[KH explains] Hyundai to sell vehicles on Amazon in US sales push

Hyundai Motor Group’s cars will be sold online through Amazon for the first time in the US next year, offering an opportunity for the world’s third-largest carmaker to ramp up sales in the all-important market. During the Los Angeles Auto Show on Nov. 16, Hyundai and Amazon announced that customers can purchase Hyundai vehicles -- internal combustion engine cars, electric vehicles, leased and used cars -- available in their area on the tech giant’s website from a local dealer

MobilityNov. 27, 2023

N. Korea reinstates DMZ guard posts

North Korea has started to restore guard posts within the demilitarized zone, which had previously been demolished in accordance with the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement while bringing military personnel and firearm equipment back to the posts, Seoul said Monday. Movements to restore the military posts have been detected since Nov. 24, one day after North Korea declared a complete annulment of the Sept. 19 military agreement, the Defense Ministry in Seoul said in a statement. South Korea�

DefenseNov. 27, 2023

Samsung sets up control tower for new growth drivers

    Samsung Electronics announced the establishment of a new team in charge of exploring future business items, appointing a top-level Samsung veteran as the team's inaugural head in the company's annual leadership reshuffle Monday. No changes were made in the company's two-CEO system, with Han Jong-hee and Kyung Kye-hyun maintaining their respective seats as device and chip business division chiefs. Industry sources say the tech giant has opted for stability rather than seeking a dras

IndustryNov. 27, 2023

12 foreigners nabbed on suspicion of drug use

Gwangju Police said Monday it has apprehended 12 foreigners, including illegal immigrants, on suspicion of using narcotic substances at a local foreigner-only karaoke, known locally as "noraebang." The suspects, whose identities were withheld, are suspected of taking ketamine inside a noraebang in Usan-dong, Gwangju, according to the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency's drug investigations unit. The majority of the suspects were Vietnamese nationals who had gathered for a birthday

Social AffairsNov. 27, 2023

Gangnam teen investigated for assaulting deliveryman with golf club

In a shocking incident of violence in the wealthy district of Gangnam, Seoul, a teenager was arrested on Nov. 11 for attacking a deliveryman with a golf club in broad daylight. The assailant, identified only as a high school student, is now facing aggravated assault charges. The incident came to light when the victim's dashboard camera footage was shared on YouTube on Nov. 24. The video shows the teen, dressed in shorts and carrying a backpack, striking a deliveryman on a motorcycle with a

Social AffairsNov. 27, 2023

KB chief vows to nurture AI talents

KB Financial Group Chairman Yang Jong-hee on Friday stressed his will to nurture young tech talent in the field of artificial intelligence, calling digital finance not an option but a must for the financial giant’s sustainable growth. "IT and digital are no longer means to support the bank, but a core sector that will lead the businesses at the forefront," the chairman said at the group’s AI forum held in Seoul on Friday. "We must shift our perspectives from in-perso

IndustryNov. 27, 2023

Van Cleef & Arpels touring exhibition brings sparkles to Seoul

The 118-year history of Van Cleef & Arpels, a French luxury jewelry brand, is showcased at a world-touring exhibition titled “Van Cleef & Arpels: Time, Nature, Love" which opened in Seoul on Nov. 18. More than 300 jewelry creations, watches and precious objects and more than 90 original archives are brought together at the exhibition, which arrived in Seoul after touring Italy in 2019, China in 2022 and Saudi Arabia earlier this year. The delicate beauty of the gems is breatht

Arts & DesignNov. 27, 2023

1 in 8 commercial flights exposed to pathogens: KDCA

One in 8 commercial flights entering South Korea was found to be contaminated with pathogens that cause intestinal infectious diseases, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said Monday. The pathogens were detected through hygiene inspections on 58 out of 493 direct international flights from July 31 to Nov. 14 this year, according to the agency. Among the pathogens detected was E. coli, which causes diarrhea. Transmitted by food or water contaminated with animal or human feces,

Social AffairsNov. 27, 2023

Tax refund limit to be doubled for tourists

Starting next year, South Korea's immediate tax refund limit at tax refund stores for tourists will be doubled from 2.5 million won ($1,920) to 5 million won, the Finance Ministry announced Monday, in a move to invigorate the tourism industry. Currently, tourists can buy items at tax-free prices in designated tax refund stores across the nation, with a maximum purchase limit of 500,000 won per individual transaction. The total cumulative payments can reach up to 2.5 million won. Starting Ja

EconomyNov. 27, 2023

Hyundai Motor chief named automotive industry leader of 2023

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun has been named the winner of the industry leader category in this year’s Automotive News All-Stars awards, the South Korean automaker said Monday. “This award is in recognition of the entire Hyundai Motor Group family and partners all around the world who have worked so hard and devoted themselves to making sure that we achieve our vision of smart, sustainable mobility and progress for humanity,” Chung said. “Hyundai Motor

MobilityNov. 27, 2023

Trailblazer, Trax drive up GM Korea’s exports

GM Korea, the Korean arm of the US auto giant General Motors, logged robust export sales in October, taking up nearly 20 percent of the nation’s total automobile exports, industry estimates showed Monday. Out of the total 225,391 Korea-made vehicles exported in October, 42,623 units or 18.9 percent were accounted for by GM’s two popular SUV models -- the Chevrolet Trailblazer and the Trax Crossover -- according to the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association. GM Korea's number

MobilityNov. 27, 2023

SKT secures ifland partnerships in Southeast Asia

SK Telecom, South Korea’s leading telecommunications carrier, on Monday said it has secured new partnerships with three IT companies based in Southeast Asia, aiming to boost the number of global users of its metaverse platform, ifland. Launched in 2021, SKT's ifland is a metaverse platform where users can build their digital avatars to interact in virtual spaces. Eyeing the global market, the South Korean telecom company inked three memoranda of understanding with Celcom Digi, the lar

IndustryNov. 27, 2023

[Bills in Focus] Windfall tax on banks and urban infra refurbishment

Proposed bill: Partial Amendment to the Act on the Protection of Financial Consumers Proposed by Rep. Kim Sung-joo (Democratic Party of Korea) ● Persisting high prices and interest rates have benefited certain financial companies at the expense of financially vulnerable people and small-business operators. This amendment requires financial companies with a net interest margin exceeding 120 percent of their average net interest income over the past five years to pay up to 40 percent of the excess

PoliticsNov. 27, 2023

American investigated for ‘teeth grinding’ graffiti across Yongsan

An American in his 30s was caught by the police for writing “igari,” which means bruxism -- more commonly known as teeth grinding -- on at least 155 public facilities and properties in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul. The Yongsan police said Monday it was investigating what it called the “igari graffitist,” who wrote "igari" in both Hangeul and English on tunnels, power poles, roads and buses among others, after nabbing him on Oct 25. He is also suspected of writing t

Social AffairsNov. 27, 2023

Travel ban on G-Dragon lifted; police says 'open to all possibilities'

Police said Monday that they have not ruled out drug use allegations concerning G-Dragon, despite lifting travel restrictions on the K-pop icon after a detailed narcotics analysis of his biological samples came back negative. An official of the National Police Agency said in a regular press briefing that the officials are "open to possibilities until the investigation reaches its conclusion" on the G-Dragon probe. "If the circumstances clearly point to drug use, it wouldn't b

Social AffairsNov. 27, 2023

'HR weeds out women' online post sparks furor

An anonymous online post about an allegedly misogynistic hiring process at a company is sparking a furor here, where gender-related issues have repeatedly sparked controversy. The anonymous writer, who posted it on Sunday, claimed to be part of the hiring process at their company, and that their policy is to eliminate all applicants who graduated from women's universities. "It's not like we exclude all women but if (the applicant) is from a women's college, we don't even

Social AffairsNov. 27, 2023

High school seniors spend W4m for essay tutoring: data

South Korean high school senior students spent some 4 million won ($3,060) on average last year to receive tutoring on the college entrance essay test to learn how to write a good composition, government data showed Monday. They also paid more than 1 million won annually for college admissions counseling. According to data released by the Education Ministry and Statistics Korea on students’ private education spending in 2022, the average monthly expenditure for 12th graders who engaged in

Social AffairsNov. 27, 2023

5 Chinese nationals detained in Jeju for gambling debt-related false imprisonment

Jeju Seobu Police detained five Chinese nationals for the false imprisonment of a fellow Chinese national concerning a gambling debt of 50 million won ($38,000) on Monday, authorities confirmed Thursday. According to police, the victim had initially borrowed the sum for gambling purposes, agreeing to a 10 percent interest rate. However, the suspects allegedly increased the interest to 20 percent three days later, with which the victim refused to comply. When the victim refused to sign a new debt

Social AffairsNov. 27, 2023

YG’s new girl group Babymonster debuts with single 'Batter Up'

YG Entertainment’s new girl group Babymonster debuted on Monday with the release of its digital single “Batter Up.” “We are happy to welcome this day that we’ve dreamed of for a long time. We will do our best to show our unique musical colors. We are also preparing diverse content and events for our fans who have waited for our debut, so please look forward to them,” Babymonster said in a press release. The group's debut digital single topped iTunes&rsquo

K-popNov. 27, 2023

Poetic lauder of North Korean regime faces jail term in the South

A man in his 60s has been sentenced to a 14-month jail term for praising the North Korean regime in an award-winning poem published on the North Korean state-run news site Uriminzokkiri. The Seoul Central District Court on Monday found the 68-year-old South Korean guilty of violating the National Security Act when he submitted an anti-state poetry piece to the North Korean mouthpiece in September 2016. The court sentenced him to 14 months in prison and imposed a one-year suspension of qualific

North KoreaNov. 27, 2023