Lee Chang-dong's short film 'Heartbeat' to release on Netflix

South Korean auteur Lee Chang-dong's short film "Heartbeat" will be released on Netflix next week, days ahead of Lee's Venice-winning film "Possible Love," the streaming platform said Friday. The 2022 film centers around a young boy whose mother lives with depression and a father who stages labor strikes atop a tower crane. It is Lee's first short film. The 28-minute film, which premiered at the 23rd Jeonju International Film Festival without theatrical release, stars actors Jeon Do-yeon and Sul

2026-10-30 17:28:52:00

Police to deploy 7,800 personnel nationwide for crowd safety during Halloween

Police will deploy around 7,800 personnel across the nation to manage crowds celebrating Halloween over the weekend, officials said Friday, as the country prepares for its fourth Halloween since the deadly 2022 Itaewon crowd crush. The National Police Agency (NPA) said it will operate a special safety management period from Friday to Sunday. During the period, riot police, regional patrol teams and detectives will be dispatched mainly to 28 key areas, including 14 locations in Seoul. The governm

2026-10-30 16:24:51:00

N. Korea slams S. Korea, US' Freedom Flag air drills, vows to deter with force

North Korea on Friday denounced the ongoing combined air drills between South Korea and the United States, vowing to "thoroughly" deter the allies' exercise with force, Pyongyang's state media reported. A spokesperson at North Korea's defense ministry issued the statement as Seoul and Washington launched the biannual Freedom Flag exercise on Monday for a two-week run. "The US and the ROK military warmongers launched the provocative large-scale joint air drill Freedom Flag against our state on Oc

2026-10-30 16:22:40:00

Seoul shares dip over 3% on tech sell-off amid AI concerns

South Korean shares dropped by more than 3 percent Friday, dragged down by a sell-off in semiconductor stocks amid lingering concerns over the sustainability of artificial intelligence investments. The Korean won strengthened against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 206.92 points, or 3.48 percent, to close at 5,730.74, after falling as low as 5,599.42. After opening nearly 3 percent lower, the KOSPI extended its losses, prompting the Korea Exchange to activate

2026-10-30 16:16:52:00

Court acquits PPP lawmaker over luxury gift to ex-first lady

A Seoul district court on Friday acquitted a lawmaker of the main opposition People Power Party of anti-graft charges over a luxury bag gifted to former first lady Kim Keon Hee. The Seoul Central District Court found Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon not guilty of violating the anti-graft law over the Roger Vivier clutch bag his wife gave to the then first lady in March 2023. Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team had sought a one-year prison sentence for the lawmaker, accusing the couple of gifting the bag in ret

2026-10-30 15:18:24:00

Boynextdoor to launch 1st N. American tour

K-pop group Boynextdoor will kick off its first-ever North American tour Friday (US time) with a show in Dallas, the group's agency, Koz Entertainment, said. Following the Dallas concert, the sextet is scheduled to perform in Florida, Chicago, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Mexico City through Nov. 24. "Every visit to the United States has given us meaningful memories and positive inspiration, so we are excited for this trip too," the group said in a releas

2026-10-30 15:11:41:00

Lee confers certificates of appointment on presidential inspector, others

President Lee Jae Myung on Friday conferred certificates of appointment on the presidential special inspector and others. Lee presented the documents at a ceremony to 10 high-level officials and leaders of government bodies, including Choi Kil-su, who took office a week earlier as a special inspector tasked with inspecting irregularities involving the president's spouse, close relatives and senior presidential officials, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said. The recipients included Ha Jun

2026-10-30 15:06:14:00

Koo Kyo-hwan, Kim Yoon-seok reunite in mystery thriller 'White Blast'

Actors Koo Kyo-hwan and Kim Yoon-seok are set to appear as a young rail worker and a retiring station master in the upcoming Korean film "White Blast," marking their reunion five years since the 2021 action thriller "Escape from Mogadishu." Set in a rural train station just days before Christmas, the film follows veteran station master Gap-soo (Kim), as he welcomes his young successor Hyun-taek (Koo), who arrives late due to a snow storm. On Hyun-taek's first day of work, the two unexpectedly ru

2026-10-30 15:03:42:00

Court acquits ex-generals accused of planning martial law at burger joint

A Seoul court on Friday acquitted two former generals accused of involvement in martial law planning at a fast-food restaurant hours before former President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration in late 2024. The Seoul Central District Court found Koo Sam-hoe, former commander of the 2nd Armored Brigade, and Bang Jeong-hwan, former head of the defense ministry's defense innovation planning, not guilty of playing key roles in an insurrection in connection with Yoon's failed martial law bid. The court ruled

2026-10-30 13:28:04:00

Lee's approval rating falls back to 39%: poll

President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating has slipped to below 40 percent following a brief rebound last week, a poll showed Friday. The survey, conducted by Gallup Korea from Tuesday through Thursday on 1,000 people aged 18 and older, showed that positive assessments of Lee's performance fell 1 percentage point from a week earlier to 39 percent. Negative assessments also fell 1 percentage point to 49 percent. Lee's approval rating had remained below 40 percent in Gallup polls since early Septem

2026-10-30 13:24:11:00