New feature film on Sewol ferry sinking opens next year

The tragic sinking of the Sewol ferry in 2014 gets another look through the film “Sea Tiger” (direct translation) slated to open in the first half of next year. A decade has passed since the disaster, which claimed nearly 300 lives, most of them high school students on a field trip, and there have been several movies — mostly documentaries — made on the tragedy. "Sea Tiger" revolves around a diver, Kim Gwan-hong, who took part in the search and rescue operation

FilmNov. 13, 2024

Amorepacific unveils bold growth goals

South Korean cosmetics giant Amorepacific has unveiled its new global business strategy, aiming to strengthen its position as a leader in the beauty industry amid the rising influence of Korean culture. At its 2024 Investor Day event in Seoul on Tuesday, CEO Kim Seung-hwan and North America regional headquarters CEO Giovanni Valentini presented the plan to around 80 institutional investors and analysts, emphasizing growth opportunities across both advanced and emerging markets. “As Korean

CompaniesNov. 13, 2024

Korean model admits drug use, seeks help from embassy in Manila: report

A South Korean media outlet on Wednesday reported that TV announcer-turned-model Kim Na-jung had reached out to the South Korean Embassy in the Philippines for help leaving the country, after confessing to officials there that she had used drugs. According to Edaily, the 32-year-old contacted the embassy on Tuesday for help citing an unspecified danger, and received assistance going to the airport from her hotel and onto the plane from Manila to Incheon. The embassy did not elaborate on what typ

Social AffairsNov. 13, 2024

AmCham CEO Servers’ Night sets fundraising record

The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea announced Wednesday that it has hosted the 17th fundraising event for student scholarships together with its charity arm, Partners for the Future Foundation. The AmCham CEO Servers’ Night was held at the Conrad Seoul Hotel, bringing together 35 CEOs and C-level executives from AmCham member companies. After being trained by hotel staff, the top executives personally served wine and dinner to 430 guests to show their appreciation. “It is truly

IndustryNov. 13, 2024

Activist calls for ban on Chinese game over hanbok dispute

A Chinese game company that abruptly ended services in South Korea four years ago amid a controversy over its presentation of hanbok, has announced the launch of a sequel, stirring calls from an activist for the game to be banned here. Seo Kyoung-duk, professor of general education at Sungshin Women’s University in Seoul, a self-styled promoter of Korean culture and history, on Wednesday called for the South Korean government to block the game “Infinity Nikki” from entering the

CultureNov. 13, 2024

[Herald Interview] 'Korea, don't repeat Hong Kong's mistakes on foreign caregivers'

Fifty-one years ago, during Hong Kong's "golden era" of social reform, then-Gov. Murray MacLehose established a framework to bring in low-wage foreign workers for domestic and care work. This policy aimed to encourage educated, upper- and middle-class local women to enter the workforce — a rationale similar to that of the Seoul city government's foreign caregiver pilot program today. Though now facing different socioeconomic conditions, some South Korean politicians and

PoliticsNov. 13, 2024

Police investigate mutilated body of kitten found in Incheon

Incheon police said Wednesday it has launched an investigation into possible animal cruelty case, after the body of a beheaded kitten was found the previous day. Officials at the Incheon Gyeyang Police Station received the report of the kitten at around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Police said it will investigate the surveillance footage of the area around the lot, to determine whether this is a case of animal cruelty or if the kitten had been killed by another animal. Another potential animal cruelty

Social AffairsNov. 13, 2024

Woman donates organs to 7 after dying of heart failure

The organs of a woman who died after suffering cardiac arrest have been donated to help seven individuals, the state-run organ donation agency said Wednesday. Lee Mi-jeong, who passed away last month at the age of 37, left her heart, lungs, liver, both kidneys and both eyes to be transplanted, according to the Korea Organ Donation Agency. She suffered critical cardiac arrest in July, which left her brain dead. The bereaved family of Lee said they saw organ donation as a way of keeping a part o

PeopleNov. 13, 2024

S. Korea to proactively address Trump-related uncertainties, upgrade FTAs

South Korea will proactively address changes in the global trade environment ahead of the launch of the new US administration, while upgrading existing trade pacts with key partners to maintain upward momentum in exports, the industry ministry said Wednesday. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy made the announcement in a report marking the start of the second half of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, unveiling plans to sustain export growth, which has continued for 13 straight months thro

EconomyNov. 13, 2024

Trump names Tesla CEO Musk to lead government efficiency department

US President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Tesla CEO Elon Musk, working in tandem with entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, will lead the Department of Government Efficiency, an organization tasked with reducing bureaucracy in the federal government. Trump issued a statement on the designation as he pledged during a presidential campaign to establish the department as part of a government reform effort. "I am pleased to announce that the Great Elon Musk, working in conjunction with Ame

World NewsNov. 13, 2024

Court decides against live broadcast of Lee's sentencing trial

A court on Wednesday decided not to permit a live broadcast for the upcoming sentencing trial of opposition leader Lee Jae-myung in his alleged election law violation case. The Seoul Central District Court said it will not allow real-time filming or broadcast of Lee's sentencing trial, slated for Friday, "in comprehensive consideration of the relevant legal interests." The court is set to make its judgment on Lee's charges of violating the election law by making false stateme

PoliticsNov. 13, 2024

N. Korea stays silent on Trump's win for 1 week

North Korea has remained mum about former US President Donald Trump's reelection for a week, despite the significance the outcome might hold for the North's leader Kim Jong-un and his regime. As of early Wednesday, none of the North's state media had published any articles, commentaries, or broadcasts about Trump's election victory, although this is not rare considering that it took a similar course in the past. North Korea has a track record of delaying reports on US preside

North KoreaNov. 13, 2024