Kim Ji-soo

Jul 29, 2015By Kim Ji-soo

Korea, U.S. agree to probe of Osan base over anthrax shipment

South Korea and the United States will conduct a joint on-site investigation of the U.S. Forces Korea's Osan Air Base next week over an accidental shipment of a live anthrax sample sent there in April, the Ministry of National Defense said Wednesday.A joint working group that was launched earlier this month to look into the delivery mishap will visit the biological laboratory inside the Osan base, south of Seoul, on Aug. 6 in order to "personally verify and assess the overall process of the accident," the ministry said in a statement.The process of the anthrax sample's delivery and steps taken after the delivery, including the disposal of the sample, will be subject to the firsthand inspection, it said.The schedule of the on-site probe was confirmed in the first meeting of the joint working group held earlier in the day at the ministry in Seoul.The Pentagon said in May that live anthrax samples were accidentally sent from a military laboratory in Utah to other labs in the U.S. and several foreign countries in April, including the lab at the Osan Air Base."The on-site visit is expecte

Jul 29, 2015By Kim Ji-soo

SHINee to release repackaged album 'Married to the Music'

Cover of SHINee's repackaged album SHINee will release a repackaged version of their fourth album “Odd” with four new songs including a new title track “Married to the Music” on Aug. 3, SM Entertainment said Wednesday.The album will include 11 songs previously listed in “Odd,” in addition to the four new songs.The group swept local music charts with “Odd,” released back in May. The album won them top spot in the iTunes album charts in six Asian nations, as well as top spot on Billboard’s world album chart. The music video for the song “View” was chosen as the most viewed K-pop music video in the United States and across the world in May.

SHINee to release repackaged album 'Married to the Music'

S. Korea to hold info session on doing business with Iran

South Korea said Tuesday it will hold an information session next week to help local businesses make inroads into Iran after the lifting of international sanctions on the Middle Eastern nation.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy plan to hold a joint session on Aug. 5 to help firms better understand the details of Iran's recent nuclear deal with the U.S. and five other global powers, according to a government press release.After years of tough negotiations, Iran and the so-called P5+1 -- Britain, France, China, Germany, Russia and the U.S. -- struck a deal on July 14 aimed at curbing Iran's uranium enrichment program in exchange for international sanctions relief.The sanctions will remain in place until after the International Atomic Energy Agency verifies whether Iran is abiding by the agreement, a process expected to be completed in the first half of next year.During the session, the government will explain its policy on Iran and its planned revisions to trade and investment guidelines governing business with the Middle Eastern nation.The g

Korean hip-hop duo scores three-pointer in video game soundtrack

Dynamic DuoKorean hip-hop group Dynamic Duo has participated in the soundtrack for a world-class basketball video game.The duo’s agency, Amoeba Culture, said Tuesday Dynamic Duo’s “AEAO” _ made with American DJ Premier last year _ had been selected as the part of the soundtrack for the video game, “NBA 2K.”The duo, comprising Gaeko and Choi Ja, joins artists, including Calvin Harris, Jay Z and Major Lazer, for the game’s “Around The World” playlist. 

Korean hip-hop duo scores three-pointer in video game soundtrack

Beast to hold 'Beautiful Show' in August

 BeastK-pop boy band Beast will perform “2015 Beautiful Show” on Aug. 29-30 at the Olympic Gymnasium in Songpa-gu, eastern Seoul, Cube Entertainment said.About 20,000 people attended a concert given by the six-member band last year. Yoon Doo-joon, Jang Hyun-seung, Yong Jun-hyung, Yang Yo-seob, Lee Gi-kwang and Son Dong-won will perform their latest hit single “Yey” as well as other songs.Tickets will be available to the general public on Aug. 5, while Beast fan club members begin purchasing them on Aug. 3.

Beast to hold 'Beautiful Show' in August

N. Korean envoy says no interest in dialogue on nuclear program

North Korean Ambassador to China Ji Jae-ryong said Tuesday that his country has no interest in reopening talks with the United States on its nuclear weapons program, boasting that Pyongyang is a "nuclear weapons state."In a rare press conference at the North Korean Embassy in Beijing, Ji also called on South Korea and the U.S. to halt their annual joint military drills on the Korean Peninsula in the coming weeks."The DPRK (North Korea) is not interested at all in dialogue to discuss its nuclear program," Ji said. North Korea is "a nuclear weapons state both in name and in reality."The DPRK is the acronym of North Korea's official name -- the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.North Korea is also capable of mounting a miniaturized nuclear warhead on a missile, he said. (Yonhap)

Jul 27, 2015By Kim Ji-soo

K-pop festival set to rock U.S.

 Girls' GenerationA K-pop festival hosted by Korea’s CJ E&M will open in Los Angeles at the weekend. The leading content and media company said that KCON, North America’s largest Korean cultural festival, will open at the Staples Center from July 31 through Aug. 2.The annual festival will then move to the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on Aug. 8.The lineup for the Los Angeles event will feature Super Junior, Sistar, Shinhwa, AOA, Block B and Got 7. Artists for the New Jersey event include Girls’ Generation, Teen Top and Vixx.Super Junior

Jul 27, 2015By Kim Ji-soo

'위대한 모성'…3살아들 구하고 추락사

중국의 한 백화점에서 발생한 에스컬레이터 사고에서 세 살배기 아들을 살리고 자신은 목숨을 잃은 어머니의 사연이 중국인들의 심금을 울리고 있다.    27일 관영 신화통신 등에 따르면 후베이(湖北)성 징저우(荊州)시의 한 백화점에서 26일 오전 10시께 7층 에스컬레이터 상층 끝 부분의 발판이 갑자기 '푹' 꺼지는 사고가 발생했다.    30대 여성이 세 살배기 아들을 안은 채 6층에서 7층으로 올라가 에스컬레이터에서 막 내리려는 순간이었다.    이 여성은 모성을 발휘해 본능적으로 아들을 밀쳐 올렸으나 자신은 움푹 팬 구멍 아래로 떨어지고 말았다.     아들은 백화점 점원 등에 의해 전혀 다치지 않고 구조됐지만, 이 여성은 에스컬레이터를 해체해 구조 작업을 펼쳤음에도 약 5시간 만에 숨진 채 발견됐다.    경찰은 백화점 측과 에스컬레이터 시공사 등을 상대로 정확한 사고 경위를 조사하고 있다.    사연이 알려지자 중국 누리꾼들은 '자신의 목숨을 아들의 목숨과 바꾼 위대한 모성', '아이는 구하고 자신은 구하지 못하다니 너무나 안타깝다'는 등의 반응을 보이며 가슴 아파했다.    일부 누리꾼들은 '날벼락'과도 같은 이번 사고에 대해 '무서워서 에스컬레이터를 타기가 두렵다', '엘리베이터나 에스컬레이터를 탈 때 안전에 주의해야 한다'는 등의 반응도 나타냈다.    중국 언론들은 중국에서 그동안에도 자주 에스컬레이터나 엘리베이터 사고로 인한 인명피해가 발생해 왔다면서 '사고의 60% 이상은 관리·보수가 제대로 되지 못하고 있기 때문'이라고 지적하기도 했다. (연합뉴스)