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17/04/2024

Police on Wednesday morning were talking to a man standing atop a Han River bridge, trying to persuade him to come down.

As of 9:20 a.m., the unidentified man is standing on the upper structure of the Hangangdaegyo bridge in Ichon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, apparently threatening to jump. Local police said he is protesting against the government, and has been on the bridge since 5:50 a.m.

Police on Wednesday morning were talking to a man standing atop a Han River bridge, trying to persuade him to come down. As of 9:20 a.m., the unidentified man is standing on the upper structure of the Hangangdaegyo bridge in Ichon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, apparently threatening to jump. Local police...

17/04/2024

The number of passengers on South Korea’s bullet trains, the KTX and SRT, hit a record high during the first quarter this year, the trains’ operators said.

From January to March, the number of KTX users jumped to 19.26 million from 17.91 million during the same period last year, according to Korea Railroad Corp.

The number of passengers on South Korea’s bullet trains, the KTX and SRT, hit a record high during the first quarter this year, the trains’ operators said. From January to March, the number of KTX users jumped to 19.26 million from 17.91 million during the same period last year, according to Kor...

17/04/2024

There are a number of popular misconceptions about the meaning of democracy in Korea. Sometimes, we misunderstand democracy as merely “rule by the majority.” However, true democracy should also respect the opinions of the minority. Other times, we mistake democracy for the maxim that “we can do whatever we want to do.”

In a democratic system, people authorize their elected representatives to work on their behalf. Thus, we should not expect these representatives to ask for our consent or approval before they do anything. You also cannot force them to explain everything to you or communicate with you all the time because you elected them to “represent” you. In South Korea, however, people strongly demand their representatives to do all these things.

Dictionaries define “democracy” as “a system in which state power is vested in the people who elect their representatives through elections.” The problem with the above definition is that even authoritarian countries can claim that they are democratic countries because they always use "the people" as excuses or propaganda and put on a show of holding elections. Stalin once said, “The people who cast votes don’t decide elections, the people who count the votes do.”

17/04/2024

The Iranian-Israeli war has now emerged from the shadows with the barrage of over 300 drones, rockets, and cruise missiles Iran launched at Israel. Along with the US military and other partners, the Israel Defense Forces were able to intercept 99 percent of them.

Once again, the Israeli military demonstrated its superb capabilities, but US support was essential. Although Israel takes pride in being able to defend itself, circumstances have changed. When facing threats on seven fronts, as the IDF acknowledges, it is important that Israel had the help, and Israelis should recognize the value of being part of a coalition as they face Iran, its proxies, and their Russian backers.

If nothing else, Iran’s attack should remind the Israelis that their war with Hamas is not being fought in an international vacuum and support from the outside matters. That war is now in its seventh month. Israel is succeeding in a tactical sense. It is dismantling Hamas’s military infrastructure, and it has destroyed it as an organized fighting force, with 19 of 24 Hamas battalions no longer existing.

17/04/2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday said he would work to improve his communication with the people and try to accept the public sentiment, making his first public comments after the crushing defeat of his conservative ruling party in the April 10 elections.

“All of us have to accept the public sentiment revealed in the general elections in a humble manner,” Yoon said in a televised speech during a Cabinet meeting. “I will communicate more in a humbler and more flexible attitude and try to listen to the people’s voices more closely.”

Yoon’s public remark came after the ruling People Power Party suffered a resounding defeat in the general elections last week, taking home just 108 out of 300 seats in the National Assembly.

16/04/2024

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, on Tuesday delivered a concise yet stern message to China and Russia not to hide and reward North Korea's bad behavior. She also urged Pyongyang to "say yes" to Washington's repeated calls for dialogue without preconditions.

"Hiding the truth does not change it. Rewarding bad behavior only encourages it," Thomas-Greenfield conveyed pointed admonition to China and Russia during her visit to the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone that separates the two Koreas, which are still technically at war.

"We urge Russia and China to reverse course and once again to urge Pyongyang to choose diplomacy and come to the negotiating table..."

Thomas-Greenfield in particular denounced China and Russia for capitalizing on their position as veto-wielding permanent members of the UN Security Council to "shield the DPRK from accountability," referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

By Ji Da-gyum and Joint Press Corps Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, on Tuesday delivered a concise yet stern message to China and Russia not to hide and reward North Korea's bad behavior. She also urged Pyongyang to "say yes" to Washington's repeated call...

16/04/2024

A series of memorial events were held across the country Tuesday, the 10th anniversary of the Sewol ferry tragedy, in remembrance of the 304 lives lost in Korea's worst maritime disaster.

At a ceremony held at the Hwarang Public Garden in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, Gyeonggi Province Gov. Kim Dong-yeon vowed to remember the 304 victims forever. Kim also lamented that no senior officials were held accountable for the failed disaster response.

"Another tragedy followed this tragedy. It is because no one has been responsible for the Sewol sinking, and (senior officials) have been rather to cover up the truth. Sadly, our reality has not changed from 10 years ago."

Kim stressed that we need to remember the Sewol ferry sinking in the future. "Some people say 'Let's forget about the Sewol disaster now,' but they are wrong. We can't do that. Until the bereaved families and the victims are fully healed, and until human rights values are properly protected in our society, we should strive," Kim said.

"I will remember so that the lessons of the Sewol ferry will take root in our society. I will always try to make safety the top priority. in Gyeonggi Province," Kim noted.

16/04/2024

South Korean streaming platforms are launching subscription packages tied with complementary services in response to mounting criticisms that the subscription fees for streaming services are getting too high, a phenomenon nicknamed "streamflation" here.

On Monday, local telecom service provider KT launched a subscription package named "Tving + Starbucks" which includes access to Tving and a monthly coupon for a tall Americano at Starbucks.

Three types of subscription packages are available: Tving Basic + Starbucks at 12,000 won ($8.67), Tving Standard + Starbucks at 16,000 won and Tving Premium + Starbucks at 19,500 won.

The bundled offer provides users with a total 2,000 won discount, compared with separately subscribing to Tving and purchasing a tall Americano at Starbucks.

According to KT, it is also scheduled to launch the "YouTube Premium + Starbucks" package.

16/04/2024

Luxury fashion houses reported a slowdown in sales growth in Korea after years of upbeat sales that peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to recent earnings reports.

“Consumption of expensive luxury products soared over the past few years, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic. But, luxury purchases started to slow down last year as consumer confidence remained low amid economic woes,” an industry source said on the condition of anonymity.

The two largest luxury brands in Korea, Chanel and Louis Vuitton, were unable to avoid the downward trend.

16/04/2024

Foreigners who are ordered to leave South Korea because they have been in the country illegally or have committed a crime will have to be deported within 36 months starting next year.

The Justice Ministry has proposed an amendment to the Immigration Act that would limit the maximum period of accommodating foreigners ordered with compulsory evacuation to 36 months.

This follows the Constitutional Court's decision in March of last year that the indefinite detention of foreigners subject to deportation is unconstitutional because it unduly restricts their physical freedom.

The current law stipulates that if a foreigner subject to a deportation order cannot be repatriated immediately for reasons such as not having a passport or not having transportation, they can be placed in a shelter until they can be repatriated. As of last year, there were 34,580 foreigners in protective custody under deportation orders.

16/04/2024

Last year, South Korea's card payments surged past 900 trillion won ($644.6 billion) for the first time, amid heightened inflation and escalating consumer prices.

Data compiled by the Financial Supervisory Service reveals that the combined card payment performance of the nation's eight major credit card companies -- Shinhan, Samsung, Hyundai, KB Kookmin, Lotte, Woori, Hana, and BC -- reached 920.5 trillion won, marking a 6.4 percent increase from the 2022 total of 856.4 trillion won.

This milestone marks the first instance annual card payments exceeded 9 trillion won since the FSS began collecting data in 2006.

Shinhan Card led the pack, accounting for over a fifth of the total with 190.6 trillion won. It is poised to surpass the 200-trillion-won mark this year, becoming the first in the industry to do so.

16/04/2024

The Busan One Asia Festival, celebrating its eighth edition this year, will take place over two days on June 8 and 9.

BOF is hosted by the Busan city government and organized by the Busan Tourism Organization.

On the first day of the festival, the BOF Big Concert, featuring various K-pop artists, will be held at the Busan Asiad Main Stadium, while on June 9, the Park Concert will take place at Hwamyeong Eco Park. The lineup for the Park Concert has not yet been announced yet.

The BOF Big Concert will feature nine acts ranging from legendary groups who laid the foundations for K-pop to up-and-coming rookies. Veteran groups g.o.d and Super Junior-D&E will take to the stage, along with relative rookies Zerobaseone, Boynextdoor, Nowadays, n.SSign, Lun8, H1-Key and Billlie.

16/04/2024

K-pop rookie group Illit made its first showing on Billboard’s Hot 100 dated April 20 with “Magnetic,” the lead track of its debut EP “Super Real Me,” landing at No. 91 on the chart.

This makes Illit the first K-pop act to enter Billboard’s main songs chart with a debut single.

Billboard’s Hot 100 ranks the week’s most popular current songs across all genres by streaming activity from digital music sources, radio airplay and sales data compiled by Luminate.

The entry barrier to Billboard’s Hot 100 is usually very high for rookies like Illit as it is hard for them to score well in the radio airplay audience impressions category due to low recognition in the US.

“Magnetic” also debuted on Spotify’s Daily Top Song Global and Weekly Top Song US charts on March 25, the day of its release.

16/04/2024

Line Next, the Web3 unit of Japanese-based LY Corp., has redefined the digital market with its mobile service Dosi, which made its official debut in January this year.

Line Next says it has transformed Dosi from an NFT platform into a dynamic digital service that integrates Web3 technology with existing web features.

Seeking to expand the non-fungible token ecosystem, Line Next is paving the way to lead the Web3 market by offering differentiated services and exclusive digital perks users want.

The beta version of Dosi, which was released in September 2022, was a major initiative taken by Line Next as part of its plans to shape the Web3 ecosystem. As of January this year, more than 5.5 million users from around the globe had accessed the digital platform, having made more than 560,000 cumulative transactions, according to the company.

16/04/2024

Finance leaders from South Korea, the United States and Japan were set to hold their first-ever trilateral meeting in Washington on Wednesday, to step up economic cooperation amid heightened geopolitical risks in the Middle East.

Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok departed for the US on Tuesday to attend the three-way meeting, as well as a meeting of Group of 20 finance ministers and central bank presidents as part of the annual Spring Meetings between the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, scheduled to take place between Wednesday and Friday.

According to the Ministry of Economy and Finance on Tuesday, Choi is to meet with US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki to “strengthen economic and financial cooperation to stabilize global economic order.”

The US Department of Treasury said the gathering would focus on “sanctions on Russia and Iran to secure supply chains and build climate and financial resilience in the Pacific Islands.”

Amid the growing tensions in the Middle East due to Iran's retaliatory attacks on Israel, eyes are on whether the financial chiefs of the three countries will jointly respond to the geopolitical crisis and economic security threats.

16/04/2024

Several members of the conservative bloc have exchanged blows among themselves in recent days, locking horns over whether the ruling party’s former interim leader is to blame for the devastating defeat in last week’s general election.

Daegu Mayor and five-term conservative lawmaker Hong Joon-pyo kicked off a round of intense debate Friday by blaming Han for the People Power Party’s latest loss through a Facebook post.

“(The People Power Party), which has survived the river of impeachment is now ruined because of Han Dong-hoon, who is not only disqualified (as a leader), but considered himself as a political celebrity who only took selfies and (did not take) the situation seriously,” Hong wrote Friday.

“Han should never even be seen near our party,” he added.

16/04/2024

The Korean won weakened to below 1,400 won to the US dollar during trading hours Tuesday, marking a new 17-month low as the foreign exchange market reflects the escalated volatility in the Middle East.

The local currency against the greenback opened at 1,389.9 won earlier in the day, weakening by 5.9 won from the previous trading day.

Shortly after trading began, it dipped to 1,400 won at 11:32 a.m., marking the first time in 17 months for the currency exchange rate to hit the 1,400 won bar since November 2022.

Since reaching the 1,350 mark on April 5, the won has been hitting new lows, with the exchange rate closing at 1,364.1 won on Thursday, 1,375.4 won on Friday and 1,384 won on Monday.

16/04/2024

South Korea witnessed its highest-ever import figures for pineapples and mangoes in March, largely driven by the government’s recent efforts to address the soaring prices of homegrown apples by diversifying demand toward alternative options.

According to the Korea Customs Service on Tuesday, the import volume of pineapples reached 8,686 tons, worth $8.68 million, in March, up 44.7 percent from the previous year, marking a record high.

Imports of mangoes also more than doubled to 6,264 tons, worth $24.74 million, during the same period.

Other popular imported fruits such as bananas and oranges also saw surges in import figures to 38,404 tons and 38,000 tons, respectively.

The increased supply resulted in a decline in their prices. For instance, a pineapple was priced at 6,562 won as of Monday, marking a 9.9 percent decrease from March and a 7.7 percent decrease from a year ago.

16/04/2024

South Korea’s total market cap increased by nearly 100 trillion won ($72 billion) during the first quarter of this year, backed by jumps in stock prices in key industries, including semiconductors, data showed Tuesday.

According to a report from local corporate tracker Korea CXO Institute, the combined market cap of 2,692 local firms jumped 96 trillion won during the January-March period to reach 2,599 trillion won. The figures exclude the value of preferred shares.

The number of stocks with a total market cap of 1 trillion won in the period grew from 259 at the beginning of the year to 263 at the end of March. Eighteen new stocks joined the "1 trillion-won club" while 14 stocks were removed, with their market cap declining below 1 trillion won.

As the global semiconductors industry is on course for a rebound, SK hynix, the world's second-largest memory chip maker saw the biggest market cap growth of 28.5 percent from January to the end of March, growing from 103.6 trillion won to 133.2 trillion won.

16/04/2024

Renault Korea on Tuesday outlined a brief history of its iconic “losange” emblem, revisiting its evolution following the company's rebranding earlier this month.

The rebranding replaced the "storm’s eye" logo used exclusively by its Korean branch since 2000 with Renault's original diamond-shaped losange emblem. The diamond-shaped logo is prominently featured at the company's new flagship store in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, where the rebranding announcement took place.

The losange emblem, which has been a symbol of Renault since its introduction in 1925, represents the company’s branding strategy of blending tradition and innovation. This emblem has evolved over the decades, undergoing more than eight redesigns while maintaining the foundational diamond shape that underscores Renault's brand identity.

The most recent redesign in 2021 simplified the logo into a flat, digital-friendly format, incorporating two lines that symbolize the brand’s ongoing evolution and timeless style.

Renault's design director Gilles Vidal said, "This modernized version of the losange logo, in harmony with the times, illustrates the Nouvelle Vague (new wave) era that Renault has entered, aiming to blend tradition with contemporary appeal."

Renault's storied history with the losange emblem is showcased across several of its most iconic models.

16/04/2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol said he and his administration will humbly accept the result of last week's general election, which renewed the main opposition's firm grip over the National Assembly for the next four years, stressing that he sees it as a reflection of public sentiment.

"I will take heed of the public sentiment and communicate more with people with humility and flexibility," Yoon said in a Cabinet meeting held in his office in Seoul, with his opening remarks televised nationwide Tuesday.

Yoon also said he "felt sorry" for his failure to pay attention to public sentiment and cater to the people's demands as he wrapped up the Cabinet meeting behind closed doors, a high-ranking source from the presidential office said on condition of anonymity.

Despite a list of policies he has pushed for the last two years intended to improve people's livelihoods, Yoon admitted falling short of a national economic recovery felt by all in South Korea.

16/04/2024

It’s not an exaggeration to say that “The Roundup: Punishment,” the fourth installment of South Korea’s most successful crime flick franchise, is guaranteed to be a box office hit.

Don Lee, also known as Ma Dong-seok here, is confident about the upcoming movie, even telling reporters that this particular installment garnered the highest ratings at a blind screening among industry insiders.

His long-time industry partner and martial arts director Heo Myung-haeng directed the movie with Don Lee’s support. The two have demonstrated their partnership in January’s Netflix original action flick “Badland Hunters,” which was both a critical and popular flop. “The Roundup: Punishment” may walk the same path despite the high expectations of moviegoers and the franchise’s glorious feat of selling more than 30 million tickets so far.

The movie follows detective Ma Seok-do, who takes charge of an incident involving a drug-trafficking app. As he discovers the connection between the app’s developer and an illegal casino cartel, he learns that former special forces agent Baek Chang-gi (Kim Moo-yul) and genius IT CEO Jang Dong-chul (Lee Dong-hwi) are behind it.

16/04/2024

Fading into history are scenes of street vendors hawking the candy “yeot,” with rhythmic snips of blunt scissors.

Despite being cherished in Korea for centuries, particularly among commoners due to its accessibility, the taffy is no longer the most sought-after candy in the nation, as only a handful of businesses are still dedicated to the craft of making it.

For modern sweet enthusiasts, it has fallen out of favor, often perceived as too sticky and lacking the more delicate, soft textures of today's cakes and donuts.

The waning appeal of yeot as a sweet treat, however, bears little relation to its enduring symbolic significance, which takes precedence over its mere palatable pleasure.

There is, of course, one caveat: Its proper use demands careful parsing of contextual information.

16/04/2024

An online row has erupted after viewers interpreted "0" in a job posting made by a South Korean comic YouTube channel as offering literally zero openings, when it was meant to signify an unspecified number of positions.

The sketch comedy channel “Nerdult," with approximately 1.85 million subscribers, posted a recruitment notice on their YouTube community page on Friday, seeking an undisclosed number of new actors. In the post, they left the number of available positions as "0," stating, "We are recruiting actors of all ages for diverse roles. We hope to see many apply to join us."

However, for some young Koreans unfamiliar with job advertisements, it was perceived as an insult, as the channel's use of "0" for available positions seemed to sarcastically imply a search for zero actors.

16/04/2024

Doosan Robotics has teamed up with LG Electronics to test an automated electric vehicle charging system that uses its advanced collaborative robots to streamline the EV charging process.

This system combines LG’s 100-kilowatt fast chargers with Doosan’s high-dexterity collaborative robotics tech to replace the manual process of handling bulky charging cables that drivers often find cumbersome.

The companies started a pilot operation for their new automated EV charging station last Thursday at LG Science Park in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. LG Science Park is a considerable urban research and development complex with more than 20,000 people working across 8 LG affiliate companies, partner firms, and startups.

The automated charging system is composed of a kiosk that handles vehicle recognition and payment processing, alongside the main charging mechanism. When a vehicle enters the designated charging area, it is immediately recognized by a specialized camera system, which relays crucial information for processing. After driver authentication, a robot equipped with AI and 3D vision locates the vehicle's charging port. The robot then manages the heavy charging cable with precision, connects it, initiates the charge, and upon completion, disconnects the charger and facilitates automatic payment.

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With strong wind warnings in effect across half of the nation, a wildfire broke out in Gangneung, Gangwon Province at around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20230411000501

Young workers’ debt levels soar in 2021

Debt held by South Korean salaried workers in their 20s jumped 15 percent on-year in 2021, much higher than the 7 percent growth on average for all salaried workers, data showed. Bank and nonbank loans extended to salaried workers in the country averaged 52.02 million won ($40,107) per person as of the end of 2021, up by 3.4 million won from a year earlier, according to the data from Statistics Korea. It is the first time that salaried workers’ per capita debt surpassed 50 million won since 2017, when the agency began compiling the data. But the growth rate slowed down in 2021 from the previous year’s 10.3 percent, as the government tightened lending regulations in the wake of mounting debt amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the real estate market boom. (Yonhap) #debts #youngworkers #salariedworkers #southkorea #seoul #graphicnews For enquiries regarding the use of The Korea Herald’s Graphic News, please contact [email protected].

French bulldog is favorite dog breed in US

The American Kennel Club said registration data from 2022 revealed French bulldogs are now the most popular variety of purebred dogs in the US, ending the Labrador retriever’s 31-year reign. The AKC said Labrador retrievers have topped its yearly list of the most popular dog breeds in the United States for 31 consecutive years, but French bulldogs clinched the top spot for the first time. French bulldogs were the second most popular breed in 2021, and Labrador retrievers were booted down to the No. 2 spot for 2022. Golden retrievers, German shepherds, poodles, bulldogs, Rottweilers, beagles, dachshunds and German shorthaired pointers are the other breeds to make the Top 10 list. (UPI) By Nam Kyung-don #infographic #news #graphicnews #Seoul #Korea For enquiries regarding the use of The Korea Herald’s Graphic News, please contact [email protected]

In case you missed our special International Women’s Day episode, the Cover to Cover podcast dives into the inside story of South Korea's feminist movement with Hawon Jung, author of “Flowers of Fire.” Hosts Beth Eunhee Hong and Naomi Ng touch on digital sex crimes, the #MeToo movement, gender conflict and politics, women’s marriage strike and more. ♀️🇰🇷 Also check out the end of the video to find out favorite works by female authors that readers in Korea recommend! Subscribe to the show on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts, or click the link below to watch the episode. https://bit.ly/3SVkH0a #IWD2023 #feminism #Koreanbooks #womensrights

Internet banking customers up 8.5% in 2022

The number of customers who use internet banking in South Korea continued to grow in 2022, thanks to increased availability of online services and people’s preference to make transactions on the go, Bank of Korea data showed. Registered customers for mobile banking totaled some 207.04 million at the end of last year, up 8.5 percent from a year earlier, according to the data from the BOK. The figure includes customers who hold multiple accounts. The daily average transactions made through internet banking services came to 76.3 trillion won ($5.9 billion), an 8.2 percent increase compared to a year before, the data showed. The number of daily internet banking users also rose 13.8 percent on-year to about 19.71 million in 2022. (Yonhap) #internet #banking #internetbanking #southkorea #mobilebanking #인터넷뱅킹 For enquiries regarding the use of The Korea Herald’s Graphic News, please contact [email protected].