Toxic nationalism manifests online via ‘gukppong’ YouTube channels In 2015, when Tottenham Hotspur of the English Premier League acquired forward Son Heung-min -- arguably the best soccer player Korea has ever produced -- a curious fad emerged among Korean soccer fans. Whenever Son pulled off a remarkable performance, they would flood online comment sections with the word “Jumo!” It was meant as a compliment. The Korean word refers to the now-defunct profession of a f

Naver Webtoon’s “Super Casting” campaign featuring boy band BTS will be displayed at Coex’s K-pop Square until Jan. 14. The billboard advertisement was put up on Dec. 25 as part of its campaign to invite fans and webtoon readers to join a farcical universe with BTS. The company added that it used ultra-high-definition technology for the display, in which the seven bandmates are swirled into a new world in Naver’s webtoon portal. Located in Seoul’s Samseon

Following vaccine plan for youths aged between 12-18, those born in 2010 become eligible for vaccination

Galleries Association of Korea calls on Seoul Auction, K Auction to respect market ecosystem

Nine out of 10 South Koreans feel climate change firsthand and are willing to accept any inconvenience caused by policies to solve the problem, a poll showed Tuesday. According to the poll of 1,000 adults nationwide by a civic group, 89.2 percent answered that they actually feel the effects of the climate crisis and 88.5 percent expressed a willingness to accept the inconvenience of policies introduced to address the crisis. The poll was conducted by pollster Research View from Dec. 14-18 at t

K-pop has grown into a mega-sized industry with local acts becoming household names worldwide that are supported by fans from all over the globe. While the local agencies behind the artists have all expanded their businesses, Hybe, the K-pop powerhouse behind boy band BTS, is at the fore. But BTS Army, the global fan base of the K-pop sensation, has recently expressed its anger with the entertainment firm for its aggressive expansion. Many fans are complaining that the agency is bent on making

Prosecutors have decided not to indict the late former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, who was accused of sexually harassing his secretary, according to local reports Tuesday. The decision was reached by prosecutors at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday. Prosecutors closed the case as they no longer have the right of arraignment to file an indictment against the deceased Park. As prosecutors have closed the case, the connection of his death with the accusation will not b

A consortium led by South Korean electric carmaker Edison Motors Co. said Tuesday it aims to sign a final deal to acquire the embattled SsangYong Motor Co. by Monday. In April, SsangYong was placed under court receivership for the second time after undergoing the same process a decade earlier. Its Indian parent Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. failed to attract an investor due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and its worsening financial status. The Edison-led consortium is on track to take over

Growing number of OLED TV makers, including Samsung, shows OLED’s supremacy, says LG exec

Kumho Art Hall’s artist-in-residence violinist Kim Dong-hyun will kick off the new season at the concert hall Jan. 13 with the first of the Beautiful Thursday Concerts series. At the upcoming recital themed “22 degrees: Refreshing,” Kim will play Morzart’s Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 32 in B-flat Major, K. 454, Ysaye’s Sonata for Solo Violin No. 6 in E Major, Op. 27/6 and Hubay’s “Carmen -- Fantasie Brillante“ for Violin and Piano, Op.3/3.

”The Brothers Karamazov,” an original musical produced by a South Korean production company, will hit a major theater in Shanghai in June, Orchard Musical Co. said Tuesday. The Korean musical is the first original musical licensed to take the stage at the Shanghai Grand Theater. “The Brothers Karamazov” is a small-budget musical that is based on Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel of the same title. The show premiered in 2018 in South Korea and has returned

CJ CheilJedang, a food manufacturer under Korea’s CJ Group, said Tuesday it will reorganize its business units and refine global market strategies in a bid to efficiently promote its Korean food products worldwide. According to the food giant, it plans to divide its headquarters business into global and regional food unit. Namely the Global Headquarter will take charge in promoting its food products such as dumpling, chicken, kimchi, Korean hot sauce and dried laver overseas. The region

An accomplished actor, Jung Woo-sung, 48, wishes to offer stunning Korean content to viewers as a producer. “‘The Silent Sea’ was my second experience in reproducing a short film, following ‘Remember You’ in 2014. I always find the task of an executive producer difficult, but I wish to continue this work to bring the splendid projects created by the skilled directors to more viewers,” executive producer Jung said in an online interview Tuesday. The actor and

S.M. Entertainment’s special winter album has made a successful return after a 10 year break, racking up highest sales among all seasonal project releases from the K-pop powerhouse. According to S.M., the album, “2021 Winter SMTown: SMCU Express,” has notched up over 416,000 units since its release on Dec. 27. The star-studded album from SMTOWN -- which refers to the collective of artists affiliated to S.M. -- was the first special winter release since the release of “2

Posco Group said Tuesday that it has opened a new research and development center, called Posco N.EX.T Hub, to work on AI, secondary battery materials and hydrogen and low-carbon energy.  The establishment of the R&D center will become a platform for the group to secure the related technology and nurture the next-generation talent in line with the steelmaker‘s focus on low-carbon and eco-friendly business, the group said.  Posco N.EX.T Hub, located in Samseong-dong, will ov