BTS extends Billboard 200 stay to 23rd week

BTS has extended its monthslong stay on the Billboard 200 for a 23rd week, with its fifth studio album “Arirang” ranking No. 31 on the chart dated Sept. 5. It slid down seven notches from the previous week on the main albums chart, where it made its chart-topping debut in April. The album's main track, “Swim,” is staying strong on Billboard's global singles chart, inching back up a rung from the previous week to No. 4 on Billboard's Global excl. US chart, and ranked at No. 17 on the Billboard Gl

Sept. 2, 2026

Hwang Hee-chan loaned to German club Schalke

South Korea international Hwang Hee-chan is returning to Germany after five seasons in England. Bundesliga club FC Schalke 04 announced on its website Tuesday that it had signed Hwang on loan from the Wolverhampton Wanderers, who were relegated from the Premier League to the second-tier English Football League Championship this season. Hwang will remain with the German club through June 30. According to German media reports, Schalke will have the option to sign Hwang permanently for a transfer f

Sept. 2, 2026

Veterans ministry seeks 8% hike in 2027 budget for expanded honors, key projects

The veterans ministry said Wednesday it is seeking an 8 percent hike in its 2027 budget to expand veterans benefits, support independence fighters' descendants and host an international sports event for injured soldiers. The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs said it has proposed 7.22 trillion won ($5.25 billion) for next year's budget, up by 532 billion won from this year's 6.68 trillion won. The draft proposal calls for raising basic compensation for war veterans and allowances for pers

Sept. 2, 2026

Consumer price hike seen at 2.5% without mobile bills: finance ministry

South Korea's consumer price increase for August, which came to 3.1 percent, is estimated to have been around 2.5 percent when excluding a surge in mobile communication bills following a low base, a senior financial official said Wednesday. "In August last year, there was a temporary 50-percent discount in mobile bills, which served as a base effect, leading to a 3.1 percent rise in consumer prices this month," Kang Gi-lyong, a senior financial official, said during a government meeting. In Augu

Sept. 2, 2026

MLB's Los Angeles Angels to be sold to Rams and Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke

ANAHEIM, California (AP) -- Kroenke Sports and Entertainment has reached a deal to purchase controlling ownership of the Los Angeles Angels from Arte Moreno, expanding its sprawling empire of teams across every major US professional sport with the addition of the beleaguered baseball club. The company led by Stan Kroenke made the surprising announcement Tuesday, saying it expects to close on the transaction in early 2027. Major League Baseball, which must approve any sale, didn't immediately com

Sept. 2, 2026

Seoul stocks open sharply lower amid escalating hostilities in Mideast

South Korean stocks started sharply lower Wednesday, tracking losses on Wall Street, as the United States and Iran continued exchanging military attacks, which pushed up oil prices. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 184.73 points, or 2.7 percent, to 6,651.07 as of 9:15 a.m. Overnight, major US stocks closed lower as a new round of US military strikes on Iran pushed up oil prices and fueled concerns over inflation in the world's largest economy. Inflation worries stoked a gover

Sept. 2, 2026

FTC carries out on-site probe into Coupang on previous day: sources

South Korea's fair trade watchdog has carried out another on-site probe into the South Korean arm of US-listed Coupang Inc. in connection with a separate case following a failed inspection attempt last month, industry sources said Wednesday. According to the sources, officials from the Fair Trade Commission conducted an on-site inspection of Coupang's headquarters in Seoul on the previous day, with the company cooperating with the probe. The investigation centered on whether Coupang unfairly obs

Sept. 2, 2026

Im Sung-jae to compete at Presidents Cup as captain's pick

South Korean PGA Tour veteran Im Sung-jae will tee off at the upcoming Presidents Cup as a captain's pick for the International Team. Geoff Ogilvy, captain of the International Team, consisting of non-European and non-American golfers, selected Im and five others on Tuesday, putting them alongside six automatic qualifiers who had made the team based on their world ranking positions Monday. The Presidents Cup is a biennial match play event pitting the International Team against the US side. This

Sept. 2, 2026

Consumer prices up 3.1% in Aug. on fuel, mobile subscription fees

South Korea's consumer prices moved up 3.1 percent in August from a year earlier as oil prices remained elevated, along with higher mobile service subscription charges due to a low base effect from large-scale discounts offered last year following a hacking incident, data showed Wednesday. According to data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics, consumer price growth reached above 3 percent in August, accelerating from a 2.8 percent on-year rise in July. The consumer price increase came to 3.

Sept. 2, 2026

S. Korea dispatches disaster relief team to Nepal to support flood recovery efforts

A South Korean disaster relief team has left for Nepal to support search, rescue and other relief efforts following devastating floods, the foreign ministry said Wednesday. The Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT), consisting of 44 personnel from the foreign ministry, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), fire authorities and other agencies, departed for Nepal shortly before midnight Tuesday aboard a KC-330 Cygnus multirole tanker transport aircraft, according to the ministry. The tea

Sept. 2, 2026

Bolton sees possibility of Trump meeting Kim in Pyongyang, warns of summit risks

Former US National Security Adviser John Bolton on Tuesday raised the possibility of President Donald Trump meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang for a new summit, while noting the "very high" risk of renewed summitry between them. Bolton, who served as a top security aide to Trump from 2018-2019, made the remarks during an online forum as Trump has expressed his intention to meet Kim later this year. Trump held three meetings with Kim during his first term: the first in Singapore

Sept. 2, 2026

Toranguk, taro soup

Toranguk is a traditional Korean soup made with taro, known as "toran" in Korean, as its main ingredient. It is especially popular during holidays such as Chuseok, making it a familiar and comforting dish on Korean holiday tables. Known for its light and delicate flavor, Toranguk combines a clear, savory broth with the soft chewy texture of taro. Try this recipe from W Table. Ingredients Seasoning Instructions Pat the beef dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Cut the taro and Korean

Sept. 2, 2026

[Graphic News] Hygiene products market surpasses W3tr for first time

The Korean hygiene products market surpassed 3 trillion won ($2.1 billion) for the first time last year, driven by growing demand for adult diapers as the country becomes a superaged society and the inclusion of oral care products such as toothbrushes and dental floss in hygiene product statistics. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said the domestic hygiene products market reached 3.2 trillion won in 2025, up 9.7 percent from the previous year. The supply of adult diapers, including incontine

Sept. 2, 2026

Tunexx is just getting started

Tunexx is learning to think as one. Asked what kind of group they wanted to be remembered as, the seven members jokingly answered, “Ultra Legend Super Tunexx,” sending the room into laughter. The exchange offered a glimpse of a group still young in its career but increasingly comfortable as a team, with members quick to build on one another’s thoughts. That evolution is at the heart of Tunexx’s second EP, “Blue Mode,” the group’s first release since debuting in March and the first in which the m

Sept. 2, 2026

[Kim Seong-kon] 'Travelers,' 'Messengers' among us

One characteristic of those who are ideologically obsessed is their preoccupation with the past. Some insist that our current problems stem from past mistakes, and thus we must return to the past to straighten them out. Others wish to bring back their country’s magnificent past, not realizing that times have changed. The question is: Would it be desirable to do it? A 2016-2018 American science fiction TV show entitled “Travelers” illustrates the problems of our firm but ungrounded conviction tha

Sept. 2, 2026