South Korean Olympic fencing gold medalist Oh Sang-uk will receive the annual Korea Image Stepping Stone Award presented by the Corea Image Communication Institute in January next year. “Oh elevated South Korea’s global profile by winning two gold medals in the men’s individual and team sabre at the 2024 Paris Olympics,” CICI, a nonprofit promoting Korea’s image abroad, said in a statement Sunday. The Korea Image Stepping Stone Bridge Award went to Korean American c

Amid “weddingflation” in South Korea, wedding expenses have surged, leaving guests uncertain about how much to give as cash gifts. Koreans commonly base cash gifts on the cost of the wedding meal and their closeness to the couple. In Seoul, most wedding meals now cost between 70,000 and 80,000 won ($51-$59), raising concerns for guests planning to give only 50,000 won. A Shinhan Bank survey found that people in their 20s to 40s primarily determined cash gift amounts based on their

It is always heartwarming to meet a close friend after a long time. I experienced such a joyful moment last week when I reunited with a former colleague I had worked with at the same company, in the same area of macroeconomic reporting, after many years, during his visit to Seoul for a holiday. We discussed many topics, ranging from our daily lives since leaving the company several years ago to our thoughts on the outcome of the US presidential election -- which had been decided just hours befor

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

Bitcoin soared to a new record high on Sunday, as the cryptocurrency continues to rise following Donald Trump's presidential election win. The digital currency passed $80,000 for the first time shortly after 12:00 pm (1200 GMT). It reached $75,000 on Wednesday, topping its previous all-time peak of $73,797.98 achieved in March. (AFP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed off on a landmark defense pact with North Korea, a deal that comes amid reports that Pyongyang has dispatched thousands of troops to fight against Ukraine. Putin struck the deal during a visit to North Korea in June, but it had to pass through Russia's parliament and signed by the Kremlin leader to come into force. The Kremlin published the signed law ratifying the treaty on its website on Saturday evening. The agreement formalizes months of deepe

North Korea's Under-17 Women's World Cup-winning footballers received a heroes' welcome back in the capital Pyongyang, AFP footage showed on Sunday, with hundreds of people on the streets to celebrate their success. They had defeated Spain on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the U17 World Cup final in the Dominican Republic a week ago. Remarkably it was the second global title in two months for secretive North Korea -- largely closed off to the outside world -- they also lifted the

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Sunday directed the immediate launch and operation of an ad hoc consultative body spanning finance, trade and industry to prepare for major shifts and potential ramifications expected with the inauguration of the Trump administration’s second term in January. Yoon highlighted that "significant changes in the global economy and security landscape" are expected as the second Trump administration takes office in Washington and sets its policy

Suspected diabetes cases are surging among young Koreans, but only one-third are receiving treatment. Nearly 1 in 5 Koreans aged 19-39 are showing signs of prediabetic conditions, with the ratio rising to 1 in 3 among men in their 30s. These are some of the key findings of a study conducted by the Korean Diabetes Association, which analyzed blood test data of Koreans who underwent state-offered medical checkups from 2019 to 2022. According to its analysis, 307,965 Koreans aged 19 to 39 had high

Chinese violinist Luo Chaowen won first prize at this year's Isangyun Competition on Saturday, performing Brahms' Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77 with the Tongyeong Festival Orchestra, led by conductor Christoph Poppen. Luo was followed by South Korean violinist Park Eun-joong. Park also took home the UNESCO Creative City of Music Special Prize decided by audience votes. Tongyeong was designated a UNESCO Creative City of Music in 2015. The third prize went to South Korean violinist

Watching “Hear Me: Our Summer,” Hong Kyung and Roh Yoon-seo’s latest romance that opened in theaters Wednesday, one may have noticed how the movie lacks three elements typical of romance movies: a villain who sabotages the main characters, a protagonist’s dramatic, near-death experience and, most surprisingly, the pouring out of emotion in heartfelt spoken lines. In director Jo Sun-ho’s coming-of-age romance flick, “Hear Me: Our Summer,” most of the thre

How can you cultivate a lifelong love of reading in your child? Reading them a story before bed, sharing stories and regular library visits might come to mind. In Korea, there’s another option that is popular with parents: sending your kids to private reading academies. At a typical one, children read for a designated time, followed by activities such as writing summaries, studying vocabulary and engaging in discussions about the material with the teacher. For older students, the curricu

As President Yoon Suk Yeol hit the halfway mark of his five-year term Sunday, he faced pressure from a record-low approval rate coupled with growing threats from the opposition to approve a bill mandating a special counsel investigation into the first lady. Yoon's approval rating fell to 17 percent, according to a Gallup Korea poll released Friday, marking an all-time low since the president took office in May 2022. An unnamed official from the local pollster explained the recently surfaced

Japan’s position on Dokdo, Korea’s easternmost islets in the East Sea that Japan claims as its own, is “inexcusably hypocritical,” according to a US academic. “Japan doesn’t want that territorial dispute (Dokdo) to go to the International Court of Justice because then China would have moral leverage,” said Walter Hatch, an emeritus professor of government at Colby College in Maine, referring to the Japan-controlled islands in the East China Sea disputed

A fire erupted early Sunday morning at a Posco factory in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, and was brought under control within hours. Yet, a series of incidents, including multiple fires at Posco’s steel plant, has heightened anxiety among local residents this year. According to fire authorities, a fire erupted with multiple explosions at the Posco plant’s third Finex factory at around 4:20 a.m. Sunday. After initiating an emergency response at around 4:50 a.m., deploying 43 fire

Hopes for a decisive breakthrough in the monthslong medical stalemate are rising as the consultation body intended to join the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, rival parties and the medical circle for talks is set to launch Monday morning, a day after a major leadership change in the Korean Medical Association. The body's launch comes after ruling People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon proposed in September the formation of a four-way consultative body in an attempt to resolve the ongoing medi

Jin of BTS unveiled a poster for “Running Wild,” the main track on his upcoming first solo album, “Happy.” The artist shared the vintage-style poster, featuring himself and a dog running down a wide road towards a city skyline, on BTS’ official social media on Sunday. “Running Wild” is a pop-rock number with new wave sounds. Jin aims to spread happiness through this song with a warm melody that sings about running passionately toward hope. Gary Barlow fr

Korean shipbuilders are raising hopes to expand their presence in the US, following President-elect Donald Trump’s call for more bilateral cooperation in the shipbuilding sector. According to Seoul’s presidential office, President Yoon Suk Yeol and Trump had a 12-minute phone call Thursday morning after Trump won a second nonconsecutive presidential term. After exchanges of congratulations and gratitude, Trump specifically mentioned Korea’s shipbuilding capabilities and the US&

Dongduk Women's University, one of South Korea’s seven remaining women’s colleges, is weighing a possible shift to coeducation, a move igniting opposition among students who warn it could erode the institution’s mission of championing women’s empowerment and diminish women’s representation in society. According to the student council Naran of Dongduk Women's University on Sunday, the university will soon initiate discussions on becoming a coeducational ins

South Korean display maker LG Display announced Sunday it succeeded in developing the world’s first stretchable display capable of expanding up to 50 percent, the highest elongation rate within the industry. The latest breakthrough, the outcome of five years of research, was unveiled during an industrial gathering at LG Science Park in Seoul on Friday. LG's new prototype features a 12-inch screen that stretches up to 18 inches while delivering a high resolution of 100 pixels per inch