Most Popular
-
1
[Exclusive] Korean adoptee sisters meet for the first time in 39 years
-
2
Signs point to N. Korean troops in Russia-Ukraine combat zone
-
3
Yoon calls for measures to protect Koreans amid escalating Iran-Israel conflicts
-
4
Rose's 'Apt.' redefines K-pop's global appeal
-
5
Civil servant’s death linked to workplace bullying
-
6
Two years on, thousands mourn Itaewon tragedy, calling for accountability
-
7
[Weekender] Walk around Korea to really get to know the country
-
8
N. Korea slams Seoul-Washington joint air exercise
-
9
[Herald Interview] Love for K-drama, food defines 'Secret Ingredient'
-
10
[Herald Interview] K-pop’s 'best years are ahead of us': Spotify’s general manager for Asia Pacific
-
[Newsmaker] 2022 local elections by the numbers
The 2022 local elections are upon us. Here’s a quick look at the vote by key numbers. 2.2 percent This is the first local election in which 18-year-olds can cast ballots. They already hit the polls during the presidential election in March after the voting age was lowered from 19 to 18 in late 2019. The number of 18- and 19-year-old voters stands at 973,335, or 2.2 percent of the country‘s 44.3 million eligible voters. 7 sheets In the June 1 elections, most voters will
PoliticsMay 31, 2022
-
[Newsmaker] Conservative churches ramp up attacks on student rights ordinance
At a megachurch in the affluent Seocho district in southern Seoul, a poster near the entrance calls on churchgoers to oppose Seoul’s ordinance of student rights by signing a petition. “We are against the Student Human Rights Ordinance which tells kids that homosexuality, transgenderism and pregnancy are a right,” the poster at SaRang Community Church reads. “By not teaching the scientific fact that people aren’t born with their sexual orientation, gay and transgen
Social AffairsMay 30, 2022
-
[Newsmaker] Director Park Chan-wook, master of mise-en-scene
South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook’s best director win at the 75th Cannes Film Festival on Saturday for his mystery film, “Decision to Leave,” is the director’s third prize at the international film festival. His iconic action noir “Oldboy,” indelible in the memory of many for the much-talked-about live octopus eating scene, brought him the Grand Prix in 2004, while horror film “Thirst” earned him the Jury Prize in 2009. Marking his 3
FilmMay 29, 2022
-
[Newsmaker] Song Kang-ho, prolific and versatile actor
Actor Song Kang-ho became the first Korean male actor to win an acting prize at the Cannes Film Festival, grabbing the award for best actor for his role as a “baby broker” in Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Broker” on Saturday. This marked the 55-year-old’s seventh invitation to the prestigious film festival, but it is the first title the veteran actor has won at Cannes. Song starred in several Cannes award-winning films, including Park Chan-wook&rsqu
PerformanceMay 29, 2022
-
[Newsmaker] Kakao's Kim Beom-su steps down from last chairman position
Kakao founder Kim Beom-su has stepped down as chairman at the Brian Impact foundation he established last year for philanthropic projects, the nonprofit said Friday. With the announcement, Kim has resigned from all chairman posts including his resignation as Kakao chairman of the board in March. Kim will keep his position as the head of the Kakao Future Initiative Center. The founder and former CEO of the South Korean IT giant will remain as a registered director on the board and continue to t
TechnologyMay 27, 2022
-
[Newsmaker] Does skin color still matter in Korea?
Back in 2007, a small but significant step was taken by the Ministry of Education when it decided to revise school textbooks to remove a certain widely used phrase: “Our country has continued a tradition of a mono-ethnic country, which is rare in the entire world.” Despite the government making various policies for the rising population of people with different ethnic backgrounds in recent years, Korean society hasn’t moved on from its long-held perception of homogeneity. F
Social AffairsMay 25, 2022
-
[Newsmaker] Is Son the best footballer S. Korea has ever produced?
With Son Heung-min becoming the first Asian player ever to win the Golden Boot in Premier League history, debate about the best soccer player South Korea has ever produced seems all but obsolete. Joining the Tottenham Hotspur in 2015 as the 13th player in the country’s history to play in one of the world’s top soccer leagues, Son had exceeded expectations by becoming the lead goal-getter of the English league on Sunday. The 29-year-old shares the coveted trophy with Mohamed Salah o
SoccerMay 23, 2022
-
[Newsmaker] S. Korea’s new PM pledges to seek political unity, bolster economic recovery while cutting red tape
South Korea’s new Prime Minister Han Duck-soo officially began his term on Monday, 48 days since he was nominated by President Yoon Suk-yeol. At his inauguration, Han stressed he would seek cooperation with the country’s major parties and that the government will make all-out efforts to help the country’s economic recovery, while hinting at cutting red tape in the future. “Without national unity and political cooperation (among the government and major political partie
PoliticsMay 23, 2022
-
[Newsmaker] Number of metaverse users hits lowest point after social distancing rules lifted
The number of metaverse users across major virtual world platforms in South Korea has dropped sharply since social distancing measures were lifted, a report showed Sunday. According to big data analysis firm Mobile Index, the number of Roblox’ weekly active users recorded 773,678 during the period between May 9 and 15, a nearly 18 percent drop from the previous weekly figure. It was the lowest number recorded since the last week of June 2021. During the same period, the amount of time s
Social AffairsMay 22, 2022
-
[Newsmaker] Prosecutors looking into whether to bring Ponzi fraud charges against Terraform CEO Kwon
Prosecutors are looking into whether to bring Ponzi fraud charges against CEO Do Kwon of Terraform Labs, sources said Friday, a day after investors sued him over the shocking crash of the firm's two cryptocurrencies. In a crash starting last week, Terraform's two main tokens, TerraUSD and sister coin Luna, had registered more than 99.99 percent falls from their highs, wiping out more than $38 billion of investors' money in a week, according to data by CoinMarketCap. Financial authorities said ab
Social AffairsMay 20, 2022
-
[Newsmaker] Hanwha builds Korea's first beehive monitored by using solar energy
To honor the United Nation’s World Bee Day, Hanwha Group said Thursday that it has created the country’s first solar beehive which has been designed with a photovoltaic low-carbon structure that uses electricity generated through solar panel. Hanwha Group said it has installed the solar beehive at the Korea National University of Agriculture and Fisheries (KNUAF) as a part of its pilot program. At this beehive, about 40,000 bees will help pollinate the fruit trees on campus and vege
IndustryMay 19, 2022
-
[Newsmaker] Cryptocurrency crashes take a mental toll on young investors
“Where did all the posts about Luna go? Have you guys all gone to Han River?” This anonymous comment on the Bitcoin section of online community DCinside captures the depressing mood of online cryptocurrency communities in recent days. The crash of Korean-made cryptocurrency terraUSD, also known as UST, and its sister token luna, has made headlines around the world as its impact was felt in the global cryptocurrency market. “Going to Han River” – a rather dark p
Social AffairsMay 18, 2022
-
[Newsmaker] Surge in embezzlement fuels calls for tougher oversight
A recent report that three employees had stolen 3 billion won ($2.3 million) from South Korea’s biggest cosmetics maker Amorepacific in the wake of other huge embezzlements at the country’s major banks is fueling calls for tougher oversight. The employees at the cosmetics maker had allegedly used the money to buy stocks, cryptocurrencies and gamble by falsifying company documents such as tax records, a local report said Tuesday. Amorepacific said the employees were facing disciplina
EconomyMay 17, 2022
-
[Newsmaker] Creator of Korean-made cryptos under siege after $37b wiped out
South Korean entrepreneur Do Kwon was a rising star of the global digital asset market when his company Terraform Labs launched the cryptocurrencies UST and luna with the goal of achieving a decentralized economy three years ago. His stardom reached its peak as the price of luna skyrocketed to over $119 early last month, becoming the first Korean-developed cryptocurrency to crack the top 10 list of cryptocurrencies with the highest market capitalization in the world. Some investors and i
MarketMay 16, 2022
-
[Newsmaker] Seoul to soon propose talks with Pyongyang on COVID-19
South Korea is preparing to propose holding talks with North Korea on providing COVID-19 assistance, as Pyongyang recently acknowledged that it is undergoing a virus outbreak and is believed to be struggling with a lack of test kits and medical supplies. North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency reported Sunday morning 15 new COVID-19 deaths and 296,180 additional people with fever symptoms after the country for the first time acknowledged undergoing a virus outbreak three days
North KoreaMay 15, 2022
-
[Newsmaker] S. Korea co-sponsors UN Human Rights Council resolution on Ukraine
South Korea has co-sponsored a recently adopted UN Human Rights Council resolution on the deteriorating situation in Ukraine stemming from Russia's aggression, an official at Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday. During a special session in Geneva, Switzerland, on Thursday (local time), the council adopted the resolution calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities against Ukraine and requesting a team of investigators look into alleged abuses in parts of the war-torn country. "Our gov
Foreign AffairsMay 13, 2022
-
[Newsmaker] ‘Fake geniuses’ highlight S. Korean elite’s obsession with top schools
How many high school students have their papers published in academic journals? The question has prompted headlines in the South Korean media in recent days, following a political scandal. At the center of the controversy is the daughter of Justice Minister nominee Han Dong-hoon who published five academic papers and four e-books within the space of two months as a high school student. Reminiscent of a case years ago involving the daughter of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk and the family&
Social AffairsMay 12, 2022
-
[Newsmaker] Musk says he would reverse Twitter's ban of Donald Trump
LONDON -- Elon Musk said Twitter would reverse its ban of former President Donald Trump if his purchase of the social media company goes through, signaling just how permissive the platform could become toward free speech under his ownership. Speaking virtually at an auto conference, the Tesla CEO said Tuesday that Twitter's ban of Trump following the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the US Capitol was a "morally bad decision'' and "foolish in the extreme.'' "I think that was a mistake
Social AffairsMay 11, 2022
-
[Newsmaker] Five things about S. Korea’s new president
Yoon Suk-yeol was officially sworn in as the 20th president of South Korea on Tuesday, kicking off his five-year term with the inauguration ceremony at 11 a.m. at the National Assembly in the nation’s capital. He has some distinct features that make him a unique leader in a number of ways. Here are five facts about the country’s new leader. 1) The first president since the 50s to work outside Cheong Wa Dae Yoon’s presidency has brought about a noticeable change to South K
PoliticsMay 10, 2022
-
[Newsmaker] Kim Ji-ha, poet, beacon of democracy and controversy
Famed poet Kim Ji-ha, who died on Sunday at the age of 81, left behind a legacy of decades-long battles against the military dictatorship, followed by disputes later in life. Kim died at 4 p.m. at his home in Wonju, Gangwon Province, after suffering from an unspecified illness for the past year, the Toji Cultural Foundation said on behalf of the bereaved family. He passed away “peacefully, after holding each of their hands and smiling,” it added. The foundation, which supports K
PeopleMay 9, 2022