Winter has cast its frosty spell over South Korea, transforming its streets into a picturesque wonderland draped in snow. As December officially begins next week and the chill deepens, why not wrap yourself in a blanket and indulge in these masterfully crafted series set against enchanting winter backdrops? Let their stunning mise-en-scenes unveil the many captivating faces of winter, perfect for a cozy weekend escape. "Sorry, I Love You" on Prime Video "Sorry, I Love You"

BUSAN (AP) — The world’s nations will wrap up negotiating a treaty this weekend to address the global plastic pollution crisis. As their meeting concludes Sunday or early Monday in Busan, South Korea, here’s what to know about plastics: The use of plastics has quadrupled over the past 30 years. Plastic is ubiquitous. And every day, the equivalent of 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic are dumped into the world’s oceans, rivers and lakes, the UN said . Most nations agre

The 2024 Jeju gamgyul day celebration, aimed at promoting Jeju's iconic winter fruit, the tangerine, kicked off Saturday at Understand Avenue in Seongsu-dong, Seoul. The event, designed to highlight the excellence of Jeju gamgyul or tangerines and encourage consumption, will run for two days, ending on December 1. Visitors can enjoy various programs showcasing the flavors and appeal of this beloved fruit. "As tangerines have long been cherished as a staple winter fruit in Korea, we hop

Singer V of K-pop superband BTS has topped Apple iTunes charts in 75 countries with his latest release, "Winter Ahead," his agency said Saturday. The duet song with K-pop artist Park Hyo-sin, released on Friday, claimed the No. 1 spot on iTunes' Top Songs charts across various nations, including Britain, Germany and Japan, as of 6 a.m., according to BigHit Music. The romantic jazz track also ranked first in Worldwide iTunes Song and European iTunes Song charts. Its music video top

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has met Russia's visiting defense minister and expressed his support for Russia's war against Ukraine, state media reported Saturday, amid deepening military cooperation between the two nations. Kim had a "friendly and trustworthy" meeting with Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov in Pyongyang on Friday, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Belousov arrived in North Korea the previous day for a visit that came as North Korea

The amount of property and land owned by foreigners in Korea has inched up this year, with Chinese nationals owning the majority of homes, but Americans owned the majority of land. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport released Friday a report on foreign-owned real estate, which showed that approximately 93,000 foreign nationals owned 95,058 homes in Korea as of the end of June, accounting for 0.49 percent of the total housing stock. This represents a 3.9 percent increase -- by 3,60

The box-office hit "12.12: The Day" won big at the 45th Blue Dragon Film Awards on Friday, sweeping multiple top honors at one of Korea’s most prestigious film ceremonies. Held at KBS Hall in Yeouido, Seoul, the Blue Dragon Film Awards celebrate standout Korean films released in theaters or on streaming platforms. This year, the awards considered 165 films released between October 2023 and October 2024, with 20 films, 10 directors, and 30 actors nominated across 18 categories.

Ulsan HD FC goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo has been voted the MVP of the top South Korean football league in 2024. Jo beat out Anderson Oliveira of Suwon FC and Yang Min-hyeok of Gangwon FC for the top individual award in the K League 1 on Friday. Jo earned 75 out of 116 votes from the media, eight out of 12 votes from K League 1 head coaches, and seven out of 12 votes from club captains. Those totals were converted to 63.36 points, with Anderson Oliveira finishing a distant second with 20.26 points. Y

Gangwon FC's teen sensation Yang Min-hyeok was named the best rookie in the top South Korean football league on Friday. Yang, 18, topped the voting for the Young Player of the Year honor in the K League 1, holding off Hwang Jae-won of Daegu FC and Hong Yun-sang of Pohang Steelers. Yang collected 115 out of 116 votes from the media, 11 out of 12 votes from the league's head coaches, and 10 out of 12 votes from team captains. Those voting totals were converted to 92.16 voting points. Pla

GIMPO, Gyeonggi Province -- South Koreans can now sip their Starbucks while taking in the rarest of views -- the shadowy realm of a forbidden land, North Korea. At a just-opened store, with seating for around 40 patrons, the glass walls frame panoramic vistas of Kaepung-gun and Songaksan in the North Korean city of Kaesong. It is located within the Jogang Observatory in the South Korean border city of Gimpo, part of the 154-meter-high Aegibong Peace Ecopark. This vantage point lies just 1.4 ki

The presidential office on Friday criticized the main opposition party's plan to report impeachment motions for the head of the state audit agency and three prosecutors involved in two different scandals surrounding first lady Kim Keon Hee. “(The impeachment proposal against the chair of the Board of Audit and Inspection) marks the first of such case in our constitutional history and damages the foundation of the constitutional order,” presidential spokesperson Jeong Hye-jeon said du

Korea welcomed 30.1 percent more foreign visitors this October compared to the same month last year, nearly matching pre-pandemic levels of 2019. The state-run Korea Tourism Organization reported Friday that 1,690,263 tourists visited Korea in October 2024, reaching 97 percent of the October 2019 figures. Most markets saw strong growth compared to last year. Chinese visitors led the charge with a 57.2 percent increase, while Taiwan and the Philippines each recorded 35.6 percent growth. Japanese

Samsung Electronics on Friday promoted a total of 137 executives in a year-end reshuffle, including tech-savvy executives with strong achievements in their respective areas, with a goal of reviving stagnant business performance. The total number of promotions is slightly down from last year’s 143, and includes 35 new vice presidents and 92 new managing directors. “Samsung Electronics carried out a major personnel reshuffle strictly based on the principle of meritocracy, with an aim t

Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov met with his North Korean counterpart, No Kwang-chol, in Pyongyang on Friday amid the intensifying war in Ukraine, where North Korea has dispatched soldiers and provided weapons to bolster Russia's efforts. The meeting was held during Belousov's "official visit" to North Korea at the invitation of Noh, Russia's Defense Ministry said Friday. Belousov notably underscored the significance of the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Part

BTS’ V dropped a digital single, “Winter Ahead (with Park Hyo-shin)," on Friday at 2 p.m.. Park Hyo-shin is a renowned ballad singer and musical actor. “Winter Ahead (with Park Hyo-shin)” is a track that reflects V's deep love for jazz music. “The song features saxophone, trumpet and piano to create a cozy atmosphere,” said Big Hit Music in a press release on Friday. The song’s romantic lyrics and melody are beautifully complemented by V and Pa

With Ador likely gearing up to start a legal battle, its now-former K-pop girl group NewJeans appears ready to move forward with their activities, signaling the start of what could be a long legal fight over rights and compensation. NewJeans' members announced the termination of their exclusive contracts with Ador Thursday, citing breaches of contract by the agency. The quintet asserted during the press conference in Seoul that they owe no penalties or compensation. Still, questions about t

The Moroccan Embassy in South Korea hosted an investment forum in Seoul on Thursday evening to bolster economic cooperation between Morocco and South Korea. Held under the theme “Morocco -- Sustainable Hub for Investment and Trade,” the event brought together government officials and industry leaders to explore new business opportunities and enhance bilateral relations between the two nations. In his welcoming remarks, Chafik Rachadi, ambassador of Morocco to Korea, emphasized the hi

Negotiations at the fifth meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-5) in Busan, were seen making little progress with only two days left before the Dec. 1 deadline. The INC-5, which was started after a resolution passed during the UN Environment Assembly meeting in March 2022, is the final round of negotiations before delegations are expected to finalize the legally binding treaty text. The gathering started Monday and is scheduled to end on Sunday. Challe

With just three months remaining before the new school year begins in March, the South Korean government announced Friday it will unexpectedly scale back its plan to introduce AI-powered digital textbooks in classrooms, adjusting the pace and deferring the rollout for some subjects. Under the scheme, the digital conversion of paper-based books for mathematics, English and informatics courses will go ahead as planned for third- and fourth-grade students, seventh-graders and first-year high school

Spray-type bubble cleansers used by children during bath time have been found to pose fire and explosion risks due to their use of liquid petroleum gas as a propellant, according to a report released Friday. A joint investigation by the Korea Consumer Agency and the Korea Gas Safety Corp. revealed that all 40 bubble cleanser products for children tested were found to use LPG as a propellant. It didn’t disclose the names of the products. When used in enclosed spaces like bathrooms, the gas,