Kakao Corp., the operator of South Korea's dominant mobile messenger, has filed an administrative lawsuit against a government fine of 15.1 billion won (US$11 million) over the leaking of personal information on a large scale, according to sources Monday. The Personal Information Protection Commission, the government's personal information watchdog, ordered the fine in May, concluding that Kakao's lax user data scrutiny and protection measures led to the data leak of some 65,000

Pizza Hut Korea Ltd., the South Korean operator of the namesake American pizza franchise, on Monday received approval from a court to proceed with an autonomous restructuring support plan, putting on hold court-mandated rehabilitation proceedings after losing a lawsuit brought by store owners. The Seoul Bankruptcy Court said it approved the ARS rehabilitation plan requested by Pizza Hut Korea earlier in the day. An ARS program is a system where a company negotiates debt repayment plans autonom

Prosecutors on Monday requested an arrest warrant for Myung Tae-kyun, a self-proclaimed power broker, over allegations of interfering in candidate nominations in the 2022 parliamentary by-elections through his ties with then presidential candidate Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife. They also filed warrants for Kim Young-sun, a former lawmaker of the ruling People Power Party, and two ex-candidates in the June 2022 local elections, citing risk of destruction of evidence, according to the Changwon Dist

Korean specialty chemicals and materials maker Hansol Chemical said Monday it has filed a complaint with the local antitrust authorities against Chinese TV maker TCL for the misleading advertising of its latest TV sets. The Korean firm accused TCL, China’s largest TV manufacturer, of falsely branding its liquid crystal display TVs as “QD TVs” even though they actually contain no QD or quantum-dot materials that help enhance image quality. Higher-priced QD-incorporated LCD TVs,

The US Federal Reserve trimmed its benchmark rate by 0.25 percentage points, reflecting cooling inflation and other economic data. But the Fed's monetary easing comes at a tricky moment as President-elect Donald Trump signaled the coming of a host of drastic changes in fiscal and economic policies. Given the close economic and financial relations between South Korea and the US, the forthcoming changes offer a difficult choice for Korea’s policymakers and central bankers. The country c

ANSEONG -- In South Korea, BMW drivers benefit from a parts delivery system that’s hard to beat. Need a part? If the order is placed in the morning, it’ll arrive at the dealership by 5 p.m. the same day. Order it in the afternoon, and it’s there by 7 a.m. the next morning. This rapid response is powered by BMW’s Anseong Regional Distribution Center, a logistics hub located about 80 kilometers south of Seoul, dedicated to keeping BMWs on the road with minimal downtime. Fir

As Donald Trump is set to return to the White House for the second time, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is honing an unconventional diplomatic skill: his golf game. Senior officials familiar with the matter said Monday that the president has picked up golf again after a break of several years, in case it helps him build a rapport with the next US leader. President-elect Trump's affinity for golf is well-documented. Personally owning about 15 golf courses in the US and elsewhere, his

A single driver has accumulated more than 1.7 billion won ($1.21 million) in unpaid administrative fines as of Oct. 10, police data has revealed. Administrative fines are imposed on car owners for speeding and parking violations, not by police officers but by cameras, according to the Road Traffic Act. Rep. Youn Kun-young of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Monday revealed a police list of the top 100 delinquent drivers who have not paid the largest amounts in administrative fine

Winning the Nobel Prize in literature is not the final stop but a beginning, said Chon Soo-young, president of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea, during a press conference marking her first 100 days in office in Seoul, Monday. “We aim to establish a strong foundation for Korean literature to thrive as a vital part of world literature,” said Chon, who has been leading the government-affiliated institute charged with promoting Korean literature globally since August. The 70

South Korean construction giant GS Engineering and Construction announced Monday that it had won a $375.7 million contract to build a subway tunnel in Melbourne, Australia. Awarded by Victoria’s Suburban Rail Loop Authority, the contract is part of the broader Suburban Rail Loop project, which aims to construct a 90-kilometer orbital rail line connecting various regions of the city. GS E&C said it will participate in the SRL East project, valued at $1.1 billion in total, to build a 10-

When it comes to spy flicks, one might think of cat-and-mouse pursuits, action scenes and shootouts. But director Yoon Jong-bin, using very little action, sidesteps the spy formula in his 2018 “The Spy Gone North,” a movie that revolves around a loyal South Korean spy who is caught in a political vortex. “I made it (without a lot of action) because the film is based on a true story,” director Yoon Jong-bin told reporters when the movie came out in 2018. “As a filmma

LG Electronics on Monday unveiled its new Digital Cockpit concept involving modular systems for ultimate customization. The Digital Cockpit gamma, the third-generation concept of the appliance giant's future mobility, features OLED displays, artificial intelligence and 5G technologies. (LG Electronics)

Kia is bringing the excitement of "Squid Game" Season 2 to its new Sportage launch with an interactive campaign. A teaser video released last Thursday has revealed the Sportage alongside iconic pink guards of "Squid Game," while a special pop-up showroom in Seoul from Nov. 15 to 24 lets fans dive into the experience firsthand. Visitors can join a scavenger hunt, explore themed rooms and get hands-on with the SUV. (Kia)

South Korean police said Monday they are investigating a man in his 40s for a murder in which he allegedly targeted another man in his 40s in a random robbery because "he looked wealthy." The suspect is charged with murder in the killing that took place Friday in the city of Seosan, South Chungcheong Province. He told investigators that he committed the crime to pay his gambling debts, and targeted the victim because he was drunk and looked to be a wealthy man. The suspect spotted the

Zerobaseone will put out its first EP in Japan on Jan. 29, 2025, agency WakeOne Entertainment announced Monday. The mini album “Prezent” will comprise six songs, including Japanese versions of “Feel The Pop” and “Good So Bad.” One of the new tracks “Only One Story” was unveiled in advance as an opener for the television animation show “Pokemon” last month. The upcoming EP comes about 10 months after its first Japanese physical single, &

A man in his 50s who called police and warned of a random knife attack was recently released with just a warning, local media outlets reported Monday. According to a News1 report, officials of the Ilsan Seobu Police Station arrested a man in his 50s at around 9:50 p.m. on Nov. 5 after he called the 112 police emergency number and said he would kill many people at a bus terminal. "I will kill everyone at the terminal with a knife. Come quickly," he reportedly told police. Officials foun

The Coast Guard on Monday expanded the area in which it is searching for the crew members who went missing last week when a fishing boat sank off the coast of Jeju Island, as another body found the day before brought the death toll to four. The Jeju Coast Guard said 47 boats and eight aircraft were mobilized in the day's search for the 10 missing crew members across an area measuring 64 kilometers by 28 kilometers. The search continued for a fourth straight day in the waters near the wrecka

JEJU ISLAND -- As South Korea's relationship with ASEAN marked a new high in its 35th year of dialogue relations by signing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, South Korea on Friday unveiled a new concrete bench near the shoreline of the southern part of Jeju Island. The structure sits in the middle of Jeju Olle Trail No. 8 in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, where trekkers come across tourist attractions such as Jusangjeollidae -- a cliff formed by volcanic rocks -- and where those staying in large

JEJU ISLAND -- There was a surprise guest at Friday's dedication ceremony for a segment of the Jeju Olle Trail named in honor of newly elevated ties between South Korea and ASEAN this year. Describing himself as an avid trekker on the Jeju Olle Trail for more than 10 years, Korean actor Ryu Seung-ryong was in attendance. Ryu, who starred in megahits like the comedy film "Extreme Job," said he hopes to see many Hallyu enthusiasts coming to the new Olle trail, adding that it could b

'Pongpongnam' row exposes South Korea's gender divide 진행자: 최정윤, Chelsea Proctor 기사 요약: 네이버 웹툰 공모전에서 여성을 비하하고 성차별을 강화하는 혐오 표현을 담은 웹툰이 1차 심사를 통과하면서 논란, "퐁퐁남"이라는 개념어가 남편의 경제력에 ‘무임승차’하려고 결혼한 여성에게 배신당한 서사, 일명 ‘설거지론’에 쓰이면서 여성의 모든 행동에 성적인 혹은 이기적인 의도가 있다는 왜곡된 사고와 편견을 부채질한다는 비판 일어 [1] While expressing disparagement of the opposite sex in a show of hatred has long ailed South Korea, the severe gender conflict took a turn for the worse after a cartoon rec