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Trump says N. Korea has 57 nuclear weapons, plans to meet Kim later this year

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he planned to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and said the Asian nation held 57 "very powerful" nuclear weapons. The remarks come as Trump ordered Pentagon officials to cut short joint exercises with the South Korean military, writing in a Sunday social media post that they sent a message to Pyongyang that was "totally inappropriate and hostile, to a Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful." During Trump's first term, Kim called Trump a “mentally deranged U.S. dotard” and threatened that he had use of a "nuclear button" on his desk. The leaders' relationship cooled after face-to-face meetings in 2018 and 2019, including a brief exchange at the demilitarized zone between the Koreas in which Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to step into North Korean territory. "I know Kim Jong Un very well, and he's going to be fine as long as we have a smart president," Trump told reporters Wednesday during a tour of the helipad he is constructing on the Wh

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NK leader's sister says Pyongyang focused on S. Korea-US drills continuing, not reduced scale

The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said Wednesday that Pyongyang is more focused on the fact that South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises are continuing than on the recent decision to reduce the scale, Pyongyang's state media reported. Kim Yo-jong made the remarks as South Korea and the United States are scaling down their annual combined exercise at Washington's request after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the drills to be reduced. "We are paying greater attention to the reality that joint military exercises between the U.S. and South Korea have continued and are still ongoing, and this is an unmistakable expression of hostility toward North Korea," Kim said in an announcement carried by the Korean Central News Agency. "Reducing the scale or duration of the drills does not change the provocative and aggressive nature of the military exercises," she added, stressing that Pyongyang has "no interest whatsoever" in Trump's move. The allies will conclude the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise Friday, cutting its initially planned 11-day duration nearly in half, ac

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China FM vows Beijing's constructive role for peace on Korean Peninsula

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Ball in N. Korea's court after Trump's summit overture, experts say

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COVER STORY Scaled-back drills cast uncertainty over OPCON transfer timeline

The scaling back of South Korea-U.S. joint military drills, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s social media post calling for a reduction, has increased uncertainty in Seoul’s push for an earlier transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington, as the reduced exercise will likely limit the opportunity to evaluate Seoul’s readiness to lead the combined forces. The Lee Jae Myung administration has sought to advance verification of the Combined Forces Command’s Full Operational Capability (FOC) under South Korean leadership during the ongoing Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise and use the results to discuss a target year for OPCON transfer at the next Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) in October. But the reduced training is expected to complicate that plan, including the government’s efforts to pursue OPCON transfer around 2028. The allies on Wednesday announced that this year's UFS would end on Friday, six days earlier than its original Aug. 28 end date, while scaling back or adjusting some field training exercises. The move came after Trump asked his defe

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[COVER STORY] Scaled-back drills cast uncertainty over OPCON transfer timeline thumbnail

BTS' Grammys boycott signals reversed relationship between artists, award shows

The Recording Academy's changed stance over its new Asian pop music category after K-pop superstars BTS opted not to submit music for consideration for the 69th Grammy Awards has shown the shifting dynamics between artists and award organizers, according to critics and industry figures. While acknowledging that such a boycott was possible only because it came from BTS, one of the world's most influential acts today, they say the controversy revealed a relationship in which award shows need artists with vast fandoms more than the artists need them. The Academy announced the Asian pop music category on June 16 as one of five new awards for the 69th Grammys, open to singles and tracks that make meaningful use of one or more Asian languages. On July 29, all seven members of BTS posted identical statements saying they would not submit music for Grammy consideration, expressing hope that music could be heard and embraced for what it is, beyond region or language. As the row grew, Billboard reported Friday that the Recording Academy leadership consulted representatives across the K-pop, J-pop,

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Gold surges over 3% as US Treasury announcement hurts yields, dollar

Gold surged over 3 percent to its highest in over two-and-a-half months on Wednesday after a surprise liquidity support announcement by the U.S. Treasury knocked down bond yields and the dollar ahead of the release of the Federal Reserve's July meeting minutes. Spot gold climbed 3.6 percent to $4,487.91 per ounce by 2:10 p.m. EDT (1810 GMT) after touching its highest level since June 4 at $4,499.20 earlier in the session. U.S. gold futures settled 2.8 percenthigher at $4,545.30. On the technical front, spot gold broke above its 100-day moving average of around $4,381. "This was totally unexpected. Very bullish for gold due to lower yields on longer-dated Treasuries and as it may help to bring the dollar lower," said Robert Gottlieb, an industry expert and former head of precious metals at Koch Supply and Trading. The U.S. dollar index fell 0.8 percent, making dollar-priced gold less expensive for holders of other currencies. Yields on 30-year U.S. Treasuries fell sharply on Wednesday from around their highest level in 19 years after the U.S. Treasury Department said it would double the si

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Gold surges over 3% as US Treasury announcement hurts yields, dollar thumbnail

4th-generation Koryoin Irina Park recounts life of her great-grandfather

A black-and-white photograph sits inside the file folder of Irina Park, 37, a fourth-generation Koryoin, who works in trade in Seoul. Koryoin, also known as Koryo-saram, are ethnic Koreans from former Soviet republics. The young man in the photograph, whose records were written in 1937, was also 37 at the time. Nearly nine decades later, Park, now the same age as the man in the photograph, quietly speaks to the 37-year-old Park Kyung-hwan of 1937. Dear Kyung-hwan, It has been several years since I began searching for traces of you, and only now have I finally come face to face with you. When I first unfolded that old black-and-white photograph, your eyes and lips strangely did not seem unfamiliar. I stared at you for a long time, struck by your gentle eyes and full lips, and by how much your handsome face resembled my father’s. The only record we had of you was the three Korean characters that made up your name — Park Kyung-hwan — written on my grandfather’s birth certificate. As an ethnic Korean living in Tajikistan, where fewer than 500 members of our community remain, we always

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SK hynix to buy back $28.6 bil. worth of shares in 3 months before cancellation

SK hynix said Wednesday it will buy back 40 trillion won ($28.6 billion) worth of its own shares within the next three months and will cancel them. The chipmaker said in a regulatory filing that it will begin buying back 24.07 million common shares Thursday at 1.66 million won per share through open-market purchases and complete the program by Nov. 19. This accounts for about 3.3 percent of the company’s 730 million outstanding shares. SK hynix plans to cancel all of the repurchased shares after completing the buyback. “We believe our shares are currently undervalued and have decided to buy back and cancel 40 trillion won worth of treasury shares to efficiently reallocate capital and enhance shareholder value,” the company said. “We are also considering measures to increase dividends, including higher regular dividends and special dividends.” In a press release issued after the filing, the company said it has also renewed its November 2024 shareholder return policy, which promised to return up to 50 percent of its cumulative free cash flow (FCF) from 2025 to 2027, by raising the

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At home, K-drama audiences are hooked on teaching wrongdoers a lesson — and not just unruly students

Looking at recently released Korean dramas, it appears that the average Korean viewer is ready to see someone being taught a lesson. From schools and office hallways to courtrooms, the prevailing plots of well-crafted productions revolve around identifying villains or injustices that go unpunished by the law or the system, and taking matters into one’s own hands to deliver justice — and, along with it, catharsis. A prime example is “Taxi Driver 3,” an SBS Friday-Saturday drama that aired from late last year into early 2026. Following the success of its first two seasons, the third season also concluded with enormous success and earned lead actor Lee Je-hoon his second grand prize at the SBS Drama Awards. The drama follows a private revenge service disguised as a taxi company, named Rainbow Transport Corp., and its employee Kim Do-gi, who exacts revenge on perpetrators at the request of their victims. One of the key elements of its success was a plot inspired by real-life events that once dominated newspaper front pages, ranging from online video platforms that distributed sexuall

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At home, K-drama audiences are hooked on teaching wrongdoers a lesson — and not just unruly students thumbnail

Can Korea seize Ha Young's family wealth under pro-Japanese asset recovery law?

As controversy swirls around actor Ha Young's great-grandfather's pro-Japanese past, Korea's Investigative Commission on Pro-Japanese Collaborators' Property will restart operations this December after a 16-year hiatus — raising the question of whether her family's assets could be among those examined and seized. The commission's reactivation follows the scheduled enforcement of the Special Act on Asset Confiscation for Pro-Japanese and Anti-National Collaborators to the State on Dec. 3. The law targets wealth and property illegally amassed through cooperation with Japan during the 1910-1945 occupation of Korea. “It is unclear how much property this second commission will be able to recover,” said Lee Jun-sik, former head of the Independence Hall of Korea. “The controversy surrounding Ha Young is no different. Once the commission launches, it will discuss and decide the matter there. For now, we cannot know how it will turn out.” Lee said recovering assets is difficult because most of the property collaborators once owned has already passed to third parties. “Take farmland, f

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Can Korea seize Ha Young's family wealth under pro-Japanese asset recovery law? thumbnail

OPINION Trump's Korea gamble: Putting politics ahead of vital alliance

U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest moves on the Korean Peninsula should alarm Seoul — not because Washington is considering renewed dialogue with Pyongyang, but because the president appears increasingly willing to subordinate a longstanding alliance to short-term political calculations. On the eve of the annual South Korea-U.S. military exercise, Trump ordered the Pentagon to “substantially” scale back the drills, citing their cost and allegedly provocative nature. More revealingly, he invoked his “very good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. He also complained that President Lee Jae Myung had declined his request for South Korean support for U.S.' military campaign against Iran. A day later, Trump said Kim had responded to his latest outreach for dialogue. The timing is difficult to dismiss as coincidence. Trump appears to be reviving the playbook of his first term: reduce military pressure on North Korea, emphasize his personal rapport with Kim and seek a dramatic leader-to-leader bargain. But the circumstances have changed profoundly. North Korea is mo

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[OPINION] Trump's Korea gamble: Putting politics ahead of vital alliance thumbnail

Won-dollar rate falls below 1,400 won for 1st time in 11 months

The Korean won strengthened to below the 1,400-won mark against the U.S. dollar for the first time in nearly 11 months, while the KOSPI plunged 5.8 percent on Wednesday. The won-dollar exchange rate closed at 1,397.7 won per dollar, down 14.1 won from the previous session. It was the first time that the rate fell below 1,400 won since Oct. 2 last year, when it stood at 1,399.5 won. Companies, including Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, are believed to have sold large amounts of dollars ahead of this month's interim corporate tax payments. Recent U.S. consumer and producer price data also came in below expectations, strengthening views that the Federal Reserve will refrain from raising rates next month. In contrast, the stock market was hit by a sharp sell-off amid growing concerns over rising global bond yields. The benchmark KOSPI closed at 6,471.17, down 5.8 percent. The index opened 4.96 percent lower and extended its losses, triggering a sell-side sidecar at 9:06 a.m. It was the 48th sidecar activation on KOSPI this year. Foreign and institutional investors sold a net 3.49 trillion wo

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Seoul's new urban policy: Guaranteed shade on daily walks

The Seoul Metropolitan Government pledged Wednesday to make "the right to shade" an urban policy principle throughout the capital, guaranteeing shielded pedestrian routes in response to record heat waves. The concept treats access to cooling as a public service for all, not a privilege determined by geography in an era of extreme heat. After running a pilot program on a 10-acre site next year, Seoul plans to expand the initiative citywide starting in 2028. "Heat waves are no longer a temporary inconvenience that people can endure for a few days. As they grow more intense and last longer, they are becoming a routine disaster that threatens people’s lives and safety," Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said during the press conference. “While the city has expanded green spaces through its Garden City Seoul initiative, the right to shade is the next step in connecting those spaces from residents’ homes to their destinations ... I will make shade not simply facilities available in only some places, but a basic urban service that protects residents’ health and daily lives.” The city government

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Korea eyes energy for 1st project under $350 bil. US investment plan: finance minister

The energy sector is being considered for Korea's first project under its $350 billion investment commitment to the United States, Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol said Wednesday. Speaking at a luncheon hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM), Koo said the launch of the Korea-U.S. Strategic Investment Corp. (KUIC) in June provided the institutional framework needed to put the investment plan into action. He called for companies from the two countries to work together to identify commercially viable projects that would benefit both sides. “Energy appears to be one of the areas attracting significant interest,” Koo said, noting that securing sufficient and affordable energy would be critical as power demand grows with the expansion of artificial intelligence (AI). “Combining Korea’s engineering expertise with U.S. knowhow could create mutually beneficial opportunities,” Koo added. Regarding complaints from the U.S. Department of Commerce over the delayed selection of the first investment project, Koo stressed that “there is absolutely no intention to delibera

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Korea eyes energy for 1st project under $350 bil. US investment plan: finance minister thumbnail

Police say statute of limitations expired for KFA's sexual entertainment allegations

Police have determined the statute of limitations has expired regarding allegations that the Korea Football Association (KFA) offered sexual entertainment to foreign referees between 2011 and 2012, an official said Wednesday. The football governing body recently faced allegations that it paid for sexual entertainment for visiting referees at massage parlors and other adult establishments before and after international matches held in Korea between March 2011 and March 2012. "It appears that the statute of limitations has expired for the charge of facilitating prostitution," the National Police Agency official told reporters in a briefing, adding that authorities will look further into the case. Police previously said the statute of limitations posed a legal hurdle to investigating the allegations dating back 15 years. Under Korea's law, the statute of limitations of 15 years or longer only applies to major severe offenses, such as those punishable by life imprisonment. The allegations stem from a recently publicized 2016 government audit report while an investigation has been under way in

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Korea moves to block Polymarket over illegal gambling

The Korea Media and Communications Standards Commission has ordered domestic internet service providers to block access to Polymarket, an overseas prediction market platform, after determining that the service promotes gambling. The commission’s telecommunications review subcommittee made the decision at a meeting Tuesday, concluding that Polymarket contains information intended to facilitate gambling or establish a place for gambling under the Criminal Act. It also found that the platform provides information intended to facilitate activities similar to sports betting under the National Sports Promotion Act. The regulator said Polymarket’s winner-take-all structure encourages gambling behavior because users can face sharply divergent financial gains or losses depending on outcomes beyond their control. Polymarket allows users to trade contracts tied to events including politics, the economy, international relations, sports, elections and weather. The commission cited markets involving domestic issues, including a contract on Seoul’s rainfall in August, as evidence that the platfo

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Financial regulators' potential Sejong relocation stirs unease among employees

A growing number of workers say they are uneasy about the government's move to relocate public financial institutions out of Seoul, with the list of affected organizations expected to be made public as early as next week. "It feels like it's finally happening. There have been talks about relocation before, usually around elections, but this time the government seems to be seriously pushing it," said an employee surnamed Kim at a state-run bank. "It's not just about having to move our homes. We're also concerned that the relocation could affect the efficiency of our work, since we have to communicate frequently with businesses based in Seoul," he said. An official at the Financial Services Commission (FSC), who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the relocation to Sejong appeared to be a "done deal." "'I'm trying to come to terms with it and figure out what to do with my family, including whether we should find a new apartment in Sejong," the official said. The FSC and the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) will likely be among the institutions considered for relocation to Sejong, the c

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Will ruling party revise real estate tax plan under new leadership?

Eyes are on whether the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), under new leader Kim Min-seok, will seek changes to the government’s real estate tax overhaul plan announced early this month, amid growing concerns over higher tax burdens and housing insecurity, according to political observers, Wednesday. Kim, the former prime minister, has already voiced opposition to a proposed tax increase for single-home owners who do not live in their properties, a measure that has drawn considerable public backlash. The new party leadership is expected to begin discussions with the government on possible revisions soon. “The first high-level meeting between the ruling party and the government under the new leadership will be held at 11 a.m. on Aug. 23, with major policy issues expected to be discussed,” senior party spokesperson Rep. Park Sung-joon told reporters. The government’s proposals would raise the tax burden on owners of expensive homes who do not reside in them, as well as on people who own multiple properties. In particular, the plan would lower the basic deduction for nonresident

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Tech funding nearly triples, but mega-rounds mask uneven recovery

Korea's tech funding nearly tripled year-on-year in the first half of 2026, but a handful of mega-rounds in artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductors accounted for an outsized share of the rebound, data showed Wednesday. Tech companies in Korea raised $1.4 billion in the first six months, up 195 percent from the same period a year earlier, according to Tracxn, a data intelligence platform for private market research. Funding increased across all stages. Seed investment rose 131 percent to $127 million, while early-stage funding climbed 112 percent to $639 million. Late-stage investment recorded the sharpest increase, rising 440 percent to $621million. But the headline figures mask a heavy concentration of capital in a small number of companies, particularly in AI-related sectors. Rebellions, a Korean AI chipmaker, raised $400 million in a Series D round in March, while semiconductor start-up XCENA secured $135 million in Series B funding in May. Together, the two rounds accounted for about 38 percent of all Korean tech funding in the first half. The deals helped push semiconductor f

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Tech funding nearly triples, but mega-rounds mask uneven recovery thumbnail

Special counsel seeks $7,150 fine for ex-President Yoon over perjury

A special counsel team on Wednesday sought a 10 million-won ($7,150) fine for former President Yoon Suk Yeol during his appellate trial on perjury charges. Special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team made the request at the Seoul High Court, after a lower court acquitted him of committing perjury during former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's insurrection trial in November. Yoon had testified in the trial that he had intended to convene a Cabinet meeting for his martial law declaration on Dec. 3, 2024. Cho's team believes that Yoon had only decided to call the meeting at Han's suggestion that day. The lower court acquitted Yoon of perjury in May, ruling that he appeared to have had plans to convene the meeting regardless of Han's proposal. Cho's team, which appealed the lower ruling, requested the appellate court to overturn the acquittal during the trial's final hearing. In his final statement, Yoon argued he had planned to hold a Cabinet meeting before his declaration, claiming he called in additional Cabinet members in order to reach a quorum. The Seoul High Court scheduled the trial's sentencing f

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'I couldn't lose another friend': Korean teen calls for social media algorithm rules

A petition was submitted to the National Assembly for a bill aimed at preventing teenage addiction to social networking services (SNS) and placing greater responsibility on platform service providers. The petitioner was 18-year-old Choi Kyung-jun. “While companies come up with ways to keep teens addicted to SNS, the responsibility for overcoming that addiction falls on parents and teens themselves,” Choi said. He wrote a letter to Rep. Kim Sun-min of the Rebuilding Korea Party, calling for more regulations of algorithms used by social media, saying he could not risk losing another friend to them. The Korean government, for its part, has introduced multiple measures to curb teenage addiction to smartphones and SNS. Among them are “smartphone-free schools” and a ban on teens under 14 accessing SNS. But such measures, according to Choi, effectively hold teens accountable for algorithms designed and developed by companies to lure users into spending as much time as possible on their platforms. "The reason I submitted the petition was a frustration with regulations that focus only on

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OURBIRTHDAY debuts as 1st JYP-affiliated girl group in 4 years

K-pop girl group OURBIRTHDAY made its official debut Wednesday with its namesake first single, "Our Birthday," ending a two-stage predebut rollout that split the seven members into separate units. The group held a press showcase at Blue Square in central Seoul's Yongsan District just hours before the release, sharing their thoughts on the debut and future plans. OURBIRTHDAY is the first K-pop girl group associated with JYP Entertainment since NMIXX debuted in 2022, and the first to launch under the company's subsidiary label, INNIT Entertainment. The group's name refers to the members' aim to treat ordinary days as if they were birthdays. "This is a moment all of us have been waiting for, so we're excited," member Cho Hye-jin said. "We prepared hard through the predebut period, and it means a lot to finally be promoting as a complete group." U said the team name shaped her expectations, noting, "When I first heard it, I thought every day would feel happy and special." Baby chimed in, adding the lineup only became real to her at that point. "It didn't sink in that the seven of us were debu

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OURBIRTHDAY debuts as 1st JYP-affiliated girl group in 4 years thumbnail

Editor's Pick

Why Lee is pushing to regain wartime OPCON within his term

Why Lee is pushing to regain wartime OPCON within his term

President Lee Jae Myung has repeatedly called for South Korea to regain wartime operational control (OPCON) from the United States within his term, with analysts saying the push reflects a sense of urgency to accomplish a long-standing goal of liberal administrations. The analysts added that Lee’s push could gain momentum from U.S. President Donald Trump’s desire to scale back Washington’s military and financial burdens in South Korea, presenting Seoul with a rare opportunity to complete the transfer after years of delays. Lee renewed his call for the transfer during a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday. “We must proceed smoothly with the transfer of wartime operational control within [my] term, in accordance with the government’s original plan,” Lee said. Regaining OPCON within Lee's five-year term, which ends in 2030, has been a major goal for his administration. Lee has been pushing recently to set the target year for 2028, or even as early as 2027, an accelerated timeline that will be discussed during a Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) with the U.S. this Octob

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Life in Korea

Nationwide civil defense drill slated for Thursday

Nationwide civil defense drill slated for Thursday

The interior ministry said Wednesday that a nationwide civil defense drill simulating an enemy air raid will be conducted later this week. The drill will take place across the country for 20 minutes starting at 2 p.m. Thursday, the ministry said. The drill will proceed in the order of an air raid warning, a preliminary warning and an all-clear, the ministry added. When the air raid siren sounds at exactly 2 p.m., people must evacuate to the nearest civil defense shelters or a nearby underground space. When the preliminary warning is issued at 2:15 p.m., they may leave the shelters and move around but must remain alert. The drill will end when the warning is lifted at 2:20 p.m. Civil defense shelters have been designated at approximately 17,000 locations nationwide, including underground parking lots at apartment complexes, subway stations and underground shopping malls. To help minimize public inconvenience, major facilities, such as hospitals, subways, railways, aircraft and ships, will operate normally even during the drill, the ministry said. Foreigners can receive information on the dr

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Seoul doubles late-night autonomous taxi fleet in Gangnam

Seoul doubles late-night autonomous taxi fleet in Gangnam

2 MIN READ
Let K-pop idols guide your next Korean getaway

Let K-pop idols guide your next Korean getaway

2 MIN READ

Lifestyle

K-LIT REVIEW Sapphic love blooms in post-apocalyptic wasteland of 'Everything Happened at Once'

Would the world come to an end if a deadly virus spread through our modern metropolises? Would panic breed lawlessness, unwinding centuries of civilization and plunging even the most advanced nations into chaos? Having come out the other end of the COVID-19 pandemic, we know the answers to these questions. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the young protagonists of Choi Jin-young’s novel “Everything Happened at Once,” translated into English by Soje. In the book, pandemonium descends as an unknown and deadly virus sweeps across the world. With the death toll in Korea topping 100,000 in a single day, the nation crumbles in a cloud of confusion and fear. Laws, ethics and all the threads tying modern civilization together disintegrate as the primal drive for survival takes over. Crime skyrockets, violence becomes constant and once-peaceful neighborhoods fill with death and destruction. When first publishing this book in Korea in 2017, Choi could never have imagined that a rapidly spreading pandemic just like the one she described would shock the world only a few years later.

4 MIN READ
[K-LIT REVIEW] Sapphic love blooms in post-apocalyptic wasteland of 'Everything Happened at Once'
Next great travel destination in Korea might just be a neighborhood bakery

Next great travel destination in Korea might just be a neighborhood bakery

2 MIN READ
What is singer Sung Si-kyung eating to maintain his weight loss?

What is singer Sung Si-kyung eating to maintain his weight loss?

3 MIN READ
No time to exercise? Try stair climbing

No time to exercise? Try stair climbing

3 MIN READ
Gyeongbok Palace opens for autumn night tours starting Sept. 2

Gyeongbok Palace opens for autumn night tours starting Sept. 2

2 MIN READ

K-Culture

Why does this Korean film couple shun the spotlight at home as awards pile up overseas?

Actor Kim Min-hee won praise in Locarno for her performance in her first film shot since giving birth to her first child with director Hong Sang-soo. While she continues to garner critical acclaim abroad, she and Hong have kept a low profile in Korea, where their relationship remains controversial. Kim won the Pardo for Best Performance for her work in Hong's 35th feature film, "Nowhere to Lay My Eyes," at the closing ceremony of the 79th Locarno Film Festival on Saturday. Kim previously won the award for Hong's "By the Stream" in 2024, marking her second win in two years. Kim took the stage to thank Hong and her colleagues. "I am deeply grateful to the director, who made a film as beautiful as poetry, and to our colleagues," Kim said. "I'd like to share the award with them." Kim, who went public with her relationship with Hong in 2017 and gave birth to their son last year, also mentioned her baby during her acceptance speech. "Thank you so much. I am with my baby right now," Kim said, choking up. "From now on, I will act with nothing but genuine love," she said. "Whenever I feel troubled

3 MIN READ
Why does this Korean film couple shun the spotlight at home as awards pile up overseas?
BTS lands 2 MTV VMA nominations for 'Swim'

BTS lands 2 MTV VMA nominations for 'Swim'

1 MIN READ
BIGBANG set to drop new single on 20th debut anniversary

BIGBANG set to drop new single on 20th debut anniversary

1 MIN READ
From Yeonjun, Dino to Evan: HYBE artists take creative control in solo releases

From Yeonjun, Dino to Evan: HYBE artists take creative control in solo releases

3 MIN READ
Stray Kids' 'This & That' debuts at No. 38 on Billboard Hot 100

Stray Kids' 'This & That' debuts at No. 38 on Billboard Hot 100

1 MIN READ

Celebrities

Actor Lee Soo-hyuk's mid-production departure from drama leaves many puzzled

In an unexpected and puzzling move, actor Lee Soo-hyuk withdrew from the Netflix drama “Men of the Harem” while production was underway. His agency, Saram Entertainment, confirmed Wednesday that the actor was dropping out of the project, citing scheduling conflicts. Based on a web novel of the same name, “Men of the Harem” is a palace romance-fantasy drama set in a fictional world. The story follows Latil, an empress of the Tarium Empire, and the political intrigue among her five royal consorts as they compete to win her affection. Lee Eung-bok, who previously directed “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God,” “Descendants of the Sun,” “Mr. Sunshine” and “Sweet Home,” is helming the project. The drama was set for release next year, with a cast that includes Suzy, Shin Seung-ho, Dex, Kim Dan and Yoo Jung-hoo. But Lee Soo-hyuk’s sudden departure is expected to cause complications for the production. His agency declined to provide further details. Actor Lee Jong-won is known to be considering a role in the drama. An official from his agency, The Black Label, told the Hank

1 MIN READ
Actor Lee Soo-hyuk's mid-production departure from drama leaves many puzzled
Actor Hwang Jung-min faces trial involving woman claiming private relationship

Actor Hwang Jung-min faces trial involving woman claiming private relationship

1 MIN READ
BTS' Jimin surprises young cancer patient with heartwarming moment

BTS' Jimin surprises young cancer patient with heartwarming moment

1 MIN READ
After military duty, Korea's top stars choose streaming over TV

After military duty, Korea's top stars choose streaming over TV

2 MIN READ
SBS faces backlash for airing Ha Young's new drama

SBS faces backlash for airing Ha Young's new drama

2 MIN READ

Get key insights on Korea from the members-only personalized news service My Times.

Opinion

Top 10 Stories

  1. Can Korea seize Ha Young's family wealth under pro-Japanese asset recovery law?

  2. Korea, Mongolia partner to bring back endangered bird after 5-decade absence

  3. COVER STORY Scaled-back drills cast uncertainty over OPCON transfer timeline

  4. SK hynix to buy back $28.6 bil. worth of shares in 3 months before cancellation

  5. S. Korea, US to conduct 159 field drills this year despite shortened UFS exercise

  6. NK leader's sister says Pyongyang focused on S. Korea-US drills continuing, not reduced scale

  7. Seoul's new urban policy: Guaranteed shade on daily walks

  8. Ball in N. Korea's court after Trump's summit overture, experts say

  9. OPINION Trump's Korea gamble: Putting politics ahead of vital alliance

  10. Trump says N. Korea has 57 nuclear weapons, plans to meet Kim later this year

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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
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