Recently, a BBC reporter, Laura Bicker, wrote via Twitter, “Prosecution in South Korea are asking for an 18-month sentence for a man who stole 18 eggs because he was hungry.” This was the same amount of prison time, the reporter observed, that the court sentenced for the operator of Welcome to Video, the world’s largest-known darknet child pornography site. She also reported that the Seoul High Court said no to the appeal from the US for his extradition to face charges in the

China is building tens of thousands of 5G base stations every week. Whether it wins technological dominance or not, domestic supply chains may be revived and allow the country to maintain -- and advance -- its position as the factory floor of the world, even as COVID-19 forces a rethink in how globalization is done. By the end of this year, China will have more than half a million of these towers on its way to a goal of 5 million, a fast climb from around 200,000 already in use, enabling faste

The National Theater of Korea announced Tuesday it would continue its annual Yeowoorak Festival online as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. The state-run theater will live stream a total of six performances of the 2020 Yeowoorak Festival via Naver TV and YouTube without live audiences. The festival which kicks off Thursday will run until July 25. The six performances -- “Master&Master,” “I and My Fellow Traveler,” “Such is Life,” “Four Individual

The foreign ministry said Tuesday it has expressed concern about the US government's plan not to issue visas to students enrolled in online schools and programs and to ban those students from entering the country. "The government has been seeking consultations (with Washington) through its diplomatic missions in the US to minimize the impact on Korean students by conveying our concerns about the plan," a foreign ministry official said on condition of anonymity. On July 6 (local time

A North Korean propaganda outlet on Tuesday indirectly expressed optimism about South Korea's new national security lineup, citing a pro-unification media outlet in the South saying that high hopes are pinned on the new team. Earlier this month, President Moon Jae-in shook up the security lineup as part of efforts to break a stalemate in inter-Korean relations amid tensions in the wake of the North's blowing up of an inter-Korean liaison office. On Tuesday, Uriminzokkiri, one of the North's p

LG Chem said Tuesday that it has filed a criminal complaint with the prosecution against SK Innovation, accusing it of stealing trade secrets concerning electric vehicle batteries. The SK Group affiliate is already being probed by the South Korean police and the US International Trade Commission. According to LG Chem, it filed the complaint with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office last week because the Seoul police investigation -- upon its complaint in May last year -- is

Joining South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s quest to pioneer new technologies and industries in the post-COVID-19 era, Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chairman Chung Euisun and Naver CEO Han Seong-sook on Tuesday presented their company visions via a teleconference broadcast at Cheong Wa Dae. Chung and Han, who lead the country’s biggest automaker and internet portal operator, respectively, expressed support for the government’s five-year “New Deal” policy drive, which

Moon says it will mark country’s paradigm shift, new blueprint for next 100 years

The controversy over the #MeToo allegations against late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon is showing no signs of abating, with calls for an investigation growing Tuesday. Opposition parties, women’s groups and the alleged victim called for a full investigation into Park’s alleged harassment of his secretary, although a criminal case is usually dropped when a suspect dies. The main opposition United Future Party said Tuesday that it would request a parliamentary hearing in to the case,

YG Entertainment released an official statement on Tuesday apologizing for two members of K-pop group iKON being involved in a drunk driving accident. The accident occurred before dawn Monday when a car with the drunk driver and two iKON members -- Kim Jin-hwan and Koo Jun-hoe -- drove into a highway wall in South Gyeongsang Province. The driver, who is the manager of iKON, had a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent according to police reports, which leads to termination of the driver’s l

The Andong City government announced on Tuesday that it had decided to cancel the Andong Mask Dance Festival, which was set to start Sept. 25, due to the danger of COVID-19. According to the organizer of the 10-day festival, diverse performances were planned for Hahoe Village in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province. “We are sorry to announce the cancellation of the ‘Andong Mask Dance Festival.’ We will provide diverse events next year as a world-class festival organizer,&rdquo

Monsta X on Tuesday announced the rescheduled dates of their North American tour, becoming one of the first K-pop acts to resume their postponed tour this year. According to the group’s label Starship Entertainment, the band will embark on their tour on April 20 next year beginning in the US capital of Washington, and wrap up on May 21 in Los Angeles. Minor changes have been made to the initial schedule. Three cities -- Minneapolis, Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia -- were drop

CEO vows to invest 300 billion won into producing ‘mobile-fit’ original content by 2023

The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) said Kim Gyu-bong, head coach of Gyeongju City Hall's semi-pro club, plus two triathletes, Kim Do-hwan and his teammate, surnamed Jang, submitted their appeals via email on Tuesday. Kim Do-hwan and Jang filed their appeals earlier in the day. Coach Kim appeared to have missed his 6 p.m. deadline to submit his appeal, but the KSOC explained that Kim's appeal arrived late in the afternoon and that he only had to do so before the end of Tuesday. Ch