BTS indeed is the biggest boy band in history. The seven-member boy band on Monday bagged three trophies at this year’s American Music Awards, including the top prize -- the artist of the year. The 49th Annual AMAs was held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. “Four years ago, we gave this first-time-ever TV live performance at this stage, AMAs, it was ‘DNA,’ and we were too excited and nervous at the time. And it’s been a long and amazing ride since then, bu

With an aim to gather Asian literary writers to discuss current and future agendas, the 2021 Asia Literature Forum is set to kick off Wednesday at the Asia Culture Center in Gwangju. Under the theme “Reading the lives and wounds in Asia,” the six-hour event will be held both at the location and through the ACC’s YouTube channel. Twelve writers from five countries will participate in the forum, with opening remarks by poet Kim Si-jong. Kim will talk about how language plays a

Localro, a popup store located in Seongsu-dong, a hip neighborhood in eastern Seoul with emerging artists and vibrant flea markets, displays local food products in neatly designed packaging. Since its opening on Nov. 16, the store has steadily attracted passersby who had no prior knowledge of the store, but ended up leaving with a handful of goods. The 13-day popup event is organized by the Korea Tourism Organization and run by Project Rent, an offline platform marketing company, with aims to

Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo said on Monday that he called on the US to begin talks on revising restrictions on steel imports from South Korea during last week‘s meeting with his US counterpart. “As the US has recently reached an agreement on or has begun negotiations with the European Union and Japan, we strongly conveyed (to the US) that they should begin talks with South Korea, their ally which is competing with the EU and Japan in the US market,” Yeo said in a press briefing

South Korean stocks rallied by some 1.5 percent Monday as a surge in chip heavyweights, such as Samsung Electronics, led the market gain. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) jumped 42.23 points, or 1.42 percent, to close at 3,013.25 points. Trading volume was moderate at about 524 million shares worth some 12.8 trillion won ($10.8 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 490 to 372. Foreigners bought a net 796 billion won and in

The Korea International Trade Association said Monday that it will bolster the monitoring of supply chains for key materials in close cooperation with government agencies and the trading units of conglomerates, amid the protracted urea solution supply crunch. According to a recent study by the trade lobby, South Korea is heavily dependent on single countries for its supplies of 3,911 materials, with China making up almost half the total. Over the past 10 months, Korea relied on imports from

The K-pop group takes home three trophies from the 2021 AMA, including the coveted Artist of the Year

Shares of South Korean semiconductor firms rose sharply Monday over market prospects on recovery of memory chip price on intensifying global race to adopt metaverse technology. Memory chips are a critical component in the metaverse, in which users interact with each other in digital worlds, which could offset the bearish forecast for memory chip prices.　 Samsung Electronics -- the tech giant with interests in semiconductors, electronic devices and handsets -- surged 5.2 percent Monday. Another

Move for legal action seen among homeowners

Samsung Life Insurance said Monday that it will launch a joint fund with Korea Post to invest 400 billion won ($336 million) in foreign blue chip companies over the next 10 years, expanding cooperation in alternative investments like private equity and real estate. The country’s top insurer and the state-owned postal insurance will make investments under the recommendations of an asset management firm. A Samsung Life Insurance official declined to reveal details about the asset manager.

Complete privatization clears Woori from market concerns over being state-controlled

Amid global carmakers downsizing workforces, Hyundai offers biggest recruitment plan for government-led job creation campaign

More than 900 patients waiting for a hospital bed to open up

The evolution of technologies is changing the character of warfare. In any future war, the battle will be determined long before any bullets are fired or missiles flown. Wars may be won through cyberattacks that crash countries’ networks, causing power outages and severing military communication, says former Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves. 　 The changing face of war requires countries around the world to “rethink” the entire approach to security and defense, Ilves sa

Coway, a South Korean home appliance maker, said Monday that it has launched a premium built-in water purifier that replaces the previous high-end model it introduced 10 years ago, with the aim of leading the trend toward built-in appliances. Coway’s Noble built-in water purifier features an under-sink filtration system, which is more commonly used abroad than in Korea, according to the company. For domestic customers who aren’t familiar with built-in water purifiers, Coway develop