North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to further develop relations between the two countries as they exchanged messages marking the 75th anniversary of relations, state media reported Sunday. Kim said in the message to Xi that it aligns "with the fundamental interests of the two countries to invariably carry forward and develop the DPRK-China friendship with a long history and good traditions," according to the Korean Central News Agency. DPRK stands

North Korea Oct. 6, 2024

Baseball star Hwang Jae-gyun and Jiyeon of girl group T-ara have filed for divorce mediation to end their two-year marriage, the singer said Saturday. In a statement released by her legal representative, Jiyeon said the couple initiated the process by mutual consent after failing to overcome a dispute. The couple reached an agreement to part ways after living separately due to an unresolved dispute and the process has been filed with the Seoul Family Court, according to the statement. The two ti

Television Oct. 5, 2024

Two US B-1B heavy bombers conducted a joint drill with the South Korean Air Force on Oct. 1 Armed Forces Day, before one of them participated in a national ceremony, the US Indo-Pacific Command said Saturday. In a show of force, a US B-1B bomber flew over Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, just south of the capital, alongside two F-15K jets during the ceremony marking Armed Forces Day, demonstrating the US security commitment to South Korea. According to the US Indo-Pacific Command, two US B-1B bombers

Defense Oct. 5, 2024

It was deja vu all over again for the KT Wiz pitcher Ko Young-pyo and first baseman Moon Sang-chul on Saturday. The last time these two played in the same postseason game in the Korea Baseball Organization, the Wiz defeated the LG Twins 3-2 in Game 1 of the Korean Series last November. Moon hit an RBI double in the top of the ninth, after Ko threw six solid innings in a no-decision at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. On Saturday, Moon smoked a two-run home run in the top second, and Ko tossed f

Baseball Oct. 5, 2024

The KT Wiz scored early and hung on for dear life to defeat the LG Twins 3-2 on Saturday to begin their South Korean baseball postseason series. Moon Sang-chul smoked a two-run home run in the top of the second inning at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, and No. 9 hitter Sim Woo-jun delivered an RBI double in the fifth for the narrow Game 1 victory in the first round. Before a sellout crowd of 23,750 fans, Wiz starter Ko Young-pyo tossed four innings of one-run ball just two days after making a

Baseball Oct. 5, 2024

The ruling People Power Party on Saturday called for efforts by the opposition-controlled National Assembly to swiftly ratify a new defense cost-sharing deal between South Korea and the United States. Seoul and Washington inked the five-year deal, named the Special Measures Agreement, on Wednesday, about a month before the US presidential election to be held Nov. 5. Under the agreement, South Korea will pay 1.52 trillion won ($1.14 billion) in 2026, up 8.3 percent from the previous year, for the

Politics Oct. 5, 2024

After helping his LG Twins end a 29-year title drought in South Korean baseball last year, shortstop Oh Ji-hwan wants nothing more than another taste of the championship this year. With the Twins set to face the KT Wiz in the first round of the Korea Baseball Organization postseason Saturday afternoon, Oh said the pressure may be off the shoulders of the Twins players. But that doesn't mean there is any less drive or motivation. "I want to keep winning," Oh said at Jamsil Baseball

Baseball Oct. 5, 2024

With his bullpen considerably weaker than the team's title run from a year ago, LG Twins manager Youm Kyoung-youb said Saturday he will need his starters to munch up innings. In ending a 29-year title drought in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) in 2023, the Twins leaned heavily on their bullpen. But gone is the closer from that season, Go Woo-suk, who signed with the San Diego Padres in January. Setup man Jung Woo-young just had his worst regular season of his career, and not many reli

Baseball Oct. 5, 2024

Netflix, a global streaming service, plans to roll out seven Korean original films next year, responding to rapidly evolving content consumption trends as movie viewing extends beyond traditional theaters. The company prioritized "enhancing quality and expanding diversity" when selecting the films for next year, Kim Tae-won, director of the Content & Business team at Netflix Korea, said at a press conference Friday night on the sidelines of the Busan International Film Festival (BI

Film Oct. 5, 2024

South Korea has reported another case of lumpy skin disease in cattle, government officials said Saturday, raising the number of confirmed cases this year to eight. The case broke out Friday at a livestock farm located in Goseong, about 160 kilometers northeast of Seoul, according to the agriculture ministry. The new case was reported just one day after similar cases were confirmed at farms in Yangyang, 154 km northeast of Seoul, and Pyeongtaek, 64 km south of the capital. To prevent further inf

Social Affairs Oct. 5, 2024

The daily stock trading volume fell to the lowest of the year last month as worsening market conditions spooked investors, data showed Saturday. The average daily trading volume of listed shares came to 16.67 trillion won ($12.36 billion) in September, the lowest since the start of the year, according to the data from the Korea Exchange, operator of South Korea's main bourse. The reading also marks an 8 percent decline from 18.2 trillion won the previous month. The figure has been a steady

Market Oct. 5, 2024

South Korea captain Son Heung-min will not play in two World Cup qualifying matches later this month due to a left hamstring injury, the national football federation announced Friday. The Korea Football Association said the national team staff had decided to drop Son from the 26-man squad to "protect the player's health," after Son sustained his injury during a UEFA Europa League match for Tottenham Hotspur against Qarabag on Sept. 26 in London. Son has since missed two matches --

Soccer Oct. 4, 2024

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul on Friday held his first phone talks with Japan's new foreign minister, Takeshi Iwaya, and discussed bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues, Seoul's foreign ministry said. During the 25-minute conversation, Cho congratulated Iwaya on his inauguration and proposed the two sides closely communicate to expand cooperation between South Korea and Japan, the ministry said. Describing the Seoul-Tokyo ties as "very important" re

Foreign Affairs Oct. 4, 2024

Prosecutors on Friday requested an arrest warrant for Ku Young-bae, CEO of Singapore-based Qoo10, which owns Korean online shopping platforms Tmon and WeMakePrice, for alleged fraud, embezzlement and breach of duty over large-scale e-commerce insolvency incidents. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office also sought warrants to arrest Tmon CEO Ryu Kwang-jin and WeMakePrice CEO Ryu Hwa-hyun. The prosecution said it filed for the warrants for them considering the significance of the incident,

Social Affairs Oct. 4, 2024

Seoul shares closed slightly higher Friday, snapping three consecutive sessions of losses, as investors hunted bargains despite the escalating tensions in the Middle East. The local currency sharply fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index moved up 0.31 percent, or 8.02 points, to 2,569.71. Trading volume was moderate at 405 million shares worth 9.63 trillion won ($7.2 billion), with gainers outpacing losers at 462 to 412. Foreigners bought a net 41 billion won

Market Oct. 4, 2024