President Park Geun-hye and the ruling Saenuri Party's approval rating backtracked, a poll showed Friday, with the public citing a lack of communication as one of the major weaknesses of the incumbent administration.According to the poll conducted by Gallup Korea, only 30 percent of the respondents gave a nod to Park this week, down 2 percentage points from a week earlier. The survey was conducted on 1,004 South Koreans.On the other hand, those who expressed discontent against Park came to 58 pe

Politics May 20, 2016

Junsu of South Korean boy band JYJ will throw a solo outdoor showcase in Seoul, his star agency said Friday.The 29-year-old heartthrob will perform in the patio near the east gate of COEX, southern Seoul, at 7:30 p.m. on May 30, according to C-JeS Entertainment.The event is organized to promote his fourth full-length solo album "Xignature," to be released the same day.His showcase will be broadcast in real time through "1theK," an online broadcast channel operated by South Korean music streaming

Performance May 20, 2016

The TV adaptation of the 2001 hit South Korean movie "My Sassy Girl" will premiere in the first half of 2017, its publicist said Friday.The SBS series will be set in the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) period, with actor Joo Won playing Gyeonwoo, the male lead, Ytree Company said.Producer Oh Jin-seok, who created the SBS drama "Yong-pal" starring Joo last year, will lead the production.Auditions are currently underway to find the right woman to play the "sassy girl," who is never named in the movie.A

Television May 20, 2016

South Korea on Friday said it has started the construction of a "hallyu" park in line with its move to establish sustainable attractions to lure Asian tourists.K-Culture Valley, a cluster of various cultural facilities to be located in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, aims to promote the hallyu wave, which refers to the boom of South Korea-made entertainment goods around the globe, including pop music, movies and TV dramas. President Park Geun-hye also attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the zone

Culture May 20, 2016

Russia has joined other countries in imposing sanctions on North Korea in line with the United Nations' push to punish Pyongyang for its nuclear test and other provocative acts this year, a Washington-based media outlet said Friday.Radio Free Asia said in a report posted on its website that Russia's central bank recently ordered other local banks and financial institutions to halt transactions with North Korea.The central bank also said that transactions of bonds held by North Korean individuals

North Korea May 20, 2016

U.S. President Barack Obama's planned visit to the Japanese city of Hiroshima will include laying a wreath at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and a "brief tour" of the memorial grounds, a senior White House official said Thursday."We anticipate that he will be able to visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial to lay a wreath and engage in a brief tour of the memorial grounds after which he will be able to deliver a statement reflecting upon what his impressions are," Deputy National Security Advisor

International May 20, 2016

A top aide to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday that Ban's upcoming visit to South Korea is no political move, rejecting speculation the trip might be tied to his presidential ambitions.Ban's office announced last week that he will visit South Korea on two occasions beginning May 25 for a series of international conferences. Earlier this week, the office added two new events to Ban's itinerary, a visit to a folk village and a speech near Seoul, fueling speculation about his politi

Politics May 20, 2016

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Thursday accused her Republican rival Donald Trump of "praising" North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, saying it is one of a series of statements that show the real-estate tycoon is not qualified to be president.Clinton made the remark in an interview with CNN, calling the North's leader "a despotic dictator.""Whether it's attacking Great Britain, praising the leader of North Korea, a despotic dictator who has nuclear weapons, whether it is sa

International May 20, 2016

A U.S. House Republican lawmaker blasted Donald Trump's willingness to hold talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, saying such a meeting will only bolster the stature of a dictator seeking to "nuke the United States.""You don't meet with a dictator like Kim Jong-un. All you do is, you feed into him at that point, you strengthen him. You put him in a better position," Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) said on CNN, calling the real-estate tycoon a "populist.""The reality is, Donald, you may have goo

International May 20, 2016