Family, fellow actors bid farewell to iconic actor Choi Bool-am

A funeral service for Choi Bool-am was held Monday, with his family and fellow actors paying their respects to the iconic actor, known for portraying paternal figures in popular television dramas. Choi, whose real name was Choi Young-han, died Thursday while receiving treatment at a hospital in western Seoul. He was 87. His longtime wife, Kim Min-ja, also an actor, was seen in tears, following the funeral service held privately at Asan Medical Center in southeastern Seoul. Kim was accompanied by

2026-11-02 10:44:26:00

Lee's approval rating rises on summit achievements, economic policies: poll

President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating came to 36.9 percent last week, a poll showed Monday, rising slightly from a week earlier on the back of diplomatic achievements and economic policies but remaining below 40 percent for the 10th consecutive week. In the poll conducted on 2,515 adults nationwide from last Monday to Friday by Realmeter, positive assessments of Lee's job performance rose 1.6 percentage points from the previous week. His disapproval rating fell 2.2 percentage points to 60.1

2026-11-02 10:10:32:00

2 best teams from KBO regular season on collision course in Korean Series

The two best teams in the regular season will square off in the South Korean baseball championship series starting this week, with one team going for its second title and the other chasing its ninth. The KT Wiz and the Samsung Lions will duke it out in the best-of-seven Korean Series, with Game 1 starting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, some 30 kilometers south of Seoul. After the first two games in Suwon on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Lions will host Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Sat

2026-11-02 10:01:23:00

Seoul stocks open lower as disappointing tech earnings trigger AI spending woes

Seoul stocks opened lower Monday weighed down by declines in US tech shares amid concerns over massive investments in artificial intelligence . The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index was down 51 points, or 0.89 percent, to 5,679.74 as of 9:15 a.m. Major stock indexes on Wall Street closed lower Friday (US time), following disappointing quarterly earnings from Intel and Amazon, which amplified growing concerns over the sustainability of AI spending. The S&P500 fell 1.82 percent, and the

2026-11-02 09:34:56:00

N. Korea denounces S Korea-US joint military drills, vows to bolster nuclear deterrent

North Korea on Monday denounced a recent South Korea-US combined military exercise that integrates South Korea's conventional military capabilities with US nuclear capabilities, saying strengthening the North's nuclear capabilities is "immutable" against such a backdrop. In a statement carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency, Kim Jong-sik, first vice department director of the Workers' Party of Korea's Central Committee, claimed the drill, named Iron Mace, was "the most hideou

2026-11-02 09:29:15:00

Lee to address National Assembly on next year's gov't budget

President Lee Jae Myung was set to address the National Assembly on Monday, a rare event where he is widely expected to call for bipartisan support for the passage of the 2027 budget bill. The government submitted the budget bill to the National Assembly in September, proposing 820.9 trillion won ($614.5 billion) in total government spending next year, up more than 10 percent from this year, amid expectations of increased tax revenue stemming from a semiconductor boom. During the speech, the pre

2026-11-02 09:03:52:00

Seoul to launch emergency response system for Czech nuclear project

South Korea will launch an emergency management system to keep its nuclear power plant project in the Czech Republic on track following the breakdown of contract negotiations with a construction consortium, the industry ministry said Monday. Under the system, the government plans to draw up measures to keep the Czech project on track and prevent a recurrence of similar setbacks, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources. The move comes after Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., the

2026-11-02 09:02:16:00

Turkish, East Timorese presidents to visit S. Korea this week for talks with Lee

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and East Timorese President Jose Ramos-Horta will separately visit South Korea this week to hold summits with President Lee Jae Myung, a presidential spokesperson said Sunday. Erdogan is set to visit to South Korea from Monday through Wednesday on a state visit that will include a summit with Lee on Tuesday, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said. It marks Erdogan's first trip to South Korea since 2018, as well as the second meeting between the South K

2026-11-01 19:35:22:00

UK king to address Commonwealth with 'unflinching honesty' amid slavery focus

King Charles III will confront "shameful aspects" of UK history with "unflinching honesty" when he addresses Commonwealth leaders this week, Buckingham Palace said Saturday, amid renewed scrutiny of Britain's role in historical transatlantic slavery. The comments come after Prime Minister Andy Burnham revealed he was open to the UK formally apologizing for its role in the trade, but ruling out paying the financial reparations demanded by some Caribbean countries. The issues have resurfaced as Ch

2026-11-01 13:46:34:00

Spanish village holds memorial mass

URDA, Spain (AFP) -- Residents and local officials gathered Saturday in a Spanish village near the site of a high-speed train collision that killed at least 69 people for a memorial Mass honoring the victims. The pews inside the San Juan Bautista church in Urda, in the central province of Toledo, were packed, while dozens more people gathered outside to listen to the service. Some wiped away tears. Investigators are looking into the cause of one of Europe's deadliest rail disasters this century,

2026-11-01 13:16:42:00