BUSAN -- Picture books are not just for children, said celebrated picture book artist Lee Suzy, the first South Korean national to win the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration category in 2022. On the first day of the inaugural Busan International Children's Book Fair, Lee took the stage as one of the headliners, her popularity evident in the size of the audience -- the 100-seat venue was packed and latecomers gathered outside the venue to listen to her deliver her keynote speech.

Renault Korea’s latest hybrid sport utility vehicle, the Grand Koleos, secured a 30 percent share in the domestic mid-size SUV market in October, the company announced Friday. Launched in August, the Grand Koleos E-Tech Hybrid sold 5,296 units last month, boosting Renault Korea’s total hybrid vehicle sales this year to 11,110 units -- a 634 percent jump from the same period last year. Powered by Renault’s E-Tech Hybrid system, the Grand Koleos combines a gasoline engine with du

South Korean design software developer Zyx Technology announced Friday that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with TMA Solutions to strengthen global collaboration and expand into the Vietnamese market. The agreement was finalized during a meeting in Seoul on Tuesday between Zyx Technology co-CEOs, Choi Jong-bok and Eom Shin-jo, and Park Hyo-geun, head of TMA Solutions’ Korea office. Established in 1997, TMA Solutions is a leading software outsourcing provider specializing in art

An exhibition of 191 items from paintings to crafts and furniture at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul aims to explore Vienna’s art scene of the early 1900s, which embraced a new art and design movement called modernism. The three-month exhibition entitled “Vienna 1900: The Dreaming Artists,” opening Saturday, will focus on works from pioneers such as painters Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele as well as architect Josef Hoffmann. The 191 objects on view, all from Vienna’s

North Korea’s indoctrination center in Pyongyang displays a photo of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol alongside the South Korean military’s motto for countering provocations from Pyongyang -- “immediately, strongly and to the end" -- according to an image published by North Korean state media. North Korea's Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the ruling Workers’ Party and the nation’s most widely circulated publication, featured a photo of student

Woori Financial Group has nominated Jeong Jin-wan, Woori Bank's vice president overseeing banking for small and medium enterprises, to be the bank's next chief executive officer, Friday. The decision follows a two-month management succession process initiated in late September, in line with financial authorities' governance regulations. The group’s subsidiary CEO recommendation committee selected the vice president leading Woori Bank's Small and Medium Enterprises Group

By Baek Seung-bo South Korea's public procurement has grown to a market worth 210 trillion won (about $150 billion). Each year, central government agencies, local governments, and other public institutions spend this staggering amount procuring goods, services, and infrastructure. This represents nearly 10 percent of Korea’s GDP. With such an immense scale, it’s no surprise that the public procurement market involves numerous participants -- approximately 600,000 companies and

Hyundai Motor Group is expected to ramp up sales of hybrid electric vehicles in the US, bracing for US President-elect Donald Trump’s drastic EV policy changes, sources said Friday. According to Hyundai Motor Company and Kia, the two carmakers already sold 275,103 eco-friendly vehicles in the US from January to October this year, with HEVs accounting for 63.1 percent of these sales. Compared to last year, the cumulative sales until October have surged by 11.3 percent. Last month alone, Hyu

The 45th Blue Dragon Film Awards kick off Friday with new MCs, honoring hit films released in theaters or on streaming platforms between October 2023 and October 2024. The award ceremony takes place at KBS Hall in Yeouido, Seoul. Across 18 categories, 20 films, 10 directors and 30 actors have been nominated to compete for the prestigious accolades. One of the most anticipated competitions this year is between “Exhuma,” directed by Jang Jae-hyun, and “12.12: The Day,” dire

The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a gamer who filed a lawsuit against Korean game developer Nexon for deceptively promoting the percentage of a loot box item in MapleStory, the mega-hit online game. The nation’s top court confirmed Thursday the appeals court ruling that ordered Nexon to give back 5 percent of the money a gamer surnamed Kim had spent on loot box items in the role-playing game Maple Story. It is the first time a court has sided with a gamer in a legal battle over in-ga

Korean logistics company LX Pantos announced Friday that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Guiyang Logistics, a state-owned enterprise in southwestern China, to strengthen transport networks and enhance logistics services. The agreement was finalized after a meeting in Seoul on Thursday between LX Pantos CEO Lee Yong-ho and Hu Zhongxiong, secretary of the Communist Party of China Guiyang Municipal Committee. Discussions centered on expanding logistics collaboration between South K

The Global Youth Powerhouse Summit 2024 brought together leaders, innovators and young professionals in Hong Kong to tackle pressing global challenges and create new momentum for economic growth and innovation. Under the theme “Empowering professionals for a Global Initiative: A Voice from Hong Kong,” more than 200 participants attended in person at the Hong Kong Maritime Museum, along with 4,500 virtual attendees from over 30 countries. The inaugural summit, hosted by the Hong Kon

Eleven Chinese and Russian military aircraft entered South Korea’s air defense identification zone without notice Friday, prompting the South Korea’s Air Force to send its fighter jets to the scene. According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, five Chinese military planes and six Russian aircraft entered the KADIZ over the East and South Seas between 9:35 a.m. and 1:53 p.m. and exited it. They did not violate the country's airspace. The JCS said it identified the Chinese and Russian

Hanwha Ocean has forged a strategic partnership agreement with Babcock International, a London-based defense company, aiming to expand its footing in the global shipbuilding market. Hanwha Ocean CEO and President Kim Hee-cheol, Babcock International CEO David Lockwood and other executives, including UK’s Second Sea Lord Nick Hine and Mark Goldsack, managing director of business growth and AUKUS at Babcock, attended the signing ceremony Thursday at the Korean shipbuilder’s headquarter

Seoul National University, South Korea's top university and the alma mater of President Yoon Suk Yeol, has joined a growing wave of calls for his resignation on Thursday, a movement that has been spreading across universities and the religious sector nationwide since late October. A total of 525 SNU professors held a press conference at the university's museum in Seoul on Thursday, announcing their participation in the movement of institutions issuing declaration spreading across the c

Korea is expected to face a winter marked by the more frequent occurrence of heavier, wetter snow than usual, the Korea Meteorological Administration projected on Friday. Starting Wednesday, Korea already witnessed a historic two-day spell of record-breaking November snowfall. According to the KMA, the unprecedented heavy snowfall nationwide was due to the warmer temperatures of the West Sea compared to previous years, due to the unusually warm weather South Korea experienced during summer and a

Pandemic-era social distancing rules that once left theaters empty and concert halls silent are now a fading memory, with South Korea's performing arts sector reporting record-breaking revenue of 1.4 trillion won ($1.08 billion) in 2023, up 46 percent from the previous year. The figure represents a 67 percent increase over 2019, before COVID-19 began to spread. The numbers in the latest report released Thursday by the state-run Korea Arts Management Services paint a picture of an industry t

A growing wave of women entrepreneurs are reshaping South Korea’s highly competitive content industry, and the Pangyo Gyeonggi Culture Creation Hub has emerged as a central platform for fostering women-led startups in the sector. The hub, run by Gyeonggi Content Agency, has supported numerous female entrepreneurs, including Korea Deep Learning CEO Kim Ji-hyun, GemGem Therapeutics CEO Kim Jung-eun and Studio Boldy CEO Min Hyun-kyung, who are blending creativity and technology to address pra

NewJeans took an early flight to Tokyo on Friday, marking the girl group's first activity since unilaterally terminating their exclusive contract with Ador. The group is set to appear on Nihon TV’s “Best Artist 2024,” Saturday, and Fuji TV’s “2024 FNS Music Festival,” on Dec. 4. At Gimpo International Airport, in Gyeonggi Province, the group briefly bowed to the press before proceeding to the departure gate without commenting on the ongoing dispute. The t

With all five members of NewJeans having expressed their desire to continue working with Min Hee-jin, former CEO of Ador and producer, during their press conference on Thursday, all eyes are on whether the reunion will happen. Min’s first public appearance after NewJeans’ press conference will be on Dec. 6 as she is scheduled to speak at a talk concert hosted by Hanwha General Insurance and Folin to talk about her experience as a K-pop producer. Min is in a legal battle with the K-po