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On this day in Korea - October 29, 2022 : Itaewon crowd crush
A devastating crowd crush unfolded within Itaewon, Seoul, amid crowded late-night Halloween festivities, resulting in 159 deaths and 195 injuries. As South Korea's deadliest modern crowd disaster, the tragedy triggered intense nationwide mourning, fierce public scrutiny, and a sweeping reevaluation of governmental s…
China says it takes Mbappe’s apology ‘seriously’ after Mao dictator comment
France international Kylian Mbappe's remarks saw him become the latest foreign sports figure to anger Beijing.
S. Korea accepts int'l arbitration in favor of Elliott in Samsung merger case
South Korea will accept an international arbitration ruling in favor of US hedge fund Elliott Investment Management over the 2015 merger of two Samsung affiliates, the justice ministry said Wednesday. The ministry decided not to file a suit seeking a cancellation of last month's ruling, which ordered South Korea to …
No cash, no cards: Woori, Samsung take mobile payments to China, beyond
Woori Bank and Samsung Electronics have removed another layer from mobile payments: travelers no longer need cash, a card or even a separately issued mobile card. "No card, no cash, no (additional) app," Woori Bank CEO Jung Jin-wan said Wednesday at a press briefing on the overseas expansion of Samsung Wallet Money.…
Google, Apple hit with W63.7b fine in Korea's app store crackdown
South Korea's media regulator on Wednesday fined Google and Apple a combined 63.71 billion won ($47.6 million) for effectively forcing app developers to use their in-app payment systems and unfairly delaying app reviews, issuing its first sanctions under a 2021 law banning such practices. The Korea Media and Communi…
Finance minister hopes for Bloomberg review of S. Korea's market status
South Korea's finance minister has said the country's classification as an emerging market in a Bloomberg bond index should be reviewed, citing its improved market access for foreign investors, the finance ministry said Wednesday. Finance Minister Lee Hyoung-il made the remarks during a meeting with Bing Li, head of…
Communications watchdog fines Google, Apple over in-app payment policies
South Korea's broadcasting and telecommunications regulator said Wednesday it will impose a combined 63.7 billion won ($45 million) worth of fines on Google and Apple for restricting app developers' payment options through their in-app policies. The Korea Media and Communications Commission approved fines of 42.9 bi…
Man charged with 211 defamatory posts about 'comfort women'
A man in his 20s has been referred to prosecutors for allegedly spreading false information online about victims of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery, in the first such case under a new law, police said Wednesday. The Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency said the man was referred without detention on suspicion of posting…
Korea plans national games museum
Korea is moving to establish a national games museum to recognize video games as cultural heritage, the Korea Creative Content Agency said Wednesday. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and KOCCA are jointly pursuing the tentatively named Museum of Korean Games, which will systematically document and preserv…
LG Chem to sell 2.5 tln-won stake in battery unit to boost shareholder value
SEOUL, Oct. 28 (Yonhap) -- LG Chem Ltd., South Korea's leading chemical company,...
Korea to pilot group tourist visas for Mongolian nationals
South Korea will launch a one-year pilot program Friday offering group tourist visas to Mongolian nationals, the Justice Ministry said Wednesday. The C-3-2 visas will be available to groups of at least five tourists whose trips are arranged by one of seven travel agencies designated by the Korean Embassy in Ulaanbaa…
Early winter chill grips Korea
Winter arrived seemingly overnight in South Korea on Wednesday, with morning temperatures plunging below freezing in many inland regions. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, a cold air mass moving south overnight sent temperatures down to minus 3.6 degrees Celsius in Daegwallyeong, Gangwon Province…
Today in Spain: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday
New Ryanair flights from Málaga to Italy and Germany take off, Vox and PP reject memorial plaque for housing protests icon Maricarmen, China stops broadcasting Spain's football league over Mbappé remarks and more news on Wednesday October 28th.
How Lao Gan Ma, China’s iconic chilli brand, got caught in an AI storm
For three decades, Lao Gan Ma’s glass jars, bearing the stern portrait of founder Tao Huabi, have been a fixture on Chinese dinner tables and a symbol of traditional food manufacturing. This week, however, the iconic chilli sauce has become an unlikely focus of public anxiety over artificial intelligence. Online rum…
Finance minister hopes for Bloomberg review of S. Korea's market status
SEOUL, Oct. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's finance minister has said the country's...
Communications watchdog fines Google, Apple over in-app payment policies
SEOUL, Oct. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's broadcasting and telecommunications reg...
Manila’s closer ties to Tokyo not aimed at containing Beijing
For decades after World War II, Japan was seen in Southeast Asia chiefly as an economic partner, a development donor and a source of investment. Security played a minor role in its relations with ASEAN. Today, Japan is a significant security partner for many Southeast Asian states, especially the Philippines. This s…
Yulan bond debuts in Dubai amid Beijing’s yuan-denominated asset push
Against a backdrop of geopolitical strains in the Middle East, the Yulan renminbi bond structure has made its debut in Dubai, garnering strong investor interest with its order book more than five times oversubscribed, as global investor appetite for yuan assets remains firm. Bank of China Dubai rang the listing bell…
JPMAM plans more active ETFs in China after debut fund hits US$300 million cap on day one
JPMorgan Asset Management (JPMAM) expects to launch more actively managed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in mainland China after its first such fund there hit the 2 billion yuan (US$300 million) fundraising cap on the first day of sales, its China chief said. “The first launch is just an opening move in a much bigger …
S. Korea accepts int'l arbitration in favor of Elliott in Samsung merger case
SEOUL, Oct. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will accept an international arbitration ...
HD Korea Shipbuilding's Q3 profit jumps 37% on high-value ship orders
HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, the intermediate holding company for HD Hyundai’s shipbuilding businesses, said Wednesday its third-quarter operating profit rose 37.3 percent from a year earlier, driven by higher ship prices and strong earnings from its engine and offshore businesses. For the July-Sept…
Under Houthi fire, Saudi Arabia looks to China for missile support
Saudi Arabia’s rapid expansion of a ballistic missile factory signals a transformative shift in its pursuit of strategic deterrence. Saudi Arabia is expanding its solid-propellant missile production complex near al-Duwadimi, approximately 200 kilometers west of Riyadh, to develop longer-range ballistic weapons capab…
PH spotlights South China Sea, ‘fragmenting world’ in ASEAN defense chiefs’ meeting
Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun skips the ADMM-Plus meeting, as bilateral ties between Manila and Beijing hit their tensest note yet
Chinese anti-scam blogger killed by contractors hired online to silence his work
A Chinese investigative blogger who exposed telecoms fraud and other illegal activity was killed by criminals hired on social media, according to media reports, prompting calls for heavier punishment for the perpetrators. The body of Wu Kai, who used the name “Huijian” on social media and had written for years about…
S. Korea bets on regional tourism to attract more foreign visitors
SEOUL, Oct. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will invest hundreds of millions of dolla...
Mercedes-Benz Korea touts 20-year service edge over EV newcomers
YONGIN, Gyeonggi Province — Emerging automakers, particularly Chinese electric vehicle brands, are rapidly expanding their presence in South Korea. But Mercedes-Benz Korea bets on its two decades of technician training and rigorous German certification standards to defend its position in the market. Establishing ret…
Unification minister urges N. Korea to join talks on inter-Korean border
SEOUL, Oct. 28 (Yonhap) -- Unification Minister Chung Dong-young on Wednesday ur...
V’landys sets off on secret trip to Hong Kong, China for ‘NRL Land’
Hong Kong is a favoured destination for the NRL’s proposed global round in 2028, but there is another reason for the powerbroker’s Asian jaunt.
Defense chiefs of S. Korea, U.S. hold talks on OPCON transfer, alliance
SEOUL, Oct. 28 (Yonhap) -- The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United Stat...
Could Xi broker a Trump-Kim summit? Seoul sees opening, US experts skeptical
South Korean and US watchers are diverging on the possibility of Beijing playing a role in reviving US-North Korea talks, as speculation rises following North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's surprise visit to China. Kim made an unannounced, one-day visit to the Chinese border city of Dandong on Saturday, meeting Wang Hu…
Mbappe apologizes after China backlash over Mao meme remarks
Kylian Mbappe has apologized in French, Chinese and English after comments about a meme depicting him as Mao Zedong triggered criticism in China and prompted several companies and broadcasters to distance themselves from the Real Madrid forward. Chinese media reported Monday that Mbappe acknowledged his remarks were…
China’s stock slide can’t be reversed by massive state buying, analysts warn
Increasingly apparent state buying in China’s struggling stock market helped drive the benchmark CSI 300 Index up 0.9 per cent on Wednesday, but will be insufficient to engineer a durable rally in the world’s second-largest equity market, according to analysts from global investment banks. “National team” investors …
Sea of crimson: vivid ‘red beach’ transforms China’s wetlands and marshes – in pictures
A striking transformation takes place along the coast of Qinqdao in autumn, when a native seepweed turns a brilliant shade of red.The ‘red beach’ phenemon can be seen in the salt marshes and wetlands on the coast of China’s Shandong province, where the Suaeda glauca plant matures and absorbs water, changing it from …
Kukmin Ilbo editor Shin Jong-soo elected as Korea News Editors' Association chief
Shin Jong-soo, editor and chief editorial writer for South Korean daily Kukmin Ilbo, was elected president of the Korea News Editors' Association on Wednesday. Shin will take over from Lee Tae-gyu of Hankook Ilbo, who has been leading the association since 2024. Shin said in his inaugural speech that the KNEA will p…
JBNU opens international center in Uzbekistan to expand academic tie
Jeonbuk National University has opened an international center in Uzbekistan to help Uzbek students pursue degrees in Korea and expand academic ties with universities in Central Asia, the university said Wednesday. The JBNU International Center opened Oct. 23 at Renaissance University in Tashkent during a visit by a…
US cruise ship ends a global voyage over fuel costs, stranding 200 passengers who just lost their homes
A US cruise ship on a residential world voyage suspended its operations in Cambodia due to fuel costs, forcing hundreds of passengers to abandon their floating homes.
PM pledges S. Korea will take lead in climate crisis response
South Korea will be at the forefront of efforts to combat climate change, Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said Wednesday as she opened an international conference on climate crisis. "There is a saying that this summer has been the hottest one yet, but it will be the coolest summer we will ever experience," Han said in…
Time to take Korea’s tourism boom beyond Seoul, says culture minister
Korea is on track to hit its goal of 30 million foreign visitors ahead of the 2030 target, but sustaining that growth will depend on getting travelers out of the capital, the country’s top tourism official said Wednesday. “If foreign tourists keep increasing at this pace under current conditions, the capital area wi…
‘Not accepted. Not forgiven!!’ : French superstar’s ‘dictator Mao’ meme ignites fury in China
Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappé has apologised for remarks about a viral meme that likened him to Mao Zedong after a furious backlash in China cost him promotional deals and exposure.
Japan's Nidec misses deadline to obtain unqualified audit opinion
Company faces listing review but still intends to submit required documents
German chancellor, top CEOs head to Seoul for Asia-Pacific forum
South Korea is set to welcome top executives and policymakers from Germany and across the Asia-Pacific region this week for a high-profile business forum focused on industrial cooperation, artificial intelligence and supply chain resilience amid rising geopolitical and trade uncertainty. The 19th Asia-Pacific Confer…
UAE bank Mashreq injects $125m into Hong Kong business as China ties deepen
Dubai-based lender's CEO says Chinese companies are coming to build, not just sell
EU plans high-level China currency talks as fears of new trade shock mount
After convincing China to accept a cap on its hybrid car exports, a stream of top-level European finance and banking officials will descend on the Chinese capital in the coming months on a far trickier mission: persuading Beijing to stop holding down its currency to help save the bloc’s struggling industry. In the w…
DP vows state investigation into Supreme Court chief in December
The ruling Democratic Party of Korea on Wednesday maintained pressure on the judicial branch, vowing to launch a parliamentary investigation into Supreme Court Chief Justice Jo Hee-de in December. On Wednesday, Democratic Party senior spokesperson Rep. Park Sung-joon said the party will submit the motion to launch a…
PPP slams defense minister over remarks on trusting U.S. forces in event of war with N. Korea
SEOUL, Oct. 28 (Yonhap) -- The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) on Wedne...
Cruise passengers stranded in Cambodia after fuel becomes too expensive
A luxury cruise liner offering residential cabins for hundreds of thousands of dollars is now moored, with its owners unable to cope with spiralling cost of shipping fuel.
PM pledges S. Korea will take lead in climate crisis response
SEOUL, Oct. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will be at the forefront of efforts to co...
Farm minister calls for scientific talks on imports of U.S. potatoes
The discussions will take "considerable time," said Arata Takebe.
Czech Republic, S. Korea envision wider nuclear, tech ties
South Korea and the Czech Republic aim to expand cooperation in nuclear energy, robotics and batteries, building on the Dukovany nuclear project, officials said at a national day reception Tuesday. South Korean Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan pledged government support for the project and said he hoped it would lead…