Embassies deny report it will boycott 2025 APEC Summit

The British, U.S., and Australian embassies in Seoul on Wednesday denied claims by a lawmaker, reported by local media, that ambassadors from the Five Eyes countries would boycott the 2025 APEC summit if President Yoon Suk Yeol remains in office. The Five Eyes is an intelligence alliance consisting of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. Kim Joon-hyung, a first-term lawmaker from the minor opposition Rebuilding Korea Party, claimed during a National Assembly

Foreign AffairsDec. 11, 2024

KDI chief downplays lasting economic impact of martial law

Korea Development Institute President Cho Dong-chul expressed confidence that the recent political turmoil sparked by President Yoon Suk Yeol's brief martial law declaration would not have a lasting economic impact, despite increased volatility in local financial markets. "It's undeniable that the recent unexpected political crisis has harmed our economy. However, I believe a severe risk, such as the foreign exchange crisis we faced in the past, is unlikely," Cho said Wednesd

EconomyDec. 11, 2024

[Today’s K-pop] BTS' Jimin extends record streak on Billboard Hot 100

Jimin of BTS extended his stay on Billboard’s Hot 100 to 20 weeks in a row with his solo song “Who,” according to the chart published Tuesday in the US. This is the longest streak on the main songs chart for a K-pop solo singer in the last decade, and he achieved the feat while climbing back up nine rungs to No. 47. The single hit the chart at No. 12 while his second solo album “Muse” which it fronted debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 2. The album leaped back up 4

K-popDec. 11, 2024

[Herald Gallery] Serenity 24-002-007

Gallery Joeun in Yongsan-gu is hosting a solo exhibition by Seong YeonHwa (born 1986) through Jan. 4, 2025. This marks the artist’s 9th solo exhibition, featuring 25 new works centered on the theme of “identity.” The pieces reinterpret traditional Korean hanji paper and calligraphy into a unique sculptural language, capturing the harmony of lines and surfaces that connect the past and present, as well as the energy of spontaneous brushstrokes. Seong’s artistic world

CultureDec. 11, 2024

Evolution of Korean and Chinese ink paintings on display at MMCA

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea has brought together masterpieces of modern and contemporary ink art from South Korea and China at its Deoksugung venue in Seoul. The exhibition “The Modern and Contemporary Ink Art of the Republic of Korea and the People’s Republic of China” was jointly curated with the National Art Museum of China. The two museums agreed to co-host the exhibition in 2022 in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations

Arts & DesignDec. 11, 2024

Seoul shares surge over 1% as martial law investigation accelerates

Seoul shares closed over 1 percent higher Wednesday, extending their winning streak to a second session as a widespread investigation into President Yoon Suk Yeol's brief martial law declaration by various law enforcement agencies picked up speed. The Korean won lost ground against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 24.67 points, or 1.02 percent, to finish at 2,442.51. Trade volume was moderate at 607 million shares worth 7.53 trillion won ($5.26 billion),

MarketDec. 11, 2024

[Herald Interview] Chung Myung-whun’s featured violinist Lee Soo-been strives for consistent greatness

Violinist Lee Soo-been, who is set to take the stage with One Korea Orchestra under the baton of Chung Myung-whun on Sunday, said she is looking forward to collaborating with the maestro for the first time in 11 years. The 24-year-old recalled her first performance with him in 2013 for a Children's Day outdoor concert, hosted by the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and also featuring pianist Cho Seong-jin, then 19 years old. At the time, 13-year-old Lee performed the third movement of Tchaikovs

CultureDec. 11, 2024

NewJeans manager files workplace harassment complaint against Ador CEO Kim Ju-young

A manager for K-pop group NewJeans has filed a workplace harassment complaint against Ador CEO Kim Ju-young with the Ministry of Employment and Labor, intensifying the conflict that started between the K-pop agency and its former CEO Min Hee-jin and spread to NewJeans and now their manager. According to a local media outlet on Tuesday, the manager alleges being lured to a work meeting where a suspension notice was issued, followed by demands for the immediate return of a company laptop. The indi

K-popDec. 11, 2024

Ex-broadcast watchdog head likely to defend Yoon Suk Yeol in court: reports

Kim Hong-il, former chief of South Korea's broadcast watchdog the Korea Communications Commission, might serve as one of President Yoon Suk Yeol's attorneys should Yoon's legal troubles deepen, according to news reports Wednesday. Kim, who had reportedly quit local law firm Shin & Kim, would be joined on a team of up to six attorneys, according to news reports. This came as police accused Yoon of inciting insurrection by declaring martial law and cracking down on dissidents th

PoliticsDec. 11, 2024

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo regrets failing to stop martial law

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said he opposed President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration on Dec. 3 and regretted he could not keep Yoon's martial law imposition at bay. "Ultimately, I could not stop (the martial law declaration)," Han told lawmakers at the National Assembly's plenary session Wednesday. "I feel regretful and remorseful." Han's remarks preceded the Cabinet members' apology. Han and most other Cabinet members bowed in unison in a sh

PoliticsDec. 11, 2024

Joint investigation team on Yoon launched

A joint investigative body was formed on Wednesday to investigate President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived declaration of martial law, amid concerns over overlapping investigations into the high-profile case that deals with allegations of insurrection of a sitting president. The Korean National Police Agency's National Office of Investigation said it would work together with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials and the Defense Ministry "to leverage the stren

PoliticsDec. 11, 2024

"Denture-tube:" South Korea's YouTube conspiracy machine

On the night of Dec. 3, just minutes after President Yoon Suk Yeol's shocking declaration of martial law, dozens of elite military commandos descended on an obscure office building on the outskirts of Seoul. Their target was the headquarters of the National Election Commission -- the country's otherwise staid bureaucratic body that oversees elections. The raid proved anticlimactic -- the commandos only managed to snap a few photos of internal server systems before retreating, failing t

PoliticsDec. 11, 2024

Two scenarios for Korea's economic outlook

How the political uncertainty caused by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s Dec. 3 martial law declaration and the opposition party’s push to remove him from power is resolved may change the course of the country’s economy. The market is keeping a close eye on Yoon’s political future as the main opposition Democratic Party will put to a vote a second motion to impeach him on Saturday. Yoon’s immediate removal and earlier election Market experts believe an early presidenti

EconomyDec. 11, 2024

Choi, Yellen reaffirm ‘strong’ Seoul-Washington ties

Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok held a video conference with US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen Tuesday to reaffirm the two countries' bilateral relationship amid political turmoil grappling South Korea’s capital market, according to the ministry. The meeting, requested by the Korean side, lasted around 25 minutes, the Ministry of Economy and Finance said through a press release on the following day. The meeting follows Choi’s letter sent to Yellen on Dec. 4, in the aftermath of

EconomyDec. 11, 2024

Porcelain on show exhibits power of characters

An exhibition exploring the meaning of letters on everyday objects from ancient to modern times is running at an open storage facility of the National Folk Museum of Korea in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, through March 3. The exhibition “A Journey Around the Characters” features some 290 household objects, mainly porcelain and earthenware. The collection ranges mostly from the Joseon era (1392-1910) to Korea’s 1945 independence from Japan. The latest showing by the state-run museum

Arts & DesignDec. 11, 2024

Korean Air completes W1.8tr merger with Asiana Airlines after 4 years

Korean Air is set to finalize its long-awaited 1.8 trillion won ($1.4 billion) merger with Asiana Airlines Thursday, marking a significant step toward positioning the airline among the world’s top 10 carriers and solidifying its status as the largest in Northeast Asia. On Wednesday, Korean Air completed payments for Asiana shares to secure a 63.9 percent stake in the smaller rival, putting an end to the four-year-long journey. The merger marks the end of an era in which the nation’s

IndustryDec. 11, 2024

Production disruptions loom at Kia plants

Kia’s decision to join the Korean Metal Workers’ Union’s strike — demanding the resignation of President Yoon Suk Yeol amidst the ongoing martial law crisis — could lead to increased production disruptions for the carmaker, industry sources said Wednesday. The strike is part of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the nation’s largest umbrella labor group with 1.2 million members, which has launched an indefinite strike until Yoon offers to resign, claimi

MobilityDec. 11, 2024

After commander’s tell-all testimony, Assembly launches martial law probe

The National Assembly has launched an investigation of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law enactment on Dec. 3, after a commander testified he received direct orders from the president to detain lawmakers. Speaker Woo Won-shik told reporters Wednesday that the commander’s testimony given at the Assembly national defense committee a day prior suggested Yoon tried to block lawmakers from gathering to prevent them from exercising their constitutional duties. “If the testimony is

PoliticsDec. 11, 2024

'Literature stands in opposition to all acts that destroy life': Han Kang

In a historic night for South Korea, Han Kang received the Nobel medal and diploma from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden during the award ceremony held at the Concert Hall in Stockholm. "Just as inevitably, the work of reading and writing literature stands in opposition to all acts that destroy life. I would like to share the meaning of this award, which is for literature, with you -- standing here together," said Han in English during her acceptance speech at the banquet following the a

BooksDec. 11, 2024

Film on 1979 coup sees surge in viewers amid political unrest

A film related to Korea's contemporary history has seen a remarkable surge in viewership following President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived martial law declaration on Dec. 3. According to the Korean Film Council, "12.12: The Day" attracted 1,150 views on Dec. 4 across Internet Protocol Television platforms, including SK Btv, LG U+ TV, and Genie TV. IPTV services provide online access to live broadcasts, films and TV shows. The data represents a 1,085 percent increase from the 9

FilmDec. 11, 2024