Rose of popular K-pop girl group BLACKPINK set a new YouTube record for K-pop female solo artists with the music video for "APT.," her collaborative single with American pop star Bruno Mars. The video exceeded 200 million views around 11 a.m., in about 11 days and 22 hours after it was uploaded on the global video streaming service, according to her agency, The Black Label. This makes "APT." the fastest music video by a K-pop solo artist to hit 200 million views, breaking the

A retired labor union member at a prominent company in Ulsan has been arrested for fraud, police said Wednesday, after he allegedly convinced others to pay him in exchange for getting jobs for their children at the company. Officials of the Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency had the suspect, in his 60s, arrested and forwarded his case to the prosecution for fraud. He is accused of swindling a total of 500 million won ($363,000) from three acquaintances from March 2017 to January 2024, promising to

The year 2024 has been a whirlwind of a year for Yoon Han-kyeol, winner of the 2023 Herbert von Karajan Young Conductors Award. The rising conductor led the Hankyung Arte Philharmonic in all-Brahms symphony concerts in May and many other performances in Europe. Earlier this month, he debuted with the Munich Philharmonic, an unexpected opportunity that he enjoyed immensely. Then, there was his debut with the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna in August at the Salzburg Festival. Returning to the

Novelist Park Sang-young is now a screenwriter, following the release of the television adaptation of his 2019 novel, “Love in the Big City.“ Park wrote the script for all eight episodes of the drama which explores the romantic and personal life of a young gay man in Seoul. The series was released in full on the local streaming platform Tving on Oct. 21. “As you may have guessed, it took some time to cast the actors and confirm the platform on which it will air due to the uni

Mercedes-Benz Korea CEO Mathias Vaitl (right) and Kim Nam-kyun, president of the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute, pose for a photo during a signing ceremony for a memorandum of understanding in Seoul on Tuesday, during which the two agreed to set up a joint research center on EV charging systems, called the Global Interoperability Test Center. “As the electric vehicle market continues to evolve, expanding charging infrastructure and creating a standardized testing environment ar

Treading precariously on the fault line of socially accepted norms, satire often becomes a source of controversy. “Saturday Night Live Korea” -- running since 2011 with a three-year break before it was rebooted in 2021 -- enjoys the distinction of being the longest-running international adaptation of the iconic US show, and is appreciated by fans for its weekly satirical commentary on current affairs. However, not everyone approves of how its subjects are satirized. In a recent case,

Seoul shares ended lower Monday, snapping a three-day rally as tech and battery stocks slumped due to foreign selling. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 24.01 points, or 0.92 percent, to close at 2,593.79, marking its first drop in four trading sessions. Trade volume was moderate, with 476.4 million shares worth 8.76 trillion won ($6.3 billion) changing hands, as decliners outnumbered gainers 514 to 350. Foreign investors sold a net 3

South Korea's largest doctors' association is set to hold a vote of confidence against its controversy-ridden president, who has been at the center of controversy for his comments and actions, as well as bribery allegations. The operating committee of the Korean Medical Association held an emergency meeting Tuesday evening and decided on an assembly of representatives on Nov. 10 at 2 p.m., with a motion of no confidence in KMA chief Lim Hyun-taek included in the agenda. They will als

South Korean retail giant Shinsegae Group on Wednesday announced a structural revamp dividing its flagship retail business into two companies, E-Mart and Shinsegae Department Store, making official the sibling leadership that for years has formed part of the founding family’s succession plan. In an executive reshuffle, Chung Yu-kyung, president and younger daughter of Chairwoman Lee Myung-hee, was promoted to chair to lead the department store business Shinsegae Inc. Her elder brother Chun

Ruling People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon on Wednesday said that the controversies surrounding first lady Kim Keon Hee must be resolved by the end of next month, as he stressed the need to regain public trust in the conservative bloc. Han’s remarks made at a press conference marking his first 100 days in office came as a widening rift is observed within the ruling party over how to deal with multiple allegations regarding the president's wife, including her alleged involvement in

It used to be that when Park Ji-sun, a 45-year-old office worker, thought of a Korean doctor, it was the 2020 tvN drama series "Hospital Playlist" that first came to her mind. The series became an instant hit in South Korea, depicting the lives of five doctors battling to save lives together. It was so successful that it was renewed for a second season, which is rare for a Korean drama. "They were heroes with white gowns during the day, sometimes sacrificing their private lives in

Marriages between third cousins or closer relatives are prohibited in South Korea, with the ban enforced by nullifying the effects of such unions when they are discovered. However, the ban on consanguineous marriages within the eighth degree of kinship looks set to lose its effectiveness, as a legal article governing the annulment of such unions will expire at the end of this year, with no substitute measures drafted or prepared to date. Of the two Civil Act articles on consanguineous marriage

South Korea on Wednesday acknowledged the need to send a "monitoring team" to the Ukraine battlefield, but it denied allegations that it was considering supplying 155 mm artillery shells upon Ukraine's request. "We are obliged to look into, analyze and monitor North Korean armed forces' activities (in the Russia-Ukraine war) while taking a defensive posture," an official of the presidential office said on condition of anonymity Wednesday. "We feel the need to create and

Cho Doo-soon, notorious for one of the most shocking crimes in South Korean history, has once again sparked public outrage and concern after his recent move to a new residence. Cho, who was released from prison in December 2020 after serving 12 years for raping an 8-year-old girl, has relocated from his previous home in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, to a nearby neighborhood. His move to a new residence, located just 2 kilometers away from his previous home, has stoked fears and controversy among nea

The Defense Intelligence Agency in Seoul said Wednesday that North Korea may conduct its first nuclear weapons test in seven years ahead of the US presidential election, in what would be its seventh such test. In a closed-door briefing to the National Assembly intelligence committee, the Defense Intelligence Agency said North Korea will attempt to draw Washington’s attention by staging a major provocation such as a nuclear test ahead of the election that is less than a week away. “No

Mobile carriers are strengthening their severance packages to encourage early retirement amid efforts to renew their business portfolio and restructure stagnant workforce. Kicking off voluntary redundancy, KT Corp., the country's second-largest telecommunication company, recently raised the maximum severance pay for voluntary redundancy, from 330 million won ($238,000) to 430 million won. Earlier this month, the mobile carrier decided to establish two new affiliates, KT OSP and KT P&M,

Following the Seoul Central District Court's dismissal Tuesday of ousted Ador CEO Min Hee-jin's injunction request for her reinstatement as chief executive of the label home to girl group NewJeans, Hybe CEO Lee Jae-sang sent an email to employees the same day pledging to prioritize stabilizing operations at Ador. In the email, Lee described the court’s ruling as a "turning point" and expressed optimism in the clarity it brings to resolving issues that have emerged over

Nexon has laid out a future roadmap to strengthen its existing gaming intellectual properties and develop new IPs to target the global market. “In this way, we will further advance Nexon's strong capabilities based on our experience and focus on providing innovative gaming services to users,” said Kang Dae-hyun, co-CEO of Nexon Korea, in a press conference at the company’s headquarters in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, on Wednesday. Nexon Korea is wholly owned by Tokyo-listed

Samsung SDI unveiled details on its first electric vehicle battery production in the US in partnership with Stellantis and General Motors during its third-quarter earnings announcement Wednesday. “The joint venture with Stellantis, Starplus Energy, marks Samsung SDI’s first foray into battery cell manufacturing in the US,” said Son Michael, executive vice president of automotive & ESS business at Samsung SDI, during a conference call earlier in the day. “The initial p

South Koreans' most preferred length for an animated video is between 20 and 29 minutes, a report by a state-run content industry agency showed Wednesday. The Korea Creative Content Agency released the 2024 Animation Industry White Paper, in which they surveyed 3,500 Koreans between the age of 10 and 69 who watched an animated video regularly -- at least once in two to three months -- in the past year. When asked what was their most preferred length of an animation, 33.6 percent of the resp