Video - The Korea Times

Prosecution requests 2-year jail term for ex-BTOB rapper over marijuana use

Prosecutors requested two years in prison and a fine of 126.63 million won for the former member of K-pop boy band BTOB, Jung Il-hoon, for violating the Narcotics Control Act, during the second hearing of his appeal trial at the Seoul High Court on Thursday. In the first trial earlier this year, the 27-year-old was sentenced to two years in prison and a fine of 130 million won, which he later appealed, requesting leniency.

Nov 19, 2021By Lee Min-young

Prosecution requests 2-year jail term for ex-BTOB rapper over marijuana use

'Suneung' day: Most important test for Korean high school students

By Lee Min-young, Kim Kang-minNovember is one of the most important times of the year for high school students in Korea due to the “suneung,” or College Scholastic Ability Test. The notoriously high-pressure exam is administered to high school students here every third Thursday in November.This is the second college entrance exam that the country has held during the pandemic, which comes with an extra layer of stress and anxiety for test takers.

Nov 18, 2021By Lee Min-young

'Suneung' day: Most important test for Korean high school students

Everything about being a black model in Korea

By Lee Min-young, Kim Kang-minRenee Simone from New Jersey tells you everything about working as a black model in Korea.She is an extremely talented model who has been working in the industry for more than two years."More foreigners are coming to Korea and more people are realizing that you can't say you're about diversity and want diversity but not work with diverse people. Having me as a model is a step in at least the diverse direction because I'm a bit darker than all the other models that they've had." Renee said during an interview with The Korea Times.But she also says that Korea is very homogeneous although it's getting better. "I have different hair texture and I understand if a stylist has never worked with my hair texture before so usually, majority of the time, I don't get any styling for my shoots." She recalls some of the unpleasant experiences during shoots.

Nov 5, 2021By Lee Min-young

Everything about being a black model in Korea

VIDEO 'I almost took my own life': Former K-pop girl band 9MUSES member

Despite being a high achiever at her school, she deviated from her initial plan of getting into a prestigious college and debuted as the leader of the girl group in 2010 with the track “No Playboy.” Although the group did not achieve meteoric stardom, it still rolled out a string of hits such as “News” (2012), “Dolls” (2013) and “Wild (2013).” Only four years later, however, Sera was forced to leave the group. And during a recent interview with The Korea Times at a studio in Mapo-gu, northern Seoul, the outspoken former idol explained what happened. “I was kicked out of 9MUSES, because I openly vented all my grievances about our excessive use of sex appeal,” Sera said in a composed manner. “In hindsight, I was a bit immature to do so, but back then, putting on skimpy outfits was extremely distressing to me. I could not help thinking that I was what I wore.”

Oct 27, 2021By Lee Min-young

'I almost took my own life': Former K-pop girl band 9MUSES member [VIDEO]

INTERVIEW 'Life of K-pop star is tough, but I would do it again in my next life'

Do Koreans think 'Squid Game' resembles Korean society?

Video by Yun Da-beenSquid Game has become the biggest series launch in the history of Netflix, drawing views from over 110 million subscribed members as of October 12th. Being certified fresh on Rottentomatoes.com, it has become the number 1 show on Netflix in the United States and has been met with critical acclaim. But some observers say that on the flip side of its popularity, Squid Game has exposed the dark underbelly of Korean society that has been plagued by a growing gap between the haves and the have-nots. So how do Korean viewers of the show feel about this grim reality?

Oct 25, 2021

Do Koreans think 'Squid Game' resembles Korean society?

Are we related? Intriguing Korea vs Tamil Nadu similarities

Video by Yun Da-beenThere is a word spoken in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu that is also used in Korea, despite being 5,000 kilometers apart from one another.How did India and Korea come to share a word that is pronounced identically and has the same meaning?It is said that words of Tamil origin may have been brought to Korea by Heo Hwang-ok, a queen of Indian origin who became the wife of King Suro after arriving in the ancient Korean kingdom of Gaya by boat.We began searching for other similarities between these two cultures.The content of the video is based on Dr. Hari's personal view. Theories may vary among scholars and linguists.

Oct 18, 2021

Are we related? Intriguing Korea vs Tamil Nadu similarities

How to work in K-pop industry as a foreigner: Ex-HYBE hiring manager

Article by Dong Sun-hwaVideo by Lee Min-young, Kim Kang-minK-pop is not all about singers ― there are countless unsung heroes working behind the scenes to produce and promote albums who dedicate their sweat and tears. And with K-pop sweeping the world off its feet, more people are craving to carry out such a mission at K-pop record labels that incubate and manage stars. There is good news for them: music powerhouses here have ramped up hiring as they balloon in size. In the case of HYBE, home to phenomenal boy group BTS, the company currently has more than 60 job openings. In fact, the total number of its employees is 456 this year ― a leap from 73 in 2017. With many companies expanding their businesses overseas, an increasing number of opportunities are now open to foreigners, says Lee Sang-hwan, co-founder and CEO of Conexus Lab, which was founded in 2019 to provide educational resources for those seeking jobs in the lucrative K-pop industry. Prior to establishing Conexus Lab with his partner Kim Sung-kuk, Lee worked in human resources in many companies ― including HYBE, CJ ENM and

Oct 18, 2021By Lee Min-young

How to work in K-pop industry as a foreigner: Ex-HYBE hiring manager

INTERVIEW 'K-pop labels will hire more foreigners to manage stars'

Waste facility hidden from plain sight: Union Park

Video by Yun Da-beenThe average Korean generates a little over 1 kilogram of solid waste each day.Multiply that by Korea’s entire population, and that equates to nearly 56,000 tons of waste being disposed of in just a single day. Now the question is… where does it all go?“The country’s overflowing landfills and worsening pollution levels, in general, have made it unsustainable to freely dispose of our waste as was done in the past," Phae Chae-gun, professor of Environmental Engineering at Seoul National University of Science and Technology (SeoulTech) said.“But that means we have to build new incinerators, right? The problem is that nobody wants one in their neighborhood. You have opposition from both the residents and the regional governments. Not in my backyard, as they say. Given these negative perceptions that are entrenched in our society, it is difficult to get anything going when it comes to building new incinerators.”Amid public concerns over our conventional means of handling waste, all-new waste management solutions are now coming under

Sep 23, 2021

Waste facility hidden from plain sight: Union Park

VIDEO Filipina K-drama fan appears in more than 60 Korean dramas

By Lee Min-young, Kim Kang-minNoreen Joyce Guerra was once a huge K-drama fan in the Philippines.Years later, she is now living her dreams by having a successful career at a Korean company on weekdays, and appearing in dozens of popular Korean dramas herself mostly as a background actor and also hosting TV shows and events with K-pop bands on weekends.Intrigued to find out how she does all this?Check out our video interview with Joyce from the Philippines!

Sep 7, 2021By Lee Min-young

Filipina K-drama fan appears in more than 60 Korean dramas [VIDEO]

'Mom, I'm sorry, I'm a failure': Exam pressure destroying young Koreans

Video by Yun Da-beenKorea is home to the highest suicide rate among OECD member states, with an average of 38 people choosing to end their own lives on a daily basis. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a growing number of Koreans are reported to be struggling with suicidal thoughts, especially young people in their twenties. What is causing them to end their lives? One of the primary stressors fueling depression among those in their twenties is their difficulty in finding a job. The number of Koreans who are actively seeking employment has climbed to a record high of around 860,000 people, and 3 in 10 job-seekers are preparing for public service exams.This video explains the unique exam culture of Korea and the reasons behind the rise in the number of exam preppers ever since the COVID-19 outbreak.

Aug 23, 2021

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