Breaking away from the traditional portrayal of the iconic femme fatale, Carmen, Seoul Metropolitan Theatre's theatrical rendition of the classic character meets audiences with the haunting specter of dating violence. Seoul Metropolitan Theatre Artistic Director Koh Sun-woong undertook the adaptation of “Carmen” to reevaluate the character in a new light and to deliver a powerful message: Obsession is not love. Based on Prosper Merimee's 1845 novella and Bizet's opera

The Hyegwang Blind Orchestra, composed of individuals with visual impairments, is gearing up for a special performance titled “International Music Concert with Hyegwang Blind Orchestra” on Oct. 4. The orchestra has continued its musical journey for 15 years since the Incheon Hyegwang School for the Blind established a wind instrument program for high-schoolers in 2008. Currently, the ensemble includes members from various backgrounds, such as massage therapists, teachers, rehab worke

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Tuesday elected Rep. Hong Ihk-pyo, a “pro-Lee Jae-myung” lawmaker who is serving his third term in the National Assembly, as its new floor leader. Hong’s election comes after the last one to hold the post, TV journalist-turned-lawmaker Rep. Park Kwang-on, known for his dovish approach, stepped down last week amid the passage of a critical motion on the party leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung’s possible arrest. In the acceptance spe

The Korean government on Tuesday said it plans to supply an additional 120,000 public homes by this year to help ease the housing crunch in the sluggish market. The plan came after the government held a meeting earlier in the day attended by Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho, Land Minister Won Hee-ryong and Financial Services Commission Chairman Kim Joo-hyun. Since the second half of last year, rising construction costs and an increase in real estate project financing borrowing rates have worse

South Korean consumers turned pessimistic about overall economic conditions in September for the first time in four months, amid woes over weak exports and rising prices. The composite consumer sentiment index (CCSI) in September stood at 99.7, down 3.4 points from the 103.1 a month before, the Bank of Korea’s report showed Tuesday. “The concerns about the weak exports and contraction in purchasing power due to the rise in prices pulled down the composite consumer sentiment index,&

Earlier this month, a former professor saw his appeal denied in a lawsuit he filed to overturn the university’s decision to dismiss him. He was fired for sending inappropriate messages to a graduate student -- a female foreign national doing a doctorate. In 2021, the male professor sent sexually suggestive messages to the Ph.D. student, while implying that he would not pass her dissertation if she continued to avoid his advances. In some of the messages disclosed to the media, he described

A South Korean court on Tuesday found a law banning private entities from sending leaflets or other items by balloon into North Korea unconstitutional. In a 7-2 decision, the Constitutional Court found the Development of Inter-Korean Relations Act, promulgated in 2020 during the liberal Moon Jae-in administration, unconstitutional. Scores of North Korean human rights groups filed the complaint with the Constitutional Court immediately after the law came into effect. After the conservative Presid

The CEO of SK Telecom, South Korea's largest wireless carrier by subscription, unveiled on Tuesday the company's roadmap to leap forward as a global artificial intelligence firm within the next five years by expanding its business and technology based on its AI assistant service, A. At a press conference held in Seoul earlier in the day, the telecom giant's chief Ryu Young-sang introduced the firm's new "AI pyramid strategy," which focuses on three major areas: AI i

Seventeen beckons fans to join an offline event in Seoul to celebrate the release of its 11th EP, “Seventeenth Heaven,” said agency Pledis Entertainment on Tuesday. Dubbed “Seventeen Street in Seongsu,” the event will offer a range of experiences and merchandise to promote the upcoming album. It is the second time the band is hosting such an event. The previous event held in April drew about 150,000 visitors. The 13-piece team is set to make a comeback on Oct. 23 and has

Uzbekistan and Korea agreed to boost customs cooperation in Tashkent on Friday. Uzbekistan’s customs committee chairman Akmalkhuja Mavlonov and chief of the Korea Customs Service Ko Kwang-hyo signed a protocol amending the Uzbekistan-South Korea agreement on cooperation and mutual assistance in customs. According to Uzbekistan's customs committee, the two sides agreed to solidify technical cooperation to crack down on trade crimes, develop customs administration capabilities, and oper

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will embark on state visits to the United Kingdom in November and the Netherlands in December, according to the presidential office on Tuesday. Yoon's office said the visit to the UK, made at the invitation of King Charles III, is significant as it is the first state visit since King Charles III's coronation earlier this year, and marks the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The visit to the Netherlands, made at the

South Korean stocks fell to a five-month low Tuesday on lingering concerns about the Federal Reserve's continued monetary tightening path and risks in the Chinese property sector. The local currency fell sharply against the US dollar to hit a yearly low. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index shed 32.79 points, or 1.31 percent, to close at 2,462.97, extending a losing streak to the fourth session. Trading volume was a bit slim at 418.85 million shares worth 6.86 trillion won ($5.09

From left: Hana Financial Group Vice Chairman Lee Eun-hyung, Korean Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Park Joon-yong and Saad Al-Khalb, CEO of Saudi Export-Import Bank (Saudi EXIM), pose for a photo after signing a partnership deal at the headquarters of Saudi's National Development Fund in Riyadh, Monday. Hana became Korea's first commercial bank to forge business ties with Saudi EXIM. The two institutes aim to expand financial cooperation to explore new global projects in the Middle East an

South Korean IT giant Kakao, having suffered from its worst-ever server shutdown last year, has completed its first in-house data center in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, the company said Tuesday. The new facility, called Kakao Data Center Ansan, spans 47,378 square meters within Hanyang University’s ERICA campus in the industrial city, some 29 kilometers south of Seoul. It is expected to become fully operational by the first quarter next year. "Our gratitude extends to both Ansan City and

LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo reportedly convened some 30 CEOs on Tuesday to discuss the group's longer-term strategies ahead of the weeklong Chuseok holiday. Top executives of key affiliates, including LG Electronics, LG Display, LG Innotek, LG Chem and LG Energy Solution, attended the annual workshop that took place at LG Academy in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, according to news reports. For Koo who took office in 2019, this marked the fifth occasion to convene the meeting. The event was h

For countless South Korean actors, getting a role on a local broadcaster's TV drama series was a ticket to stardom. However, this notion is rapidly becoming a thing of the past, as local TV channels like SBS, MBC and KBS now compete with a slew of streaming platforms and changed viewing habits. Weekly television program schedules, typically filled with multiple drama series up until a number of years ago, is now filled with reality shows and pilot programs. Among local braodcasters, SBS has

Despite the Yoon Suk Yeol government's pledge to crack down on crimes against women, concerns are growing over the women's safety following a spate of gender-based violence cases. The tragic death of 38-year-old Lee Eun-chong, who was murdered by her former coworker and boyfriend after being stalked, stirred criticism over a lack of practical protection for victims of gender-based crimes under South Korean law. In Lee's case, she had been granted a temporary restraining order to

The South Korean military showcased an array of domestically produced advanced weaponry in a rare, large-scale military parade in downtown Seoul on Tuesday, with its commander-in-chief warning North Korea of the collapse of the Kim Jong-un regime in the case of a nuclear attack against the South. In commemoration of the 75th anniversary of Armed Forces Day, observed each year on Oct. 1, South Korea demonstrated its robust conventional military capabilities, serving as a resolute message to North

South Korean retail giant and the nation's fifth-largest conglomerate Lotte Group is reportedly resorting to liquidating billions of won in assets as it grapples with flagging performance posted across its major subsidiaries. According to the Financial Supervisory Service's electronic disclosure board, Lotte Holdings reported 211.7 billion won ($157 million) in operating profits in the January-June period this year, down 19 percent from the same period last year (261.2 billion won). Lo

A Russian firm will buy Hyundai Motor’s manufacturing plant in St. Petersburg which halted operations in March last year, Russian news agency TASS reported Wednesday citing Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov. The minister was quoted as saying, “We have already formed all decisions on Hyundai’s acquisition. At least what the company has announced itself. This is why a decision will be taken shortly. A local company will be the purchaser.&