[Newsmaker] Bong Joon-ho’s 20-year film director career

Born in Daegu in 1969, Bong Joon-ho is believed to have inherited artistic sensibilities from his family. His father was a pioneering graphic designer and his maternal grandfather the well-known novelist Park Tae-won, who wrote such masterpieces as “A Day in the Life of Kubo the Novelist.” By the time he was 15 years old, Bong knew he wanted to be a filmmaker. Bong graduated from Yonsei University, having majored in sociology. During his college years, Bong made his first short

FilmJan. 6, 2020

[Newsmaker] K-pop chart manipulation resurfaces after SBS investigative program

The K-pop chart manipulation issue has once again come into the spotlight, following an SBS investigative journalism show that aired Saturday.The episode about the controversial issue caused an immediate stir on social media platforms and in search engine trends. On the latest episode of “Unanswered Questions,” industry insiders highlighted suspicions of music chart manipulation when a song, especially one by a relatively unknown musician, suddenly pops up on the charts without

PerformanceJan. 5, 2020

[Newsmaker] New conservative party sets sail ahead of April parliamentary elections

A new conservative party was launched Sunday, spearheaded by eight lawmakers who defected from the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party to build a right-wing party pursuing reforms.Rep. Yoo Seong-min and seven other lawmakers officially announced the launch of the party, tentatively named the New Conservative Party, at the National Assembly, less than four months before the April 15 parliamentary elections."Those who are willing to guard new conservative values have gathered here ... I am sur

PoliticsJan. 5, 2020

[Newsmaker] 2 dead, 1 injured in Incheon crane collapse

INCHEON -- Two workers were killed and one other was injured when a 30-meter-high tower crane collapsed at a construction site in Incheon, west of Seoul, on Friday, police said.In the 8:32 a.m. accident at the site for the construction of a cutting tool manufacturer's headquarters, a 58-year-old worker and a 50-year-old worker, both from a crane installment company, were killed. Another worker, 34, from the same company sustained an injury on his left arm and was taken to a nearby hospital. The

Social AffairsJan. 3, 2020

[Newsmaker] Court declines to issue arrest warrant for conservative pastor

A Seoul court on Thursday rejected a request for a warrant to arrest a conservative pastor for his alleged role in a violent anti-government rally.Following a hearing that lasted over two hours, the Seoul Central District Court dismissed the prosecution's request to arrest Rev. Jun Kwang-hoon."At the current stage, it is difficult to recognize the need, reason for detention," the court said in its decision.Prosecutors had requested the Seoul Central District Court detain Jun for allege

Social AffairsJan. 3, 2020

[Newsmaker] Ahn announces comeback to politics, says Korea stuck in past

Former presidential contender Ahn Cheol-soo on Thursday announced his plans to return to politics, sending ripples through the political arena as parties gear up for the general elections. “The world is changing at the speed of light toward the future. Unfortunately, seen from outside, the country remains in the past. A country that does not think about the future has no future,” Ahn wrote on his social media account. Ahn went on to say that Korean politics have deteriorated sin

PoliticsJan. 2, 2020

[Newsmaker] Ahn declares plan to resume political activity following year of hiatus

With around 100 days left before the April parliamentary elections, Ahn Cheol-soo, a co-founder of the minor Bareunmirae Party, announced his plan to resume political activity Thursday, following about one year of a hiatus.Ahn, former leader of the party, declared his plan to retreat from the political scene for a while in July 2018 after his defeat in the Seoul mayoral race the previous month. He left South Korea for overseas studies."After I return (to politics), I'll consider how to chan

PoliticsJan. 2, 2020

[Newsmaker] PM Lee Nak-yon’s return to parliament may signal changes to come

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon’s imminent return to the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the path along which his political career progresses are likely to be deciding factors for the country’s political arena for the coming year and further down the road. Lee served four National Assembly terms from 2000 to 2014 for the Hampyeong-Younggwang constituency in South Jeolla Province. In 2014, during his fourth term, he ran and won the race for South Jeolla Province governorship. From the

PoliticsJan. 1, 2020

[Newsmaker] Cold snap grips Korea

The season’s strongest cold wave hit South Korea on Tuesday, New Year’s Eve, with temperatures in many parts of the country dropping below minus 10 degrees Celsius. Cold wave alerts or advisories were issued for most parts of the country as of 7 a.m., except for the resort island of Jeju. Temperatures dipped to the season’s record lows, reaching minus 11.7 C in Seoul and minus 9.8 C in Incheon as of 8:30 a.m., according to the nation’s weather agency. In the mountainous r

Social AffairsDec. 31, 2019

[Newsmaker] Parliament passes corruption probe unit bill amid opposition lawmakers' protest

The National Assembly passed a controversial bill to set up a separate unit to probe corruption by high-ranking public officials Monday, lending support to President Moon Jae-in's bid to reform the prosecution.A parliamentary vote came about eight months after the ruling party-led bloc placed related prosecution reform bills on a legislative fast track in late April, along with an electoral reform bill.The establishment of the proposed corruption probe unit is aimed at overhauling the prosecutio

PoliticsDec. 31, 2019

[Newsmaker] S. Korea issues cold wave advisory for Fri

South Korea's state weather agency on Monday issued a cold wave advisory for most of areas of the country as the mercury is expected to drop sharply.  The warning that went into effect as of 10:00 p.m. comes as the Korea Meteorological Administration predicted the temperature will drop by more than 10 degrees Celsius early Tuesday from the day before. It added that with many parts of the country to be affected by strong winds, the wind chill factor will cause people to feel the freezing tem

Social AffairsDec. 30, 2019

[Newsmaker] From new IDs to pension boost, changes due in 2020

The new year sees a wide range of changes across the spectrum of South Koreans’ daily lives. From new passports to salary hikes for military conscripts, here are some of the changes that 2020 will bring. Sex offender registry available on mobileParents and guardians of minors will be able to view information about registered sex offenders in their districts on their mobile devices. Currently, the information is sent via mail to households with children under 19.Schools and other insti

Social AffairsDec. 30, 2019

[Newsmaker] 3.5 magnitude quake hits southeastern city

A 3.5 magnitude earthquake hit the country's southeastern region early Monday in the seventh-strongest quake to occur on the Korean Peninsula this year, the weather agency saidThe quake occurred shortly after midnight at 00:32 a.m. at some 15 kilometers northeast of Miryang in South Gyeongsang Province, with a depth of 20 km, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.Tremors were felt across the province, but there were no reported damages. The local fire office received 26 calls on w

Social AffairsDec. 30, 2019

[Newsmaker] Feud for helm of Hanjin Group intensifies

The family feud for the helm of Hanjin Group, the South Korean conglomerate that owns flag carrier Korean Air, appears to be intensifying as the chairman reportedly kicked up a storm at his mother’s house on Christmas.On Sunday, media outlets here reported that group Chairman Cho Won-tae visited the home of his mother, Lee Myung-hee, in the Jongno area of Seoul on Wednesday with his family. There, he reportedly broke a window and items in the house.The incident reportedly occurred because

MobilityDec. 29, 2019

[Newsmaker] Seven bodies found on suspected N. Korean boat in Japan

TOKYO, (AFP) -- The badly decomposed remains of seven people have been found in a suspected North Korean fishing boat that washed up on a Japanese island, a coast guard official said Sunday.The remains were found on Saturday in a broken vessel on the shore of Sado Island, which lies around 900 kilometres (560 miles) from North Korea across the Sea of Japan."Five of the bodies were identified as men but the remaining two could not be identified" as they were badly damaged, the official

North KoreaDec. 29, 2019

[Newsmaker] Prosecutors request arrest warrant for Ulsan vice mayor over election-meddling allegations

Prosecutors here said Friday they have requested an arrest warrant for an Ulsan vice mayor suspected of illegally intervening in the 2018 mayoral election in the southeastern metropolitan city.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office said it asked the court Thursday evening to issue a pre-trial warrant to detain Song Byung-gi, Ulsan's vice mayor for economic affairs, on charges of conspiring with several presidential aides to influence the city's mayoral poll last year in violation of the P

Social AffairsDec. 27, 2019

[Newsmaker] For college students, Samsung remains most coveted employer

University students in South Korea still view tech giant Samsung Electronics as the most desirable future employer, a local survey showed Thursday. According to the survey of 473 male students and 586 female students conducted by online job portal JobKorea, 10.6 percent chose Samsung Electronics as the company where they would most like to work. The next most popular answer was Korean Air (7.6 percent), followed by food manufacturer CJ CheilJedang (6.7 percent) and the Korea Electric P

IndustryDec. 26, 2019

[Newsmaker] Over 3,000 S. Koreans seeking reunions with separated relatives in NK died this year

Over 3,000 South Koreans who had applied for reunions with their long-lost relatives in North Korea have died this year without having their wishes fulfilled, according to government data.A total of 3,147 South Koreans, registered as members of separated families since 1988, died from January to November this year, an online system jointly run by the unification ministry and the Red Cross showed on Tuesday. Among the total of 133,365 South Koreans registered as members of separated families, onl

North KoreaDec. 25, 2019

[Newsmaker] Wi-Fi use latest hot spot of tension at Hyundai Motor

The latest bone of contention between the labor union and management at Hyundai Motor was unforeseen in a country that boasts one of the highest internet penetration rates -- Wi-Fi use.On Tuesday, the automaker changed its decision to allow employees to use Wi-Fi at its manufacturing plant in Ulsan, and placed restrictions on use only during meal times and break hours. The decision was taken after criticism that employees spent a lot of their time surfing the internet or watching YouTube vi

MobilityDec. 24, 2019

[Newsmaker] Hanjin Group siblings up ante in battle for throne

A family war is brewing in Hanjin Group, one of Korea’s vast conglomerates which also owns flag carrier Korean Air, with siblings battling to assume management control. Late Chairman Cho Yang-ho’s eldest daughter Cho Hyun-ah is stepping up her attack against her younger brother and present Chairman Cho Won-tae, hinting at continued dispute about succession.Former Korean Air Vice President Cho Hyun-ah said in a statement Monday via a law firm that “ Cho Won-tae’s busi

IndustryDec. 23, 2019