BEIJING -- Another flight operated by Air Koryo, North Korea's national carrier, arrived in Beijing on Saturday, marking the resumption of regular passenger flights connecting the two countries after they were halted for more than three years due to the pandemic. China recently announced its approval of Koryo Air's schedule between the two countries' capitals, offering three flights per week, in a sign the border has reopened after international flights from and to the North were

North Korea Aug. 26, 2023

Police on Saturday released 16 university students who were arrested for attempting to enter the Japanese Embassy in central Seoul in protest of Japan's discharge of radioactive water into the ocean. On Thursday, the students attempted to enter the Japanese Embassy, while chanting slogans against the discharge of the radioactive water. The police detained them at four police stations on charges of trespassing and violating the Assembly and Demonstration Act. Police said they will decide w

Social Affairs Aug. 26, 2023

BTS member Jungkook's debut solo single, "Seven," became the third most-streamed song of the summer on the global streaming platform Spotify, his agency said Saturday. "Seven" was ranked only behind "Ella Baila Sola" by Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma at No. 1 and Bad Bunny's "Where She Goes" on Spotify's "most-streamed songs of the summer" list, BigHit Music said. Jungkook achieved the feat in only about 40 days following the releas

K-pop Aug. 26, 2023

WASHINGTON -- The United States' envoy to the United Nations called on the UN Security Council to condemn North Korea's recent failed satellite launch on Friday, while insisting that China and Russia's refusal to hold North Korea accountable for its actions is encouraging the recalcitrant country to continue making provocations. The US envoy. Thomas Linda-Greenfield, said China and Russia's refusal to condemn North Korean provocations is "troubling." "I urge ev

North Korea Aug. 26, 2023

Kim Suk-won, former chairman of the now-defunct Ssangyong Group, has died of old age, his aides said Saturday. He was 78. Kim took over the midsized business group, which started as a cement-making company in 1975. The business group went on to aggressively expand into the construction, financial and automaking sectors. In 1986, Ssangyong Group took over a local automaker that focused on producing SUVs. But Kim's empire crashed in the aftermath of the 1997 Asian financial crisis, and he was

Industry Aug. 26, 2023

HWASEONG -- One worker died Friday in a fire at waste oil recycling facility in Hwaseong, a satellite city of Seoul. The blaze broke out at the company, named TopEco, in the city, 45 kilometers south of Seoul, at 11:12 a.m. The 55-year-old employee of the company's subcontractor was found dead at the scene at 2:35 p.m. The fire reportedly started with an explosion at a storage tank at the company, which produces renewable fuel oil from waste oil. Eleven people were reportedly working near

Social Affairs Aug. 25, 2023

VLADIVOSTOK -- A flight operated by Air Koryo, North Korea's national carrier, arrived in Russia's far eastern city of Vladivostok on Friday, a Russian news agency reported, marking the resumption of a commercial flight connecting the two countries after more than three years of COVID-19 restrictions. The flight, which departed from Pyongyang, arrived at Vladivostok International Airport at 11:14 a.m., Russian news agency RIA Novosti said. According to sources, the plane did not carr

North Korea Aug. 25, 2023

Seoul shares ended lower Friday, tracking losses on Wall Street, as investors await the US Federal Reserve chief's speech for any clues of its rate policy. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 18.54 points, or 0.73 percent, to close at 2,519.14. Trading volume was moderate at 569.76 million shares worth 8.19 trillion won ($6.2 billion), with decliners outnumbering gainers 488 to 367. Institutions and foreigners sold a combined 369 b

Market Aug. 25, 2023

Japan's release of contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant has been carried out stably and as planned, with no abnormalities detected so far, a South Korean official said Friday. Tokyo initiated the discharge of contaminated water a day earlier, a process expected to span more than three decades, despite lingering health and environmental concerns from neighboring countries. "So far, the discharge is proceeding stably as originally planned, and it is understo

Politics Aug. 25, 2023

The leader of the main opposition Democratic Party on Friday denounced Japan's release of contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant as an act of crime against humanity, even labeling President Yoon Suk Yeol as an accomplice. Rep. Lee Jae-myung made the remarks as Tokyo initiated the discharge of contaminated water a day earlier, a process expected to span more than three decades, despite lingering health and environmental concerns from neighboring countries. "J

Politics Aug. 25, 2023

Various cultural events will be held throughout this year to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and India, including K-pop concerts, a seminar on Korean culture and exhibitions, the culture ministry said Friday. Since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1973, they have developed friendly relations in the cultural field through various milestones, such as signing a cultural agreement in 1974, opening the first Korean Cultural Center in Southeast Asi

Culture Aug. 25, 2023

In the past, fencers used to look down on their South Korean foe Song Se-ra, not only figuratively but literally as well. Song is listed at 164 centimeters, tiny by fencing standards. Song, world No. 5 in women's epee, gives 21 cm to the top-ranked Marie-Florence Candassamy of France. Song is the shortest one among the top-10 female epee fencers in the world today. However, at the 2022 World Fencing Championships in Cairo, no one stood taller than Song. She won gold medals in both the indiv

More Sports Aug. 25, 2023

South Korea's Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun has met with his US and Chinese counterparts to discuss ways to deepen trade and investment cooperation with the respective countries, his office said Friday. During the meeting at Camp David last week, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring resilient supply chains, accelerating the clean energy transition and promoting sustainable economic growth

Diplomatic Circuit Aug. 25, 2023

For South Korean table tennis player Shin Yu-bin, suffering a wrist injury toward the end of 2021 might have seemed like a career-derailing event at the time. Nearly two years later, Shin is gearing up for her first Asian Games, having been able to use the time on the sidelines wisely to work on different elements of her game. The 19-year-old now believes it will serve her well at the Asiad in Hangzou, China, starting next month. Shin, one of South Korea's rising stars in ping pong, suffere

More Sports Aug. 25, 2023

The 30-year-old suspect behind last week's rape and murder of a female teacher in southern Seoul claimed Friday he had no intention of killing the victim, as he was referred to the prosecution for further investigation. The suspect, Choi Yun-jong, is accused of fatally beating and raping the victim he randomly picked on a hillside hiking trail in Seoul's southern district of Sillim last week. The victim, known only as an elementary school teacher in her 30s, was seriously injured and d

Social Affairs Aug. 25, 2023