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

North Korean troops fighting alongside Russia, NIS confirms

North Korean troops are mobilized on the Russian front lines fighting Ukraine, according to a South Korean intelligence agency briefing presented to lawmakers Wednesday. Around 11,000 North Korean troops, many of them part of special forces, had already been trained and deployed to Russia’s Kursk region near the border with Ukraine by late October, Rep. Park Sun-won told reporters. Park, who sits as the deputy chair of the National Assembly intelligence committee, was speaking after he was

PoliticsNov. 20, 2024

Hanwha, HD Hyundai chiefs welcome second Trump era

As Korean industries brace for a second nonconsecutive term of US President-elect Donald Trump, leaders of Korean defense and shipbuilding companies – namely Hanwha Group and HD Hyundai – are enhancing readiness to seize new growth opportunities. Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn, in the process of passing the leadership baton to his sons, took on the role of chairman of Hanwha Aerospace, a key defense subsidiary of the group, last week. The move solidifies Kim's leadership i

IndustryNov. 20, 2024

Music performances to end the year on high note

As the year-end draws near, there are major music awards to look forward to here, where the most talented and popular artists are rewarded for their work and fans are rewarded with witnessing first-ever collaboration stages and spectacular performances. This year's Mnet Asian Music Awards, the world’s largest K-pop awards ceremony organized by CJ ENM, is the frontrunner, taking place at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles Thursday local time, and at the Kyocera Dome Osaka,

K-popNov. 20, 2024

Coway unveils winter-ready home appliances

South Korean home appliance maker Coway has introduced new products designed to improve indoor air quality and provide personal comfort during the winter season. The Dual Clean Humidifier Air Purifier, one of Coway’s flagship products, is designed to tackle dry indoor air and poor air quality in winter. According to Coway, the device integrates a four-stage filtration system -- featuring a pre-filter, air matching filter, deodorization filter and fine dust collection filter -- to remove up

CompaniesNov. 20, 2024

Posco shuts down wire rod mill on oversupply concerns

South Korean steel giant Posco Group said Wednesday that it will shut down a wire rod mill at its steelworks in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, citing global oversupply. The company explained that the decision reflects recent market challenges, including the ongoing global steel surplus, aging facilities, and the impact of China’s low-cost exports. According to Posco, the global wire rod market in 2023 had a production capacity of approximately 200 million metric tons, while demand reac

CompaniesNov. 20, 2024

Samsung Biologics hits W5tr in annual orders

Samsung Biologics said Wednesday that its cumulative orders this year have exceeded 5 trillion won ($3.59 billion), driven by consecutive large-scale deals with global pharmaceutical companies. In a regulatory filing, the company announced two new contract manufacturing agreements with a European pharmaceutical firm worth a combined 930.4 billion won. While specific product details remain undisclosed, the contracts will run through December 2031. As of November, Samsung Biologics has secured 11

CompaniesNov. 20, 2024

[KH Explains] Dissecting Hyundai Motor's lobbying in US

Hyundai Motor Group is on track to report record-high spending for lobbying in the United States this year as the Korean auto conglomerate continues to ramp up its presence and influence in Washington, DC According to OpenSecrets, a Washington, DC-based nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that tracks and publishes data on campaign finance and lobbying, Hyundai Motor Company and Kia -- the two automakers under Hyundai Motor Group -- have spent $2.51 million on lobbying in the US as of the third q

MobilityNov. 20, 2024

Presidential aide calls journalist's question about Yoon's apology 'rude'

A senior secretary to President Yoon Suk Yeol criticized a journalist's question, which had asked the president to elaborate on the specifics reasons for his public apology during a televised press conference, calling it "rude." At a parliamentary session Tuesday, Hong Chul-ho, Yoon’s senior political secretary, made the criticism while trying to defend the president and the latter's 140-minute-long Q&A session with the media on Nov. 7. “The president apologiz

PoliticsNov. 20, 2024

Korea to extend paid leave for miscarriage, stillbirth

South Korea will extend paid leave for women who experience a miscarriage or stillbirth before the 11th week of pregnancy, doubling the current allowance from five to 10 days. The Ministry of Employment and Labor said Wednesday that it has announced partial amendments to the related laws, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Act, Employment Insurance Act, and Labor Standards Act, which will be open for public consultation until Dec. 30. These changes are slated to take effect on Feb. 23,

Social AffairsNov. 20, 2024

[Herald Interview] Cho Yeo-jeong reflects on her role in erotic thriller 'Hidden Face'

Actor Cho Yeo-jeong returns to the silver screen in director Kim Dae-woo’s latest mystery thriller, “Hidden Face,” marking her first film since the global phenomenon “Parasite” (2019). In “Hidden Face,” Cho plays Soo-yeon, a cellist who becomes trapped in a hidden, dungeon-like room, only to witness her fiance, Seong-jin (played by Song Seung-heon), having an affair with her younger colleague, Mi-joo (Park Ji-hyun). Locked inside, Soo-yeon’s fury

FilmNov. 20, 2024

Hanwha Life acquires 75% stake in US securities firm

Hanwha Life, a leading Korean insurance company, said Wednesday it has signed a stock purchase agreement to acquire a 75 percent stake in US securities firm Velocity Clearing. Established in 2003, New York-based Velocity Clearing is an IT-based securities firm primarily serving institutional investors. It offers various financial services, from clearing and settlement to securities lending and prime brokerage. Recently, it has expanded its unlisted US stock brokerage services to global clients,

MarketNov. 20, 2024

[Photo News] IBK-Mizuho partnership

Industrial Bank of Korea Chairman and CEO Kim Sung-tae (right) and Kato Masahiko, president and CEO of Japan's Mizuho Bank, pose for a photo during a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony in Jung-gu, Seoul, Tuesday. Under the agreement, IBK and Mizuho will collaborate on foreign currency procurement, investment banking projects and support for overseas business of bilateral startups. “We hope this partnership will strengthen cooperation, marking the 60th anniversary of the trea

IndustryNov. 20, 2024

Yoon to return without early Trump meeting

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday departed for South Korea after he wrapped up his visit to South America to attend the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and Group of 20 summit. At Galeao Air Force Base in Rio de Janeiro, Yoon boarded South Korea's Air Force One at 4:37 p.m. on Tuesday. Yoon was set to arrive in Seoul Thursday as tentatively scheduled, according to the presidential office. His wife Kim Keon Hee did not accompany Yoon on this trip. The date for Yoon's return remained

PoliticsNov. 20, 2024

10-year jail term finalized for Rolls-Royce hit-and-run

The Supreme Court on Wednesday finalized a 10-year prison term for a hit-and-run driver who killed a pedestrian by driving his Rolls-Royce onto a sidewalk while under the influence of drugs. The accident happened in near Apgujeong Station in Sinsa-dong, southern Seoul in August 2023. The victim, aged 27, was on her way home after working a part-time job. She died in November last year. He then left the scene without taking any measures to deal with the accident. The 28-year-old driver, identif

Social AffairsNov. 20, 2024

'Don't fear failure, pursue what you love,' says Faker

South Korean gamer Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok advised youth not to fear failure, noting that the journey is crucial to success. "Success is equated with being the best and winning in the professional world, so I always strived to win," Lee, a five-time winner of the League of Legends World Championship, said during a keynote speech during the 2024 Future Dialogue for Global Innovation event held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday. However, Lee said failure taught h

Social AffairsNov. 20, 2024

Man kills 'violent' grandfather; grandmother asks court for leniency

A man under trial in South Korea for killing his grandfather has claimed that the victim had frequently abused his grandmother, while the grandmother in question has requested a lenient punishment for her grandson, saying "she would gladly give her own life for it." Prosecutors asked the Seoul Eastern District Court to sentence the 23-year-old man accused of killing his grandfather to 24 years in prison, in a court hearing Tuesday. They said that, although the defendant said his grandf

Social AffairsNov. 20, 2024

Monk jailed for threatening teen with ax

Seoul court said Wednesday that it had sentenced a 10-month prison term for a monk, who threatened to cut off the injured leg of a high school student with an ax for no apparent reason. Seoul Central District Court found the 63-year-old defendant guilty of special intimidation -- meaning it involved a weapon or collective force. The verdict was a result of an appellate case regarding two separate threats the defendant made with a weapon. The defendant in April of last year approached a high scho

Social AffairsNov. 20, 2024

Assigning trans boy to girls' room is discrimination: human rights body

A school assigning a female-to-male transgender student to stay in the girls' room on a school trip is discriminatory, the state-run human rights body said Tuesday. The National Human Rights Commission said Tuesday it recommended the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education to provide a comprehensive education policy that can attend to the needs of LGBTQ+ students and allow diversity in the classroom. The NHRC's decision was in response to a complaint filed in February by a student at

Social AffairsNov. 20, 2024