SHANGHAI -- Chinese-Canadian pop star Kris Wu, a former member of the K-pop boy band EXO, has been detained in China over suspicions of rape. Police in Beijing said in a posting on the Chinese social media platform Weibo late Saturday that they took the 30-year-old, whose legal Chinese name is Wu Yi Fan, into criminal custody on rape charges after looking into allegations that he seduced and had sex with female minors multiple times. Police did not give further details on the rape charges. Th

K-pop Aug. 1, 2021

TOKYO -- In leading South Korea to a thrilling five-set victory over Japan in the Tokyo Olympic women's volleyball tournament Saturday night, captain Kim Yeon-koung also made history. With 30 points, Kim became the first player to record 30 or more points in an Olympic match four times, according to FIVB, the sport's international governing body. Russia's Ekaterina Gamova is the only other player with multiple 30-point matches with three. Kim was the MVP of the tournament at the 2012 London O

Olympic Games Aug. 1, 2021

TOKYO -- By losing to the United States on Saturday night to finish in second place in its group in the Tokyo Olympic baseball tournament, South Korea set itself up for a potentially thorny path to the final. But how? Well, it's complicated. Six teams in the baseball competition here were divided into two groups. In Group A, Japan, the Dominican Republic and Mexico finished 1-2-3. The rankings in Group B went the United States, South Korea and Israel. In the knockout stage, the first three ga

Olympic Games Aug. 1, 2021

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases retreated to the 1,400s on Sunday due to fewer tests over the weekend, but the fourth wave of infections showed no signs of slowing down despite the adoption of the toughest virus curbs in the greater Seoul area. The country added 1,442 COVID-19 cases, including 1,386 local infections, raising the total caseload to 199,787, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The latest tally is down from 1,710 cases reported Friday and

Social Affairs Aug. 1, 2021

SEOUL/TOKYO -- A senior Japanese Embassy diplomat in Seoul has been recalled home after causing a stir with remarks disparaging South Korean President Moon Jae-in's efforts to improve relations between the two countries, a Japanese paper reported Sunday. Hirohisa Soma, deputy chief of mission at the embassy, has been criticized both in Seoul and Tokyo after telling a South Korean reporter during a lunch meeting last month that Moon's efforts to improve ties with Tokyo were tantamount to "m

Foreign Affairs Aug. 1, 2021

South Korea's exports jumped 29.6 percent on-year in July to a record high, extending their gains to a ninth consecutive month as the global economy maintained a recovery, data showed Sunday. Outbound shipments came to $55.4 billion last month on strong auto and chip sales, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The monthly export volume marked the highest level since South Korea started compiling related data in 1956. The country's exports over the first

Economy Aug. 1, 2021

TOKYO -- South Korea will enter Monday's action at the Tokyo Olympics with a bronze medal already locked up in the women's doubles event in badminton. It's only a matter of who will take the medal. Two South Korean doubles teams will face each other in the bronze medal match at Musashino Forest Sport Plaza in Tokyo: Lee So-hee and Shin Seung-chan vs. Kim So-yeong and Kong Hee-yong. They both lost their semifinals matches Saturday to set up the all-Korean duel for third place. It will be the on

Olympic Games Aug. 1, 2021

South Korea claimed bronze in the women’s sabre team fencing event on Saturday for its fourth medal from the sport at the Tokyo Olympics. The team of Kim Ji-yeon, Yoon Ji-su Choi Soo-yeon and Seo Ji-yeon defeated Italy 45-42 in the bronze medal match at Makuhari Messe Hall B in Chiba, east of Tokyo. South Korea rallied from a 25-15 deficit for the dramatic win. This is South Korea’s first medal in the women’s sabre team event, which made its Olympic debut in 2008. This concl

Olympic Games July 31, 2021

A two-time Olympic archery gold medalist Kim Woo-jin suffered a shocking loss to a 20-year-old archer from Chinese Taipei in the men’s individual event at the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday. Check that: Kim doesn’t think it was so shocking at all. “I don’t appreciate the use of the word ‘shocking,’” Kim said in mock anger, after losing to Tang Chih-Chun in the quarterfinals at Yumenoshima Park Archery Field in Tokyo. “Nothing is guaranteed in sports

Olympic Games July 31, 2021

North Korea’s food security situation is expected to deteriorate in the next four months, a U.N. report has said, citing limited humanitarian access and trade disruptions as key factors leading to the country’s widening food gap. The Food and Agriculture Organization and World Food Programme forecast in a joint report released Friday that the North is expected to be facing a food shortage of around 860,000 tons this year, “which is equivalent to approximately 2.3 months&rsquo

North Korea July 31, 2021

South Korean badminton player Heo Kwang-hee got a taste of his own medicine at the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday, losing to an underdog in the quarterfinals three days after shocking the top-ranked opponent. Kevin Cordon of Guatemala, world No. 59, defeated the 38th-ranked Heo 2-0 (21-13, 21-18) in the quarterfinals of the men’s badminton singles event at Musashino Forest Sport Plaza in Tokyo. Heo had reached the quarterfinals after stunning the world No. 1 from Japan, Kento Momota, in a pr

Olympic Games July 31, 2021

A total of 265 out of 272 service members who had contracted the new coronavirus while on anti-piracy missions in waters off Africa were released from medical facilities Saturday after making full recoveries, the defense ministry said. All members of the 301-strong Cheonghae unit were airlifted home last week, cutting short their missions in Africa after 247 troops tested positive for COVID-19. Subsequent tests found 25 more cases, raising the total caseload to 272. Of the total, 227 returne

Defense July 31, 2021

South Korea’s daily new coronavirus cases retreated to the 1,500s on Saturday, but the fourth wave of infections is showing little signs of letting up despite weeks of the toughest antivirus rules in the greater Seoul area. The country added 1,539 COVID-19 cases, including 1,466 local infections, raising the total caseload to 198,345, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The latest tally is down from 1,710 cases reported Friday. The country added six more COVID

Social Affairs July 31, 2021

South Korea's Kim Si-woo found himself further out of contention in the Tokyo Olympic men's golf tournament on Friday, with the weather-interrupted second round suspended. Kim traded two birdies with two bogeys for an even 71 at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Saitama, north of Tokyo. At three-under for the tournament, Kim is tied for 25th in the field of 60. He was tied for 12th after the opening round. "I don't think I've shown even half of what I am capable of," Kim said. "I d

Olympic Games July 30, 2021

South Korea have already played three matches in the group stage of the Tokyo Olympic men's football tournament. But the team's head coach Kim Hak-bum said Friday the competition won't begin until they play their first knockout match against Mexico on the weekend. South Korea and Mexico will go toe to toe in the quarterfinals at International Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, at 8 p.m. Saturday. "For us, it's not a quarterfinals match. It's our first match," Kim said

Olympic Games July 30, 2021