With the FIFA World Cup just around the corner, stocks related to chicken are performing strongly on the Korean stock market in anticipation of a surge in demand. As of 2 p.m. Friday, Kyochon F&B shares were trading at around 12,600 won apiece on the main Kospi bourse, up 2 percent from the previous close. That is nearly 27 percent higher from a month ago. The operator of Kyochon, one of the most popular chicken brands in South Korea, has mounted a strong rally since Oct. 13 when it dipped t

Hashtag Korea Nov. 18, 2022

Foreign residents of Daejeon aged 65 or over will be able to ride the subway for free, according to the officials of the municipal government and the city transit authorities on Friday. Daejeon Metropolitan Government and the Daejeon Transportation Corporation have agreed to exempt subway fares for foreign seniors who live in Daejeon and have acquired permanent residency. The policy is expected to be implemented within this month.   South Korea currently has a policy of allowing senior citi

Social Affairs Nov. 18, 2022

The official supporters club for the South Korean national soccer team is seeking to organize mass street cheering events at Gwanghwamun Plaza in central Seoul, but prospects remain unclear as of now in the aftermath of last month’s Itaewon tragedy. The Red Devils submitted an application to the Seoul Metropolitan Government to use the square on Nov. 24 and 28, and Dec. 2, when the national team is scheduled to play in the FIFA World Cup against Uruguay, Ghana and Portugal, respectively. I

Soccer Nov. 18, 2022

The Seoul city council has passed a controversial bill that would essentially gut the city’s funding for TBS eFM, Seoul’s only English-language radio network. During a plenary session Tuesday afternoon, the council, controlled by the ruling People Power Party, rammed the bill through a vote. Opposition members boycotted the vote in protest. The legislation, slated to take effect on Jan. 1, 2024, would deprive TBS, short for Traffic Broadcasting System, of around 30 billion won ($22.7

Politics Nov. 16, 2022

  A South Korean opposition lawmaker is in the hot seat after he used the phrase “poverty porn” to describe first lady Kim Keon-hee who released photos of her philanthropic work while accompanying President Yoon Suk-yeol’s visit to Southeast Asia. Rep. Jang Kyung-tae of the liberal Democratic Party of Korea said Wednesday that he will “consider expressing regret” if the first lady was upset by his recent comment, while fending off the ruling People Power Party&

Politics Nov. 16, 2022

Recently, a local court cleared a 54-year-old man of stalking allegations, although the accused had apparently harassed his ex-girlfriend with repeated phone calls. The logic behind the verdict? She didn’t answer the phone. “While the (accused) called, the ex-girlfriend did not talk to him on the phone. The sound of the phone ringing cannot be regarded as the sound that was transmitted to the recipient through the information and communications system. ... Even if records of unanswer

Social Affairs Nov. 15, 2022

A priest of the Anglican Church of Korea has been deposed from the ordained ministry hours after he wished President Yoon Suk-yeol’s plane to crash on Facebook. Daejeon Diocese of the Anglican Church of Korea said Monday that the Rev. Kim Gyu-don had been removed from his duties, as his comments “are not ones that a priest can do.” In a Facebook posting earlier on Monday, the penalized priest said the entire Korean population should wish for the crash, saying such effort will &

Social Affairs Nov. 15, 2022

NUSA DUA, Indonesia (AP) -- President Joe Biden objected to China’s “coercive and increasingly aggressive actions” toward Taiwan and raised human rights concerns about Beijing’s conduct in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong during his first in-person meeting on Monday with President Xi Jinping, the White House said. In a news conference following the meeting, Biden reiterated U.S. support for its longstanding “One China” policy. He also said that despite China&rsq

World News Nov. 14, 2022

Firefighters deployed to the scene of the Oct. 29 Itaewon tragedy on Wednesday cried foul over the police’s ongoing investigation on their response, claiming that the government is placing the blame on the ones who worked the hardest. During Wednesday’s meeting with opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, held on National Firefighters’ Day, members of the Yongsan Fire Station claimed that their chief, Choi Seong-beom, who was booked by police for negligence, was the first among those

Social Affairs Nov. 9, 2022

Radio communication exchanged between emergency rescue officers responding to the Oct. 29 Itaewon disaster was released Tuesday, revealing the chaotic situation that took place that tragic night. Rep. Lee Sung-man of the main opposition Democratic Party released the transcripts of the recordings he received from the Seoul Emergency Operations Center. It shows communication among the rescue officers sent after the initial citizen’s report to the 119 emergency center on 10:15 p.m., which is

Social Affairs Nov. 8, 2022

Actor Ryan Reynolds described his experience of appearing in the Korean TV show “The King of Masked Singer” back in 2018 as “being in actual hell,” during a recent interview. Reynolds appeared on NBC's Today show on Monday to promote his upcoming movie “Spirited” with Will Ferrell and Octavia Spencer, during which he talked about why he appeared on the Korean show. "Masked Singer," which is still airing on South Korea's MBC TV, has masked c

Television Nov. 8, 2022

Tech sector employment took a hit this week, with Twitter firing roughly half of its employees last week and Meta Platforms, operator of Facebook and Instagram, reportedly planning widespread layoffs. About a quarter of the 30 employees at the Twitter Korea have received notifications that they will be laid off, Donga Ilbo and others reported, while Facebook Korea said they not been alerted of any related measures as of Wednesday. The Wall Street Journal on Sunday reported that the parent compan

Industry Nov. 8, 2022

On Saturday, an estimated 20,000 people gathered on the streets of Jung-gu, Seoul near City Hall Station and Gwanghwamun Station in memory of the Itaewon tragedy that claimed 156 lives. The participants protested the lack of safety measures and promptness in response from authorities the day of the tragedy. The tribute, however, sparked a mixed reaction as some -- particularly the factions supporting President Yoon Seuk-yeol -- raised suspicion that the protest was politically charged to bring d

Hashtag Korea Nov. 6, 2022

In the aftermath of the Sewol ferry sinking which killed 304 people, the government allocated a total of 1.5 trillion won ($1.06 billion) to set up a new emergency communication system. That system was officially launched last year. However, it barely worked as designed when 156 lives, most of them young people, died in a crowd crush during Halloween festivities in Itaewon on Oct. 29. From a lack of appropriate safety measures before the disaster to the authorities’ botched response afterw

Social Affairs Nov. 4, 2022

Angered by South Korean soccer star Son Heung-min’s injury and its potential impact on the national team’s chances at the upcoming World Cup, some Korean fans have been bombarding the Instagram page of a player involved in Son’s injury with hate comments. As of Friday afternoon, there are over 5,900 comments on the most recent post of Chancel Mbemba, a defender of Olympique de Marseille, far more than for any other post on his page. Many of them -- written in Korean -- contain

Soccer Nov. 4, 2022