X. The fan alleged that Cravity’s security guard physically assaulted and mocked them at Gimpo International Airport on June 23 as the band returned to Korea from promotional events in Japan. The fan, id

K-popJuly 23, 2024

[Herald Interview] Investing in cows: how it works, where it's headed

In Korea, there's a saying that farmers raise a cow to send their children to college, reflecting the long-standing value of cattle. Once exclusive to farmers, livestock has recently become an investment option for the public, allowing individuals to invest without the burden of managing a farm. Bankcow, a fractional investment platform, recently achieved a milestone by completing Korea's first public offering of securities backed by live assets — 100 Korean beef cattle. Despite

IndustryJuly 23, 2024

Hanlim teams up with Vietnam's CONINCO for enhanced construction management

Hanlim Architecture Group announced Tuesday that it signed a memorandum of understanding with CONINCO, a Vietnamese construction supervision company, to reinforce strategic partnerships and create new opportunities for construction management services in Vietnam and beyond. Hanlim Architecture Group Chairman Park Jin-sun, CONINCO General Director Phan Ngoc Cuong and company officials attended the signing ceremony held at the headquarters of CONINCO on July 16. Representatives from both sides dis

IndustryJuly 23, 2024

Landmark ruling boosts same-sex couples' confidence in S. Korea

Same-sex couples in South Korea are expressing hope for the improvement of LGBTQ+ rights here, on the coattails of last week's Supreme Court ruling that recognized the legal rights of a same-sex couple for the first time ever. In the landmark ruling, the country's top court ruled that the plaintiff, So Sung-wook, should be eligible for spousal coverage under the National Health Insurance Service subscription of his male partner, Kim Yong-min. The court stated in its ruling that same-se

Social AffairsJuly 23, 2024

K-water, Naver to set up water management platform for Saudi Arabia

Korea Water Resources Corp., or K-water, is officially set to commence a water management platform in Saudi Arabia jointly with Korean internet giant Naver, for the next five years, the state-run water management agency said Tuesday. The project was announced in a statement by Naver and Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing. This official agreement builds on a partnership initially established between Naver and K-water earlier this month, aiming to penetrate t

IndustryJuly 23, 2024

Ador's Min refutes allegations she stole NewJeans from Source Music

K-pop label Ador’s CEO Min Hee-jin denied allegations that she "stole" some of the bandmates who would form NewJeans from Source Music. On Tuesday, local entertainment media outlet Dispatch reported that Min took Minji, Hanni, Danielle and Haerin of NewJeans from Source Music, where they were being trained to become K-pop artists. According to the report, these four of the five-member group were part of a project group being called “N team” training under Source Music

K-popJuly 23, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Exhibit on BTS’ Jungkook to run next month

The solo career of BTS’ Jungkook will be highlighted with a new exhibition, Big Hit Music said Tuesday. As the show title “Golden: The Moments” indicates, it will focus on the artist’s first solo album which came out in November last year, and give visitors a glimpse into the making of the album. Costumes and equipment he used on stage for live performances and the trophies he earned will be on display along with a series of unpublished photographs. The LP hit the Billboa

K-popJuly 23, 2024

Founder's arrest leaves Kakao's future in doubt

Kakao Corp., the operator of South Korea's top mobile messenger KakaoTalk, has been plunged into crisis, as its founder and top decision-maker Kim Beom-su was arrested on Tuesday on charges of stock price rigging linked to last year's takeover of K-pop powerhouse SM Entertainment. With a leadership vacuum and a dent to its reputation, concerns are rising over the impact of the disruption on the tech giant’s drive for corporate restructuring and growth in burgeoning technologies i

IndustryJuly 23, 2024

[ASEAN Plus Korea] Malaysia's carbon capture project will benefit Korean companies: new envoy

Malaysia’s newly appointed ambassador to Korea, Mohd Zamruni Khalid, suggested Korean companies jointly operate with Malaysia on carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects in a recent interview with The Korea Herald. Urging his country's potential for hydrogen energy exports, the ambassador said that Korea should take advantage of a legal framework on CCS which is likely to be ready by the end of this year. He said that hydrogen energy exports to Korea will positively impact other gree

Foreign AffairsJuly 23, 2024

Seoul shares snap 4-day losing streak, tracking US gains

Seoul shares closed higher Tuesday to snap a four-day losing streak, tracking an overnight rebound in US tech stocks. The local currency rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 10.78 points, or 0.39 percent, to close at 2,774.29. Trade volume was moderate at 416 million shares worth 11.3 trillion won ($8.15 billion), with losers outnumbering winners 494 to 365. Foreign investors purchased 241.2 billion won worth of local shares, while retail investors an

MarketJuly 23, 2024

Hanwha Asset Management unveils new ETF brand Plus

Hanwha Asset Management, the sixth largest player in terms of net assets in the local exchange-traded fund market, introduced its new ETF lineup brand Plus, on Tuesday. The asset manager has changed its ETF brand name from Arirang to Plus. It was the first time for the asset manager to change its brand name since it launched its ETF product here in 2009. “Through Plus, Hanwha Asset Management will focus on supporting new technologies that enrich the future of humanity for a sustainable tom

MarketJuly 23, 2024

Enforcement decree in heritage law eased to promote Korean art overseas

The Korea Heritage Service has eased a decades-long rule that banned artworks from being taken out of the country. Under the previous rule, artworks 50 years old or more, when being considered for sale or exhibition outside Korea, were required to get agency approval over concerns valuable heritage could slip out of the country. The new enforcement decree to the Cultural Heritage Preservation and Utilization Act, effective Tuesday, has loosened the restriction, removing the review process for ar

Arts & DesignJuly 23, 2024

What are they wearing? Korean fashion brands attract youth locally, globally

Following the global popularity of K-pop, K-dramas and K-food, get ready for another "K": K-fashion. Alongside established Korean fashion houses like Songzio, Wooyoungmi, Juun.J and System, a new generation of local fashion labels is making waves globally, establishing Korea as a fashion hot spot, particularly for today’s style-savvy millennials and Generation Z. Recognizing Korea’s dynamic and emerging fashion profile, a 2023 US News & World Report survey ranked the

Hashtag KoreaJuly 23, 2024

Nongshim to build smart farm in Saudi Arabia by 2025

Nongshim announced on Tuesday that it has been selected for South Korea's smart farm export project that aims to establish and operate a pilot greenhouse in Saudi Arabia. The project is initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and led by the Korea Agriculture Technology Promotion Agency, according to the company. The agreement ceremony took place at Nongshim's headquarters in Seoul, attended by Nongshim CEO Lee Byung-hak, Korea Agriculture Technology Promotion A

CompaniesJuly 23, 2024

Korea to roll out blueprint for medical reform

The government said Tuesday that it would roll out a blueprint for medical reform in late August, renewing its commitment to overhauling health care despite strong resistance from the medical circle. Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong made the remarks during a government response meeting, highlighting that the medical reform committee launched in April has made tangible progress in tackling the problems of the country's medical system that have remained unsolved after 31 committee meetings with

Social AffairsJuly 23, 2024

Stray Kids featured on 'Deadpool and Wolverine' soundtrack

Taking part in the soundtrack of “Deadpool and Wolverine,” Stray Kids became the first K-pop group to release a song for Marvel's Deadpool series. The new song "Slash" is a collaboration between the group's in-house producing team 3Racha, composed of Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han, and K-pop songwriter Versachoi. "Slash" will be available on music streaming platforms starting at 6 p.m., Tuesday. Stray Kids has had a special connection with "Deadpool&q

K-popJuly 23, 2024

Hyundai to bring electric buses to Japan's UNESCO-designated island

Hyundai Motor Company is expanding its presence in Japan’s commercial vehicle market by supplying electric buses to the Iwasaki Group for use on Yakushima Island, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. Last Thursday, Hyundai signed a letter of intent with Iwasaki Group, a transportation and tourism service provider in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. The agreement sets the stage for Hyundai to supply its “Elec City Town” zero-emission electric buses t

MobilityJuly 23, 2024