Russia-NK military ties could lead to sanctions, Seoul says

South Korea will consider imposing unilateral sanctions as a viable course of action should concrete evidence of illicit military cooperation between North Korea and Russia be confirmed, Seoul's vice foreign minister said Thursday. Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin emphasized that Russia's potential transfer of technologies to enhance North Korea's weapons of mass destruction would constitute a "serious violation of UN Security Council resolutions" if confirmed. "T

Foreign AffairsSept. 21, 2023

European automakers call for lower regulatory barriers for EVs

European automakers called for a relaxation of regulations on selling electric vehicles in Korea during a press conference for the publication of a white paper by the European Chamber of Commerce in Korea on Thursday. The ECCK’s passenger vehicles committee chairperson, Kim Hong-joong, said that the recent law amendment requiring automakers to secure the pre-certification of electric vehicle batteries to prevent safety hazards should be aligned with United Nations standards. “We re

IndustrySept. 21, 2023

CGV to screen Apple TV+ original film ‘Flora and Son’

Irish filmmaker John Carney’s latest movie “Flora and Son” will be screened exclusively at CGV theaters starting Friday. Viewers watching the 97-minute film at CGV theaters can get special gifts, including A3 posters, that are available on a first-come, first-served basis, the multiplex chain said. The audience can bring their tickets to the ticket counter to receive special “Flora and Son” merchandise for free. Helmed by the director of "Begin Again" (20

FilmSept. 21, 2023

2023 MAMA Awards to be held at Tokyo Dome in November

The MAMA Awards, hosted by CJ ENM, will be held at the Tokyo Dome in Japan on Nov. 28-29. This is the first time a Korean award ceremony will be held at the Tokyo Dome, CJ ENM said Thursday. The MAMA Awards has been working toward the globalization of K-pop by hosting the event in various Asian countries in the past, including Macao, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Japan. This will the second time that the event is being held in Japan, which is the second biggest importer of K-pop. The annual

K-popSept. 21, 2023

Kim Jong-un’s car escorted by Hyundai van in Russia

North Korean state-run media on Wednesday broadcast a documentary that featured North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's motorcade in Russia, notably escorted by vans manufactured by South Korea's auto giant, Hyundai Motor. The state-controlled Korean Central Television, which primarily targets the North's domestic audience, unveiled an hour-and-a-half-long documentary titled "A Historical Moment: Setting a New Milestone in North Korea-Russia Relations," providing a comprehensi

North KoreaSept. 21, 2023

LG CNS opens coding class for rural students

Korean IT solutions provider LG CNS said Tuesday its employees a one-day class for elementary students in Buyeo-gun, South Chungcheong Province, to promote inclusive access to digital education. The social contribution campaign is a part of the company’s “AI Genius” program to help the youths set their future goals and visions with AI. Following its first activity at Gangneung, Gangwon Province last year, LG CNS once again launched the coding class for students in rural areas,

IndustrySept. 21, 2023

Cooler weather with large daily temperature range expected over weekend, Chuseok holiday season

As the season begins to turn, a large daily temperature range and rain are expected across the country, the weather agency said Thursday. The Korea Meteorological Administration predicted that the nationwide minimum morning temperature would drop to around 15 degrees Celsius on Friday, and to around 10 C in the mountainous areas in Gangwon Province. The weekend is likely to see the greatest daily temperature differences between day and night, with clear skies expected during the daytime -- a typ

Social AffairsSept. 21, 2023

Number of dementia patients set to surpass 1m this year

As South Korea's population ages at a rapid pace, the number of dementia patients in the country is also rising quickly, projected to exceed one million for the first time this year. According to the “Current State of Dementia 2022” report released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, 1 in 10 Koreans over the age of 65 suffers from dementia. The number of dementia patients aged 65 or older last year was 935,086, accounting for 10.38 percent of the senior population aged 65 or

Social AffairsSept. 21, 2023

Yoon condemns NK-Russia military cooperation as 'direct provocation' to Seoul

President Yoon Suk Yeol criticized a recent talk between leaders of Russia and North Korea that a potential arms trade between them would be a "direct provocation" not only to Ukraine but also to South Korea, stressing that Seoul won't just sit and watch. "If the DPRK acquires the information and technology necessary to enhance its (weapons of mass destruction) capabilities in exchange for supporting Russia with conventional weapons, such a deal between Russia and the DPRK wi

Foreign AffairsSept. 21, 2023

BTS renews exclusive contract with Big Hit Music

All members of the K-pop sensation BTS have decided to renew their exclusive contract with Big Hit Music, according to a press release on Wednesday. This means that all members will continue making new music as a full unit after they each complete their mandatory military duties. “Our board of directors reached a conclusion over the renewal of the exclusive contract with the seven members of BTS,” Hybe said in the press release. This is the group’s second contract renewal with

K-popSept. 21, 2023

Supreme Court confirms 20-year sentence for 'spin kick' assailant

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a 20-year prison sentence for the so-called spin kick assailant in the southeastern port city of Busan, who caused social outrage last year due to his brutal attacks on a female stranger for the purpose of rape. The defendant, whose identity has been withheld, is accused of following the victim, to whom he had no personal connection, for 10 minutes all the way to her apartment's elevator on May 22, 2022, knocking her out with a roundhouse kick to the bac

Social AffairsSept. 21, 2023

Smartphone shipments in S. Korea fell 13.2% on-year in Q2: report

Smartphone shipments in South Korea declined more than 13 percent on-year in the second quarter, recent data showed Thursday, as demand remained sluggish over economic uncertainties. The total shipment came to approximately 2.8 million units for the April-June period, down 13.2 percent from a year ago, as "demand for smartphones continued to slow down amid economic uncertainties," the Korea branch of International Data Corporation said. But the shipments of premium smartphones, priced

IndustrySept. 21, 2023

Exports up 9.8% during first 20 days of September

South Korea's exports moved up 9.8 percent on-year in the first 20 days of September due to a higher number of working days, but shipments of chips and petroleum products remained sluggish, data showed Thursday. The country's outbound shipments reached $36 billion in the Sept. 1-20 period, compared with $32.7 billion tallied a year earlier, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service. Imports fell 1.5 percent on-year to $36.4 billion during the period, resulting in a trade def

EconomySept. 21, 2023

Yoon meets world leaders in New York for 3rd day to promote Expo bid

President Yoon Suk Yeol held a series of summits with world leaders in New York on Wednesday as part of his ongoing efforts to secure support for South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan. Yoon, on the third day of his trip to attend the UN General Assembly, is using the annual gathering to meet with dozens of leaders on the sidelines in a last-minute push to bolster the country's campaign for the Expo bid. Yoon engaged in a series of discussions with leaders from Europe,

Foreign AffairsSept. 21, 2023

[해커스 TOEIC] 토익 점수 Up 단어, Part 5 문제

2) 파트 5 3문제 1. A customer who wanted to book accommodations at the resort did not state ------- he would be needing the room. (A) what (B) when (C) whose (D) those 해석 그 휴양지의 숙박 시설을 예약하고자 했던 한 고객은 객실이 언제 필요한지 말하지 않았다. 해설 명사절 접속사 채우기 문제 빈칸에는 타동사(state)의 목적어 역할을 하는 명사절을 이끄는 명사절 접속사가 와야 하므로 (A), (B), (C)가 정답의 후보이다. 빈칸 뒤에 주어(he)와 동사(would be needing), 목적어(the room)를 모두 갖춘 완전한 문장이 왔고, ‘고객은 객실이 언제 필요한지 말하지 않았다’라는 문맥이 되어야 하므로 (B) when이 정답이다. 의문대명사 혹은 의문형용사인 (A)와 (C)는 뒤에 주어나 목적어가 없는 불완전한

English EyeSept. 21, 2023

Seoul shares open lower after Fed's rate decision

South Korean stocks started lower Thursday after the US Federal Reserve kept its benchmark lending rate unchanged while noting it may push for an additional rate hike later this year. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 12.91 points, or 0.5 percent, to 2,546.83 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, US stocks closed lower, with the S&P 500 dropping almost 1 percent and the Nasdaq Composite plunging 1.53 percent amid a slide in tech giants, including Apple Inc. and Te

MarketSept. 21, 2023

S. Korea to closely monitor economic uncertainties, including US rates

Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho said Thursday the government will closely monitor rising global economic uncertainties, after the US central bank decided to hold its key rates overnight. The US Federal Reserve on Wednesday announced the decision to hold the rate steady between 5.25 percent and 5.50 percent. It raised the rate by a quarter percentage point to the current level in July. "As shown in the recent FOMC meeting, the possibility over the protracted high interest rates have moved up

EconomySept. 21, 2023

Fighter jet crashes in Seosan; pilot makes emergency escape

A KF-16 fighter jet crashed during takeoff from its base in the southwestern county of Seosan on Thursday, and the lone pilot safely ejected before being taken to a hospital, the Air Force said. The jet belonging to the 20th Fighter Wing went down at the base in Seosan, some 120 kilometers southwest of Seoul, at 8:20 a.m. while taking off on an unspecified mission, the Air Force said. "The pilot has made an emergency ejection and is safe," the Air Force said in a text message to report

DefenseSept. 21, 2023

Parliament to vote on motions on opposition leader's arrest, PM's dismissal

The National Assembly was set to vote Thursday on two separate motions seeking the arrest of opposition leader Lee Jae-myung and the dismissal of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. The motions will be put to an anonymous vote during a plenary session in the afternoon. The motion requesting parliamentary consent to lift the arrest immunity of Lee of the main opposition Democratic Party came after the prosecution sought an arrest warrant for him over breach of trust and other charges. By law, sitting la

PoliticsSept. 21, 2023

[Graphic News] Huge majority of American workers support 4-day workweek

American workers want a four-day workweek as they seek more flexibility on the job, according to a survey published by Bankrate. The survey showed 81 percent of the US adult workforce support the four-day workweek. When hybrid and remote work options are included, the number rises to 89 percent. A majority of those looking for a four-day week, remote work or hybrid work - 51 percent - said they would leave current employers or even switch industries to get those options. More flexible schedules

World NewsSept. 21, 2023