Schools in Korea are scrambling in confusion as the country’s COVID-19 cases continue to rapidly increase. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, 15,337 students in Seoul were newly confirmed to have COVID-19 between Feb. 28 and Thursday, while 1,417 school faculty members in Seoul were also confirmed. The tally has been on a steep rise. Though there were 2,883 new confirmed ...

Criticism also came from some viewers that this season‘s show featured relatively well-known names. In response, Chae Sung-wuk, the producer of the show’s second season, emphasized it was a fair game. He explained that all the contestants had to compete against each other regardless of their singing ability and popularity and that made the program more special. To avoid falling into cliches and ...

North Korea has conducted “another important test” for a reconnaissance satellite, its state media said Sunday, a day after South Korea’s military described the test as a probable ballistic missile launch. The North’s National Aerospace Development Administration and the Academy of Defense Science conducted “another important test on Saturday under the plan of developing a reconnaissance sate...

Restoring investors’ trust Krafton logged a record-high annual revenue of 1.89 trillion won last year, but saw its annual operating profit dip 17.3 percent on-year to post 639.6 billion won with weak fourth-quarter earnings. The game maker’s annual net profit recorded 519.9 billion won, also down 6.5 percent from the previous year. The stock price of Krafton, which reached as high as 580,000 wo...

Hana Financial Group Chairman Kim Jung-tai was the highest-paid banking CEO last year, taking home an annual salary of 2.4 billion won ($1.98 million), according to annual reports filed by financial firms Sunday. Kim ranked No. 1 in annual salary paid to executives among his peers, with KB Financial Group Chairman Yoon Jong-kyoo ranking No. 2 with 1.7 billion won and Shinhan Financial Group Chai...

Architect Lee Jeong-hoon has won the MMCA Gwacheon Project 2022 for his proposal to create a large-scale architectural installation on the rooftop of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. MMCA Gwacheon Project, an annual contest inaugurated in 2021, is organized by the national art museum to revitalize the Gwacheon venue’s outdoor space. Lee’s...

South Korea saw an unprecedented turnout in early voting for the 20th presidential election, but immense discomfort and suspicions of electoral fraud arose with election watchdog's lack of preparation in running voting booths for COVID-19 patients. During the two-day early voting period for the March 9 election, more than 16.3 million, or 36.93 percent, of 44.2 million eligible voters cast their...

In their last-ditch efforts to woo voters, the two prominent presidential candidates Lee Jae-myung of the ruling party and Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition party are each shouting out, separately, how they are the best person to make real improvements to the lives of the people. As their canvassing efforts echo each other, their welfare pledges also appear to be similar, though they come fro...

President Moon Jae-in opened the way for emergency financial support for the wildfire-hit areas of Uljin, North Gyeongsang Province, and Samcheok, Gangwon Province, by declaring them a special disaster zone Sunday. Accompanied by Minister of the Interior Jeon Hae-cheol and Lee Jin-seok, presidential secretary for state affairs, Moon visited the Uljin National Sports Center shelter where about 50...

South Korean retail investors have been on a buying spree of Russia-related exchange-traded funds amid growing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, data showed Sunday. Analysts say that retail investors are hoping for a rebound in Russian stocks once the situation surrounding the Russia-Ukraine war calms down, but warned that the current volatility could be costly for them. Retail investors bou...

Compared to Yoon, who has promised on multiple occasions he would abolish the Gender Equality Ministry when elected, Lee appears to have a polling advantage when it comes to this particular demographic group. On Thursday, Lee’s election campaign team held a rally in Seoul for women featuring speakers including Park Ji-hyun, the vice chairwoman of Democratic Party of Korea’s women’s committee. Pa...

LG Electronics said Sunday it has launched a brand-new laptop, Chromebook, to target the growing education market, the size of which is expected to increase five times in three years. According to the consumer electronics firm, the 11-inch laptop offers a touch screen and can be utilized as a tablet as it bends backward. Weighing just 1.44 kilograms, the laptop is available for 690,000 won ($56...

President Moon Jae-in on Sunday consoled residents in the eastern coastal area that has been ravaged by a massive wildfire and vowed swift government support for the victims, his office said. He met some of the displaced people at a makeshift shelter in Uljin, 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul, as authorities mobilized 44 helicopters and 4,000 personnel to contain the blaze that began Friday. A...

Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki tested positive for COVID-19 in a rapid antigen test, his office said Sunday. He took a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result on Saturday and will receive treatment at his official residence in Seoul for seven days from Sunday, the office said. The minister cast his ballot in early voting ahead of the presidential election day on March 9. On March 3, Prime Mi...

Samsung Electronics has suspended its shipments to Russia and donated $6 million to Ukraine, according to industry sources Sunday. The South Korean tech giant has become the latest multinational firm to join comprehensive sanctions against Russia, where the market has crashed and the value of the ruble has plummeted. Despite its export embargo on Russia, Samsung Electronics will still operate it...