A team behind the translation of “Yi Sang: Selected Works” received a literary translation award from the US-based Modern Literature Association, the Literature Translation Institute of Korea said Monday. This is the first time the award has been given for a work of Korean literature, according to LTI Korea, which sponsored the book‘s translation and publication. Jack Jung, a visiting assistant professor of English at Davidson College, Sawako Nakayasu, an assistant profes

Cafe and restaurant owners and customers alike voiced complaints Monday as the government began enforcing the COVID-19 vaccine pass system in earnest in an effort to curb the spread of the virus. Following a one-week trial period, the country officially began its vaccine pass system Monday, requiring all visitors to cafes and restaurants to present a certificate proving they have completed their COVID-19 vaccination or tested negative. Businesses can be fined 1.5 million won (US$1,270) or susp

The ruling Democratic Party's presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung on Monday criticized Japan's excessive reactions to the South Korean police chief's recent trip to Dokdo for "meddling in another country's policy." The comment came during a telephone call with officers from Dokdo Security Police as part of his nationwide election campaign. Last month, National Police Agency Commissioner-General Kim Chang-yong visited Dokdo to encourage officials working on the country's easternmost

Hyundai Heavy Industries Group, South Korea's 15th largest conglomerate by assets, said Monday its refining affiliate Hyundai Oilbank Co. filed for an initial public offering (IPO) with local bourse operator Korea Exchange. Hyundai Oilbank aims to trade its shares on South Korea's main KOSPI market in the first half of 2022, the group said. The proposed initial public offering is the third of its kind after the refiner failed to go public in 2012 and 2019. In 2012, a tumble in oil prices t

About half of the highest-earning South Korean companies have no investment plans for next year as they battle “uncertainty” around the omicron coronavirus variant and the disruptions the pandemic has caused, a local think tank said Monday. According to the Korea Economic Research Institute, 49 percent of the 101 companies that responded to the survey said they either do not plan to make new investments in 2022 or have yet to come up with one, citing an uncertain economic outlook.

After the success of Netflix’s “Squid Game,” a local news outlet reported that the expansion of global streaming services has improved Korean voice actors’ lives as such platforms can provide more jobs. The article noted that there are more jobs for voice actors, especially after Disney+, which has a lot of animation content that needs to be dubbed into Korean, entered the Korean market this year. However, Korean voice actor Choi Jae-ho says global streaming servic

Woozi of Seventeen will put out his first solo mixtape in January, according to a local media report on Monday. 　 He is the leader of the vocal team within the band and has been writing and producing songs as one of the two main producers of the 13-member act since its debut. He won the best producer award at 2021 Asia Artist Awards.  　 “I am overwhelmed and wonder if I deserve to receive an award with such big title when I’m only 26 years old,” said the musician at the c

With daily COVID-19 caseload hitting new records, some 8,000 coffee chain shops and restaurants here are playing in-store audio announcements from one of the top public health officials recommending indoor masking. “Hello. This is the Minister of Food and Drug Safety Kim Gang-lip. Please remind yourself to wear a mask before and after eating or drinking and while talking,” the voice announcement rang out, interspersed every 30 minutes between Christmas jazz licks played at a Star

South Korea’s second known child to die of COVID-19 had a chronic health condition, and he was considered to be at risk. He had been sick for about a week before he was officially diagnosed on Dec. 2. And yet he was not immediately given a bed at a hospital, instead isolating at home for two days until he was taken to the emergency room. When he got to the ER on Dec. 4, he had breathing difficulties and a fever that wouldn’t go down. He was placed on a respirator immediately in an