FM Park says 'govt. gave its best' after failure to host 2030 World Expo

Foreign Minister Park Jin on Thursday said South Korea "gave its best" in its campaign to host the 2030 World Expo, after the southeastern city of Busan lost to Saudi Arabia's Riyadh in a vote earlier this week. Park made the remarks responding to reporters at the 5th International Conference on Action with Women and Peace in Seoul amid speculation he could be replaced in an upcoming reshuffle. "The government gave its best," Park said when asked whether he had heard any

PoliticsNov. 30, 2023

Henry Kissinger, American diplomat and Nobel winner, dead at 100

WASHINGTON -- Henry Kissinger, a controversial Nobel Peace Prize winner and diplomatic powerhouse whose service under two presidents left an indelible mark on US foreign policy, died on Wednesday, according to Kissinger Associates Inc. Kissinger died at his home in Connecticut, Kissinger Associates said. Kissinger had been active past his centenary, attending meetings in the White House, publishing a book on leadership styles, and testifying before a Senate committee about the nuclear threat pos

World NewsNov. 30, 2023

Yoon revives policy chief of staff position, reshuffles all senior secretaries

President Yoon Suk Yeol revived the presidential office for policy which he ditched last year and replaced all of his senior secretaries, effective on Monday, the presidential office announced Thursday. Yoon promoted Lee Kwan-sup, the incumbent senior presidential secretary in charge of state affairs coordination, to become the first chief presidential secretary for policy in Yoon's term. Yoon abolished the post to reduce the team of presidential advisers upon his inauguration in May 2022.

PoliticsNov. 30, 2023

'Dictator out': Paju residents reject ex-president's remains

A coalition of civic groups in Paju, northern Gyeonggi Province, said Thursday that they oppose plans to bury the remains of Chun Doo-hwan, a former president who rose to power through a military coup, in the city. The family of the former military strongman is seeking to bury Chun's remains in Jangsan-ri, in accordance with his last wishes to be buried in a place with a view of North Korea. "Residents of Paju have been fiercely proud of the new era of reconciliation between South an

Social AffairsNov. 30, 2023

[해커스 TOEIC] 토익 점수 Up 단어, Part 5 문제

2) 파트 5 3문제 1. ------- to the museum's inventions exhibit is only $1.50 for children under 10 years of age and senior citizens 60 and above. (A) Affirmation (B) Profession (C) Initiation (D) Admission 해석 그 박물관의 발명품 전시회 입장료는 10세 이하의 어린이와 60세 이상의 노인에게는 단 1.5달러이다. 해설 명사 어휘 문제 ‘전시회 입장료는 60세 이상의 노인에게는 단 1.5달러이다’라는 문맥이 되어야 하므로 ‘입장료’라는 뜻의 명사 (D) Admission이 정답이다. 참고로 (A) Affirmation은 ‘확인, 확언’, (B) Profession은 ‘직업, 직종’, (C) Initiation은 ‘가입, 시작&

English EyeNov. 30, 2023

US diplomat to travel to S. Korea, Indonesia, Japan to stress US' commitment to Indo-Pacific

A US diplomat in charge of public diplomacy will embark on a trip to South Korea, Indonesia and Japan this week to underscore Washington's "deep" commitment to its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific, the State Department said Wednesday. During her Asia trip from Thursday to next Wednesday, Liz Allen, undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, will stress the United States' efforts to reinforce and expand regional alliances and partnerships in the re

Foreign AffairsNov. 30, 2023

Industrial output, retail sales, investment all fall in Oct.: data

South Korea's industrial output fell in October on a marked decline in the production of the semiconductor sector, data showed Thursday. Retail sales and facility investment also declined last month, and it was the first time in three months that the three major indicators on industrial activities logged an on-month fall, according to Statistics Korea. Industrial production dropped 1.6 percent on-month in October following two months of gains. It was the sharpest decline since April 2020, w

EconomyNov. 30, 2023

Seoul shares open lower ahead of BOK's rate decision

South Korean stocks started lower Thursday, as investors are waiting for the central bank's key rate decision later in the day. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 7.98 points, or 0.32 percent, to 2,511.83 in the first 15 minutes of trading. In a rate-setting meeting, the Bank of Korea is widely expected to keep the rate unchanged at 3.5 percent. Major shares went south, with market bellwether Samsung Electronics falling 0.28 percent and LG Energy Solution, the second-bigge

MarketNov. 30, 2023

N. Korea says spy satellite took photos of US bases in San Diego, Japan

North Korea said Thursday the country's military spy satellite has taken photos of US military facilities in San Diego and Japan, as well as the Suez Canal in Egypt. Leader Kim Jong-un viewed the satellite photos taken Wednesday when he received an operations report from the Pyongyang General Control Center of the National Aerospace Technology Administration, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. The satellite took pictures of the San Diego Naval Base in California at 2:24 a

North KoreaNov. 30, 2023

[Graphic News] S. Korea’s rice output falls

South Korea’s rice output fell 1.6 percent this year due mainly to a decrease in cultivation area, data showed. Rice production came to 3.70 million metric tons in 2023, compared with 3.76 million tons a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. This year’s decline came as the combined size of rice paddies slid 2.6 percent on-year to a record low of 708,012 hectares. The government has been implementing measures to balance supply and demand of rice, such as gi

FoodNov. 30, 2023

4.0 magnitude earthquake shakes southeastern Korea

A 4.0 magnitude earthquake occurred in the early hours of Thursday, 19 kilometers southeast of Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, the Korea Meteorological Administration said. According to the KMA, the initial earthquake occurred at about 4:55 a.m., followed by five tremors ranging up to 1.5 magnitude until 5:50 a.m. The earthquake led to emergency national disaster alert across the country being sent out about 8 seconds after the event was detected. No reports of damages or injuries have been

Social AffairsNov. 30, 2023

[Wang Son-taek] Why do we need the trilateral summit?

The Korea-China-Japan foreign ministers' meeting was recently held in Busan, with considerable expectations at home and abroad. At the first meeting in four years, the ministers reaffirmed trilateral cooperation and held in-depth discussions on cooperation measures. It is a welcome diplomatic achievement that the three major countries in Northeast Asia met and discussed peace and prosperity amid anxiety over the wars in Europe and the Middle East. However, it is also necessary to point out

ViewpointsNov. 30, 2023

OECD revises up S. Korea's 2024 growth outlook to 2.3 pct

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development revised up the outlook for South Korea's economic growth next year to 2.3 percent on a recovery in exports and eased geopolitical tensions, Seoul's finance ministry said Wednesday. The figure marked a 0.2 percentage-point increase from its projection of 2.1 percent made in September, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The latest outlook is rosier than those by the International Monetary Fund and the Bank of Korea,

EconomyNov. 29, 2023

Leeum Museum to restore Korean artifacts from overseas institutions

The Samsung Foundation of Culture will collaborate with overseas cultural institutions to restore works of Korean cultural heritage, bringing the works to the Leeum Museum of Art for the restoration process, the foundation announced Wednesday. “Banquet for the Governor of Pyeong-an,” owned by the Peabody Essex Museum in Massachusetts, is currently under restoration and is the first work to benefit from the collaboration. The folding screen painting from the 19th century depicts a ban

Arts & DesignNov. 29, 2023

Merger of Korean OTT platforms Tving and Wavve imminent: sources

Popular South Korean over-the-top streaming services Tving and Wavve are reportedly seeking a merger, according to the media reports on Wednesday. Currently, entertainment giant CJ ENM owns Tving, while conglomerate SK Square runs Wavve. The two OTT brands are seeking a merger to increase their share of the local OTT market, aiming to clinch the deal in December, according to a local media outlet, citing industry sources. According to the report, CJ ENM will become the largest shareholder of t

TelevisionNov. 29, 2023

GS Group carries out largest executive reshuffle

GS Group, the South Korean energy, retail and construction conglomerate, on Wednesday said it promoted 50 executives across its affiliates, the most the group has carried out in its annual reshuffle since its establishment in 2005. The promotions include Kim Seong-min, new CEO at GS Caltex, Yoo Jae-young, CEO of GS Power, and Cheong Yong-han, CEO of GS Entec. Kim, along with Hur Sae-hong, the incumbent CEO of GS Caltex, will serve as independent heads of the oil refiner. GS Group last month appo

IndustryNov. 29, 2023

State-run body says 'cannot hire women' applicants

A waste disposal center in Yesan-gun, South Chungcheong Province has come under fire for refusing to hire a woman, local media reported Wednesday. During a meeting of Yesan-gun's Resident Support Council, a 69-year-old female member and resident of the district asked what the qualifications for the post of resident monitor were. But a high-ranking member of the group answered that they cannot hire women. Resident support councils are groups formed by regional governments to aid functions re

Social AffairsNov. 29, 2023

National Orchestra of Korea's 'Winter Concert' to bring harmony of tradition, musicals

The National Orchestra of Korea, a traditional Korean music orchestra affiliated with the National Theater of Korea, is set to present "Winter Concert" at the Haneul Round Theater in Jangchung-dong, Seoul, on Dec. 16-17. This year-end performance has been a sold-out event for the National Orchestra of Korea every year since 2018. This year's program offers a diverse range of music that suits the end-of-year ambiance, including traditional Korean instrumental classics, movie soundt

PerformanceNov. 29, 2023

Corporate Korea explores new opportunities in Expo bid

Despite Busan’s disappointing loss in its bid to host the 2030 World Expo, Korea's economic circle viewed its rallying efforts in the past year and a half as having "expanded the horizon" for companies with new opportunities in the global market. Saudi Arabia's Riyadh was chosen to host the World Expo in 2030 on Tuesday, garnering 119 votes out of 165 in a secret ballot held during the Bureau International des Expositions general assembly in Paris. Busan and Rome were k

IndustryNov. 29, 2023