K-pop powerhouse JYP Entertainment is looking to extend the global reach of label’s artists Stray Kids and Itzy through a stronger partnership with Republic Records. Republic Records, a major American music label owned by Universal Music Group, on Thursday (US time) announced its expanded partnership with JYP that kicked off in 2020 with K-pop girl group Twice. Under the expanded partnership, the US music agency will support activities of JYP’s artists, including Stray Kids and Itz

Koo Ja-hong, the chairman of LS Nikko Copper, died Friday at the age of 75. The tycoon served as South Korean conglomerate LS Group’s first chairman for nine years from 2004 to 2012 and then handed over the post to his cousin Koo Ja-yeol. After the sudden death of the cousin in 2014, Koo Ja-hong returned to the management as the chairman of LS Nikko Copper. The mogul is credited with the successful independent management of LS Group after it split off from LG Group in 2004. Also, Koo

Ruling party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung pledged Friday to pursue a constitutional revision if elected to change the current single, five-year presidential term to a renewable, four-year term. Lee of the liberal Democratic Party has talked about the idea before, saying he would gladly become the first president to shorten their term to four years. On Friday, he made the plan official by submitting it as part of his 10 top campaign pledges to the National Election Commission, the electio

South Korea's leading botox maker Hugel Inc. said Friday that it will make inroads into the United States, the world's largest botulinum toxin market, this year. Earlier, the company sought a marketing authorization of its botulinum toxin product, Letybo, with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of frown lines in adult patients. Hugel said it expects to receive the FDA approval sometime around the middle of this year. "There is much more opportunity in the US where t

BEIJING -- The end of the luge competition at Beijing 2022 meant the conclusion of careers for two leading South Korean lugers, leaving the country to ponder its next steps toward international relevance in the sliding event. The team relay event at Yanqing National Sliding Centre in Yanqing, northwestern Beijing, on Thursday wrapped up the luge portion of the Olympics, with South Korea finishing in 13th place. Aileen Frisch, the German native who became naturalized as a South Korean in 2016, an

South Korea's state deposit insurer said Friday it sold 2.2 percent of its stake in Woori Financial Holdings Co. for some 239 billion won ($199 million). The Korea Depository Insurance Corp. (KDIC) said that the pre-market sale of 15.86 million shares came in line with a decision by the country's public funds oversight committee, which handles state asset sales. Following the block deal, the KDIC has a 3.6 percent interest in Woori Financial, one of the four major financial holding firms in Asia

The Supreme Court on Friday confirmed a lower court's 30-year prison sentences for a couple in their 20s convicted of abusing and starving their 8-year-old daughter to death. The third-grade elementary school child died at their home in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, in March last year after suffering nearly three years of maltreatment and violence by her biological mother and stepfather, 29 and 28 years old, respectively. The top court also approved a lower court order that the couple un

Critics say growing anti-feminism sentiment is exacerbated by politicians who capitalize on the phenomenon

Mark Lippert, former US ambassador to South Korea who is currently working as public policy chief at YouTube Asia-Pacific, is joining Samsung Electronics as the head of corprate and government affairs in North America, industry sources said Friday. The former diplomat will begin working for the tech giant starting next month as the executive vice president of Samsung Electronics America and oversee its external relations in the region. Lippert is reportedly in the final stages of signing the

Kyobo Life Insurance, one of South Korea's leading life insurers, said Friday it will press ahead with an initial public offering (IPO), despite a court ruling that could get in the way of its move. A day earlier, a Seoul court acquitted officials of Affinity Equity Partners and accountants with Deloitte Anjin on the charge of colluding to inflate the strike price of the fund's put option. The Hong Kong-based private equity fund said it will seek a second arbitration to resolve the legal dispute

A 3.1 magnitude natural earthquake hit near North Korea's nuclear testing site Friday, South Korea's state weather agency said. The quake occurred about 40 kilometers north-northwest of Kilju, North Hamgyong Province, at 10:35 a.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). Kilju is where North Korea's Punggye-ri nuclear testing site is located. A total of 25 earthquakes with a magnitude of 2.0 or bigger have struck regions near Kilju since 1978, with a 3.2 magnitude quake th

Star actors Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin are tying the knot after a two-year relationship. The actors’ agencies confirmed Hyun and Son’s upcoming marriage with a press release Thursday night, announcing the wedding will take place in March in Seoul. Son announced the upcoming wedding first in an Instagram post earlier Thursday night. In the post with a picture of a miniature white wedding gown, she wrote that she “found someone to spend the rest of my life with.” Hyun sha

Main opposition presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol is leading his ruling party rival Lee Jae-myung by 12 percentage points and 1 percentage point, respectively, two polls showed Friday. Yoon of the conservative People Power Party received 48 percent support, while Lee of the liberal Democratic Party received 36 percent, according to a survey of 1,000 adults conducted by Research View on Wednesday and Thursday. Yoon gained 2 points from last week, while Lee lost 2 points. According to a sepa