MADRID -- The Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) in Spain's capital boasts a rich history dating back to its establishment in 1293. As one of the world's oldest universities, it recently added Korean as a minor course within the Department of Asian Studies in 2021. Professor Yang Eun-sook, who has led Korean Studies at the university for 15 years, expressed a renewed sense of excitement for the future during an interview with The Korea Herald in October. Yang anticipates that Korea

Oh Young-ju, formerly ambassador to Vietnam, has been nominated as the new minister of SMEs and startups, the presidential office said Monday. The 60-year-old is an international relations expert who has worked as the nation’s first female second vice minister of the Foreign Ministry since July this year. Before that, Oh served as Korea’s ambassador to Vietnam. Oh majored in political science and international relations at Ewha Womans University. “These days when our economy

Choi Sang-mok, the former senior presidential secretary for economic affairs, has been nominated as the new finance minister who doubles as the deputy prime minister, according to the presidential office on Monday. Born in 1963 in Seoul, Choi studied law at Seoul National University and earned a doctorate in economics at Cornell University. He passed the civil service examination in 1985. He is known as an "orthodox economic bureaucrat" who has a strong understanding of economic poli

Park Sang-woo, the former CEO of the Land and Housing Corporation (LH), has been nominated as the new minister of land, infrastructure and transport, according to the presidential office on Monday. Having joined the ministry in 1983, Park boasts expertise in land and transport policy for decades. He is known to have played a role in shaping housing policies during the Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye administrations. He also served as the head of the state-run housing agency between 2016 and 2019

Kang Do-hyung, president of the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, has been nominated as the new minister of maritime affairs and fisheries, according to the presidential office Monday. Born in 1970 on Jeju Island, Kang studied ocean science at Inha University. He earned his doctor’s and doctorate degrees in maritime life science at Jeju National University. Kang initiated his professional career at KIOST, a private oceanography research organization based in Busan, as a seni

The descendant of a veteran who fought in the 1950-53 Korean War was tapped on Monday to head the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office nominated Kang Jung-ai, a 66-year-old business professor and the former president of Sookmyung Women’s University in Seoul, to replace Park Min-shik, who has been handling affairs related to veterans and their families since 2022. If her appointment is confirmed, she would be the second to lead the government age

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday announced two new services for foreign tourists: a taxi-hailing app and real-time translation services in subway stations. The city government has launched Taba, a taxi-hailing service specifically designed for overseas visitors to the city. The new app is expected to resolve limitations in existing domestic taxi-hailing apps, making it easier for tourists to request taxis with their phones. Existing taxi-hailing services require authentication to occu

    Blackpink’s music video for “Kill This Love” has generated 1.9 billion views on YouTube as of Monday, according to label YG Entertainment. This follows the video of “Ddu-du Ddu-du” and makes the foursome the first K-pop artist ever to have two hits to achieve the feat. The music video came out in April 2019 and was one of the top 10 most-viewed music videos in 2023 while the song hit Billboard’s Hot 100 at No. 41, setting a record for a K-po

As over half of Korean senior citizens expressed a desire to work, nearly 1 in 5 seniors are actively engaged in job seeking, reports showed Monday. According to a report from Korea Employment Information Service, which analyzed Statistics Korea’s data, among individuals aged between 65 and 79, 55.7 percent expressed a desire to continue working. That is an increase of 0.9 percentage point from a year ago and 12.1 percentage points from a decade prior. Of the older individuals aspiring f

Hanwha Momentum, a supplier of manufacturing facilities and equipment for batteries, solar panels and displays, hosted its 2023 Hanwha Battery Day on Monday to reveal the company's strategies and technological road map in response to burgeoning global demand for secondary battery manufacturing equipment. During the event, CEO Yang Ki-won unveiled an ambitious target of 1.4 trillion won ($1.07 billion) in sales solely from secondary battery process equipment solutions by 2027. The company&

Health care officials from South Korea and the US on Monday gathered in Seoul to discuss the industry’s potential to be a bigger part of the Seoul-Washington alliance during a forum hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea. The Healthcare Innovation Seminar is one of the major events organized by AmCham, and the largest policy seminar on the health care industry in South Korea. This year's seminar is titled “The Role of the Healthcare Industry in Facing the Next Front

Song Mi-ryung, former deputy director of the Korea Rural Economic Institute, has been nominated as the new minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs, the presidential office said Monday. Born in 1967, Song studied political science at Ewha Womans University. She earned her master’s degree in urban design and planning and her doctorate in public administration at Seoul National University. Having started her professional career at the KREI in 1997, she has devoted almost 30 years to t

South Korean stocks ended higher Monday amid speculation that the US Federal Reserve may start cutting its rates next year amid eased inflation woes. The local currency rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 9.94 points, or 0.4 percent, to close at 2,514.95. Trade volume was moderate at 489.9 million shares worth 8.5 trillion won ($6.5 billion), with gainers slightly outnumbering losers 458 to 411. Institutions and foreigners bought shares worth 170.7 bi

GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories -- Israel expanded its offensive against Hamas militants in besieged Gaza on Monday, as international concern deepened over the mounting civilian death toll in a war sparked by the Oct. 7 attacks. The return to open warfare after the truce between Israel and Hamas expired has had ripple effects around a region on the cusp of a wider conflagration. Since the expiry of the truce on Friday, fighting in Gaza has resumed between Hamas and advancing Israeli troops,

Upon opening the door to her studio, one is overwhelmed by the plethora of oil paintings – both visually and olfactorily. In a room where Yi Yi Jeong-eun dries her paintings are oil paint tubes stacked in rows and wafting with their smell. Painter Yi Yi moved her studio to a four-bedroom apartment -- where she also resides -- in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province about a year ago. She wanted to find a bigger place where she can separate where she dries her oil paintings, from where she stores and pa

A dark comedy about creature comforts and an exploration of tightrope walking were announced as the winners of the inaugural 2023 Korea Picture Book Award, jointly granted by the Culture Ministry and the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea (KPIPA), on Monday. Kwon Jung-min's fiction piece, "The Disappeared Dinner," and Minha's non-fiction, "A Round of Tightrope Walking," won top honors in their respective categories. "The Disappeared Dinner" (Ch

Art Together, a subsidiary under major Korean art auctioneer K-Auction, announced Monday it has submitted its registration statement for fractional investments in Yayoi Kusama's 2002 artwork, “Pumpkin,” to the country’s top regulator, the Financial Supervisory Service. Art Together purchased the painting from renowned British auction house Christie’s for 1.09 billion won ($835,000) and has set the subscription price at 1.18 billion won, allowing retail investors to s

Tighter rules from the US limiting China-made materials in batteries eligible for electric vehicle tax credits might ironically offer a boon for Chinese companies, who hold huge stakes in joint ventures with South Korean battery manufacturers. The Joe Biden administration on Friday announced new guidance for the Inflation Reduction Act barring electric car buyers from claiming a $7,500 tax credit in case the product uses materials from China and other countries deemed a “Foreign Entity of

진행자: 홍유, Naomi Ng ‘Gorpcore’ a global validation of Korean ajeossi’s fashion instincts? 기사 요약: “고프코어룩” 아저씨 패션이 세계 패션계에서 주목받다 [1] Long before the seemingly inscrutable neologism "gorpcore” entered the global fashion lexicon, middle-aged men in South Korea were trailblazing the look, seamlessly incorporating Gore-Tex jackets and hiking boots into their daily attire for work, dining and socializing. *inscrutable: 불가해한 *neologism: 신조어, 새로운 표현 *lexicon:

Netflix Korea's popular dating reality show "Single's Inferno" has returned with its third season, with a brand new group of young, attractive singles and a plot that moves faster than ever. “Single’s Inferno,” the first season of which debuted in December 2021, has garnered worldwide attention, with the series becoming the first Korean reality show to be listed on Netflix's global top 10 chart. Building on this success, Netflix extended the series wi