Labor union, farmers' association stage large-scale rally in downtown Seoul

South Korea's largest umbrella labor union and the farmers' association held a massive rally in central Seoul on Wednesday against the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, causing traffic congestion, officials said. An estimated 6,000 members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and the general association of national farmers, simply known as Junnong, staged a joint rally in downtown Seoul, lashing out at the Yoon government for causing economic hardships for farmers and the p

Social AffairsNov. 20, 2024

Disney+'s megahit 'Moving' creator returns with 'Light Shop'

SINGAPORE -- After the global success of "Moving," Disney+ has bet big on its next project with Kang Full, one of South Korea’s most acclaimed cartoonists and the creator of the "Moving" webtoon series. Upcoming horror mystery series "Light Shop," set to premiere on Disney+ Dec. 4, follows a group of mysterious figures who find their way to an enigmatic lighting shop. The star-studded cast includes Ju Ji-hoon, famous for his leading roles in hits like "Al

TelevisionNov. 20, 2024

Nearly half of pines at Seoraksan face extinction due to global warming: study

Nearly half of the Korean pines, a tree species emblematic of the nation, are at risk of dying at Seoraksan, a recent study revealed Wednesday. The research, conducted by the Korea National Park Service, examined the state of pine forests across five national parks -- Seoraksan, Odaesan, Chiaksan, Taebaeksan and Sobaeksan -- utilizing satellite imagery, aerial photographs and on-site patrol data. The findings revealed significant pine tree dieback, with 480 trees affected in Taebaeksan, 41 in

Social AffairsNov. 20, 2024

Reality show 'I Live Alone' disciplined for 'glorifying' alcohol consumption

Popular reality TV show “I Live Alone” has received a disciplinary measure from South Korea’s broadcasting watchdog for repeatedly depicting cast members drinking alcohol, it was revealed Wednesday. The decision to issue a "caution" to the show’s broadcaster MBC was made at a general meeting of the Korea Communications Standards Commission on Monday in Seoul, where 15 cases, including of “I Live Alone,” were reviewed for potential violations of broad

TelevisionNov. 20, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] Blackpink’s Lisa to roll out 1st solo LP

Lisa of Blackpink will release her first solo full album on Feb. 28, announced agency Lloud Company Wednesday. She will pour everything she has honed through her career into the album dubbed “Alter Ego,” it added. The artist has dropped singles “Rockstar,” “New Woman” and “Moonlit Floor” since June. “Rockstar” ranked No. 70 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and the Rosalia collaboration No. 97. The first earned Lisa her first Billboard Globa

K-popNov. 20, 2024

Porsche driver appeals six-year jail term for DUI killing teen

A man in his 50s who caused a fatal crash while speeding under the influence of alcohol has appealed a six-year prison sentence, according to a court on Tuesday. The Jeonju District Court handed down a jail term of six years with a fine of 1 million won ($718) on charges of drunk driving and violation of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Settlement of Traffic Accidents to the defendant in September. The defendant filed an appeal, arguing that the six-year prison term is too heavy. In respo

Social AffairsNov. 20, 2024

Labor, farmer groups stage large-scale rallies in central Seoul

South Korea‘s labor groups, including one of the nation’s two major umbrella unions, held a rally Wednesday calling for President Yoon Suk Yeol to step down. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the largest umbrella labor union in the country, and the Korean Peasants League called for Yoon's resignation, claiming he has failed to address the plummeting rice prices and has excessively used low-tariff and duty-free imports, which they argue undermines local agricultural stabi

Social AffairsNov. 20, 2024

Binding plastic pollution treaty unlikely: ministry

With less than a week left for the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international, legally binding instrument on plastic pollution at its fifth and final session, the Ministry of Environment told the press Wednesday that reaching a deal “could be difficult.” "Out of the five scheduled rounds of negotiations, four have been completed,” said an Environment Ministry official. “However, the process remains deadlocked due to sharp conflict between cou

Social AffairsNov. 20, 2024

Seoul stocks rise for 3rd day ahead of Nvidia results

South Korean stocks extended their winning streak to the third straight day Wednesday as investors awaited the third-quarter earnings of US AI chip giant Nvidia. The local currency remained unchanged against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) added 10.34 points, or 0.42 percent, to close at 2,482.29. Trade volume was moderate at 400.3 million shares worth 7.7 trillion won ($5.53 billion), with gainers closely outpacing losers 435 to 420. Foreigners and individ

MarketNov. 20, 2024

IMF lowers Korea's 2025 growth outlook to 2%

The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday lowered its economic growth forecast for South Korea to 2 percent next year, down from 2.2 percent projected in October, citing high uncertainties and weak domestic demand. The announcement came after a team of IMF officials led by Korea mission chief Rahul Anand made a two-week visit to Seoul for an annual country meeting with the finance ministry, the Bank of Korea and other institutions to discuss the country's economic policy measures. "

EconomyNov. 20, 2024

Japan to hold 1st memorial for Korean forced labor victims at Sado mine

The first official memorial ceremony honoring Korean victims of forced labor at the gold mines on Sado Island during Japan's colonial rule from 1910 to 1945 will be held in Sado on Sunday, attended by South Korean and Japanese government officials and bereaved families of the victims. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry and Japan’s executive committee for the Sado Mine memorial jointly announced Wednesday that the event, officially titled the "Sado Mine Memorial Ceremony,"

Foreign AffairsNov. 20, 2024

[Herald Interview] How Gopizza got big in India

South Korean pizza chain Gopizza is strengthening its foothold in the Indian market by blending food technology with the distinct flavors of Korean cuisine, offering a fresh take on the classic pizza experience. Founded in 2016 as a single-serving pizza concept aimed at making pizza more accessible, Gopizza entered the Indian market in 2019, tailoring its approach to meet the distinct preferences of Indian consumers. "We currently operate 60 stores across southern India and plan to expand

IndustryNov. 20, 2024

Young composers add traditional music flavor to 20-year-old game

The National Orchestra of Korea, dedicated to contemporary interpretations of traditional Korean music, is bringing back a program gaining popularity among gamers -- the soundtracks of hit games reimagined using traditional Korean instruments. Two previous collaborations with game developers were presented in the “Soso Music Concert” series, aimed at children and young people, featuring mobile games such as "Cookie Run: Kingdom" in 2021 and 2022, and "Crazyracing Kar

CultureNov. 20, 2024

S. Korea sees second-highest immigration surge in OECD

Immigration of a permanent type to South Korea jumped by 50.9 percent last year, the second biggest surge among the 38 member countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. In an OECD report titled “International Migration Outlook 2024,” released last week, a record 6.5 million people moved to the 38 high-income countries committed to democracy which make up the OECD last year, up 10 percent from 2022. The United States was the top destination country, adding

Social AffairsNov. 20, 2024

Illegal gambling franchise busted, over 700 under investigation

South Korean police said Wednesday they are pursuing criminal charges against 715 individuals related to a nationwide illegal gambling operation, which is thought to have brought in around 100 billion won ($72 million) in revenue. Busan Metropolitan Police Agency arrested seven individuals suspected of running a poker-themed bar franchise with 15 local branches across the country that conducted an illegal gambling operation from March 2021 to April this year. The others are being investigated wi

Social AffairsNov. 20, 2024

Doctor eases pain of tattoo regrets

At a gathering of people with striking facial and body tattoos, a middle-aged man wearing fake tattoo sleeves attempts to blend in. That’s Dr. Park Young-soo, filming for his popular YouTube channel at the Korea Tattoo Convention in Seoul, a major event for tattoo artists in South Korea. He’s there to learn about the latest trends and interact with people from the opposite side of his profession -- removing tattoos. Every day, he meets people who regret their tattoos and seek removal

Hashtag KoreaNov. 20, 2024

Supreme Court hands down maximum prison term for 'jeonse' fraudster

A 50-year-old woman was sentenced to 15 years in prison for orchestrating a massive real estate scam that defrauded 229 tenants out of 18 billion won ($13 million) in deposits entrusted to her under the "jeonse" lump-sum lease system. The Supreme Court’s First Division upheld a lower court’s ruling on Wednesday, confirming the 15-year prison sentence for Choi, who was convicted of fraud and other charges. This marks the Supreme Court's first definitive ruling in a larg

Social AffairsNov. 20, 2024

Student artists show traditional Korean attire in Berlin

Over 80 items of traditional Korean attire including hanbok will be exhibited at the Free University of Berlin from Friday to Jan. 17. The exhibition is a project by the state-run Korea National University of Heritage. The “Korean Traditional Attire, Hanbok: Art of Dignified Manner” exhibition will feature not only everyday attire like hanbok, but uniforms worn by royals and a large collection of fabrics used for each season, such as silk and ramie. The items on display have all been

Arts & DesignNov. 20, 2024

Labor Ministry dismisses Hanni harassment case

The Ministry of Employment and Labor has ruled that allegations of workplace harassment involving Hanni, a Vietnamese Australian member of K-pop girl group NewJeans, do not fall under labor law protections, as she is not classified as a worker under the Labor Standards Act. On Wednesday, the ministry announced the closure of a complaint filed last month by NewJeans’ fan base, known as "Bunnies," which alleged that Hanni was subjected to workplace harassment at Hybe’s headqu

K-popNov. 20, 2024

Former Ador CEO Min Hee-jin quits Hybe, declares legal war

Min Hee-jin, former CEO of Hybe subsidiary Ador, announced on Wednesday her resignation from her post as an internal director at Ador, signaling a complete departure from Hybe. She also declared her intent to take legal action against the K-pop powerhouse, accusing the company of breaching shareholder agreements and engaging in unlawful practices. “I have decided to resign as an internal director of Ador today,” Min said in a statement. “I will terminate my shareholder agreemen

K-popNov. 20, 2024