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  • Society

    Paichai High School baseball team suspended 6 months over 'Tank Day' chant against Gwangju school

    The Paichai High School baseball team has been suspended from national tournament play for six months after a chant evoked Starbucks Korea's controversial "Tank Day" promotion during a national tournament match against a school from Gwangju. The Korea Baseball Softball Association held a sports fair play committee meeting Wednesday to review the incident and imposed the suspension after determining the chant violated the spirit of sportsmanship and disrupted order on the field. During Monday's match against Gwangju Jeil High School at the 81st Cheongnonggi National High School Baseball Championship in Seoul's Mokdong Baseball Stadium, some Paichai players repeatedly chanted “Let's go, let's go, let's go to Starbucks” in unison. One student even shouted “Tank Day.” The chant was a direct reference to Starbucks Korea's "Tank Day" promotion launched on May 18 — the 46th anniversary of the Gwangju Uprising — which used the phrase in a reference widely condemned as denigrating the pro-democracy movement. The backlash at the time drew responses from consumers and politicians alike

    2 MIN READBy Park Ung
    Paichai High School baseball team suspended 6 months over 'Tank Day' chant against Gwangju school
  • Society

    New PM orders thorough measures with heavy rain forecast to hit southern region

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    New PM orders thorough measures with heavy rain forecast to hit southern region
  • Politics

    Presidential unification body adds over 2,000 advisers, plans overseas expansion

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Presidential unification body adds over 2,000 advisers, plans overseas expansion
  • Defense

    Navy chief to visit Hawaii this week for RIMPAC exercise

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Navy chief to visit Hawaii this week for RIMPAC exercise
  • South Korea

    Seoul unveils master plan to transform Yeouido Park into cultural hub

    2 MIN READBy Jhoo Dong-chan
    Seoul unveils master plan to transform Yeouido Park into cultural hub
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Law & Crime

6 paper manufacturers fined $228.8 mil. for price fixing

The head of the antitrust watchdog said Thursday the agency has decided to impose a combined fine of 338.3 billion won ($228.8 million) on six paper manufacturers for price fixing. Fair Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Ju Biung-ghi reported the decision to a meeting of ministers related to managing market prices affecting people's livelihoods, noting that the watchdog will also order the companies to reset their prices independently and refer them to the prosecution. Hansol Paper and five other companies were found to have colluded to fix prices of printing paper used in the education and publishing sectors for nearly four years. The decision comes as the government intensifies its efforts to crack down on collusion and unfair practices in markets for essential items. During Thursday's meeting, the FTC said it will push for stronger punitive measures against companies that get involved in collusion cases repeatedly.

Apr 23, 2026By Yonhap
6 paper manufacturers fined $228.8 mil. for price fixing
Politics

Lee set to meet Vietnamese PM, attend biz forum

HANOI — President Lee Jae Myung was set to meet Vietnamese Prime Minister Lu Minh Hung on Thursday and discuss ways to advance bilateral cooperation. The meeting with Hung follows Lee's bilateral summit with Vietnam's top leader To Lam, who serves as state president and general secretary of the Communist Party, on Wednesday, where the two leaders agreed to expand cooperation in various sectors, including supply chains, infrastructure and energy. Lee and Hung, widely regarded as Vietnam's No. 2 official, were expected to build on such an agreement and explore more detailed areas of cooperation, according to Lee's presidential office. The South Korean president will then meet Vietnam's National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man. Later Thursday, Lee will attend a business forum aimed at promoting trade and investment between companies from the two countries. Lee is accompanied by a large economic delegation on his state visit to Vietnam, including Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Executive Chair Chey Tae-won, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and Lotte Group Chairman Shin Do

Apr 23, 2026By Yonhap
Lee set to meet Vietnamese PM, attend biz forum
Society

Branksome Hall Asia sends students to world's top universities through inquiry-based education

Branksome Hall Asia (BHA) is drawing attention for its strong global university admissions outcomes, as it aligns with international education trends by emphasizing inquiry-based learning and self-directed study to cultivate global talents. The International Baccalaureate (IB) program, which emphasizes critical thinking and independent learning, is gaining traction among leading universities worldwide, though it remains relatively unfamiliar to many Korean students and parents. BHA, an IB World School on Jeju Island, is emerging as a notable case of how such an education model can foster diverse academic pathways and support entry into top-tier global institutions. Developed by a Switzerland-based nonprofit, IB programs aim to cultivate globally minded students through transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary learning. Emphasizing inquiry, discussion and cross-subject connections, it is widely seen as an alternative to memorization-driven, exam-oriented education systems. However, relatively few schools in Korea offer the full IB continuum from early education through to the Diploma Progr

Apr 23, 2026By Jung Da-hyun
Branksome Hall Asia sends students to world's top universities through inquiry-based education
Society

'My business is gone': Seoul’s low-cost study spaces spark backlash from cafe owners

As midterm exam season approaches for students at all levels in South Korea, Mapo Naru Space, a public study space for students in Seoul’s Mapo District, was crowded with students on Monday evening. Even as the clock ticked past 9 p.m., only three of its 114 seats were available. “Cafes are often too noisy, and study cafes — quiet, laptop-friendly spaces that serve coffee — are not cost-effective unless you go there every day,” said Lee, a 22-year-old college student. “This place is very affordable and well-maintained, which is why I come here every exam season.” About a five-minute walk down the street, that same air of quiet intensity that marks exam season was absent at a private study cafe. Twenty-seven of its 70 seats — nearly 40 percent — were empty. Jo, the 63-year-old owner, said sales have fallen sharply since Mapo Naru Space opened in the neighborhood two years ago. “I took over the business after being told monthly net profit would be around 8 million won ($5,400), but these days there is barely any profit at all,” Jo said. He said he had decided to shut dow

Apr 23, 2026By Hankookilbo
'My business is gone': Seoul’s low-cost study spaces spark backlash from cafe owners
Politics

Appeals court upholds PPP's exclusion of lawmaker from Daegu mayoral primary

An appeals court on Wednesday dismissed an injunction request by a six-term lawmaker challenging his exclusion from the main opposition People Power Party's (PPP) nomination for Daegu mayor, upholding a lower court's decision. The Seoul High Court rejected the appeal filed by Rep. Joo Ho-young against the PPP nomination committee. The committee had previously excluded Joo and Lee Jin-sook, former head of the Korea Communications Commission, from the party's nomination process, opting to hold a preliminary primary among six other candidates ahead of the June 3 local elections. The appeals court said there was no procedural problem with the committee's decision as it appears to have reviewed all nine candidates — not just three, including Joo — for potential exclusion from nomination before resolving to exclude the three. The court also concluded that the committee did not abuse its discretion by applying arbitrary criteria, nor were there any other procedural flaws, such as failing to hold a formal vote among committee members. The appellate court's decision upheld a ruling by the Seou

Apr 22, 2026By Yonhap
Appeals court upholds PPP's exclusion of lawmaker from Daegu mayoral primary
Politics

Deputy FM stresses cooperation with EU on supply chains in meeting with envoys

Deputy Foreign Minister Chung Eui-hae met Wednesday with ambassadors and deputy chiefs of mission of the European Union and its member states, calling for greater cooperation in supply chains and other areas under their strategic security and defense partnership. Chung proposed South Korea and the EU continue working together on key current issues, including global supply chain stability and technological innovation, the foreign ministry said in a release. She also used the session to explain South Korea's positions on the Korean Peninsula, the Middle East and Ukraine. Both sides agreed to continue efforts to produce tangible outcomes in areas of cooperation based on their free trade pact and the security-defense partnership, the ministry said.

Apr 22, 2026By Yonhap
Deputy FM stresses cooperation with EU on supply chains in meeting with envoys
Others

Runaway wolf’s 'mukbang' draws national attention in Korea

Five days have passed since Neukgu, a 2-year-old male wolf that escaped from O-World theme park in Daejeon and evaded capture for nine days, was returned to the zoo. Yet public fascination with the runaway wolf has only intensified — so much so that some have begun calling for the attention to be toned down so the animal can rest. In a “mukbang” (eating broadcast) clip posted on O-World's Instagram account, Neukgu emerges warily from his enclosure, scans his surroundings and slowly approaches a pile of ground beef and minced raw chicken. He is then seen taking small bites while continuing to glance around cautiously. O-World said the young wolf is still recovering and has begun eating more. Fans and other netizens responded immediately with messages of support. By Wednesday afternoon, two days after it was posted, the footage had drawn 1.46 million views and 51,000 likes, along with 1,300 comments expressing hopes for Neukgu’s speedy recovery and excitement about seeing him again soon. Another video of Neukgu feeding, uploaded on Tuesday, had also drawn over 390,000 views — an

Apr 22, 2026By Hankookilbo
Runaway wolf’s 'mukbang' draws national attention in Korea
Law & Crime

WINNER's Song Min-ho could face 102 days of mandatory 'reservice' if convicted

Song Min-ho of K-pop group WINNER could be required to return to military service if found guilty of violating Korea’s Military Service Act, drawing renewed attention to fairness in the country’s mandatory enlistment system. A report by the Financial News Wednesday said that if Song is convicted, he is likely to be subject to “reservice,” meaning he would have to complete the period he failed to serve. The length of that period — currently estimated at 102 days — has become a key point of public interest. The case has also fueled confusion online, with some claiming that Song could be required to serve up to five times the number of days he was absent, or around 500 days. However, that interpretation does not apply to his case. Under Korean law, the penalty depends on the length of unauthorized absence. For absences of fewer than seven days, additional service of up to five times the missed period may be imposed. But for absences exceeding eight days, as in Song’s case, Article 89-2 of the Military Service Act applies, allowing for criminal punishment — up to three years

Apr 22, 2026By Xportsnews
WINNER's Song Min-ho could face 102 days of mandatory 'reservice' if convicted
South Korea

Music, commentary breathe new life into royal tombs of Joseon Dynasty

Beneath the pine-draped burial mounds of the royal tombs for rulers of the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty, where generations of kings and queens have rested in quiet repose, a different kind of resonance is beginning to stir — not of ritual silence, but of music, memory and measured revival. Beginning in May, the Joseon Royal Tombs Eastern District Office will present a new cultural series, “Royal Tombs Story Path with Music,” an effort to reimagine these solemn grounds as living spaces where history is not only preserved, but felt. The initiative, announced by the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center, reflects a broader shift in heritage programming, away from static observation and toward immersive encounters. The opening program on May 2 will take place in Guri, Gyeonggi Province, at Donggureung, the largest of the royal tomb complexes and the burial site of King Taejo, the founder of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). The event will connect the king’s legacy with the Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido — a 14th-century map of the night sky that charts constellations as they were understood at t

Apr 22, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Music, commentary breathe new life into royal tombs of Joseon Dynasty
South Korea

Korea aims to renovate fading villages into guesthouses, co-working spaces

As the specter of population decline looms over the aging rural areas of Northeast Asia, Korean and Japanese officials are undergoing a radical architectural reimagining of the countryside by turning entire dying villages into decentralized hotels. This week, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs convened a two-day "Rural Empty House Regeneration Forum" in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province, bringing together local policymakers and private innovators to exchange notes on the growing crisis of abandoned properties. The guest of honor was Shunpei Shimada, CEO of Satoyume Corp., a Japanese consulting firm dedicated to regional revitalization, and the mastermind behind the Kosuge Village hotel project, which has become a regional benchmark for rural regeneration. The "village hotel" concept rejects the traditional resort model of a single, massive building. Instead, the community itself functions as the hotel. An abandoned house becomes the reception desk, another is transformed into a luxury guest suite, the local public bath serves as the spa, and neighborhood residents s

Apr 22, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Korea aims to renovate fading villages into guesthouses, co-working spaces
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