Democratic Party lawmaker calls Han Dong-hoon killer squad claims ‘falsehoods’

A Democratic Party lawmaker refuted claims Wednesday that the martial law decree of Dec. 3 involved plans to assassinate Han Dong-hoon, who was the ruling People Power Party leader two days ago. Kim Ou-joon, a controversial broadcaster who is best known for his Democratic Party of Korea-leaning political commentary, claimed last week a squad comprising agents from an elite Army intelligence unit on North Korean missions intended to arrest Han and then assassinate him. Democratic Party Rep. Huh Y

PoliticsDec. 18, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] BTS’ Jimin logs 1.2b streams on Spotify in record time

Jimin of BTS surpassed 1.2 billion plays on Spotify with solo “Who” on Monday. He achieved the feat in just 151 days -- the shortest time for both a K-pop artist and a male solo artist, beating the record previously set by Harry Styles' with “As It Was.” “Who” fronted Jimin's second solo album “Muse” and has spent 21 weeks on Billboard’s Hot 100 after entering it at No. 12. The hip-hop R&B tune ranked No. 43 on the chart dated

K-popDec. 18, 2024

[Photo News] Wall paintings restored

Replicas of two wall paintings high up on opposite sides of Gyotaejeon, the Queen’s residence, at Gyeongbokgung, will be shown to the public at the main Joseon-era (1392-1910) palace in Seoul through Dec. 30, ahead of the 30th anniversary of the hall’s restoration next year. According to the Korea Heritage Service, Italian fashion house Gucci funded the entire 270 million won ($190,000) project, which involved recreating the paintings. The images of a monkey family and a pair of trop

Arts & DesignDec. 18, 2024

Set in zero-gravity, 'When the Stars Gossip' to broaden K-drama horizons

As the first Korean drama to be set primarily in space, "When the Stars Gossip" will play a significant role in "diversifying" K-dramas, according to the series' lead actor, Kong Hyo-jin, on Wednesday. South Korean cable channel tvN is scheduled to premiere the first episode of "When the Stars Gossip," a 16-episode sci-fi romantic comedy starring Hallyu superstars Kong and Lee Min-ho on Jan. 4, 2025. The series centers on Eve (played by Kong Hyo-jin), a command

TelevisionDec. 18, 2024

KMI opens joint medical checkup center in Mongolia

Korea Medical Institute announced Wednesday that it has opened its first overseas medical check-up center, Family Medical Center with KMI, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Located at the E-Mart Bayangol branch, the facility is a joint project between KMI and Mongolia’s Family Medical Center, aiming to improve access to health screenings for Mongolians while introducing advanced Korean medical services, KMI said. The center offers a range of services, including national health screenings, corporat

IndustryDec. 18, 2024

Army unit had live ammunition on martial law night: report

Live ammunition and Taser gun cartridges, along with blank rounds, were taken out of a military depot for the 707th Special Mission Group that forcibly entered the National Assembly after martial law was declared on Dec. 3. According to a report submitted to Rep. Seo Young-kyo by the Army Special Warfare Command -- the group's parent unit -- 3,960 live rounds, 1,980 blank rounds and 100 cartridges for Taser guns, were withdrawn for the 707th Special Mission Group on the night when impeach

DefenseDec. 18, 2024

Kim Sung-hwan's first solo exhibition at SeMA navigates cultural, historical contexts of people in Hawaii

Artist Kim Sung-hwan is a research-oriented artist based in Hawaii who digs into history, migration and boundaries. His first solo exhibition at a public museum in Korea, the Seoul Museum of Art, offers an opportunity to consider a specific site through layers of time. The exhibition "Ua a‘o ‘ia ‘o ia e ia" at the Seoul Museum of Art unfolds across three rooms, starting with migration narratives that unpack modern and colonial histories. Figures of different sizes sta

Arts & DesignDec. 18, 2024

[Herald Gallery] Wow

An invitational exhibition by Bae WooMi is currently being held at Gallery BODA in Insa-dong. The artist, known for a "kidult" sensibility, evokes empathy through a character named Gloria. Meaning "smile on Earth," Gloria embodies the intersection of analog and digital aesthetics. The character is brought to life using pop-inspired colors, segmented shapes, and elements from traditional Korean playing cards (hwatu). The journey of rediscovering one's pure self alongside

CultureDec. 18, 2024

Night of chaos: Inside Yoon’s Cabinet in hours before declaration

Public accounts from Cabinet members at the National Assembly have exposed a troubling picture of President Yoon Suk Yeol's Dec. 3 martial law declaration: One of a clandestine and illegitimate decision that bypassed nearly the entire Cabinet, silenced its opposition, and violated due process. The hours before Yoon's late-night announcement were chaotic, with most Cabinet members kept in the dark. Below is a look at the time leading up to and after the declaration, based on their accou

PoliticsDec. 18, 2024

Seoul shares soar over 1% on bargain hunting

Seoul shares ended more than 1 percent higher Wednesday as foreign investors picked up blue chip tech shares in a bargain following the Korean stock market's two-day fall. The Korean won was trading higher against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) added 27.62 points, or 1.12 percent, to close at 2,484.43. Trade volume was moderate at 421.9 million shares worth 6.9 trillion won ($4.8 billion), with winners outnumbering losers 582 to 302. Analysts said the

MarketDec. 18, 2024

Tough year ahead for K-dramas: KOCCA report

Korean dramas are projected to face challenges in the overseas market in 2025, with export performance expected to be dim due to surging production costs, according to the Korea Creative Content Agency on Wednesday. The Culture Ministry-affiliated government agency released export outlooks for content sectors such as K-pop and webtoons, based on a survey it conducted. The survey gathered insights from 167 content industry experts and directors of KOCCA's overseas business centers. On 7-poin

CultureDec. 18, 2024

[Herald Interview] For filmmaking duo, each serendipitous meeting sparks a story

In a dimly lit meeting room at the French Embassy in Seoul, filmmakers Cagla Zencirci and Guillaume Giovanetti recall a defining moment at Busan's UN Memorial Cemetery. There, they bumped into a Turkish woman examining tombstones for traces of her grandfather, a soldier who fought in the Korean War. The chance meeting in 2018 would grow into "Ghost and Found," their latest multimedia project, which came out of the 2 1/2-month Villa Busan residency that ended just last week. The in

FilmDec. 18, 2024

Will Yoon be caught up in yet another scandal?

A shaman reportedly close to President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife, was arrested by the prosecution Tuesday in connection with political funding allegations, drawing attention to whether the case will turn up new allegations related to the presidential couple. The prosecution announced that its joint investigation unit on virtual asset crimes arrested the 64-year-old shaman surnamed Jeon and initiated a search and seizure operation at his house in relation to political funding during the 2018 loc

Social AffairsDec. 18, 2024

Hanwha Ocean's fixed platfrom achieves early oil production

Hanwha Ocean, a shipbuilding unit of Korea’s Hanwha Group, announced Wednesday that its offshore oil platform began to produce crude oil two weeks before the expected date in Qatar. The fixed platform first saw oil spring out on Sunday in the Al-Shaheen oil field, one of the world's biggest offshore oil fields located 80 kilometers northeast off the coast of Qatari capital, Doha. It has been five months since the facility left Hanwha Ocean’s shipbuilding yard in Okpo, Geoje, Sou

IndustryDec. 18, 2024

Govt. vows to encourage increased corporate investment

The South Korean government pledged to implement a set of measures to stimulate corporate investment despite the recent political disruption sparked by President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived martial law declaration. “With the escalated uncertainties surrounding the economy, a sense of crisis has been growing,” Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok said at a governmental meeting held at the Government Complex Seoul on Wednesday, joined by other economy-related

EconomyDec. 18, 2024

Seoul vows to restore market credibility amid political turmoil

Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok on Wednesday vowed to restore market credibility amid the ongoing political turmoil, stressing that the indicators that gauge market volatility and economic instability show signs of easing thanks to the swift responses by the government and the country's constitutional and economic systems. "The budget plan and key tax bills were passed in the National Assembly on Dec. 10, demonstrating that Korean economic policies are moving forward through consultatio

Foreign AffairsDec. 18, 2024

Hyundai Motor keeping tabs on Honda-Nissan merger

The reported merger plan between Japanese auto brands -- Honda and Nissan -- is set to increase competition for Hyundai Motor Group amid an unpredictable outlook brought on by geopolitical uncertainties. According to news reports Wednesday, Honda and Nissan began discussing a plan to establish a joint holding company as they look to better grapple with the fast-changing electric vehicle industry and bolster their competitiveness against EV leaders such as America’s Tesla and China’s

MobilityDec. 18, 2024

Incheon Airport projects most ever travelers next year

Incheon International Airport Corp. announced Wednesday that passenger traffic and operational performance this year have rebounded to prepandemic levels, with the upcoming year projected to set highest-ever records for both international passenger numbers and total revenue. For next year, international passenger traffic is forecast at 73.03 million, with revenue anticipated to hit 2.9 trillion won ($2 billion), according to the corporation. In line with the anticipated record-breaking traffic,

IndustryDec. 18, 2024

Prosecutors transfer Yoon’s martial law case to CIO

South Korea’s prosecution will transfer the martial law case surrounding President Yoon Suk Yeol and former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, amid controversy over “overlapping investigations.” On Wednesday, the CIO announced that it had concluded with the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office that it will now take over the case involving Yoon and Lee. The move comes 10 days after the CIO requested the prosecution tran

Social AffairsDec. 18, 2024

Daewoo E&C's new CEO pledges to navigate uncertain times

Kim Bo-hyun, the new CEO of Daewoo Engineering & Construction, pledged to steer the company's growth through uncertain economic conditions during his inauguration ceremony, the company said Wednesday. "We should come together to build a robust company amid the challenges faced by the construction industry," Kim said in his inaugural speech at the ceremony, held at the company's Seoul headquarters Tuesday. The new leader's strategy centers on creating a stable work

IndustryDec. 18, 2024