Author: Jae young
October 10, 2025SEOUL – Byeon Woo-seok, the breakout star of “Lovely Runner,” has become a rising star in an era when the K-drama scene is increasingly dominated by a saturated A-list. Once a B-list actor navigating the margins, Byeon now represents the lightning-in-a-bottle phenomenon, a talent whose momentum can carry a series from domestic acclaim to global recognition almost overnight.Into this narrative steps Lee Chae-min, the lead of “Bon Appetit, Your Majesty” — tvN’s biggest hit of 2025 — whose explosive popularity after his performance as a handsome yet exacting tyrant king has fueled comparisons calling him the next Byeon.The…
October 10, 2025SEOUL – The majority of South Koreans tend not to discuss details about death with their family members, a recent study by a state-funded think tank showed.The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs conducted a survey on the adults’ perception of death, in which 54.3 percent of the respondents said they “have never talked with parents, children, spouse, or siblings about death, final stages of life (or) treatment plans.” Some 57.7 percent said they have never heard their family members talk about such matters.While most people refrain from discussing death with loved ones, 78.6 percent of the…
October 10, 2025SEOUL – The notion of a South Korea–Japan Economic Community may sound utopian — an idea fit only for idealists. Given the deep scars of Japan’s colonial rule over the Korean Peninsula and unresolved territorial disputes, most observers would dismiss the concept as naive or politically impossible. Yet one of Korea’s most influential business leaders, SK Group Chair Chey Tae-won, has long argued that deeper integration between the two economies is not only desirable, but necessary to survive the growing wave of global protectionism.At first glance, Chey’s proposal may seem overly ambitious. But economically, his argument carries weight.If…
October 10, 2025SEOUL – Political disputes persisted through the Chuseok holiday over President Lee Jae Myung and his wife Kim Hea Kyung’s recent appearance at JTBC’s cooking reality show “Please Take Care of My Refrigerator.”Although the latest episode, aired Monday, recorded a viewership rating of 8.9 percent — the highest of any episode in the series — Lee’s political opponents continued to accuse the liberal president of turning a blind eye to the “national disaster” stemming from the recent massive data center blaze by pushing ahead with the variety show filming.Monday’s episode had four Korean chefs compete to impress the…
October 9, 2025SEOUL – Despite the government’s June 27 lending curbs that briefly cooled the housing market, property prices in Seoul are once again on a steep rise, heightening expectations for further policy action after the Chuseok holiday.Apartment prices in Seoul rose 0.27 percent in the fifth week of September, according to data from the state-run Korea Real Estate Board Wednesday.The pace of growth has accelerated for three straight weeks, increasing from 0.08 percent to 0.09 percent, 0.12 percent and 0.19 percent in the earlier weeks of the month.All 25 Seoul districts saw housing prices rise in the cited week,…
October 9, 2025BEIJING – Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a phone call with his Republic of Korea counterpart Cho Hyun on Tuesday as the two countries vowed to further consolidate bilateral ties.It was the second interaction between the two foreign ministers in less than a month. Cho visited China in September and met with Wang in Beijing.China hopes to work with the ROK to enhance mutual trust, avoid disruptions and deepen cooperation, thus contributing to each other’s success and to the region’s peace, stability and development, Wang said during Tuesday’s phone conversation.The two countries are important neighbors and close cooperative…
October 8, 2025SEOUL – Despite challenges ranging from US auto tariffs to slowing electric vehicle demand, Korea’s automotive market is showing resilience, driven by carmakers’ push to expand hybrid offerings and strengthen their SUV and RV portfolios.From January to September, a highlight of Hyundai Motor Group’s new launches was the All-New Palisade, the first revamped version of the large SUV in six years.A major selling point was the addition of a hybrid powertrain option — a first in a family SUV. Consumer response has been particularly strong for the hybrid model, which accounted for more than 70 percent of launch…
October 8, 2025SEOUL – South Korean President Lee Jae Myung pledged on Tuesday to devote himself entirely to improving people’s lives, saying he is willing to “endure misunderstanding and criticism, even if it means giving my liver and gall,” as long as it benefits the public.In a message celebrating the Chuseok holiday posted on Instagram and X, Lee wrote, “With a humble heart, I once again promise to look more closely after the people’s lives today and their livelihoods tomorrow.” His remarks came amid intensifying political attacks against the stalling tariff negotiation with the US, a state-run data center fire…
October 7, 2025SEOUL – South Korean Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan said Monday that Seoul and Washington have reached a significant consensus over concerns about the impact of a $350 billion investment deal on Korea’s foreign exchange market, as the two sides are working to make progress in stalled tariff negotiations.“Regarding the proposal we sent, I can say that we are narrowing differences, particularly on issues related to the foreign exchange market,” Kim told reporters at Incheon International Airport upon returning from New York, where he met US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.Kim met with Lutnick on Saturday (US time), for follow-up…
October 7, 2025SEOUL – Lexus and Volvo are locked in fierce competition to claim the No. 4 spot in Korea’s imported car market, while BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Tesla dominate the top three by a wide margin.The fight for the “gateway position” into the upper tier has grown more intense as Audi ramps up new model launches to reclaim its position among the leading imported brands.According to data from the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association, Lexus ranked fourth in cumulative sales from January to August with 10,212 units, capturing 5.3 percent of the market.The Japanese luxury brand overtook Volvo, which…