[Newsmaker] Hollywood blockbusters, pandemic-deferred films to open in 2023

The year that just ended was all about finally seeing a number of movies that began production prior to the pandemic. Despite better-than-expected ticket sales, having so many options to watch comfortably at home led many film buffs and moviegoers to stay inside. How will upcoming movies this year impact ticket sales at the cinema? From Hollywood’s megasized projects to a variety of local films finally meeting audiences after enduring setbacks and delays due to the pandemic, following are

Jan. 1, 2023

[Newsmaker] Former pope Benedict XVI dies aged 95

VATICAN CITY (AFP) - Former pope Benedict XVI has died at the age of 95, the Vatican announced Saturday, almost a decade after he became the first pontiff to resign in six centuries. "With sorrow, I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican," Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement. The German pope emeritus, whose birth name was Joseph Ratzinger, had been living a quiet life in a former convent

Dec. 31, 2022

[Newsmaker] Foreign workers fluent in Korean to receive visa extension benefits

Foreigners working in South Korea on an E-9 visa with a high command of the Korean language will likely be allowed to stay in Korea continuously for up to 10 years. According to a plan announced Friday by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the Employment Permit System will be revised to give benefits to foreign laborers who are fluent in Korean. Currently, holders of the E-9 nonprofessional work visa wishing to extend their stay after 4 years and 10 months must leave Korea and reapply for th

Dec. 30, 2022

[Newsmaker] Owner of Chinese restaurant accused as front for ‘China’s secret police’ says allegations 'unjust'

The owner of a Chinese restaurant in southern Seoul on Thursday requested for police protection, denying media reports that it may be one of the overseas fronts for China’s secret police. Holding a press conference at his eatery Oriental Pearl Tower in Jamsil-dong, Songpa-gu, the owner, identified as Wang, called the allegations “unjust.” The man said there will be another press conference on Saturday for which reporters are required to pay to attend. “The (Oriental Pearl

Dec. 29, 2022

[Newsmaker] Danuri successfully enters lunar orbit

South Korea’s first lunar mission Danuri has successfully entered lunar orbit, the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute said Wednesday. With Danuri’s successful entrance into lunar orbit, South Korea has become the seventh country in the world to have capability to explore the moon. Danuri, also known as the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter, began circling around the moon at the targeted orbit altitude of some 100 kilometers above the lunar surface on

Dec. 28, 2022

[Newsmaker] For whom the Bosingak bell tolls: Koreans celebrate return of New Year's ceremony

The New Year’s bell-ringing ceremony at Bosingak will be back this Saturday as an offline event for the first time since 2019. Coronavirus restrictions had forced the ceremony to be held exclusively online for the past two years. Just as Americans gather to see the ball drop at New York City's Times Square at midnight, South Koreans flock to the Jongno-gu area to see the old bronze Bosingak bell being rung 33 times, a time-honored tradition with religious roots that signifies “c

Dec. 27, 2022

[Newsmaker] Frigid monster storm across US claims at least 34 lives

BUFFALO, New York -- Millions of people hunkered down against a deep freeze Sunday to ride out the winter storm that has killed at least 34 people across the United States and is expected to claim more lives after trapping some residents inside houses with heaping snow drifts and knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes and businesses. The scope of the storm has been nearly unprecedented, stretching from the Great Lakes near Canada to the Rio Grande along the border with Mexico. About 60

Dec. 26, 2022

[Newsmaker] Kim Keon-hee expands role as first lady

Kim Keon-hee is expanding her role as first lady, straying from her earlier promise that she would not play a role “beyond that of a spouse.” While Yoon Suk-yeol was still a presidential candidate, the couple had said that Kim would not serve as first lady in the traditional sense if he is elected. Kim told a press conference held last year that she would not have a formal presence as first lady during her husband’s tenure in office, and that she would “not have a role be

Dec. 25, 2022

[Newsmaker] Even in bustling Seoul, you can find ways to spend year-end in peace and quiet

The last week of 2022 is almost here. Most popular restaurants and hotels have been booked for weeks and department stores are packed with people doing last-minute Christmas shopping. People across the country will be getting together for a family dinner or sharing wine with friends in brightly lit bars. However, if all the year-end workplace and family obligations have you tired and worn out, you might consider heading to a calm, peaceful spot where you can reflect on the past year and make pla

Dec. 23, 2022

[Newsmaker] On-air ‘sexual harassment of stepdaughter’ controversy sparks police probe

A man who was seen inflicting unwanted physical contact on his 7-year-old stepdaughter on a recently-aired TV show is under investigation for sexual harassment, local police said late Wednesday. According to the Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency, officials have commenced the pre-arrest investigation on the person after being notified of the allegation. “Details of the case will not be revealed due to fear of secondary damage on the victim. (Officials) will summon the related individuals whe

Dec. 22, 2022

[Newsmaker] 14 years a miser...to be a home owner in Seoul

An average wage earner in South Korea would have to save up one’s entire income for 14 years to buy a home in Seoul, a government study showed Wednesday. The price-to-income ratio -- the median home price divided by the median annual household income -- for Seoul in 2021 jumped to 14.1 from 12.5 in the year before, according to the 2021 Korea Housing Survey released by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The figure was higher than that of any other region in the country, wi

Dec. 21, 2022

[Newsmaker] House Jan. 6 panel urges Trump prosecution with criminal referral

WASHINGTON -- The House Jan. 6 committee urged the US Justice Department on Monday to bring criminal charges against Donald Trump for the violent 2021 Capitol insurrection, calling for accountability for the former president and “a time of reflection and reckoning.” After one of the most exhaustive and aggressive congressional probes in memory, the panel’s seven Democrats and two Republicans are recommending criminal charges against Trump and associates who helped him launch a

Dec. 20, 2022

[Newsmaker] Where do child sex offenders live? Where should they?

At the bottom of a winding path in the quiet neighborhood of Wa-dong, Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, resides one of South Korea's most infamous child sex offenders in a nondescript apartment. In 2008, a middle-aged man called Cho Doo-soon sexually attacked and maimed a then-eight-year-old girl in a church restroom. The inhumane assault resulted in unspeakable injuries to the victim, which she still suffers from according to a recent statement by her father. This also led to a flurry of proposed

Dec. 19, 2022

[Newsmaker] “Avatar: The Way of Water” tops 2.4M admissions in five days

Long-awaited Hollywood sci-fi film “Avatar: The Way of Water” has topped 2.4 million admissions in five days after its release, box-office data showed Sunday, breaking the record set by the original “Avatar” in 2009. Despite the film’s agonizingly long three-hour runtime, “Avatar: The Way of Water” drew 359,225 people on the first day, bringing its combined total to 1 million people in just three days. On Saturday alone, the first weekend day since the m

Dec. 18, 2022

[Newsmaker] Twitter suspends accounts of journalists covering Musk

SAN FRANCISCO -- Twitter suspended Thursday accounts of more than a half-dozen journalists who had been writing about the company and its new owner Elon Musk. Silencing journalists at Twitter while claiming to be a free speech champion is the latest controversy provoked by Musk since he took over the company, which has seen staffing gutted and advertisers exit. Some of the journalists had been tweeting about Twitter shutting down an @ElonJet account that tracked flights of billionaire Musk

Dec. 16, 2022

[Newsmaker] [World Cup] France sets up World Cup final with Argentina

DOHA, Qatar -- France will face Argentina and Kylian Mbappe will do battle with Lionel Messi in a heavyweight World Cup final after the French beat underdogs Morocco 2-0 on Wednesday. Holders France stayed on course to become the first team in 60 years to successfully defend the trophy thanks to goals from Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani at Al Bayt Stadium. Morocco, the first African side ever to reach a World Cup semifinal, battled as they have done throughout the tournament and were roare

Dec. 15, 2022

[Newsmaker] JTBC’s ‘Reborn Rich’ intrigues with enigmatic chaebol stories

The latest JTBC TV series “Reborn Rich” is a hit in South Korea. The drama's popular “reincarnation” fantasy plot is mixed with real-life stories of chaebol, a subject of both admiration and dislike in South Korea. Three weeks after the first episode aired on Nov. 18, the latest episode saw its viewership rating hit the 20 percent mark over the weekend, the only TV drama to have breached that level this year in Korea. It is also ranked high on other popular global streami

Dec. 13, 2022

[Newsmaker] NASA Orion capsule safely blazes back from moon

NASA’s Orion capsule made a blisteringly fast return from the moon Sunday, parachuting into the Pacific off Mexico to conclude a test flight that should clear the way for astronauts on the next lunar flyby. The incoming capsule hit the atmosphere at Mach 32, or 32 times the speed of sound, and endured reentry temperatures of 2,760 degrees Celsius before splashing down west of Baja California near Guadalupe Island. A Navy ship quickly moved in to recover the spacecraft and its silent occupa

Dec. 12, 2022

[Newsmaker] France battles past England as Morocco makes World Cup history

DOHA, Qatar -- Defending champion France edged past England 2-1 on Saturday as Harry Kane missed a late penalty in the World Cup quarterfinals, after Morocco became the first African team ever to reach the last four. France will face the surprising North Africans in a semifinal on Wednesday, earning their place when Olivier Giroud's header proved the difference at Al Bayt Stadium. In a tense match, Aurelien Tchouameni's strike opened the scoring with 17 minutes gone, but Kane brought England lev

Dec. 11, 2022

[Newsmaker] Big Bang’s T.O.P to fly to moon next year

T.O.P of K-pop boy band Big Bang will be traveling to the moon next year, joining the first civilian moon mission led by Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa. The eight crew members flying with Maezawa on the “dearMoon” mission are American DJ Steve Aoki, Indian actor Dev Joshi, American YouTuber Tim Dodd, Czech choreographer Yemi A.D., Irish photographer Rhiannon Adam, British photographer Karim Iliya, American filmmaker Brendan Hall and T.O.P of South Korea, Maezawa announced Friday

Dec. 9, 2022