YouTube on Thursday announced two big changes to its browsing features, giving users more control over video recommendations. Users will soon have a “Don’t recommend channel” button, for content that is not relevant to their interests. Videos from rejected content creators will still be discoverable on the platform, but they will not come up on the recommended list or on the YouTube homepage. T...

Two of Jeju Island’s most famous tourist spots and natural heritage sites, Seongsan Ilchulbong and Manjanggul, will begin charging higher entrance fees starting next month. The Jeju World Natural Heritage Center said Sunday that general admission to Seongsan Ilchulbong, a volcanic peak formed by hydrovolcanic eruptions, will be increased from 2,000 won ($1.73) to 5,000 won. Tickets to Manjanggu...

With just 16 videos, one YouTuber gained 1.8 million subscribers and 20 million views in less than 12 days. Those are stats one might expect from K-pop stars, who often get millions of subscribers right away. But this channel belongs to 52-year-old food specialist and restaurant entrepreneur Paik Jong-won. Paik is the founder and CEO of Theborn Korea, Korea’s biggest food franchise, which opera...

A man in his 40s stands accused of living as a blind person for eight years and fraudulently receiving government money after a neighbor apparently saw him driving a car. The Busan Yeonje Police Station said Thursday that it had arrested the man, whose identity was not revealed, without physical detention on suspicion of violating the Act on Pensions for Persons with Disabilities. The man is su...

The number of Chinese people visiting North Korea has seen a huge surge recently, especially since Chinese President Xi Jinping announced Tuesday his first official visit to Pyongyang. Several images and videos of Chinese tourists taken in North Korea were revealed through social media Thursday, coinciding with Xi’s arrival. By Choi Ji-won (jwc@heraldcorp.com)

Star YouTubers, including popular soccer commentator Gamst, sparked public outrage over sexual remarks during a livestream. Yonhap News Agency reported Wednesday that three star YouTubers with more than 1 million subscribers found themselves in hot water after sharing sexual comments regarding female YouTubers during a live show they streamed online earlier the same day. The comments, deemed to...

The case of four teenagers beating a classmate to death has been transferred to prosecutors, police said Wednesday. Gwangju Bukbu Police Station said the four men in their late teens were sent to the prosecution this morning with charges of murder regarding the death of their 18-year-old roommate. On June 9, the four teenagers took turns in hitting and kicking the victim for about two hours. Th...

The ruling party and a minor party said Monday they will hold respective meetings to decide whether to submit a request to open an extra session for June to put an idle parliament back on track. The move is aimed at pressing the main opposition Liberty Korea Party to join a push to end a two-month parliamentary impasse as rival parties have so far failed to reach a deal to normalize the operatio...

In the world of menswear, mesh, seersucker and linen have long been traditional summer fabrics. But the latest trends show innovative, new cooling fabrics and technologies at the forefront of men’s fashion, from performance wear all the way to formal business attire. With the summer heat swooshing in earlier than expected, outdoor brand K2 is seeing an early pickup in sales of its Ossak line of ...

Police referred to prosecution on Wednesday the murder case involving Koh Yu-jeong, 36, on charges of murdering her ex-husband and dismembering and disposing of his corpse between May 25 and May 31. By Choi Ji-won (jwc@heraldcorp.com)

YouTube has updated its safety guidelines to restrict creators below the age of 13 from livestreaming without adult supervision. YouTube Korea said Friday on its official blog that it is blocking preteen users from livestreaming without being accompanied by an adult. The change had been announced on the company’s global blog on June 3. To prohibit the exploitation of minors, the company also ce...

A man accused of stabbing his brother to death in broad daylight said Sunday that he had no intention of killing him. The 51-year-old suspect, whose name has not been made public, told reporters waiting outside the Incheon Samsan Police Station that he had not planned to kill his older brother at a coffee shop on Friday. The suspect is accused of jabbing his 58-year-old brother in the stomach w...

Shocking images of a teenage mother who drank for days while her baby daughter was allegedly left to die at home are touching off a firestorm of criticism on the internet. Pictures and postings on social media were revealed showing the 18-year-old mother out drinking with friends while her 7-month-old daughter was believed to be starving to death. The mother posted images of herself drinking ev...

Popular talk show host and comedian Kim Je-dong’s high fees for a lecture hosted by a regional government has sparked controversy. Kim, on Wednesday, faced public outcry after it was revealed he would be paid 15.5 million won ($13,100) by the local district government of Daedeok-gu in Daejeon for a 90-minute talk show titled “A Person to Another Person,” targeted at students and their parents. ...

A lawmaker representing South Korea’s main opposition Liberty Korea Party sparked uproar on social media Monday after he insulted reporters at the National Assembly. As he was leaving a party committee meeting, party Secretary-General Han Sun-kyo referred to reporters sitting on the ground as “wiping the floor.” They were sitting on the floor to be closer to party Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn, who was...