JYP Entertainment, the agency-label behind K-pop girl groups like ITZY, TWICE and Wonder Girls, is poised to launch a new all-female act next year. The company, which recently posted a new teaser image and video for the upcoming launch, said the new act is set to debut in February next year. JYP said it has formed a new business unit dedicated to the girl group, comprising officials who helped scout and train members of Wonder Girls, 2AM, 2PM and TWICE. As part of a pre-debut scheme, JYP is s

K-pop July 9, 2021

Unification Minister Lee In-young expressed strong regret Friday after the chief of the main opposition People Power Party suggested a need to abolish the ministry handling inter-Korean affairs. PPP Chairman Lee Jun-seok raised the suggestion during a radio interview earlier in the day, saying it is inefficient to separate the duties of the foreign ministry and the unification ministry. "I would like to ask whether Chairman Lee Jun-seok's remarks represent the party's opinion," Lee s

North Korea July 9, 2021

South Korea on Friday reported the highest-ever daily COVID-19 cases since the outbreak of the pandemic, as health authorities decided to impose the toughest virus curbs in the greater Seoul area, the hotbed for the recent spike in virus infections, in an effort to bring the fourth wave of the outbreak under control.  The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said 1,316 more COVID-19 cases were confirmed Thursday, including 1,236 local infections, raising the total caseload to 164,0

Social Affairs July 9, 2021

The military has reported three additional coronavirus cases, the defense ministry said Friday, as South Korea saw the highest-ever daily COVID-19 infections since the outbreak of the pandemic last year. An Army officer in Goyang, northwest of Seoul, and a soldier in the southeastern city of Gyeongsan were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 after developing symptoms, while an officer in the southwestern city of Taean was found to be infected after coming into contact with a person who tested

Defense July 9, 2021

South Korea announced Friday it will place the greater Seoul area under the toughest social distancing rules of Level 4 as concerns of a fourth wave of new COVID-19 outbreaks over the summer grow stronger. The decision to implement Level 4 guidelines in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, 40 kilometers west of the capital, Monday for two weeks was reached in an interagency COVID-19 response meeting chaired by Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum. Under Level 4 rules, gatherings of more than two peopl

Social Affairs July 9, 2021

Hyundai Motor Co. said Friday it has revealed the wagon version of the G70 under its independent Genesis brand in Britain ahead of its launch in other European countries later this year. Hyundai unveiled the G70 Shooting Brake at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed, one of the biggest motoring sporting events, and will begin to sell the model there later this year, the company said in a statement. The company plans to launch the localized G70 model in other European markets to capture a sha

Industry July 9, 2021

Samsung Electronics Co. is considering launching the upcoming budget model of the Galaxy S21 smartphone in the United States and Europe only, industry sources said Friday, due to global semiconductor shortages. Samsung is reviewing a plan to release the Galaxy S21 Fan Edition (FE) in the U.S. and Europe after skipping the domestic market and other countries following the tight supply of mobile application processors, according to the sources. The Galaxy S21 FE will be reportedly powered by the

Industry July 9, 2021

The UN nuclear watchdog has formed a team of experts, including a South Korean researcher, to monitor Japan's planned discharge of treated water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, the government said Friday. Kim Hong-suk, a nuclear expert from the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS), joined the team that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) formed Thursday, it said, noting his participation will help ensure the safety of the planned water release. The team is known

Foreign Affairs July 9, 2021

South Korean battery maker Samsung SDI Co. is considering investment in the United States to meet growing demand for electric vehicles, industry sources said Friday, stoking speculation over potential partnership with major automakers. The battery making arm of Samsung Electronics Co. has been reviewing various options to build a new battery factory in the US to supply potential clients but has remained cautious over its plan despite rising market expectations. "We are considering US inve

Industry July 9, 2021

The finance ministers of South Korea and Argentina have held talks over ways to ease volatility of cross-border capital flows and strengthen economic cooperation, the finance ministry said Friday. Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki and his Argentine counterpart, Martin Guzman, held the meeting in Venice, Italy, on Thursday (local time) on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G-20) meeting of top finance and economic officials, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. They shared the view that

Economy July 9, 2021

The brother of a South Korean fisheries official killed in North Korean waters said Friday he sent emails to the North's diplomatic missions in Hong Kong and Mongolia asking them to deliver his letter to leader Kim Jong-un. The fisheries official was shot and killed by North Korea's military in September while adrift in waters north of the inter-Korean sea border in the Yellow Sea, a day after he went missing the previous day while on duty near the western border island of Yeonpyeong. On Frida

North Korea July 9, 2021

Defending champions Ulsan Hyundai FC have qualified for the knockout stage at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League, moving forward in their bid for a second consecutive title at the continent's top club football tournament. The South Korean club defeated Viettel 3-0 at Pathum Thani Stadium in Bangkok on Thursday (local time) for their fifth consecutive victory in Group F. Sitting at 15 points with one match remaining against BG Pathum United on Sunday, Ulsan have assured them

Soccer July 9, 2021

WASHINGTON -- North Korea poses a significant cyber threat to the United States and other countries, particularly to financial institutions, a State Department spokesman said Thursday. Ned Price also highlighted the need for joint efforts to counter such threats posed by the North. "North Korea's malicious cyber activities threaten the United States. They threaten our allies and partners, countries around the world," the spokesman said at a press briefing, also elaborating that the N

North Korea July 9, 2021

South Korean stocks opened lower Friday as the country decided to impose a semi-lockdown in the greater Seoul area, a hotbed for the recent spike in the new coronavirus. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) fell 23.3 points, or 0.72 percent, to trade at 3,229.38 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. The Kospi came off to a lackluster start, as the country decided to raise its virus restrictions in the wider Seoul area to the highest level. The announcement came after t

Market July 9, 2021

WASHINGTON -- The United States is still considering the possibility of its first lady, Jill Biden, traveling to Japan for the summer Olympics there, a White House spokeswoman said Thursday. "We are still assessing the feasibility of the first lady attending and our advance team arrives in Tokyo later this week," Jen Psaki told a daily press briefing. Her remarks come shortly after Tokyo said the Olympics will take place without any spectators, amid a resurgence in COVID-19 infection

Foreign Affairs July 9, 2021