Moonbyul of Mamamoo will perform two solo concerts in Seoul from March 5, according to agency RBW Entertainment Tuesday. 　 Under the title “Director’s Cut: 6quence,” she will perform a series of songs including the tracks from her recent solo third EP “6quence.” The EP was her first solo album in two years and topped the iTunes albums charts in 20 regions. It sold over 70,000 copies in the first week. 　 The concert will be similar to a movie that catches different

Television director No Do-cheol is certain that his upcoming tvN drama “Kill Heel” will surprise viewers with its powerful storyline and impressive performances from three renowned actors -- Kim Ha-neul, Lee Hye-young and Kim Sung-ryoung. “The straightforward depiction of human desire and greed was the most fascinating aspect about the series. After reading the script, I believed that this is not a characteristic found only in the home shopping sector. The show’s critica

The 20th Director’s Cut Awards announced on Tuesday that it will hold its special pre-event Director’s Chair online on Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m., before the award ceremony takes place on Feb. 24. Director’s Chair is a panel discussion event that had been held in person with five nominated Korean directors for the award. However, the event organizer, the Directors Guild of Korea, said that this year it is holding it through Zoom, and audiences will be able to watch on bot

Pyongyang’s economic freedom score declines to 3 points out of 100

South Korea’s antitrust watchdog has sent a review report to US electric vehicle maker Tesla to notify its conclusion of an investigation showing that Tesla allegedly fiddled with battery performance in low temperatures. The report notified Tesla of violating advertisement laws by exaggerating the performance of its Model 3 vehicles. Tesla advertised that its Model 3 vehicles can drive up to 446 kilometers once fully charged, without informing customers that its driving range can decreas

The South Korean government plans to call formally on the New York City authorities to step up actions to counter a surge in crimes there against Asians in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, officials here said Tuesday. Chung Byung-hwa, South Korea's consul general in New York, will meet with Edward Mermelstein, New York City's commissioner for international affairs, on Friday to convey concerns over unprovoked attacks on Koreans and those of Korean descent. "(Chung) will deliver the Korea

NCSOFT Corp., a major South Korean online and mobile game developer, said Tuesday its net profit decreased 32.5 percent in 2021 due to increased costs. Net profit stood at 395.7 billion won ($329.8 million) last year, compared with 586.6 billion won a year earlier, NCSOFT said in a regulatory filing. Operating profit came to 375.2 billion won, down 55 percent on-year from 824.8 billion. Annual sales fell 4.4 percent over the same period to 2.3 trillion won. Its increased spending on marketing

South Korean stocks extended their losing streak to a third session Tuesday, as investors' appetite for risky assets weakened amid heightening US-Russia tensions over Moscow's potential invasion of Ukraine. The Korean won sharply fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) lost 27.94 points, or 1.03 percent, to close at 2,676.54 points. Trading volume was moderate at about 575 million shares worth some 9.2 trillion won ($7.7 billion), with losers outnumb

SEJONG -- Korea’s economic policymakers are mapping out contingency plans to minimize shocks from the possibility of worsening relations between Ukraine and Russia, the Ministry of Economic and Finance said Tuesday. Their plans are mainly focused on protecting export-oriented enterprises and the financial market by carrying out a variety of emergency countermeasures. Vice Finance Minister Lee Eog-weon presided over a task force meeting during the day to cope with the geopolitical risk. P

Posco Chemical said Tuesday it ran an experience program where children can make miniature electric vehicles and charging stations and learn about their eco-friendliness. According to the refractory and secondary battery materials arm of South Korean steel giant Posco, it opened “Green Dream Class” at four children’s culture centers from Jan. 24 to Feb. 11 where Posco Chemical staff and executives participated as instructors and assembled miniature EVs and charging stations t

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The number of COVID-19 related deaths in South Korea spiked in figures reported Tuesday, as cases continued to reach record levels. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the country reported 57,177 new COVID-19 infections in the 24 hours leading up to midnight Monday, raising the total number of cases Korea has had to 1,462,421. The daily figure has been over 50,000 for six straight days amid the recent omicron wave, according to government data. The government said i

The US said it is up to the South Korean government to decide on providing military support to Ukraine amid heightened threat of a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine. 　 “That is a question for the South Korean government to answer,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Monday (US time), when asked about what kind of military support Washington wants from Seoul as an ally in the face of Russian threats. 　 Should Seoul want to assist Kyiv in a tangible way, Ukraine would welc

Lotte Members, the membership service for Lotte Group companies, said Tuesday it has seen a 23 percent surge in transactions for luxury goods since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. According to a study based on transaction data of its L.Pay mobile payment system and L.Point membership points, sales of luxury goods in 2020 and 2021 increased 23 percent compared to the same figures from 2018 ad 2019. Among age groups, consumers in their 20s showed the highest 70.1 percent increase in lux

Lee and Yoon pick Seoul-Busan route, Ahn goes east, Sim goes west