The Korea Times

Seungri may face police questioning

BIGBANG member Seungri.By Oh Young-jin Seungri, a member of K-Pop band BIGBANG, may face police questioning over the battery incident at a club in Gangnam that has triggered a sweeping probe into drug use and forced sex, according to reports. Seungri has so far distanced himself from the scandal, claiming he did not know of the incident until the media reported it. He was an executive at the club, which has now closed. SBS News reported that a Chinese woman suspected of selling illegal drugs to customers at Burning Sun, aka the Seungri Club, has been banned from leaving the country. The woman strongly denied selling drugs. A media outlet posted a photo of Seungri with the Chinese woman, who said they had no special relationship but were just a fan with a star. Seungri also denied the woman was more than a fan. One club employee has been arrested for allegedly using and possessing drugs. The woman claimed that the white powder police confiscated at her home was not a drug but powdered soap. A forensic specialist is analyzing the powder. She voluntarily presented herself to police afte

Feb 19, 2019By Oh Young-jin

Opinion

Foreign minister's misplaced modesty

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha shakes hands with Tim Betts, the leader of the U.S. team negotiating ROK-U.S. cost-sharing for U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), at the ministry, Sunday. Betts is acting deputy assistant secretary of state. Korea TimesBy Oh Young-jin Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has left much to be desired over the way she handled herself at the conclusion of ROK-U.S. cost-sharing talks for U.S. forces stationed here.Call it serendipity, but it is possible to correlate Minister Kang's lack of a poker face with U.S. President Donald Trump's demand for an additional increase in Korea's share of costs Tuesday.Kang was caught out ― a sight that appeared predominantly in photos on websites of key news outlets and on the front pages of their papers.In the photo, Kang, all smiles, shakes hands with Tim Betts, the leader of the U.S. negotiating team on U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) cost-sharing, posing beside the national flag in the official setting at the ministry building Sunday. The photo was out of place for two reasons.The setting and the handshake were enough to make the two look

Feb 15, 2019By Oh Young-jin

Troop pullout linked to peace treaty

Society

PHOTOS More snow falls later Friday

Two workers clear snow at the National Assembly, Friday. More snow fell in the afternoon. YonhapBy Oh Yung-jinSnow fell throughout Friday. It stopped at around 9 a.m. in Seoul but continued later. Morning commuters faced slippery roads and traffic slowdown. There were some traffic accidents. The weather was warm throughout the day with the mercury above the freezing zero. About three centimeters of snow fell, more than forecasters had predicted. Commuters are on the move on the snow-covered road, Seoul, Friday. YonahpA car pileup takes place on a snow-covered road in Seoul, Friday. YonhapThe premises of Gyeongbok Place in downtown are all white after an early morning snowfall. YonhapSnow worsens the morning rush-hour traffic in Seoul, Friday. YonahpCommuters are caught in an early morning blizzard in central Seoul, Friday. Yonhap

Feb 15, 2019By Oh Young-jin

Foreign Affairs

Madam Pelosi, return our embarrassing gift scroll to us

National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang presents his gift scroll to Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi during his visit to U.S. Capitol, Tuesday. The scroll contains the Chinese phrase that reminds one of flunkeyism and the erroneous English usage. YonhapBy Oh Young-jinNational Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang gave the wrong gift to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during his visit to the latter in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, with a group of lawmakers.The gift in question was a scroll with Chinese calligraphy he presented in person. The photo of the occasion has been posted on media websites and carried in newspapers. There are two problems -- the first being plain to see and the second more subtle and more damaging. The first is “Dear Pelosi” written on the right side of the scroll. Missing is the honorific “Madam” or job title “Speaker” or “Madam Speaker” ahead of her last name. Addressing the speaker just as Pelosi is inappropriate at best and ignorant at worst. Then, “Dear” looks misplaced because it i

Feb 13, 2019By Oh Young-jin

Madam Pelosi, return our embarrassing gift scroll to us

Entertainment

Will Seungri scandal hit his overseas concerts?

Seungri of Big Bang is in hot water over his club scandal. Korea TimesBy Oh Young-jin BigBang's Seungri, who is embroiled in a controversy over an assault at a club linked to him, is facing calls for refunds on his concerts, reports said Friday.Network television MBC reported on its news website that some tickets were being offered for resale at prices below the original. A check at a ticket sale site showed nearly 100 tickets remained unsold for both concerts slated for next weekend in Seoul. Over 100 tickets were still available for his Singapore concert on Feb. 23. He has two concerts in Osaka, Japan, in March. These concerts are the last before Seungri starts mandatory military service, so fans were competing to get hold of tickets. But the recent assault case involving staffers at a club where Seungri worked as an executive has cooled their reaction. The Burning Sun club is widely known as Seungri club. Seungri claimed that his involvement was limited to PR work but the scandal has grown following allegations that some VIP customers used drugs and were engaged in sexual violence

Feb 8, 2019By Oh Young-jin

Will Seungri scandal hit his overseas concerts?

Shows & Dramas

'Short' comics get wish - being taller but in fake photo

Comedian Yoon Byung-jae on his Instragam with fellow comic Jo Se-ho in their fake photo that makes them look talker than they are.By Oh Young-jin Comedian Yoo Byung-jae has posted a "deception" photo on his Instagram account that makes him look much taller because of longer legs.Fellow comedian Jo Se-ho, also known for being short, is made taller in the photo too. Yoo added a caption, saying: "All entertainers are liars."Yoo got noticed when he worked as a sketch writer for the Korean edition of U.S. comedy show “Saturday Night Live” in 2012, and then played an overworked manager for an idol group in “Extreme Job,” one of the show's skits. Since then he has emerged as top-notch standup comic. Jo has followed a more standard path as a comedian.

Feb 8, 2019By Oh Young-jin

'Short' comics get wish - being taller but in fake photo

Opinion

Trump right on spot on North Korea

U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un face each other during an extended meeting of their first summit in Singapore, June. The two are scheduled to meet for the second time in Vietnam later this month. YonhapBy Oh Young-jinBy most measures being floated now, the second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un is doomed to fail. One common feature among those measures is the need for the North to take concrete steps to achieve complete (permanent), verifiable and irreversible destruction of its nuclear program ― C(P)VID ― or FFVD, fully verifiable denuclearization, in the latest version by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. But unless Kim is stupid (obviously he isn't), he won't give up the sword that has taken him so far and will certainly help him further on his survival path. Even if he is given U.S. security guarantees and bundles of cash from South Korea, the likelihood is that he will hold on to the ultimate weapons as long as possible to squeeze all he can from the situation. So those who tell Trump what he has

Feb 8, 2019By Oh Young-jin

Entertainment

Actor's road rage may axe silver anniversary TV show

Actor Choi Min-soo.By Oh Young-jinSBS television is considering axing a program, starring actor Choi Min-soo, 57, and his celebrity wife June Elizabeth Kang on their silver anniversary, slated for Monday, reports said Friday. The reason is Choi's case of road rage that landed him in court. Choi said through his agency that he was waiting for the court's decision.Choi, known for his hot temper that not infrequently puts him in a tight spot, is charged without physical detention with abruptly stopping his car in front of a car that had cut in. The car hit Choi's from behind causing millions of millions of won damage. The incident happened in Yeouido on Sept. 17. Choi also allegedly abused the driver. Choi told a news outlet that the driver in the damaged car had threatened to terminate his career and also had mocked him. SBS has not decided whether to drop the program. In 1994 Choi married Kang, who represented Canada in the 1993 Miss Korea pageant, and they have three children. Choi is the son of Choi Moo-ryong, a popular actor in the 1960s and 1970s and actress Kang Sho-shil. He has

Feb 2, 2019By Oh Young-jin

Actor's road rage may axe silver anniversary TV show

Opinion

Forgiving Japan without forgetting

Korea and Japan have been caught in a severe case of myopia, overly focusing on their differences and wasting precious energy. YonhapBy Oh Young-jin There are countless reasons to dislike Japan, but Korea needs a strategic mind to set them aside to identify areas of common interest and push their joint agenda together.So far, the two have been caught in a severe case of myopia, overly focusing on their differences and wasting precious energy. Now, in the new Cold War era, the two neighbors should realize they are like lips and teeth, as Ma Zedong described the relationship between China and North Korea during the old Cold War. It is worth remembering that the 1950-53 Korean War started when the North ― with the backing of China and the Soviet Union ― invaded South Korea at the start of the capitalism vs. communism contest. The war was brought to a standstill thanks to U.S. intervention, enabling Japan to enjoy post-World War II prosperity. What if the communists had taken over the South?Japan would have faced a direct threat from the communists, its dilemma being compared with t

Feb 1, 2019By Oh Young-jin

Opinion

Let's pay Trump off

Members of civic groups stage a protest in front of the U.S. ambassador's residence in downtown Seoul, Thursday, to lodge their opposition to the U.S. demand for Korea's bigger share in the cost of maintaining U.S. forces. YonhapBy Oh Young-jinThe United States is applying a full court press to force Korea to increase its share of the cost of maintaining U.S. forces here.Reportedly, U.S. President Donald Trump asked President Moon Jae-in to raise Korea's annual payment to $1.2 billion during their “pull-aside” meeting at the G20 gathering last year.The two sides have since conducted 10 meetings and the result: Seoul is holding on to an annual 1 trillion won, or 4.1 percent, rise from last year as its Maginot Line, while Washington is demanding $1 billion, or 1.13 trillion won. Now there are signs of anti-American sentiment rising through protests and demonstrations condemning the U.S. for its pressure tactic. Conspicuous by its absence is the leadership of the government, which obviously is falling back on the “candlelight mentality” to follow the masses' powe

Jan 25, 2019By Oh Young-jin

Oh Young-jin

Read more

Seungri may face police questioning

Foreign minister's misplaced modesty

PHOTOS More snow falls later Friday

Madam Pelosi, return our embarrassing gift scroll to us

Will Seungri scandal hit his overseas concerts?

'Short' comics get wish - being taller but in fake photo

Trump right on spot on North Korea

Actor's road rage may axe silver anniversary TV show

Forgiving Japan without forgetting

Let's pay Trump off

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