Korean divas of the ’80s and ’90s have embarked on a new journey as a girl group, with a new single to be dropped Friday. "Golden Girls" on KBS2 follows four divas -- Insooni, Park Mi-kyung, Shin Hyo-beom and Lee Eun-mi -- who debuted as solo vocalists more than 30 to 40 years ago as they "re-debut" as a K-pop girl group named Golden Girls. Park Jin-young, also known as J.Y. Park, leads JYP Entertainment, one of the country's top three entertainment agencies.

Performance Nov. 29, 2023

A cold wave is expected to peak over the weekend, dragging the mercury down further, the weather agency said Friday, after morning temperatures in most parts of South Korea fell below freezing. The cold wave advisory, which took effect in Seoul and Gangwon Province as of 9 p.m. Thursday, was lifted as temperatures rose Friday afternoon, but is still in effect in some parts of North and South Gyeongsang Provinces. The Korea Meteorological Administration predicted that Saturday morning's te

Social Affairs Nov. 24, 2023

A woman convicted of killing another woman in her 20s and dismembering the body was sentenced to life in prison on Friday. The Busan District Court sentenced 23-year-old Jung Yoo-jung to a lifetime in prison, and required her to wear a location tracking device for the next 30 years. Explaining the sentence, the court said it believes the killing had been premeditated. Jung’s lawyer asked the court for a reduction in jail time, citing her family background and mental and physical weakness.

Social Affairs Nov. 24, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol attended a Bureau of International Expositions banquet on Thursday as the first official event during his visit to Paris, in a bid to rally support for Busan in the vote taking place next week. Diplomats and BIE delegations from around the world attended the dinner held at a hotel in Paris. The chiefs from Korea's top conglomerates, including Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and Lot

Foreign Affairs Nov. 24, 2023

This winter is expected to be warmer and wetter than usual, due to global warming and El Nino, the Korea Meteorological Administration said Thursday. Temperatures from December to February next year are likely to be higher than the average years by a 61 to 67 percent chance, the weather agency said in a briefing on its three-month climate forecast. On a monthly basis, there is a 40 percent probability that the temperatures in those three months will be similar to or higher than the average year

Social Affairs Nov. 23, 2023

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee, who are on a state visit to Britain to mark the 140th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, attended a state banquet hosted by King Charles III at Buckingham Palace, Tuesday. The two leaders confirmed the strong relationship between South Korea and Britain, paying tribute to influential cultural figures and the history of each country. After attending an official welcoming ceremony at

Foreign Affairs Nov. 22, 2023

People traveling from Incheon to Seoul by bus will be able to use an unlimited monthly transit pass from next year, Seoul City said Friday. It is an expansion to a 65,000 won ($50) pass that gives commuters unlimited access on all public transport within Seoul, and bus rides that depart from Seoul to other metropolitan areas. The announcement came as Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok signed a "Seoul-Incheon Transportation Business Agreement" at Seoul City Hall and

Social Affairs Nov. 17, 2023

The first snow of the season fell in many regions, including Seoul, Friday. The Korea Meteorological Administration explained that the first snowfall in Seoul, at 11:20 a.m., was observed earlier than usual. Friday's measured precipitation in Seoul was not immediately available as of 3 p.m., but the KMA predicted about 1 centimeter of snowfall in the Greater Seoul area until Saturday. The weather agency officially announces the first snow in Seoul when an observer at the Seoul Meteorologica

Social Affairs Nov. 17, 2023

Local governments across the country have suspended issuing government certificates and civil documents due to a failure in the administrative computer network, followed by a series of suspensions of the Government 24 online service, causing massive inconveniences. The Interior Ministry said it was working to restore the system. An indefinite suspension of all services was announced on the Government website at 1:55 p.m., with the explanation that the system was malfunctioning. The Government 24

Social Affairs Nov. 17, 2023

The Suneung, South Korea's national college entrance exam, is less than a week away, with this year's test seeing a number of changes. The Education Ministry in June announced that it would exclude "killer questions" -- excessively difficult questions, the material for which is often not covered in the public education system. The change came following President Yoon Suk Yeol's comments that such questions might create an excessive dependence on private education. The mi

Social Affairs Nov. 12, 2023

Even in the chilly winter season, when the air gets cold and the sun sets fast, there are still good reasons to take a walk: warm, delicious street snacks. As winter approaches, street vendors attract customers with sweet and savory snacks that one can hold in a hand and enjoy while walking along the street. "The cold, dark way home from work in winter feels even more exhausting than in mild weather, but when I find a street snack truck or a vendor, it really cheers me up," said Lee Hy

weekender Nov. 11, 2023

As the Seoul Metro, operator of the city's subway system, initiated a two-day warning strike Thursday to protest the company's downsizing plans, disruptions are expected outside of rush hour. The labor union of the Seoul Metro is holding a strike from 9 a.m. on Thursday to 6 p.m. Friday as the final negotiations broke down the previous day. Seoul Metro operates Seoul subway lines 1 to 8 and some sections of line 9. During rush hour, from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., all subway trains will operate

Social Affairs Nov. 9, 2023

Morning temperatures fell below freezing in several regions across the country on Wednesday, the weather agency said. In Seoul, the first frost was observed on Wednesday, 21 days later than last year and 11 days later than the average record from 1991 to 2020. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, Jeonju, Gwangju, Seoul, Suwon, Cheongju, Daegu, and Incheon also saw the first frost as of 6 a.m. The first ice was also observed in Seoul, Suwon, and Andong. All were about 20 days lat

Social Affairs Nov. 8, 2023

The South Korean government on Tuesday announced the withdrawal of a ban on disposable paper cups for food service businesses such as cafes and restaurants, along with provisional approval for the use of plastic straws at cafes and plastic bags at convenience stores. The Environment Ministry's announcement came as the grace period for the policy was coming to an end. A ban on single-use products, including paper cups, plastic straws and stirring sticks, was part of disposable product regula

Social Affairs Nov. 7, 2023

Following the rain that fell across the country on Monday, temperatures are expected to drop significantly on Tuesday morning, with some areas likely to see morning temperatures below freezing and the first cold wave alerts. The Korea Meteorological Administration forecast that the morning temperature in Seoul on Tuesday will drop to 3 degrees Celsius, which is 12 C lower than the previous day, marking the coldest weather this fall. In northern Gyeonggi Province and some parts of Gangwon Provinc

Social Affairs Nov. 6, 2023