Monk jailed for threatening teen with ax

Seoul court said Wednesday that it had sentenced a 10-month prison term for a monk, who threatened to cut off the injured leg of a high school student with an ax for no apparent reason. Seoul Central District Court found the 63-year-old defendant guilty of special intimidation -- meaning it involved a weapon or collective force. The verdict was a result of an appellate case regarding two separate threats the defendant made with a weapon. The defendant in April of last year approached a high scho

Social AffairsNov. 20, 2024

Assigning trans boy to girls' room is discrimination: human rights body

A school assigning a female-to-male transgender student to stay in the girls' room on a school trip is discriminatory, the state-run human rights body said Tuesday. The National Human Rights Commission said Tuesday it recommended the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education to provide a comprehensive education policy that can attend to the needs of LGBTQ+ students and allow diversity in the classroom. The NHRC's decision was in response to a complaint filed in February by a student at

Social AffairsNov. 20, 2024

Criminal ring accused of posing as soldiers, UN officials to swindle W1.4b in romantic scam

An international fraud ring is accused of perpetrating a romantic scam against 14 victims, assuming the fake identities of US soldiers, UN officials and foreign students, Seoul police said Tuesday. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said it has forwarded the case of the criminal organization with a 44-year-old Russian leader to the prosecution for fraud charges. The Russian leader and eight others have been placed under physical detention. They are believed to have swindled a total of 1.4 bi

Social AffairsNov. 20, 2024

CFC deputy commander to visit US this week to discuss military cooperation

Gen. Kang Shin-chul, the deputy commander of the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command, was set to depart for the United States on Wednesday to discuss ways to improve the allies' combined defense posture, according to the CFC. Kang's trip, which runs through Nov. 28, will begin by laying flowers at a monument dedicated to those who served in the 1953-53 Korean War and involve visits to institutions, including the US Department of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the CFC said in

PoliticsNov. 20, 2024

Samsung obtains European certification for camera software

Samsung Electro-Mechanics said Wednesday it has achieved the automotive spice (A-spice) level 3 certification for its camera modules used in automotive electronics and electrical equipment. A-spice is a European certification that evaluates the software reliability and development capabilities of automotive component manufacturers. It is categorized into six levels, ranging from the lowest, level 0, to the highest, level 5. Companies must meet level 2 or higher to supply products to European aut

TechnologyNov. 20, 2024

With tumultuous year done, natl. football team players want to make fans happy in 2025

What has been a roller coaster of a year for the South Korean men's national team ended Tuesday night in Jordan, where the 22nd-ranked team settled for a 1-1 draw against world No. 100 Palestine in a World Cup qualifying match. It was South Korea's sixth Group B match in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualifiers and also their last international match of 2024. It closed the book on one of the most tumultuous years in South Korean football in recent memory, a season that feature

SoccerNov. 20, 2024

N. Korea, Russia discuss issues of mutual cooperation at committee meeting on economy

North Korea has held the 11th meeting of the intergovernmental committee on economic cooperation with Russia and discussed a range of issues on mutual cooperation, the North's state media reported Wednesday. Yun Jong-ho, the external economic relations minister of North Korea, and Russia's Natural Resources Minister Alexander Kozlov attended the meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for Cooperation in Trade, Economy, Science and Technology in Pyongyang the previous day, the Korean

North KoreaNov. 20, 2024

[Korea Quiz] Webtoon

Find the answer down below. Webtoons are serialized web comics designed for mobile reading. Each episode typically takes around five or so minutes to read, making them accessible for readers on the go. Originating in South Korea, webtoons differ from traditional print cartoons in that they are created exclusively for digital formats, featuring a vertical scrolling layout. Webtoons are immensely popular in Korea, with 4 in 10 adults reading an average of 55 episodes annually, according

Hashtag KoreaNov. 20, 2024

[영어답게 표현하기] 유용한 비즈니스 영어 표현들

이번 회에는 저희 책 Advanced Vocab에서 소개한 중상급 영단어들을 알려드립니다. 단어의 우리말 뜻을 기억하는 데에 그치지 않고, 난이도 있는 단어를 실제로 활용하는 단계까지 나아가 보기 바랍니다. 방해, 저지 1. hamstring [hǽmstrìŋ] 방해하다 무릎 뒤 오금의 힘줄을 의미하는데, 이 부분을 끊으면 움직일 수 없게 된다는 의미에서 유래하여 ‘방해하다’, ‘실행을 막다’라는 뜻을 지니게 되었다. The piles of rubble in the streets hamstrung our efforts to get the supplies to those desperately in need. 도로 위의 잔해 더미는 도움을 절실히 요하는 사람들에게 구호품을 제공하려는 우리의 노력에 방해가 되었다. ● 그 상원의원은 정부 규제가 기업들을 방해하고 있다고 말했다. The senator sta

English EyeNov. 20, 2024

N. Korea's Kim inspects regional factory construction site, urges successful completion

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has inspected industrial factories under construction and urged their successful completion in 20 regions as planned, the North's state media reported Wednesday. Kim gave a "field guidance" at regional industrial factories under construction in Songchon County, South Phyongan Province, the previous day, stressing the country's policy of opening up "a new era of regional development," the Korean Central News Agency said. In a parliamen

North KoreaNov. 20, 2024

US has not yet seen N. Korea's atmospheric reentry missile capability: Indo-Pacific Command chief

The commander of US Indo-Pacific Command said Tuesday that the United States has "not yet" seen North Korea's atmospheric reentry capability, a key technology required for the recalcitrant regime to advance its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program. Adm. Samuel Paparo made the remarks during a forum in Washington as Pyongyang has been doubling down on its quest to secure reliable long-range warhead delivery vehicles as seen in the test-launch last month of a new Hwason

North KoreaNov. 20, 2024

Trump taps Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Lutnick as his commerce secretary

US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday nominated Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick as his commerce secretary, saying that if confirmed, Lutnick will spearhead the tariff and trade agenda of the incoming administration. Trump issued a statement on the nomination of Lutnick, a co-chair of his transition team, as US allies and partners have been paying keen attention to how Trump's trade policy would take shape and affect their economies after he takes office in January. "He will l

Foreign AffairsNov. 20, 2024

Producer prices down for 3rd month in Oct. on falling farm produce prices

South Korea's producer prices fell for the third consecutive month in October, led by a marked fall in the prices of agricultural products, central bank data showed Wednesday. The producer price index, a major barometer of consumer inflation, fell 0.1 percent in October from a month earlier, following a 0.2 percent on-month decline the previous month, according to the preliminary data from the Bank of Korea. On a yearly basis, the index rose 1 percent last month, marking the 15th consecutiv

EconomyNov. 20, 2024

Seoul shares start tad higher ahead of Nvidia earnings

South Korean stocks opened slightly higher Wednesday, led by tech and financial shares, as investors awaited earnings results from U.S. AI chip giant Nvidia. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 8.1 points, or 0.33 percent, to 2,480.05 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the Nasdaq composite rose more than 1 percent on a 4.9 percent jump in Nvidia as the chipmaker is set to release its quarterly results on Wednesday (U.S. time). In Seoul, tech and bank shares led the

MarketNov. 20, 2024

Yoon focuses on expanding global solidarity against NK-Russia military ties at APEC, G20 summits

President Yoon Suk Yeol wrapped up visits to Peru and Brazil on Tuesday, where he focused on expanding international solidarity against the deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. Yoon met with leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation gathering in Lima and joined the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Rio de Janeiro during the six-day trip, his first visit to South America since taking office in May 2022. He used the diplomatic stages to issue a stern warning against Nort

PoliticsNov. 20, 2024

Despite draw vs. Palestine, S. Korea poised for World Cup berth past halfway point in qualifiers

South Korea passed the halfway point in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualification tournament on Tuesday in Jordan the same way they started it two months ago: a draw against Palestine. With four matches remaining, the Taegeuk Warriors are still comfortably leading Group B with 14 points from four wins and two draws, six clear of Jordan and Iraq before the end of their matches Tuesday, despite some lingering lineup questions. The top two teams from the group at the conclusion of the ro

SoccerNov. 20, 2024

Yoon, South African president agree to cooperate on minerals sector

President Yoon Suk Yeol and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa held a summit in Brazil on Tuesday to discuss cooperation on supply chains for critical minerals and security issues, Yoon's office said. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Rio de Janeiro to focus on strengthening trade and investment, and the energy sector ties between the two nations. The two leaders agreed to strengthen collaboration in the critical minerals sectors to address instabilit

Diplomatic CircuitNov. 20, 2024

S. Korea held by Palestine as winning streak ends in World Cup qualifiers

South Korea were held to a 1-1 draw by Palestine on Tuesday as their winning streak in the Asian World Cup qualifiers came to an end at four. Captain Son Heung-min netted the equalizer for 22nd-ranked South Korea in the 16th minute, four minutes after Palestine, world No. 100, had scored first at Amman International Stadium in Amman in the teams' Group B match in the third round of the Asian qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It was Son's 51st international goal, giving him sol

SoccerNov. 20, 2024

[Graphic News] 70% of S. Koreans believe couples can live together without tying the knot: survey

Nearly 7 in 10 South Koreans believe that couples can live together without getting married, and almost 40 percent support having children without getting married first, a government report showed, signaling a substantial shift in perceptions around marriage and having children. The report was based on a survey, conducted by Statistics Korea in May 2024, involving 36,000 respondents aged 13 years and older. The survey is conducted biennially. The findings showed that 67.4 percent of respondent

Social AffairsNov. 20, 2024

[Kim Seong-kon] Farewell to the vanishing John Wayne era

Perhaps young people would not know, but for the older generation, the celebrated Hollywood star John Wayne represented America on the screen. Indeed, in the movies he starred in, John Wayne embodied traditional American values, such as the frontier spirit, true courage and unparalleled magnanimity. In his movies, Wayne was always like a caring, reliable big brother who was ready to help the weak in times of crisis, without expecting rewards, just like America in his time, which was called Uncle

ViewpointsNov. 20, 2024