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After MMA loss, Song Ga-yeon's camp gets feisty

On left, Satomi Takano is pressing Song from the Sunday match. On right, Seo Doo-won behind Song. / Yonhap  People close to mixed martial arts (MMA) rookie Song Ga-yeon have caused an uproar after posting frustrated comments following her loss to Japan’s Satomi Takano on Sunday.  In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Song’s jujitsu coach Seok Sang-jun reportedly wrote, “For those of you who criticize Song, (expletive) you all!” Hong Yeong-gi, a mixed martial artist who is on the same training team as Song, called Song’s detractors “shameless” on a fighting website.  The comments caused backlash, prompting the head of the training team, MMA fighter Seo Doo-won to apologize.  “I bow my head in apology for not properly educating my teammates,” Seo said in the statement. “Their comments only derived from how frustrated they were after Song’s loss.  Song lost to Satomi 4:29 minutes into the first round of their match in Seoul. It was her second professional match. Song, a former ring girl, h

Dec 17, 2014By Ko Dong-hwan

After MMA loss, Song Ga-yeon's camp gets feisty

Comedians parody TV blockbuster 'Misaeng'

/ YonhapThe hit television series “Misaeng” will be parodied in a comedy called “Misaengmool” ― which means “microorganism” in Korean ― starting in January.Comedians and other celebrities will take the roles played by the stars of the original hit. Those involved in the original Misaeng include Im Si-wan, a member of idol boy band “ZE:A,” and actress Kang So-ra.Former idol boy band Sechs Kies member Jang Soo-won ― whose robot-like wooden acting earned him the popular nickname “god of acting” ― plays Jang Geu-rae (originally Im) in the parody.Jang Do-yeon, from the television show “Comedy Big League,” plays Jang’s female partner Ahn Young-mi (originally Kang).The “Misaengmool” plot reportedly follows that of the original, but with Jang playing a former idol wannabe who crawls into a corporate environment.According to director Baik Seung-ryong, the show depicts how Jang “evolves from a microorganism into a more complex organism.”Baik is the creative brain behind the network’s liv

Dec 17, 2014By Ko Dong-hwan

Comedians parody TV blockbuster 'Misaeng'

Boyfriend wanted double suicide, court says

The Seoul Northern District Court has sentenced a 21-year-old man to prison after he attempted to coerce his girlfriend into a double suicide.The man took his girlfriend to a motel where he sealed the windows and turned on the gas. “We have to die together if you are not going to live with me,” he told her, according to the court.  However, his girlfriend escaped.The court was told that the man, identified only as Seo, had threatened to send nude pictures to the woman’s mother and other people in a bid to coerce her into the plan. The girlfriend had broken up with Seo in September.

Dec 17, 2014By Kim Jae-heun

You're only lonely

Dec 17, 2014

Is singer Lee Jin-ah really this good?

Park Jin-young from "K-pop Star" / Courtesy of YouTubeLee Jin-ahTwenty-four-year-old singer Lee Jin-ah left the judges on competition show “K-pop Star: Season 4” speechless with her performance on Sunday. However, the lofty praise for the young artist had some netizens scratching their heads, wondering whether the judges’ assessment had been over the top.  In the program’s second round of elimination, the 24-year-old performed her song, “As I Wish,” a slow number.  JYP Entertainment CEO Park Jin-young, one of the three judges, became especially emotional after the performance, saying he “might as well quit the music industry now.”  Composer Yoo Hui-yeol, another judge, was so stirred by the music that he declined to give any feedback. Yang Hyun-seok, CEO of YG Entertainment, said the performance was “10 times better than her previous one.” Some observers were puzzled by the dramatic reaction. “As K-pop Star’s new seasons keep coming, the judges’ acting skills also seem to impro

Dec 16, 2014By Ko Dong-hwan

ASEAN ambassadors

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se gestures during a meeting with ambassadors to Korea from ASEAN-member countries at the ministry in Doryeom-dong, downtown Seoul, Tuesday. The meeting took place following the ASEAN-Korea Commemorative Summit in Busan on Dec. 11 and 12 to mark the 25th anniversary of relations between Korea and ASEAN. / Yonhap

Dec 16, 2014

Coming-of-age ceremony

Students hold a traditional coming-of-age ceremony at Garim High School in Incheon, Tuesday./ Yonhap

Dec 16, 2014

Anti-Ebola clothing

Members of the Korean medical team try on an anti-Ebola suit at a training center in Worcester, north of London, Monday. The team of four doctors and six nurses will receive safety education from Dec. 15-20 before leaving forSierra Leone for full-fledged work for four weeks at an Ebola clinic being built by Britain in Goderich, near the capital of Freetown. / Yonhap

Dec 16, 2014

Muslim's tribute in Sydney

A Muslim man and a relative join thousands of people in laying flowers near the Lindt chocolate cafe in Martin Place following last night’s dramatic siegein Sydney, Tuesday. Police stormed the central Sydney cafe after a fringe Islamist with a criminal record allegedly held customers and staff hostage atgunpoint for more than 16 hours. The suspected gunman, a refugee from Iran6, was killed as well as two hostages. / EPA-Yonhap

Dec 16, 2014

Seoul to fine taxi drivers who refuse passengers

Police are raiding on a taxi who refuses passengers in Jongno, central Seoul. / Yonhap Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) and city police will fine taxi drivers 200,000 won ($182) if they refuse passengers during the end-of-year period. Police will also do spot checks on taxis. Taxis in the capital, mostly in downtown areas, have been avoiding passengers who want to travel only a short distance because the fare is too small. Some drivers have been seen bargaining with passengers who have no choice but more than they would under normal circumstances.To cope with the expected end-of-year increase in demand, the SMG said Tuesday it will fine offending drivers without a warning. In the past, drivers have been given a warning on their first offense. SMG has made efforts to prevent drivers from refusing to take passengers, but taxis can still be seen waiting in line for long-distance customers. The city and police will mobilize an extra 120 civil servants and 277 police to 24 areas where the problem is most common.

Dec 16, 2014By Kim Jae-heun

Others

Others

After MMA loss, Song Ga-yeon's camp gets feisty

Comedians parody TV blockbuster 'Misaeng'

Boyfriend wanted double suicide, court says

You're only lonely

Is singer Lee Jin-ah really this good?

ASEAN ambassadors

Coming-of-age ceremony

Anti-Ebola clothing

Muslim's tribute in Sydney

Seoul to fine taxi drivers who refuse passengers

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