[Newsmaker] New mayor of Seoul promises to make city 'leap again'

New Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon promised Thursday to bring hope and vitality to a city plagued by the COVID-19 pandemic and matters of people's livelihoods. Oh said he would make five pledges to the nation's capital of 10 million during a virtual inauguration ceremony held two weeks after he took office. Those promises, he implied, are based on the failures of the Moon Jae-in administration to address the plight of small business owners in a pandemic and fix a turbulent housing market. "The R

PoliticsApril 22, 2021

[Newsmaker] Were they ever gone?

As the movie “Seobok” hit the top of South Korean box office, lead actor Gong Yoo conducted interviews and promoted the movie. However, co-star Park Bo-gum was nowhere to be seen – he is serving his mandatory military service. Still, with last year’s tvN drama series “Record of Youth” featuring Park, “Seobok” currently in theaters and upcoming movie “Wonderland” scheduled for release later this year, Park’s absence from the ente

CultureApril 21, 2021

[Newsmaker] N. Korea continues to work on submersible missile test barge at Nampo: report

North Korea is continuing to work on a submersible missile test stand barge at its Nampo shipyard, a US think tank said Tuesday, suggesting the work could be part of preparations for a ballistic missile test. Citing satellite imagery taken Monday, the think tank said the North has positioned a "cylindrical object on the submersible missile test barge at Nampo." It said the image alone could not confirm an imminent missile launch, but noted the round object could be a launch tube for

North KoreaApril 21, 2021

[Newsmaker] Too soon to draft women into military: Defense Ministry

Conscripting women into the armed forces now would be premature, the Ministry of National Defense said Tuesday, amid fresh debate about making military service compulsory for both women and men. At present, all able-bodied men in South Korea are required to serve in the military or complete an alternative public service program. Women can join the military as officers or noncommissioned officers. “Expanding conscription isn’t a yes-no, black-and-white question because we need to l

DefenseApril 20, 2021

[Newsmaker] Nuclear experts call on Japan to nix Fukushima water release plan

A group of South Korean nuclear researchers on Tuesday called on Japan to withdraw its decision to release contaminated water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea, urging for more information over the plan. South Korea has expressed concerns over Japan's announcement last week to release about 1.3 million tons of radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean from the plant, citing potential health risks. A group of experts at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute said J

Social AffairsApril 20, 2021

[Newsmaker] Yoon far ahead of rivals as presidential hopeful: poll

Former chief prosecutor Yoon Seok-youl, who rose to stardom by defying the Moon Jae-in administration’s prosecutorial reform drive, beat his closest rival by a whopping 16.2 percentage points in the latest poll on presidential preference. In the survey of 1,011 adults nationwide, conducted Friday by Realmeter and commissioned by YTN, 37.2 percent chose Yoon as their most preferred presidential hopeful. The second-most-popular choice was Gyeonggi Gov. Lee Jae-myung with 21 percent support

PoliticsApril 19, 2021

[Newsmaker] Number of S. Korean stay-at-home fathers hits new high in March

SEJONG -- The number of South Korean stay-at-home fathers reached an all-time high in March as fewer women took charge of bringing up kids, government data showed Monday. A total of 13,000 South Korean men outside the labor force were in charge of child care last month, up 6,000 from a year earlier, according to the data from the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS). It was the largest number since data tracking began in 1999. The on-year increase was also the biggest since March 201

Social AffairsApril 19, 2021

[Newsmaker] With Mayor Oh in office, eyes are on Kim Ou-joon of TBS’ ‘News Factory’

Left-wing radio host Kim Ou-joon of Traffic Broadcasting System’s “News Factory” is under fire from right-wing party members as they challenge Kim’s outspoken political partisan views on a public-funded traffic news radio station, as well as his pay. TBS’ “News Factory” has been the most popular radio program in Korea since 2018, according to Hankook Research. Kim, who has been the show’s host since 2016, was listed as the second most influential

CultureApril 18, 2021

[Newsmaker] S. Korea to allow three more airports to run 'flights to nowhere'

South Korea will allow three more airports to run international "flights to nowhere" to help the pandemic-hit airline and duty-free industry ride out the prolonged crisis, the transport ministry said Sunday. Flights to nowhere start and end at the same airport and offer tax-free sales, while passengers are exempted from mandatory COVID-19 testing and the quarantine process after arrival. Starting from May, airlines will be allowed to operate international flights without destinations

IndustryApril 18, 2021

[Newsmaker] Posco C&C severs ties with Myanmar’s military conglomerate MEHL

Posco C&C decided to end their business partnership with Myanma Economic Holdings Public Company Limited (MEHL), one of Myanmar’s two largest military holding companies, the company said Friday. The affiliate of South Korea’s steel giant Posco said it will end its partnership with MEHL by purchasing all the stakes MEHL has in their joint venture, Myanmar Posco C&C Co., following public outcry against Myanmar military’s brutal crackdown on its citizens after a coup in

IndustryApril 16, 2021

[Newsmaker] Cryptocurrency turnover in S. Korea doubles over past month

The cryptocurrency turnover in South Korea has more than doubled over the past month, a market tracker said Friday, as retail investors scramble to the virtual currency amid the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. The combined turnover of 14 cryptocurrency exchanges in Asia's fourth-largest economy came to $21.63 billion as of 4 p.m. Thursday, according to CoinMarketCap. In particular, the top four exchanges -- Bithumb, Upbit, Corbit and Coinone -- had a combined turnover of $18.85 billion, o

MarketApril 16, 2021

[Newsmaker] Can yogurt fight COVID-19? Namyang Dairy under fire for false claims

Namyang Dairy Products, a major dairy producer here, has come under fire for claiming its yogurt drink prevents COVID-19. At a symposium hosted by the Korea Research & Institute of Bio Medical Science on Tuesday, the head of Namyang Dairy’s internal research institute presented the results of its research on Bulgaris, the firm’s yogurt drink. “We’re the first firm in the country that has discovered fermented dairy products are effective in preventing influenza and

ConsumerApril 15, 2021

[Newsmaker] Samsung heir Lee returns to prison after surgery

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, the de facto leader of Samsung Group convicted of bribery, returned to prison Thursday, about a month after an appendicitis surgery, sources said.    Lee was transferred to Samsung Medical Center in southern Seoul on March 19 to receive an emergency surgery after suffering a ruptured appendix.    The 52-year-old tycoon was supposed to return to Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, last Friday but was advised

IndustryApril 15, 2021

[Newsmaker] Seo Yea-ji stares down controversy yet again

Controversy surrounding actor Seo Yea-ji has continued to mount, as more allegations of bullying have surfaced, despite denials from her agency in an official statement. An alleged staffer that used to work with the actress posted on an online portal early Wednesday morning that Seo had regularly mistreated her staff members in her agency, Gold Medalist. “As a staff member going around in the same car with her for several years, verbal abuse was nothing. She smoked in the car, so I suff

TelevisionApril 14, 2021

[Newsmaker] Moon orders probe into alleged corruption by Cheong Wa Dae secretary

President Moon Jae-in instructed Cheong Wa Dae on Wednesday to look immediately and thoroughly into allegations of corruption involving his secretary for culture. The move came after a news report that a local company established in 2004 by the secretary, Jun Hyo-gwan, won a dozen contracts, worth a total of 5.1 billion won ($4.5 million), with the Seoul metropolitan government on culture-related projects while he was serving as a senior official in charge of innovation planning affairs at City

PoliticsApril 14, 2021

[Newsmaker] Korean entertainment companies wary of Chinese money

The entertainment industry is on high alert for Chinese money in South Korean dramas after the SBS historical drama “Joseon Exorcist” was canceled after just two episodes last month. One of the criticisms leveled at “Joseon Exorcist” was that Chinese foods -- such as moon cakes and Chinese-style dumplings -- as well as Chinese-style sets and props were used in the drama, which was set in Korea’s Joseon Kingdom. Although the drama was made with 100 percent Korean

TelevisionApril 13, 2021

[Newsmaker] 'Parasite' director Bong Joon-ho to present at upcoming Oscars

Bong Joon-ho, the Oscar-winning director of South Korean black comedy "Parasite," will be part of a 15-member "ensemble cast" that will present at the Academy Awards later this month. Bong, who directed the 2019 film that fetched four Oscars, including best picture and best director, will join former winners and nominees to present at the 93rd Academy Awards ceremony slated for April 25 (US time). The list of the first round of presenters, released on the Academy of Motion

FilmApril 13, 2021

[Newsmaker] Youn Yuh-jung bags another trophy at BAFTAs

In the film “Minari,” Korean grandmother Soon-ja, played by Youn Yuh-jung, arrives in the US with her luggage packed with seeds for Korean vegetables and other home goods for her daughter. Youn’s own bag has been overflowing with trophies from the US for her acting in “Minari” alone, and on Monday, she added another feather to her cap with one from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards. At the BAFTA ceremony at London’s Royal Albert Hall, Yo

FilmApril 12, 2021

[Newsmaker] S. Korea, US closely watching N. Korean moves on SLBMs, new submarine: JCS

South Korea is closely monitoring North Korea's military moves in coordination with the United States, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Monday, amid signs of activity at the North's main shipyard used to develop submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). According to 38 North, commercial satellite imagery of the North's Sinpo Shipyard indicates that a missile canister for the submarine missile test barge has likely been removed, possibly for maintenance or for the replacement of a new c

North KoreaApril 12, 2021

[Newsmaker] N. Korea preparing to launch ballistic missile submarine: report

North Korea has built a new submarine believed to be capable of carrying at least three ballistic missiles and is gauging the right time to unveil it, a local news outlet said Sunday, citing anonymous Seoul officials familiar with the matter. “South Korea and the US believe North Koreans have finished building one that they revealed in 2019,” Yonhap News Agency quoted the officials as saying. The North’s state media released a photograph at the time, in which leader Kim Jong-u

North KoreaApril 11, 2021