Only 1 in 9 university students graduating this year have been hired as regular workers, a survey conducted by the job searching portal site, Job Korea showed Monday. According to Job Korea, among some 1,112 students surveyed, only 11 percent answered that they have been hired for regular positions -- meaning full-time work with with permanent contracts. Another 10 had found work on irregular contracts, while the remaining 79 percent said that they have yet to find employment.  (Job Korea)Compar

Animal abusers will soon face up to three years in prison, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on Friday.As the number of animal owners increased to some 10 million in 2017, the ministry said, animal abuse and homeless animal populations have gone up too. The number of homeless animals stood at 102,000 in 2017, as compared with 20,000 fewer in 2015.The ministry had previously broadened the definition of animal abuse to include selling stray animals, capturing animals

The story of a teenager who was refused entry at a jjimjilbang after 10 p.m. even with written parental consent has sparked discussion on the internet.The teen tweeted that the incident took place on Dec. 31 last year. By the Korean age system, the teen would turn 19 years old at midnight, one year short of the age that would not require parental consent. The teen is presumed to actually be 17 years old.  The inside of an unrelated jjimjilbang is seen in this file photo. (Yonhap)According to the

French photographer and artist JR will unveil a new project at the Louvre Museum in Paris in the last week of March.In Seoul for his first solo photo exhibition at Galerie Perrotin in downtown Seoul, JR told The Korea Herald on Thursday that the upcoming project, which will be much larger in scale than his previous project at the Louvre, will be completed in collaboration with visitors to the site. The artist and the visitors will be painting in the Louvre’s plaza to create one gigantic black-an

Over 70 percent of South Korean mothers who had just delivered their babies used a postnatal care center for about two weeks, on average paying 2.21 million won ($1,970), a survey shows.The Ministry of Health and Welfare conducted a survey of some 2,911 new mothers who delivered a baby in 2017. According to the poll released Thursday in which multiple responses were allowed, 75.1 percent of respondents said they used a postnatal care center. Some 70 percent responded they went home while 19.8 pe

Executives and representatives of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, known as Suhyup, in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, are suspected of having paid for sex in the Philippines.According to Suhyup in Goheung on Tuesday, some 41 executives and representatives of the company went on a four-day training session in Manila last year in April. Suspicions about some members having engaged in the solicitation of prostitution during the training period rose among the staff some months lat

A man in his 20s who sought to pay for sexual services from an underage girl was reportedly locked up and attacked by seven teenagers over two days.The seven teenagers were arrested on charges of extorting money from the man who attempted to buy sex from a 14-year-old girl, according to Gwangju Bukbu police Tuesday.  (Yonhap)The teenagers are reported to have contacted the man, 28, via a chatting app two weeks prior, whereupon they asked him to meet in a motel room. The man met the teenager on S

Jackson of K-pop act GOT7 performed his song “Fendiman” at the end of the Fendi’s fashion show held Monday during Milan Fashion Week.A video released on Naver’s V Live showed the scene in front of the venue before the show. An overwhelming number of fans had gathered to see the rapper, calling out his name. At the end of Fendi’s show, Jackson appeared at the balcony on the backdrop of the runway singing the song “Fendiman” in English. The 26-year-old became the first artist to sing at a Fendi fa

The night of the 2019 Korea Musical Awards shone bright with musical stars on the red carpet. With many musicals staged last year, a diverse group of stars nominated for awards attended the event held Monday. (Photo By Kim Hye-soo/The Korea Herald)Musical couple Kim So-hyun and Sohn Joon-ho stepped on the red carpet in a fairytale-like dress and tuxedo respectively. Kim wore a peach bell-shaped dress, looking like an empress -- just like the character Elisabeth she currently plays in the musical

Director Lee Chang-dong’s film “Burning” was named the best foreign language film of 2018 by the France Club Media Cine on Wednesday.According to CGV Arthouse and the association on Friday, the Korean film took home the Best 2018 Foreign Language Film award among prominent nominees including “First Man,” “Shoplifters,” “The Guilty,” “Isle of Dogs” and “Phantom Thread.” (Pine House Film)Earlier, “Burning” participated in the 71th Cannes Film Festival as the only Korean film officially invited to

The viral children’s song “Baby Shark” landed at number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 on Wednesday. Pinkfong’s “Baby Shark,” originally uploaded on YouTube in 2016, is the third Korean single to make the top 50 of the Billboard’s Hot 100, following BTS and Psy.  (Smart Study)The song also went viral in UK, staying in the Top 40 of UK’s Official Singles chart for eight consecutive weeks since it first appeared in August last year and ranking No. 6 on Jan. 4. Pinkfong became the first Korean artist

Black Pink created the track that was covered more than any other in 2018 among K-pop.According to global K-pop video community site Amazer, Black Pink’s “Ddu-du Ddu-du” ranked No. 1 in the category of K-pop songs most covered last year.The song features an addictive melody with a powerful choreography that includes a gun-shooting hand gesture, which has gotten global K-pop fans especially interested in filming cover videos. Jennie’s solo single, “Solo,” also ranked seventh on the same chart. (Y

BTS will resume its “Love Yourself” world tour this month, following its performances in Taiwan last month.Since the Taiwanese leg of its tour, the group has been busy participating in year-end awards programs during which BTS took home a bagful of trophies.  (Billboard)The tour has 11 remaining concerts: Saturday to Sunday at Nagoya Dome in Japan; Jan. 19 in Singapore; Feb. 16-17 at Yafuoku Dome in Japan; March 20-21 and 23-24 at AsiaWorld-Expo Arena in Hong Kong; and April 6-7 in Bangkok, Thai

Minho of SHINee will be holding a solo fan meeting tour across Asia.“Choi Minho Fan meeting Tour - Best Choi’s Minho” will kick off in Seoul on Feb. 17 before traveling to cities in Asia, including Tokyo from Feb. 23-24, Bangkok on March 2 and Taipei on March 3. (S.M. Entertainment)Minho debuted with SHINee in 2008. The boy band has released megahits, including “Replay” (2008), “Lucifer” (2011), “Sherlock” (2012) and “View” (2015). Minho has also demonstrated his talent in other fields, appearin

Hollywood actress Megan Fox is currently in Korea to film “Jangsa-ri 9.15.”According to the film production company Taewon Entertainment on Tuesday, Megan Fox arrived in Korea on Sunday and is currently filming the Korean movie “Jangsa-ri 9.15” at Namyangju Studio.  (Yonhap)“Jangsa-ri 9.15” deals with the Jangsa landing operation in 1950, led by Gen. Douglas MacArthur, in the well-known battle at Incheon during the Korean War. Fox will play the role of Margaret Higgins, a war correspondent for t

SHINee member Key will be staging his first solo concert in South Korea, “The Agit Key Land – Key,” in February in Seoul.According to S.M. Entertainment on Tuesday, the concert will run for six days, February 2-3 and 7-10, at the SMTown Theatre in SMTown’s Coex Artium.  (S.M. Entertainment)Since he made his solo debut in November with the album “Face,” the singer has successfully reached out to Japan with his first J-pop solo album, “Hologram.” Released in December, the five-track album was well

Chungha’s latest song “Gotta Go,” released Jan. 2, was sitting atop global iTunes K-pop charts as of Tuesday.According to the MNH Entertainment, which represents Chungha, the singer’s new digital single “Gotta Go” ranked No. 1 on the iTunes K-pop chart of Thailand and Qatar, ranked second on Singapore’s KKBOX K-pop chart and was No. 8 on Apple Music.  (MNH Entertainment)The track appears to have been well received by global fans, popping up on charts of global music streaming service Spotify in

Lee Minhyuk of BTOB on Monday revealed the schedule leading up to his solo debut slated for Jan. 15.The leader and rapper of BTOB will release his first solo album, “Hutazone,” next week.  (Cube Entertainment)Lee will drop teasers, including the track list, on Tuesday, followed by a concept image, trailer clip, audio teaser and a music video teaser. The rapper previously dropped a single as part of BTOB members’ solo single project series “Piece of BTOB” in 2017. Through the project, Lee not onl

Having grabbed bagful of gongs at the MMAs and Asia Artist Awards, BTS once again won big at the 33rd Golden Disc Awards in Seoul on Sunday As soon as BTS was called out to receive the Daesang, or the grand prize, members stood up bowing their heads repeatedly toward all the singers and their fans to show their gratitude. (Yonhap)“We turn the honor of the awards to our official fanclub Army for supporting us throughout 2018,” said leader RM. “We had a hard time at the start of the year, getting

Lee Hyori and Lee Sang-soon appeared at IU’s concert in Jeju on Saturday. The couple surprised fans by making an appearance during IU’s 10th anniversary concert “dlwlrma-Jeju ‘Curtain Call’” held at the International Convention Center Jeju on Jeju Island. “Thank you so much for coming to my concert. I’m so nervous right now,” said the 26-year-old as she greeted the two. (IU’s Twitter)Lee Hyori and IU sang a duet song, “She’s Different From Me,” with Lee Sang-soon’s guitar accompaniment. The song