Bada apologizes for misleading product promotion on YouTube

Bada, a member of the first-generation K-pop girl group S.E.S, apologized on Tuesday for promoting a skincare product on her YouTube channel without disclosing that it was a paid advertisement, and without verifying the claims made about it. “I sincerely apologize for the disappointment caused by a product featured on my YouTube channel,” Bada wrote in a handwritten statement posted on Instagram. “I’m ashamed that I didn’t take the time to thoroughly review the details before taking part in the

Aug. 5, 2025

'Squid Game,' Park Bo-gum and K-pop: Korea continues to attract tourists with K-content

Clad in the iconic green tracksuit from “Squid Game,” Ria dashes through South Korean landmarks, pursued by guards in pink jumpsuits. But this isn’t a teaser for a new season of the global Netflix sensation — it’s a tourism promotion video that has racked up more than 11 million views since its release on July 3. In another campaign leveraging the popularity of “All of Us Are Dead,” two high school students and Jason, a friend turning into a zombie, take viewers through major tourist attractions

July 29, 2025

[Contribution] Names we must never forget

By Jeong Ji-hyun In June 1950, the outbreak of the 1950-53 Korean War turned the entire peninsula into a battlefield. Yet in that desperate moment, Korea was not alone. Young soldiers, from 16 combatant nations and six countries that sent medical support, united under the United Nations flag, answered the call to defend a distant land in the name of freedom. Despite differences in language and culture, their noble sacrifice laid the foundation for the peace and freedom we cherish today. To honor

July 24, 2025

Woman dies and donates organs to help 5 people

A woman with intellectual disabilities recently died at the age of 58, as organs from her body were donated to five individuals, a state-affiliated organ donation agency said Monday. Park Yeong-bun's liver, both her kidneys and both her eyes have been donated to five people after her death on July 2, according to the Korea Organ Donation Agency. She fell unconscious on June 30 and was pronounced brain dead later at the hospital. The deceased was described as a kind-hearted and vivacious person w

July 21, 2025

Andreas Fronk: The 'tough-guy' foreigner who made Korea home

When Andreas Fronk tells you he’s died many times, he’s not exaggerating. From "Carter" to "Vincenzo" to "Hunt" and even "Moving," the German actor has built a career in Korean film and drama playing mercenaries, CIA agents and gangsters who rarely see the end credits. But that tough-guy image is only part of the story. Behind the stoic on-screen villain is a thoughtful artist who’s spent nearly two decades understanding Korean culture, mastering martial arts and navigating the unique challenges

July 2, 2025

Son-in-law of SK Group chief participated in US strikes on Iran

Kevin Liu Huang, the son-in-law of SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, participated in the recent US and Israeli airstrike operations targeting Iran, according to his own social media post. Huang, who is married to Chey’s second daughter, Chey Min-jung, currently serves in the US Combined Special Operations Joint Task Force -- Central (CSOJTF-C), based in the Middle East. On Tuesday, local time, he shared insights into his deployment via LinkedIn. "I thought deploying to the Middle East with a joint

June 25, 2025

Combs defense seeks to show ex-girlfriend had agency

NEW YORK (AFP) — Sean Combs's defense lawyers on Tuesday began questioning a woman who dated the music mogul up until his arrest, and who has testified in agonizing detail that he pressured her into drug-fueled sex with escorts. In the initial hours of questioning, defense attorney Teny Geragos sought to demonstrate that the woman speaking under the pseudonym Jane had agency throughout her relationship with Combs — an attempt to show that what prosecutors deem to be sex trafficking was in fact c

June 11, 2025

'Maybe Happy Ending' continues its Broadway ascent with Drama Desk sweep

“Maybe Happy Ending,” the Broadway adaptation of the beloved South Korean musical, added to its accolades on Sunday, taking home six honors at the 69th Annual Drama Desk Awards in New York. Among the night’s biggest winners, the show claimed outstanding musical and outstanding director for Michael Arden. Writers Will Aronson and Park Chun-hue, also known as Hue Park, achieved a sweep in the musical writing categories, winning outstanding music, lyrics, and book of a musical. These wins mark a ma

June 3, 2025

Descendants of independence activist donate honorary benefits to university

Two descendants of Park Do-cheol, an independence activist who died while leading a protest against Japanese colonialism, recently donated 15 million won ($10,800) that the family received as veteran's benefits to Sookmyung Women's University. According to Sookmyung University, its assistant professor Park Myung-hyun and her father visited the school on April 15 to make the donation, expressing their wish that it would be used to fund scholarships for descendants of freedom fighters at the unive

June 1, 2025

'I don’t blame my birth parents': Korean American adoptee looks for biological parents

A 57-year-old South Korean-born man adopted to US parents as a child is looking for his biological parents, expressing his wishes to meet them for better understanding of himself and where he came from. "I don’t blame my birth parents at all. I understand that every situation has its own context, so I have no bitterness or anger towards them," Philip Mansiel Pellouchoud, Korean name Park Won-il, said in the letter he sent to the state-run National Center for the Rights of the Child. "I’m old eno

May 26, 2025

Ex-US Congress members tour Korea to boost cultural, economic relations

A delegation of former US Congress members is visiting Korea to strengthen Korea-US ties by deepening bilateral cultural and economic understanding. The delegation arrived in Korea on May 14, invited by the Kim Chang-joon US-Korea Foundation. The nonprofit organization was founded in 2011 by former US Representative Jay Kim Chang-joon, a Republican who represented California’s 41st District in Riverside County from 1992 to 1998. This year’s 12-member bipartisan delegation includes seven former l

May 21, 2025

‘Along With the Gods’ director is the seller of W25b Seoul apartment home: report

The seller behind South Korea’s most expensive apartment sale this year has been revealed to be film director Kim Yong-hwa, best known for the "Along With the Gods" series. According to Yonhap News TV, Kim sold his duplex unit at Nine One Hannam in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, for 25 billion won ($18.5 million) in February, marking the highest apartment transaction in South Korean history. The unit spans 273.9 square meters and was one of the largest in the complex. Kim purchased the property in March 202

May 16, 2025

Culture Minister Yu to head delegation to pope inauguration Sunday

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yu In-chon will lead the South Korean delegation to the formal inauguration Mass of Pope Leo XIV at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City on Sunday. Yu will attend the ceremony alongside South Korea’s ambassador to the Holy See, Oh Hyun-joo, joining representatives and religious leaders from some 200 countries. Notable attendees include US Vice President JD Vance, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Britain’s Prince Edward. Separately, prominent Korean Ca

May 16, 2025

Korea’s ‘Popeye’ Lee Sang-yong dies at 81

Lee Sang-yong, affectionately known as “Popeye” to generations of South Koreans, died on Friday at the age of 81. According to his agency, Emade Entertainment, Lee collapsed on his way home after receiving treatment for cold symptoms at a hospital earlier that morning. He was rushed back to the hospital but ultimately passed away. Long associated with vitality and optimism, Lee was a cherished television host, philanthropist and cultural figure whose career spanned more than five decades. He bec

May 9, 2025

Son donates liver to mother, tells her, 'Don't worry about it'

A story of a 54-year-old son donating part of his liver to his severely ill mother was shared by Chung-Ang University Hospital on Wednesday, ahead of Parents' Day on Thursday. According to the hospital, the 75-year-old woman surnamed Moon made a full recovery from the April 15 liver transplant and was discharged Friday. It marked the 100th successful liver transplant of the hospital’s organ transplant center. The medical staff celebrated the full recovery of patient and her son surnamed Oh, who

May 7, 2025