Books open doors to adventures around the world

In its final few weeks, the Seoul Outdoor Library was transformed into a Travel Library, with weekly programs themed around different countries. The journey began with Denmark in May and continued through Colombia in August, with each week offering unique cultural experiences tied to that week's country. Programs included curated book selections, film screenings, live music, or author talks, all designed to capture the spirit of each destination. In October, the Travel Library resumed, begi

BooksNov. 6, 2024

Seoul’s Outdoor Library closes the year with music, films, an autumn farewell

This year's chapter of Seoul Metropolitan Library’s beloved outdoor reading program, the Seoul Outdoor Library, comes to an end this week. The program that has transformed some of the city’s most iconic spaces into bustling hubs of literary culture since its April launch is closing its seven-month run with a lively schedule of performances and film screenings from Thursday through Sunday. The outdoor library program enjoyed an unprecedented success, attracting an estimated three

BooksNov. 6, 2024

Gangnam doctor under investigation for illegal propofol administration

Police have launched an investigation into a prominent doctor in Seoul’s Gangnam district for allegedly administering propofol and other controlled substances to patients without properly documenting it in charts. Seongdong Police Station said Tuesday it is investigating a man in his 50s on suspicion of violating multiple laws, including the Narcotics Control Act and the Medical Service Act. The doctor is accused of administering propofol and other narcotics to about 30 patients over hundr

Social AffairsNov. 6, 2024

Celebrity chef Paik's franchise company soars in market debut

Celebrity chef Paik Jong-won’s franchise company Theborn Korea made a strong debut on the Kospi market Wednesday as investors endorsed his affordable food brands and his popularity grew globally, with a recent Netflix series giving further tailwind to his business. Theborn Korea saw its shares traded as high as 58,100 won ($41.60) at the market open — a 70.9 percent jump compared to the 34,000 won the stock was priced at earlier in the week. That gave the company a valuation of aroun

IndustryNov. 6, 2024

[Herald Interview] Heize explores depths of longing in new EP ‘Fallin’

Singer-songwriter Heize is set to release her eighth EP “Fallin” on Nov. 6, featuring seven tracks that delve into themes of longing. The album touches on various subjects of yearning, including family, friends, a past love and her younger self. Known for her deep introspective style, Heize calls herself “a person who holds a lot of longing,” and the theme naturally came to the forefront of this new project. “In this album, I found myself reflecting on different peo

K-popNov. 6, 2024

Increased bets on Trump victory send won to 2-yr low, Seoul stocks down for 2nd day

The South Korean won dipped to a two-year low against the US dollar Wednesday on increased bets on Republican nominee Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election. Korean stocks ended lower for the second consecutive day. The local currency was trading at 1,396.2 won against the greenback at 3:30 p.m., down 17.6 won from the previous session, the lowest since November 7, 2022, when the rate closed at 1,401.20. Investors rushed to buy US dollars as Trump's victory heralds an i

MarketNov. 6, 2024

Cyberattacks suspected in Seoul military website glitches

South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense website went down Tuesday afternoon after suffering potential cyberattacks. The Defense Ministry said Wednesday its website was targeted by a suspected distributed denial-of-service attack, which is when service is disrupted by a flood of traffic. The website of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was temporarily inaccessible Wednesday morning, with the Cyber Operations Command investigating whether attacks by foreign sources are responsible. While the JCS

DefenseNov. 6, 2024

Band festival Countdown Fantasy unveils lineup for year-end bash

The first lineup of the year-end band festival Countdown Fantasy, to be held at Kintex in Ilsan on Dec. 30 and 31, has been revealed. The event will feature 14 leading bands from Korea and abroad, including groups new on the scene and some familiar favorites. On Dec. 30, the lineup includes the retro-inspired band 87dance, the trio Band Nah, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary; newcomers Dragon Pony, who debuted in September with label Antenna, and festival veterans like Owalloil and Onewe

K-popNov. 6, 2024

Epex returns to bring comfort to youth

Boy band Epex returned with its second full-length album, “Youth Chapter 2: Youth Deficiency,” on Tuesday, offering support and comfort to young people. The album is the second in the “Youth Trilogy” from the eight-member group that debuted in 2021. While its previous album, "Youth Chapter 1: Youth Days," explored pure love and the struggles of youth, “Youth Chapter 2: Youth Deficiency” delves into the various forms of deprivation that young people e

K-popNov. 6, 2024

What are the achievements overshadowed by Yoon’s rock-bottom approval rating?

President Yoon Suk Yeol is one of South Korea's first heads of state who is struggling to reverse a downward trend in his approval rating before his five-year term has even reached the halfway point. Yoon's approval ratings fell to its lowest ever point last week, as controversies surrounding him and his wife grew. Calls for first lady Kim Keon Hee to apologize over various scandals continued in the National Assembly despite the prosecution's recent decision not to charge her for

PoliticsNov. 6, 2024

EcoPro HN completes battery materials plant

EcoPro HN, the environmental solutions provider under EcoPro, said Wednesday it has completed the construction of a new manufacturing plant for rechargeable battery materials in Chopyeong, North Chungcheong Province. Around 100 officials, including key executives -- former EcoPro Chairman Lee Dong-chae, EcoPro CEO Song Ho-jun, EcoPro HN CEO Kim Jong-seop and Jincheon County Governor Song Ki-seop -- participated in the completion ceremony at the newly-built facility earlier in the day. The manufa

IndustryNov. 6, 2024

Fifty Fifty to tour US

Fifty Fifty will be embarking on its first US tour, “Love Sprinkle Tour in USA,” on Nov. 27. According to agency Attrakt, the group is currently preparing for its upcoming shows in the US. “We are nervous because it is our first-ever US tour but we are practicing hard to showcase our best performances. We want to present new facets of our group during the tour,” said Fifty Fifty in a press release on Wednesday. Prior to the US tour, Fifty Fifty will be taking to the stage

K-popNov. 6, 2024

Coupang hits record quarterly sales on customer loyalty

New York-listed e-commerce giant Coupang set another quarterly record in the July-September period of this year on enhanced user engagement, with its revenue reaching $7.86 billion, a 32 percent jump from a year ago. The company also returned to profitability in the quarter after posting operating losses in the previous quarter largely from the UK luxury shopping platform Farfetch it acquired last year and antitrust fines in Korea. "The improvements we saw this quarter are most notably driv

IndustryNov. 6, 2024

Changing K-pop stars: idols begin to speak out

Jiae of the now-disbanded girl group Wassup made headlines Tuesday by posting a photo with her girlfriend on social media, captioning it, “My sweet girlfriend.” Jiae had revealed her bisexuality in 2021, declaring, “I love both men and women. I have a girlfriend that I love and am very happy with.” Given the conservative nature of the Korean entertainment industry, her openness about her identity was groundbreaking. Historically limited in their freedom of speech, K-pop i

K-popNov. 6, 2024

From Bush to Biden: How North Korea sees US elections

The timing and manner in which North Korea’s state-controlled media covers US presidential election results have long served as key indicators of Pyongyang’s stance toward an incoming US president. According to South Korea’s Unification Ministry, close attention should be paid to the timing, approach and intended audience of North Korea’s reporting on US election results. Furthermore, the timing of Pyongyang’s first official message to the incoming US administration

Foreign AffairsNov. 6, 2024

Museums discuss empowering elders

The state-run National Folk Museum Korea convened an international symposium to discuss ways to help older adults engage with society as concerns over an aging population rise. The Role of Museums in An Aging Society one-day conference in Seoul on Tuesday was attended by officials from National Museums Liverpool, the National Museum of Finland and the National Museum of Singapore, as well as local academics and researchers. “Korea is anticipated to transition into an ultra-aged society by

CultureNov. 6, 2024

Alliance will strengthen regardless of US election results, says Han

South Korea’s ruling People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon said Wednesday that the alliance between Seoul and Washington will strengthen regardless of who wins the latest US presidential election. “The South Korea-US alliance will strengthen regardless of the candidate who is elected president of the United States,” Han said in an emergency intra-party meeting on foreign affairs and security matters. The meeting was held a day after ruling party lawmakers compiled and reviewed

PoliticsNov. 6, 2024

Kumyang works to win back investor trust

South Korean battery-maker Kumyang unveiled the world’s first 4695 cylindrical battery cell, which the company claimed to have greater capacity than Tesla's 4680 battery, at InterBattery 2024 at Coex in Seoul in March this year. Oxford Metrica, a UK-based global advisory firm, recently analyzed that 600 Kumyang 4695 cells can generate 75 kilowatt-hours of energy to offer about 600 kilometers in driving distance, whereas the same number of Tesla 4680 cells would create about 52 kWh to

CompaniesNov. 6, 2024

Renault Korea CEO awarded Industrial Service Medal

Renault Korea CEO Stephane Deblaise has been awarded the Industrial Service Medal from the Korean government in recognition of his leadership in successfully launching the Grand Koleos, the French automaker's new sports utility vehicle codenamed Aurora 1. According to Renault Korea on Wednesday, Deblaise was selected as the recipient of the national award during the 2024 Foreign Company Day hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas the p

CompaniesNov. 6, 2024

Mixed outlook for Chinese visa exemption

Beijing's visa exemption for South Korean tourists will take effect on Friday this week, but expectations are mixed about the impact, as it comes after years of waning popularity of China as a travel destination here. China announced Friday that it would allow passport holders of Korea and eight other countries to enter China without visas for up to 15 days for tourism, business, family visits, and transit purposes. Chinese nationals are still required to apply for a visa to enter Korea. Lo

IndustryNov. 6, 2024