Hundreds of accommodations on the resort island of Jeju are closing as it is losing its sheen with Korean vacationers. According to the local government of Jeju Province on Friday, 227 accommodations, including small-sized hotels and hostels, went out of business between January and May, with 21 temporarily closing. This is a grim sign of…
Month: July 2024
Defiant Biden says won’t leave race, doesn’t need cognitive test
U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday said he did not need a cognitive test to determine whether he had a mental decline and dismissed calls from some Democrats that he should step aside to let a more vigorous candidate take on Republican Donald Trump. A defiant Biden, scrambling to defuse the political crisis over his…
‘I-LAND 2’ finalizes 7-member roster for new girl group izna
Mnet’s latest survival audition show, “I-LAND 2: N/a,” concluded its fierce competition, finalizing the seven members slated for debut as a newborn K-pop girl group called izna. Mnet’s production team announced Friday through an official press release that “Choi Jung-eun, Bang Ji-min, Yoon Ji-yoon, Koko, Ryu Sa-rang, Mai and Jeong Sae-bi were selected to debut…
B.A.P members reunite for August comeback with new album
The four members of B.A.P, a boy group from the 2010s, are reuniting for a return this August under a new group name. MA Entertainment, the agency managing the rebranded group, announced on Tuesday that former B.A.P members Bang Yong-guk, Jung Dae-hyun, Yoo Young-jae and Moon Jong-up, are set to return to the music scene…
No. of Russian asylum-seekers in Korea soars to nearly 9,000 since start of war in Ukraine
The number of Russians seeking asylum in Korea has soared to nearly 9,000 since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. An official at the Ministry of Justice told The Korea Times on Wednesday that 8,871 Russians had applied for refugee status here between January 2022 and this May. Given that only 45 Russians sought…
Seoul to strengthen pedestrian guardrails following deadly car crash
The Seoul city government said Wednesday it will significantly beef up the strength of pedestrian guardrails and take other safety measures after a deadly car crash that left nine people dead earlier this week. On Monday night, a sedan driven by a 68-year-old darted in the wrong direction for some 200 meters on a one-way…
Main opposition’s attempt to impeach prosecutors draws backlash
The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is attempting to impeach four prosecutors who have been investigating major political scandals with alleged links to Rep. Lee Jae-myung, its former chairman. This move is drawing a backlash from ruling party lawmakers and prosecutors, who claim that the DPK is exploiting its majority to protect its…
What’s delaying establishment of Korea’s immigration agency?
The planned launch of an immigration agency, a campaign pledge by President Yoon Suk Yeol, appears to have stalled, as the government shifts focus to establishing a population ministry that would also be tasked with handling immigration policies. Critics argue that over two years into Yoon’s presidency, the government still lacks a cohesive approach to…
Coupang’s subcontractors caught employing over 40,000 uninsured workers
Over 40,000 workers at 90 delivery subcontractors of Coupang have not been provided with employment insurance and industrial accident insurance, which are considered major social security nets offered to laborers, according to the Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service (K-COMWEL), Wednesday. K-COMWEL, which is under the direct control of the Ministry of Employment and Labor,…
Light & Wonder CFO Connie James is making a fresh start to the pasture
Light & Wonder said the versatile Connie James, EVP, CFO, Finance and Corporate Secretary, is stepping down from her role and leaving the company as of August 25. The reason why James left was because he wanted to try a new job role outside of the game industry. Commenting on her departure, James said: “Working…