[[K-Film]] Actor Lee Byung-hun among recipients of special award at Toronto film fest SEOUL, August 6 (AJP) - Actor Lee Byung-hun will receive an award at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), which is scheduled to take place in Canada next month. According to organizers of the annual festival, Lee has been chosen as one of the recipients of the Tribute Award, which honors those who have made "outstanding contributions to cinema," along with Mexican-born filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, versatile Japanese writer and producer Mitsuyo Miyazaki, also known as Hikari, and Hollywood actress Jodie Foster. Hailing Lee as a "global sensation," TIFF said Lee "has achieved massive success across film and television in both South Korea and Hollywood," with global hits like "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" (2009) and "Terminator Genisys" (2015). The award will be presented to Lee at a gala event during this year's TIFF, which kicks off its 10-day run on Sept. 4. 2025-08-06 14:11:05

Lee invites former presidents to large-scale inauguration celebration next week SEOUL, August 5 (AJP) - Ex-presidents will be among attendees to a large-scale event in celebration of the inauguration of President Lee Jae-myung, to be held in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul next week, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said on Tuesday. Coinciding the 80th anniversary of the Aug. 15 Liberation Day, the event comes about two months after Lee took office with a low-key ceremony on June 4. Lee had no time to spare for a full transition period as he was elected through a snap election to replace former disgraced President Yoon Suk Yeol who was impeached over his botched Dec. 3 declaration of martial law last year. During a press briefing, Kang said, "Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs Woo Sang-ho is set to deliver invitation letters to guests including former President Moon Jae-in and his wife, as well as former first lady Kwon Yang-sook, the widow of the late President Roh Moo-hyun." Invitations will also be sent to other former presidents and their widows, but Yoon and his wife Kim Keon Hee were excluded as they are currently under investigation over a slew of allegations. The move is part of Lee's efforts to promote national unity through "respect for former presidents and their spouses," according to Kang. Roughly 10,000 citizens including independence fighters against Japanese colonial rule, patriots, war veterans, and residents of the northernmost border town of Goseong in Gangwon Province, will also be invited to the event. 2025-08-05 16:35:26

[[K-Film]] Park Chan-wook's new thriller to open Busan film fest next month SEOUL, August 4 (AJP) - Award-winning director Park Chan-wook's latest film will open this year's Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), which is slated to be held in the southern port city next month. According to organizers of the annual film fest on Monday, "No Other Choice" starring Lee Byung-hun and Son Ye-jin has been chosen as the curtain-raiser for BIFF, which kicks off its 10-day run on Sept. 17, with Lee set to host the festival's opening ceremony. The thriller, based on American writer Donald E. Westlake's novel "The Ax," revolves around a man who believes he has achieved everything in life until he is suddenly laid off and struggles to find a new job to support his family. Park's 12th feature has also been invited to compete at this year's Venice International Film Festival, which runs from Aug. 27 to Sept. 9. Meanwhile, more than 240 films will be screened during BIFF, which marks its 30th anniversary this year, with around 14 films competing for the best Asian film award. The top prize winner will bring the festival to a close on Sept. 26. 2025-08-04 16:56:44

Soundtrack for K-pop anime reclaims No. 2 spot on Billboard 200 albums chart SEOUL, August 4 (AJP) - The soundtrack for Netflix's hit animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" has climbed to No. 2 again on the Billboard 200 albums chart for this week, the American music chart said Sunday. The album, which was released on June 20, rose one spot from the previous week to return to its earlier peak on the chart after spending about six weeks in the top five since its debut at No. 8. The 12-track album, which includes hit songs like "Golden," "Soda Pop" and "Take Down" was made for the 100-minute film directed by Korean Canadian Maggie Kang, who wanted to create a story rooted in her Korean background and heritage by blending traditional mythology with K-pop. Also in the top 10 was K-pop boy band Tomorrow X Together (TXT)'s latest album, "The Star Chapter: Together," which debuted at No. 3, their seventh top-10 entry. 2025-08-04 11:22:07

[[K-Pop]] IVE to drop new album late this month SEOUL, August 1 (AJP) - K-pop girl group IVE will release a new album later this month, their agency Starship Entertainment said Friday. Slated for release on Aug. 25, the album, dubbed "IVE Secret," is expected to feature songs with summer vibes, although no details have been disclosed. To create buzz ahead of its release, a teaser poster was also unveiled, featuring six members holding various props such as a tumbler, an animal-shaped object, and a toy gun, piquing curiosity about the album. The upcoming album comes in about six months since their latest album "IVE Empathy," which came out in February. All five of their previous albums have sold over a million copies each. Meanwhile, the sextet will perform at a concert in Los Angeles later this week, which is part of an annual K-pop event that tours worldwide. 2025-08-01 16:26:58

All tours suspended as Cheong Wa Dae undergoes renovation ahead of Lee's move-in SEOUL, August 1 (AJP) - Public access to the former presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae in central Seoul was halted on Friday as renovation work begins ahead of President Lee Jae-myung's move-in to the compound. Lee, who took office in early June in the wake of the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched Dec. 3 declaration of martial law, was unable to immediately use the compound due to the need to enhance security and overhaul facilities and has been temporarily working at his predecessor's office in Yongsan. The massive construction work is expected to take several months and be completed by the end of this year at the earliest, with visits and other tour programs remaining suspended during the period. Ahead of Friday's complete closure, public access had already been limited since mid-July, allowing only those with bookings to look around outdoor areas, which prompted many to flock there, leading to a surge in the number of visitors. Once complete, a partial reopening is up in the air, with no concrete details decided yet. Nestled in the sylvan foothills of Mt. Bukak and surrounded by splendid gardens, the palatial compound was often seen as a symbol of excessive presidential power, with its secluded location creating the impression that presidents were distant from the public both physically and in other ways. That led Yoon to open the compound to the public on his first day in office and to hastily relocate his office to a nondescript government building in Yongsan in May 2022. 2025-08-01 15:51:15

Seoul sees record number of sleepless nights in July SEOUL, July 31 (AJP) - With unbearable, scorching heat showing no sign of abating, Seoul saw a record number of tropical nights this summer, when the mercury refuses to fall below 25 degrees Celsius after dark. Tropical nights in Seoul have persisted for 22 days this month, the longest stretch of sleepless nights for July since weather observations began in 1908, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said Thursday. The previous record was 21 days set in July 1994. Seoul is not alone in enduring hot temperatures, as a heat wave warning or advisory has also been issued for most parts of the country, with daytime highs hovering between 31 and 37 degrees Celsius almost every day, causing heat-related casualties. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), nearly 2,800 people have been taken to emergency rooms nationwide with heatstroke, dehydration, or exhaustion since mid-May. Among them, 13 patients have died, more than triple the number recorded during the same period last year. 2025-07-31 17:10:07

Lee to head to Washington for talks with Trump 'within next two weeks' SEOUL, July 31 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung will visit Washington as early as next month for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, as a tariff-related deal was finalized on Wednesday. The upcoming summit, expected to be held in about two weeks, comes after South Korea agreed with the U.S. to lower reciprocal tariffs from 25 percent to 15 percent, in return for massive investment and wider market opening. After intensive monthlong negotiations that went down to the wire before the Aug. 1 deadline set by Trump, South Korean trade officials, led by Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol, pledged to invest a massive US$350 billion in the U.S. including $150 billion in the shipbuilding industry and $200 billion in the semiconductor and biotechnology sectors, under what Trump called a "full and complete" trade deal. South Korea also promised to purchase $100 billion worth of liquefied natural gas and other energy products from the U.S. The 15 percent reciprocal tariffs are equivalent to those of Japan and Europe, which recently concluded their trade talks with the U.S., although Seoul was unable to secure further reductions in the rate for automobiles to remain competitive in the global market. But Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social, "This sum will be announced within the next two weeks when comes to the White House for a Bilateral Meeting," suggesting possible adjustments to the deal. According to government sources here, Lee, who missed a couple of occasions to meet with Trump on the sidelines of global gatherings, is now arranging his schedule for his first bilateral talks with the U.S. Further details of the tariff deal are also expected to be discussed and disclosed at the summit. Lee is likely to visit Washington in mid-August, more than two months after taking office in early June. His trip will probably take place before or after a large-scale ceremony in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, which is planned to be held in coincidence with the Aug. 15 Liberation Day, celebrating his inauguration following the previous low-key ceremony on June 4. 2025-07-31 14:34:38

[[K-Drama]] 'Squid Game' finale holds top spot on Netflix's non-English chart for fifth consecutive week SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - The third and final season of Netflix's South Korean series "Squid Game" topped its weekly charts for non-English shows last week, the American streaming giant said on Wednesday. The dystopian thriller garnered 4.6 million views or 28.59 million viewing hours worldwide in the third week of July to claim the top spot on Netflix's ranking website Tudum's weekly chart for non-English shows, extending its streak for the fifth consecutive week since its release late last month. The latest series has now accumulated 134.7 million views to become the third-most-watched show on Netflix's all-time chart, with its two previous seasons taking the top two spots. The six-episode finale continues the deadly, high-stakes saga that began with its first season in September 2021, once again revolving around hundreds of cash-strapped players who "accept a strange invitation to compete in children's games" for a tempting prize. Also included in Tudum's top ten was crime drama "Trigger" starring Kim Nam-gil and Kim Young-kwang, which debuted at No. 4 after its release last Friday. Meanwhile, "Wall to Wall" starring Kang Ha-neul, also released last Friday, topped Netflix's weekly chart for non-English movies, racking up 7.8 million views in just about a week. The film revolves around a man who spent all his savings buying a new apartment, only to uncover "disturbing noises, hostile neighbors, and unsettling secrets" within its walls. 2025-07-30 14:09:06

Elderly population surpasses 10 million SEOUL, July 29 (AJP) - The elderly population in South Korea surpassed 10 million for the first time, Statistics Korea said Tuesday. Those aged 65 and older stood at 10.12 million as of November last year, accounting for 19.5 percent of the total population of 51.81 million, roughly one in five. That also brought the average age of the population to 46.2. Amid an aging society with a super-low birthrate, the elderly population has steadily increased in recent years from 8.71 million in 2021 to 9.61 million in 2023, while the working-age population continues to dwindle. Those aged 15 to 64 stood at 36.26 million last year, down 283,000 from a year ago, with the number of children also dropping by 199,000 to 5.42 million during the same period, further worsening the demographic imbalance. Despite this trend, the total population rose slightly to 51.81 million, up 31,000 from the previous year, mainly due to the influx of foreigners who came here for work or study. The number of South Koreans declined by 77,000 to 49.76 million, but the number of foreign residents increased by 108,000 to 2.04 million, surpassing 2 million for the first time. Among them, ethnic Chinese Koreans accounted for the largest number at 538,000, followed by Vietnamese at 285,000 and Chinese at 223,000. 2025-07-29 16:41:57