A group assault and alleged drugging incident at a Gangnam-based club run by Big Bang’s Seungri has recently surfaced with calls for urgent measures to punish all related parties. Kim Sang-kyo, the man physically assaulted by the club guards and allegedly by police officers who apprehended him, visited Burning Sun on Nov. 24, 2018. Kim alleges he witnessed a woman who appeared to be under the influence of a drug hiding from a man trying to grab her. He claims he requested the club’s employees in

Social Affairs Jan. 30, 2019

South Korea ranked 45th out of 180 countries in the 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index report, climbing up six notches from 2017.The index, issued by Transparency International, evaluates countries based on the corruption level of the nation’s public sector. A score of 70 and above is considered “generally clean,” while a score of 50 and above means “not entirely corrupt.”Korea scored 57 points out of 100 this year, garnering 3 more points compared to last year’s CPI. Despite the increase, Korea

Social Affairs Jan. 29, 2019

Choson Exchange, a Singapore-registered NGO with a mandate to support North Korea’s future business leaders, will host its inaugural DPRK Economic Forum in April. The forum will take place in Pyongyang from April 20 to 27. Participants will get a chance to connect with North Koreans as part of the forum’s interactive business training sessions, which will run for three days. Discussion sessions will tackle North Korean business and economic policy innovation.  Participants to Choson Exchange’s e

North Korea Jan. 28, 2019

Another victim of sexual slavery during the Japanese occupation of the Korean Peninsula passed away Monday. A former South Korean “comfort woman,” known only to the media by the surname Lee upon her family’s request, passed away at the age of 93. Lee died at approximately 7:30 a.m., according to the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan. She was reported to have suffered from deteriorating health since 2018.  A `comfort woman` statue (Yonha

Social Affairs Jan. 28, 2019

An additional case in Seoul brought the number of confirmed measles cases in a recent outbreak in South Korea to 38, according to Korea Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. The latest case was confirmed in Gangdong-gu in Seoul on Thursday. The patient is a 17-year-old girl who resides in the Philippines and recently entered Korea after visiting the US.  (Yonhap)Of the 38 people who have contracted measles, 27 have been released from medical isolation after the KCDC confirmed they were no lo

Social Affairs Jan. 25, 2019

The US House Armed Services Committee formerly announced the members for the 116th congress on Wednesday, including second generation Korean-American Rep. Andy Kim (Democrat-New Jersey) in the roster.  Andy Kim (AP)Kim will serve in the Subcommittee on Intelligence, Emerging Threats & Capabilities, responsible for dealing with defense and joint enabling activities, intelligence support and strategic communications, according to committee Chairman Adam Smith.“I’m honored to have been selected to

International Jan. 24, 2019

A Seoul citizen watchdog organization reported over 50,000 illegal online prostitution advertisements in 2018, helping police crack down on illegal establishments and adult entertainment establishments. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Wednesday, the watchdog organization reported 52,677 sex trafficking advertisements online and smartphone applications. Advertisements for dating for pay and on-site massages, widely perceived as a means of prostitution, made up the majority 82.7

Social Affairs Jan. 23, 2019

K-pop group BTS has appeared as a drawing topic for a college entrance exam in Seoul, touching off a debate about its fairness.  (Yonhap)The 2019 Art and Design drawing test for Seoul Women’s University’s Ceramics & Fiber Arts major was to “draw a craft object based on your image of BTS.” The university provided a side note clarifying that BTS are singers. The test details prompted some internet users to take issue with its fairness, especially for those who are not familiar with BTS. In the hyp

Performance Jan. 13, 2019

Donka 2014, a restaurant praised by celebrity chef Baek Jong-won for its delicious pork cutlets on the TV program “Alley Restaurant,” is experiencing the downside of fame.As a result of Baek’s comments, the restaurant has seen extremely long lines outside its door. One Instagram user claimed to have lined up outside the restaurant since 10:50 p.m. the night before. Many other customers were seen with blankets and hot packs to fight the winter cold while waiting there at night.  (SBS)The racket f

Television Jan. 9, 2019

Many Korean social media users expressed their anger towards Creatures Inc., a Japanese developer affiliated with “Pokemon” video game franchise, after its employees allegedly revealed photos worshiping the Yasukuni Shrine.Photos uploaded on Twitter by the company on Monday show its employees worshiping at the Yasukuni Shrine. The photos are captioned, “We are worshiping at the Yasukuni Shrine to celebrate the year’s first day of work.” (Screenshot from Twitter)The Yasukuni Shrine commemorates J

World News Jan. 8, 2019

Korean-American actor Daniel Henney has donated a total of 200 million won ($178,000) to the Community Chest of Korea. His donation exceeds the 100 million won needed to qualify to become a member of the Honor Society of the charity organization.  (Daniel Henney Instagram)The Community Chest said Henney’s contributions will be delivered to the Purme Foundation, Seungil Hope Foundation, Pearl S. Buck Foundation and Plan Korea to help people in need.“I hope my donation will help formulate a philan

Film Jan. 2, 2019

YouTube star Na Dong-hyun, better known as “Great Library,” began streaming his shows on Twitch on Monday, steering many of his fans to the game-streaming platform.Na, who has some 1.9 million YouTube subscribers, is one of the most recognizable names on YouTube in Korea. However, he announced Sunday that his platform of choice for live streaming will be Twitch. 　 (Screenshot from YouTube)“Using the YouTube live platform for two years, I experienced many troubles. There were some features that d

Television Jan. 1, 2019

Reports that model and actor Lee Kwang-soo is in a relationship with actress Lee Sun-bin have been confirmed by the two celebrities’ agencies.Lee Kwang-soo’s agency, Kingkong by Starship, said on Monday that “Lee Kwang-soo and Lee Sun-bin have been dating for five months after meeting each other on the ‘Running Man’ TV show.” (Yonhap)Representing Lee Sun-bin, Imagine Asia has also confirmed their relationship.The two first met in September 2016 when they were filming the SBS TV program “Running

Television Dec. 31, 2018

Suan, a 10-year-old male English springer spaniel, is looking for a new home upon his retirement after eight years of service as a rescue dog.  (Yonhap)Deployed to Gyeonggi Northern Fire and Disaster Headquarters in 2010, Suan had specialized in finding missing people at the scene of building collapses and mountainous regions. He was dispatched to 197 rescue operations and saved six lives in the process. The canine is retiring due to old age. The headquarters has put Suan up for adoption, in sea

Social Affairs Dec. 26, 2018

The Korea Tourism Organization announced it will cooperate with the National Human Rights Commission of Korea to provide consultations and legal assistance to tourists who experience racism here, starting from Thursday. (Yonhap)Data put forth by Statistics Korea on Wednesday showed that 1 out of every 5 foreigners in South Korea suffer discrimination. Of those who said they had experienced discrimination, 60.9 percent said it was based on their nationality. Catering to the needs to protect the h

Social Affairs Dec. 24, 2018