Director Choi Dong-hoon, known for “The Thieves” (2012) and “Assassination” (2015), which attracted over 10 million viewers, is returning this summer after a seven-year break from the industry with “Alienoid,” an extraordinary film that combines science fiction with Korean folklore. “When I was a kid, I used to wonder about the existence of aliens. It made me excited and, at times, also frightened. Imagining aliens made my childhood more entertaining. I

As nutritious summer dishes that are easy to cook at home, Balwoo Gongyang’s head chef Kim Ji Young recommends potato dough soup with ground sesame seeds. Balwoo Gongyang is a restaurant dedicated to temple cuisine that is run by the Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism. Kim chose the dish for the simplicity of its preparation and as a food that is universally enjoyed. Potato dough (gamja ongsimi) is a regional food from Gangwon Province. Potatoes grow well in harsh environments, and Kor

War is always a human-made calamity. The Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598), known as the Imjin War, that began in the Year of the Dragon in 1592 were no different. While Korea of the Joseon era had superior battleships, muzzle-loading cannons and large weapons that could rapidly fire several rounds of explosives, which Japan lacked, the combat-ready standing army at the time of the Japanese invasion was only around 2,000 men. Goryeo Kingdom inventor and engineer Choi Mu-sun (1325-1395) h

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo delivers a speech during a commemorative ceremony to mark the 72nd anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War in Seoul on Saturday. About 1,500 participants including senior government and military officials, veterans and citizens took part in the event, which was held under the slogan of “Freedom preserved, Peace to protect.”

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases dropped below 7,000 on Saturday, marking a moderate downtrend amid the easing omicron wave. The country added 6,790 new COVID-19 infections, including 85 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 18,319,773, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The KDCA reported 18 more deaths from COVID-19, raising the death toll to 24,516. The fatality rate stood at 0.13 percent. The number of critically ill patients came to 50, down from Friday's

　More than 46,000 people reported losing a total of over $1 billion in cryptocurrency scams since the start of 2021, the US Federal Trade Commission said in a report. 　Nearly half the people who reported losing digital currencies in a scam said it started with an ad, post or a message on a social media platform, according to the FTC. 　The craze for cryptocurrencies was at a fever pitch last year, with bitcoin hitting a record high of $69,000 in November. 　Reports point to social media and cr

Yun Jeung (1629-1714) was a representative “sarim,” a scholar who was highly educated and virtuous but who lived in seclusion without a government post. He is considered the head of “Soron,” a minor group in the “Seo-in” political faction in the late Joseon Dynasty. Until his death at the age of 86, he never held a government office. King Sukjong conferred him the post of prime minister without ever having seen Yun and Yun declined the appointment. He live

Korean War and postwar situation have spawned films across genres but critics question whether this is sustainable long term

Nayeon of K-pop band Twice dropped her first solo album “Im Nayeon” on Friday as the first member from the group to go solo. Ahead of dropping the album at 1 p.m., Nayeon conducted a press conference in Seoul to discuss her first album. “I have very mixed feelings right now. I’m kind of relieved as I’ve been preparing this for so long, but at the same time, I feel excited and very anxious,” Nayeon said, sporting platinum-blonde hair and in an elegant black p

NCT Dream will hold its second standalone concert series in Seoul from July 29-31, SM Entertainment announced Friday. 　 It has been over 2 1/2 years since its previous standalone concert, and it will be an upgrade in terms of music and performance, the band’s label proclaimed. The last day’s performance will be broadcast live as well via Beyond Live. 　 The septet put out their second full-length album “Glitch Mode” and repackaged album “Beatbox” in March an

Coast Guard Commissioner Gen. Jeong Bong-hoon and eight top officers offered their resignations on Friday over the Coast Guard’s involvement in the developments that followed the death of a South Korean fisheries official in 2020. Jeong and eight chief superintendent generals and senior superintendent generals felt “keen responsibility” in their handling of the aftermath of the incident, according to the Coast Guard. The fisheries official, Lee Dae-jun, was killed by North K

South Korea’s first confirmed monkeypox patient, who entered the country from Germany, was found to have proceeded unchecked through Incheon Airport’s health inspection, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The KDCA said the monkeypox patient reported at the airport’s lobby after having passed the airport’s screening Tuesday. When entering the country, the patient’s symptoms were a low-grade fever of 37 degrees Celsius, sore throat, fati

South Korean stocks rebounded sharply on Friday from a 19-month low the previous session amid growing concerns about a recession. The local currency rose against the US dollar. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) spiked 52.28 points, or 2.26 percent, to close at 2,366.60. Trading volume was moderate at 643.76 million shares worth 8.32 trillion won ($6.41 billion), with gainers far outpacing decliners 875 to 44. Institutions bought a net 640 billion won, while foreign and retail investo

The 1950-1953 Korean War claimed the lives of some 5 million people and left the Korean Peninsula split into two. Also known as “6.25 War” in South Korea to remember the date of the war’s outbreak, the Korean War remains an unforgettable pain in the nation’s history. Some 70 years have passed, and the devastating experience and vivid memories of survivors have become art by seven Korean artists at an exhibition titled “Confluence: The way of the Peace.” Taki

Further investments on the part of South Korean display panel manufacturers in large OLED panels for televisions, monitors and laptops will be unlikely for the rest of 2022, according to a panel expert on Thursday. Yi Choong-hoon, chief executive officer of display panel research firm UBI Research, cited a slow path to profitability in the cutting-edge panel businesses by Samsung Display and LG Display, despite growing market demand, in a seminar at Coex in Seoul on Thursday. For Samsung, a