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South Africa marks Mandela Day in Seoul
The South African Embassy in Seoul marked Nelson Mandela International Day on Monday with a call for community service, honoring the late president’s legacy of social justice and public service. The event, held in collaboration with the Kim Dae-jung Presidential Library and Museum, included participants from Eden I Ville, a children’s home in Seoul. Nelson Mandela International Day is observed annually on July 18, Mandela’s birthday. The UN General Assembly established the observance in 2009 in
Sept. 3, 2026 -
Defense minister nominee links OPCON transfer to stronger S. Korea-US alliance
Defense minister nominee Kang Shin-chul said Thursday that South Korea should pursue the transfer of wartime operational control in a way that strengthens the South Korea-US alliance. Kang made the remarks as he arrived at the Defense Convention in Yongsan, central Seoul, for his first day of preparations ahead of his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly. The hearing is expected to take place on Sept. 16. "The OPCON transition is possible because the South Korea-US alliance exists," Kan
Sept. 3, 2026 -
MuseM expands artist IP business with Enhypen immersive exhibition
Entertainment platform MuseM is expanding its artist intellectual property business by taking charge of global licensing for an immersive exhibition built around Enhypen’s music and creative universe. “House of Vampire — Dive into Enhypen Chronicle” opened Aug. 13 at Ara Art Center in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, following an earlier run in Tokyo. The exhibition combines music, visual content, spatial design and interactive elements around the vampire narrative that has played a recurring role in E
Sept. 3, 2026 -
Stray Kids cinch 6th ‘gold’ in France with EP No. 10
The tenth EP from Stray Kids was certified “gold” by Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique, the French recording industry organization, according to label JYP Entertainment on Thursday. “This & That” is the team’s sixth EP to qualify, after third LP “Five-Star,” eighth EP “Rock-Star,” ninth EP “Ate,” mixtape “Hop,” and fourth LP “Karma.” The tenth mini album was released on Aug. 7 and hit the Billboard 200, extending its chart-topping debut streak to nine, a chart record. The EP ranked N
Sept. 3, 2026 -
Fireworks to light up Seoul's night sky
More than a million people are expected along the Han River on Saturday, when the country's largest fireworks display returns to Yeouido about three weeks earlier on the calendar than last year. Seoul International Fireworks Festival 2026 will run from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday at Yeouido Hangang Park, with the main fireworks show beginning at 8 p.m. Event organizer Hanwha Group said it moved the date forward from late September because of the Chuseok holiday and the volume of foreign visito
Sept. 3, 2026 -
S. Korea to relocate administrative bodies out of Greater Seoul starting 2027
South Korea on Thursday announced its plans to relocate administrative bodies including the National Assembly, ministries and state-run institutions out of the Greater Seoul area, in line with the Lee Jae Myung administration’s pledge for balanced growth. Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said that most of South Korea's 350 state-run agencies in the Seoul metropolitan area will be moving out of the region with "minimal" exceptions, starting next year, in line with ongoing plans to complete construct
Sept. 3, 2026 -
Movie theaters must provide audio, visual aids for people with disabilities: Supreme Court
Movie theaters must provide assistance for people with visual or hearing impairments, South Korea's top court said Thursday, taking sides with four plaintiffs who said not having such aids is discriminatory to people with disabilities. The Supreme Court reversed and remanded the second-instance court decision that ruled partially in favor of the plaintiffs. It took issue with the Seoul High Court ruling that said assistance for people with visual or hearing impairments should be mandated only fo
Sept. 3, 2026 -
PPP lawmaker to seek court injunction over party membership suspension
Rep. Jin Jong-oh of the main opposition People Power Party said Thursday he will file for a court injunction to suspend disciplinary action taken against him for supporting an independent candidate in a parliamentary by-election. The move came after the PPP ethics committee handed Jin a two-year suspension of his party membership for supporting independent candidate Han Dong-hoon for a parliamentary seat in the southeastern city of Busan ahead of the June 3 local elections, despite the PPP runni
Sept. 3, 2026 -
Kim Ayoung creates new worlds with AI
Featured on Time Magazine’s 2026 list of 100 influential individuals in the field of artificial intelligence last week, Kim Ayoung is one of the most internationally acclaimed multimedia artists today. Kim's numerous awards and recognitions include the 2026 Chanel Next Prize, the third LG Guggenheim Award in 2025, the inaugural ACC Future Prize awarded by the National Asian Culture Center in Gwangju in 2024, and the Golden Nica Award’s top prize in the animation art category in 2023. The list of
Sept. 3, 2026 -
Unwritten rules of driving in Korea
Driving in a foreign country requires learning more than its traffic laws. In Korea, hazard lights, horns and even phone numbers left on dashboards carry meanings that may not be immediately obvious to newcomers. Here are some of the unwritten rules and practical habits to know before getting behind the wheel. What hazard lights mean when driving in Korea A quick double flash of hazard lights in Korea may mean “thank you,” “sorry” or “watch out.” The meaning depends on the situation. While traff
Sept. 3, 2026 -
S. Korean director Lee Chang-dong wins Mill Valley Auteur Award
Renowned South Korean director Lee Chang-dong has won the Auteur Award at this year's Mill Valley Film Festival, Netflix said Thursday. Lee, whose latest feature "Possible Love" has also been invited to the Spotlights Program of the festival set to take place in San Francisco next month, is the first Korean to receive the award, according to the streaming platform. The award recognizes Lee's unique cinematic world and accomplishments, it added. The recognition is the latest among numerous accola
Sept. 3, 2026 -
Top US envoy meets defense minister
US Ambassador to South Korea Michelle Steel met with Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back on Thursday, her first such meeting with the top South Korean defense chief since assuming the post in late July. Steel arrived at the defense ministry headquarters in Yongsan, accompanied by US Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson. She was expected to discuss key alliance issues with Ahn, including Seoul's ongoing efforts to regain wartime operational control from the United States. Thursday's meeting follo
Sept. 3, 2026 -
Defense minister nominee vows to seek OPCON transfer in way that strengthens S. Korea-US alliance
Defense Minister nominee Kang Shin-chul said Thursday he will pursue the transition of wartime operational command from Washington in a way that will strengthen the South Korea-US alliance. Kang, ex-deputy commander of the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command, made the remarks as Seoul has been seeking to regain wartime command before President Lee Jae Myung's five-year term ends in 2030. Under the three-phase OPCON transition plan, the allies are at the second stage of verifying the combined
Sept. 3, 2026 -
Naver Cloud selected for govt.-backed cybersecurity AI model project
A consortium led by Naver Cloud Corp. has been selected for a government project to develop an artificial intelligence foundation model specialized in cybersecurity, the Ministry of Science and ICT said Thursday. The cloud and AI arm of portal operator Naver Corp. beat a rival consortium led by SK Telecom Co., earning high marks for its broad industry-academia-research partnership, technological capabilities and development strategy, among other factors, the ministry said. The Naver Cloud consor
Sept. 3, 2026 -
Suspected killer of Chinese student made unwanted advances on another student: report
The 31-year-old Chinese man accused of murdering a Chinese graduate student is believed to have approached other students from the country as well, abusing his position as a university lecturer and attempting to coerce victims into romantic relationships with him. Zheng Changsheng, whose identity was revealed by police Tuesday, allegedly made unwanted advances on a graduate student in September 2023, according to local broadcaster Daegu MBC. When she turned him down, Zheng reportedly sent a mess
Sept. 3, 2026