Korean film “Burning” was nominated best international film at the Independent Spirit Awards 2019, Pine House Film announced Tuesday.The Independent Spirit Awards, founded in 1984, are dedicated to independent films or movies that are not produced by major film studios. The awards are often seen as indicators of which films could win prizes at other prominent awards ceremonies, including the Oscars. (Pine House Film)“Burning,” a mystery drama released in May, was directed by Lee Chang-dong and s

Film Nov. 20, 2018

Korea was greeted by the coldest morning so far Tuesday, with temperatures in Seoul plunging to 0.1 degree Celsius. As temperatures are expected to rise to around 12 C in the afternoon, the weather agency advises citizens to wear multiple layers of clothing.(Yonhap)Clear skies are expected throughout the day, but some scattered rain may fall in Seoul, Incheon and Gangwon and Gyeonggi provinces from the evening.Fine dust levels are forecast to be “bad” in parts of the North Chungcheong, North Jeo

Social Affairs Nov. 20, 2018

More than 500 students at Dongguk University on Wednesday demanded the elimination of the school’s women’s student council, the only active association of its kind at any of Seoul’s universities that limits its membership to women students. The university’s board of student representatives held an open debate over the proposal to scrap the association, and broadcast the event live on its official Facebook page. (Yonhap)Some students criticized the council’s denial of voting rights to male studen

Social Affairs Nov. 15, 2018

Following the rise of the subscription economy, an increasing number of startups have launched services adopting the new business model. One such startup is Daily Shot, which offers a craft beer or cocktail at a pub for a monthly fee of 9,900 won ($8.70).Daily Shot includes a drink at partner pubs and bars to customers who sign up for the monthly plan. The average price of a craft beer or cocktail is set at about 10,000 won at Daily Shot, but subscription customers can enjoy a daily drink for ju

Culture Nov. 15, 2018

Wednesday in South Korea was an orientation day to prepare high school seniors for Thursday’s national college entrance examination, or Suneung. Before the seniors departed for their designated test sites, many younger students wished them the best with a variety of special activities.Students at Seoul High School put on a concert as a way of encouraging their seniors ahead of the test.Local communities also showed their support for the test-takers. Volunteers responsible for helping students ar

Social Affairs Nov. 14, 2018

A heavy concentration of fine dust is expected to persist in the west and southeast regions of the Korean Peninsula, reaching “bad” levels throughout the day.The South Jeolla, South Gyeongsang and Jeju provinces are expected to see scattered rainfall in the morning, while Gangwon Province’s Yeongdong County will see around 10 millimeters of rain in the afternoon. (Yonhap)The weather will continue to be cold with morning temperatures dipping between 2 and 12 degrees Celsius. Temperatures will ris

Social Affairs Nov. 12, 2018

Police said Wednesday they had caught a man riding a bike on a highway while drunk at around midnight. (Yonhap)The 21-year-old man rode a bike while drunk after a company dinner. According to police, he rode over 2 kilometers along the Gyeongbu Expressway. He was found to have a blood alcohol content of 0.124 percent.The man was slapped with a 30,000 won ($27) fine.Under the revised traffic law, cyclists riding under the influence of alcohol face fines of up to 200,000 won or detention.By Kim Je

Social Affairs Nov. 7, 2018

The office of Seodaemun-gu, an administrative district in Seoul, said Monday it has installed an internal system to report acts of corruption and “gapjil,” a local term referring to abuses of power.Typical gapjil incidents include the use of abusive language, bullying, sexual harassment, asking for personal errands and demanding favoritism toward a specific individual. (Yonhap)Any public official working in Seodaemun-gu can report their superior’s “gapjil” through the system, which has been adde

Social Affairs Nov. 5, 2018

A teenage girl was rescued Saturday by firefighters after being trapped inside a washing machine at a self-service laundromat in Busan.According to police, the teen voluntarily entered the machine a friend had promised to get her something good to eat if she performed the daring act. Her friends reportedly tried to unlock the door afterward, but it remained locked shut. (Yonhap)Upon receiving the report, police opened the machine’s door with the laundry owner’s permission and rescued the teen, w

Social Affairs Nov. 4, 2018

Police said Thursday that 10 people have been booked on suspicion of hacking IP cameras used to monitor pets and violating privacy laws by recording videos of the owners.A suspect surnamed Hwang was booked on charges of hacking and leaking the personal information of about 10,500 users. Hwang is also accused of illegally accessing some 264 IP cameras and secretly recording videos of the users.Police say the suspect, who is reported to be a freelance web programmer and a user of the monitoring si

Social Affairs Nov. 1, 2018

Gwangju Seobu Police said Thursday they have arrested a man on charges of employment fraud, by which he collected some 68 million won ($60,000). The suspect was reported to have collected money from six people he had met at an automobile club by telling them he would get them employed at a subcontractor for Hyundai Mobis. (Yonhap)The suspect, who had previously worked at a subcontractor, used his experience to pretend he was currently working for Hyundai Mobis as a full-time employee and convinc

Social Affairs Nov. 1, 2018

Three cockroaches were discovered onboard a flight with Busan Air, one of South Korea’s low-cost carriers, alarming passengers and raising concerns about the plane’s hygiene standards.The flight originated from Gimpo Airport and was en route to Gimhae Airport when the insects were found. (Yonhap)According to a passenger, a woman screamed after spotting a cockroach before takeoff. A flight attendant found her a new seat, but two more cockroaches were found during the flight.Air Busan has confirme

Social Affairs Oct. 30, 2018

A fistfight occurred between two groups of Chinese tourists at Incheon International Airport on Sunday, according to police.The conflict started when one group apparently cut in line ahead of the other at a duty-free store on the third floor of the airport. Some of the tourists were reported to have been injured and received treatment at the medical center inside the airport. (Yonhap)It has been reported that both parties told police they would press assault charges against each other.“It is har

Social Affairs Oct. 29, 2018

A recent survey showed that part-time servers at coffee shops are experiencing worsened working conditions since the imposition of a ban on plastic cups for in-store customers.Job portal Albamon said Friday that according to its survey, 87.2 percent of the part-time servers who responded answered that their work had become more difficult since the ban.(Yonhap)When asked why, 53.6 percent of respondents said they had more work, including washing mugs and glasses.In addition, 33.6 percent said man

Industry Oct. 26, 2018

Cloudy skies with some rain are expected nationwide, and some areas will be hit with strong winds.Inland regions including Seoul, Gyeonggi and South Chungcheong provinces and areas near Incheon can expect some 10 to 40 millimeters of rain, while other regions can expect 5 to 30 mm. (Yonhap)The rain will stop during the daytime, but temperatures are forecast to drop sharply later in the day in most regions.The weather agency also warned that in the afternoon strong winds will hit coastal and moun

Social Affairs Oct. 26, 2018