Journalist

Kang So-young
  • BLACKPINKs Jennie rakes in billions after establishing her own agency
    BLACKPINK's Jennie rakes in billions after establishing her own agency SEOUL, May 12 (AJP) - K-pop star Jennie of BLACKPINK has earned more than 23 billion Korean won (about US$16 million) in just two years since launching her own agency. According to the Financial Supervisory Service's electronic corporate disclosure, OA Entertainment, founded by Jennie, paid her 9.48 billion won last year and 14.31 billion won the year before. The combined total over the two-year period amounts to approximately 23.8 billion won. OA Entertainment posted 23.8 billion won in revenue last year, up 26 percent from a year earlier. Jennie owns 100 percent of the company, while her mother serves as its CEO. Jennie's activities as a member of the quartet are handled through YG Entertainment, while her solo activities are managed through OA Entertainment. While no detailed breakdown is available, industry insiders say most of the revenue likely came from Jennie's solo activities including advertising and promotional endorsement deals. The flamboyant star set up OA Entertainment in November 2023, shortly after her exclusive contract with YG Entertainment ended, posting 18.9 billion won in revenue in its first year. But operating profit fell to 390 million won last year from 580 million won in 2024, attributed to increased investment in infrastructure and staffing. It has nine employees, with total compensation paid to staff last year standing at about 1.08 billion won. Last month, Jennie was included in TIME magazine's annual list of the "100 Most Influential People" for this year. 2026-05-12 10:31:53
  • Young Investor Turns 26 Million Won from Samsung Stock, While Another Regrets Selling
    Young Investor Turns 26 Million Won from Samsung Stock, While Another Regrets Selling As semiconductor stocks continue to rise, a 1992-born office worker has gained attention for turning her investments into assets worth over 2.6 billion won (approximately $2 million) in just six years. In a recent post on the anonymous workplace community "Blind," a woman identified as A shared her experience as a "six-year stock investor," expressing her astonishment at surpassing 2 billion won in assets. A reported her total investment assets at approximately 2.6455 billion won, with domestic stocks valued at 1.996 billion won and a return of 153.14%. Her overseas stock assets amounted to 570.9 million won, yielding a return of 70.84%. She stated, "I kept two separate ledgers to grow my seed capital. The significant boost came when I started buying Samsung Electronics' HBM (High Bandwidth Memory) and foundry stocks after their prices plummeted in 2024." A added, "I never sold a single share of the semiconductor stocks I bought. Over six years, my realized gains included an initial investment of about 500 million won. Coming from a 'dirt spoon' background, I don't have wealthy friends to share my success with, so I posted in this community to find others who understand my journey." In contrast, another story emerged from a worker at an accounting firm, identified as B, who regretted selling all his Samsung Electronics shares last October to purchase a newlywed home. He sold his stocks to buy a house priced at 1.8 billion won but now feels remorseful. B explained that he liquidated his Samsung shares, worth about 500 million won, to afford the apartment in Mapo, Seoul. He stated, "To buy the house, I borrowed 900 million won, including a negative bank account and help from my parents. Although the house price has increased by about 100 million won since then, if I had held onto my Samsung shares, their current value would be around 2 billion won." B lamented, "If I had just held on, I would have had 2 billion won without any debt." He also mentioned that excluding the money borrowed from his parents, he is paying about 3.8 million won monthly for a loan of 700 million won. B expressed his frustration, saying, "Even with a monthly net salary of 6.5 million won, I am left with only 2.7 million won after loan repayments, which is a miserable and infuriating situation." Reactions from netizens to these contrasting stories included comments like, "I believe there are about 100,000 people in Korea who missed out on similar opportunities as B," and "If stocks hadn't risen, people would have been happy about rising house prices." Meanwhile, as of 9:30 a.m. on May 11, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix both reached record highs in early trading. Samsung Electronics traded at 286,000 won, up 6.52%, and briefly hit a record high of 286,500 won. SK Hynix surged 9.91% to 1,853,000 won, reaching an intraday high of 1,859,000 won. According to the Korea Exchange, Samsung Electronics received the highest number of individual orders last month, totaling 204,025, while SK Hynix had 142,668 orders, reflecting expectations for a prolonged boom in the memory sector.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-11 10:30:13
  • Gwangju Police to Review Whether to Release Suspect’s Identity in Teen Killing
    Gwangju Police to Review Whether to Release Suspect’s Identity in Teen Killing Gwangju police are weighing whether to publicly release the identity of a man in his 20s accused of fatally stabbing a high school girl and attacking a high school boy with a knife on a street at night. The Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency said Tuesday it plans to review whether to disclose the suspect’s personal information — a 24-year-old identified by the surname Jang — on May 7 or 8. Jang was arrested on an emergency basis on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. Police allege Jang stabbed a 17-year-old girl, identified only as A, killing her on a sidewalk along a major road in Wolgye-dong, Gwangsan-gu, at about 12:11 a.m. Tuesday. He is also accused of swinging the weapon at a 17-year-old boy, identified as B. Under South Korea’s law on disclosing information about suspects in certain serious crimes, authorities may release a suspect’s identity if conditions are met, including severe harm, the brutality of the method, sufficient evidence, the public’s right to know and the public interest. Police said they consider Jang eligible for review and are forming a panel of up to 10 members, including internal and external participants. They plan to seek an arrest warrant later Tuesday, and a hearing to review the warrant is scheduled for May 7. Police said Jang fled after the attack and was arrested at about 11:24 a.m. Tuesday near his home in Wolgye-dong. In questioning, Jang told police, “Life wasn’t fun, so I was thinking about suicide and decided to commit the crime,” according to investigators. Police said he decided to attack after seeing A walking alone. A was taken to a hospital but died. B was injured but was reported to be in no life-threatening condition. The report said A had hoped to become an emergency medical technician and was attacked while returning home after studying late. 2026-05-06 14:01:07
  • Do Divorce Settlements Include Big Bonuses? Lawyer Weighs Factors as SK hynix Payouts Draw Attention
    Do Divorce Settlements Include Big Bonuses? Lawyer Weighs Factors as SK hynix Payouts Draw Attention 최근 SK하이닉스의 억대 성과급이 화두로 떠오르면서, 이혼 시 성과급이 재산분할 대상에 포함되는지에 대한 논의도 이어지고 있다. 다만 전문가는 “혼인 기간 중 기여도에 따라 달라질 수 있다”며 신중한 접근이 필요하다고 말했다. 지난 3일 유튜브 채널 ‘양나래 변호사’에는 결혼 7년 차에 자녀 1명을 둔 여성 A씨의 사연이 소개됐다. A씨는 신혼 1년을 제외하면 남편과 행복한 시간이 거의 없었다고 했다. 가정폭력이나 외도는 없었지만 성향과 성격 차이로 갈등이 커졌고, 아이 때문에 결혼 생활을 이어왔다고 설명했다. 두 사람은 대화 없이 지내다 협의 이혼을 하기로 했고, 위자료 없이 재산을 6대4로 나누기로 합의해 공증까지 마쳤다. A씨는 자녀를 양육하는 조건으로 40%를 받기로 했으며, 남편도 동의해 법원에 협의이혼 신청서만 제출하면 되는 상황이었다. 그러나 A씨는 지인들로부터 남편이 억대 성과급을 받을 수 있다는 이야기를 들었다. 지인들이 “성과급도 결국 네 몫 아니냐”고 말하자 A씨는 고민에 빠졌다고 했다. A씨는 인터넷 검색을 통해 “재산분할 기준은 변론 종결 시점”이라는 내용을 접한 뒤 생각을 바꿨다. 이혼 소송 중 남편이 성과급을 받으면 그 금액도 분할 대상이 될 수 있다고 보고, 협의이혼을 취소하고 소송을 하기로 결심했다. 이에 대해 Yang Narae 변호사는 “원칙적으로는 ‘변론 종결 시점’의 재산을 기준으로 하지만, 실무에서는 예금·주식처럼 변동성이 큰 자산은 ‘혼인 파탄 시점(보통 소 제기 시점)’을 기준으로 보는 경우가 많다”고 말했다. 그는 “성과급의 산정 대상이 되는 근로 기간이 혼인 기간과 겹친다면 배우자의 기여분을 일부 인정할 여지가 있다”면서도 “성과급을 받는 시기, 성과급 기준 기간, 부부 관계가 파탄 난 시기, 공동 재산에서 성과급이 차지하는 비중 등을 종합적으로 반영하게 된다”고 말했다. A씨 사례처럼 사실상 각자 독립적으로 생활해 왔다면, 남편의 근로에 대한 아내의 기여도가 낮게 평가돼 분할이 인정되지 않거나 줄어들 수 있다고 조언했다. 또 “이미 협의이혼에서 유리한 조건을 확보했다면 소송 비용과 시간까지 고려해 신중히 판단해야 한다”고 덧붙였다. 한편 SK하이닉스는 반도체 호황으로 올해 영업이익이 250조 원으로 추측된다는 관측이 나오고 있다. 영업이익의 10%를 성과급으로 지급하는 제도를 운영해 임직원 약 3만 5000명이 1인당 약 7억 원의 성과급을 받을 수 있다는 전망도 제기됐다. 앞서 지난 2월 SK하이닉스는 기본급의 2964%에 달하는 역대 최대 규모의 성과급을 지급했다. 연봉 1억 원 직원 기준 성과급은 약 1억 4820만 원(세전)으로 알려졌으며, 당시 주변 상권이 활성화되고 일부 직원들이 기부에 나서는 등 긍정적 효과도 있었다. 2026-05-06 09:27:16
  • Rapper Noel Shares Childhood Photo With Late Father Jang Je-won on Children’s Day
    Rapper Noel Shares Childhood Photo With Late Father Jang Je-won on Children’s Day Rapper Noel (26), whose real name is Jang Yong-jun, marked Children’s Day by recalling his childhood with his father, the late Jang Je-won, a lawmaker. On May 5, Noel posted a photo to his social media account without a caption. In the image, Jang is seen holding a young Noel in his arms, smiling broadly. Noel is also smiling playfully, creating a warm scene. Born in 2000, Noel became known through Mnet audition programs “High School Rapper” and “Show Me the Money 6.” In 2019, he received a sentence of 1 year and 6 months in prison, suspended for two years, over a drunk-driving crash. He also drew controversy after indications emerged that he called an acquaintance after the crash and tried to switch drivers. In 2021, Noel was sentenced to one year in prison on charges including unlicensed drunk driving and assaulting a police officer. He served the term and was released in October the following year. Jang, who was serving as a vice president at a university in Busan, was accused in November 2015 of sexually assaulting his secretary (quasi-rape causing injury). While under police investigation, he was found dead on March 31 last year at an officetel in Seoul’s Gangdong district.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-06 08:33:57
  • South Korea to Recruit 25,000 for Youth Savings Accounts Aimed at Low-Income Workers
    South Korea to Recruit 25,000 for Youth Savings Accounts Aimed at Low-Income Workers The South Korean government is rolling out a program to help low-income young workers build assets. On May 4, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said it will recruit 25,000 new participants for this year’s Youth Tomorrow Savings Account program from May 4 to 20. The program supports working young people on low incomes in saving a lump sum over a three-year term. Eligible applicants are working youths ages 15 to 39 in households earning 50% or less of the median income. Participants who save 100,000 to 500,000 won a month will receive a government match of 300,000 won per month. At maturity after three years, participants can receive a total of 14.4 million won, including their own savings, plus interest of up to 5% annually. Since its introduction in 2022, eligibility had been expanded to those at 100% or less of median income. Starting this year, however, the government said it will focus support on youths at 50% or less of median income — including basic livelihood recipients and the near-poor — with the launch of a new “Youth Future Savings” product. To receive the full payout at maturity, participants must keep working and make monthly deposits, complete 10 hours of self-reliance training through the asset-building portal and submit a plan for how the funds will be used. The ministry also said it improved program rules. Previously, deposits could be paused for up to six months for unavoidable reasons such as job loss, illness or an accident. The pause period has been extended to up to 12 months so accounts can be maintained even during temporary interruptions in income-generating activity. Applicants can apply online through the Bokjiro welfare portal or in person at an administrative welfare center in their local eup, myeon or dong within their city, county or district from May 4 to 20. Selection results will be announced individually by text message in August after reviews of income and assets. Those selected can open an account at a nearby Hana Bank branch or through the Hana Bank OneQ app, and begin saving from August. More information is available through the Korea Self-Sufficiency and Welfare Development Institute’s asset-building portal chatbot service, the asset-building support call center, or local administrative welfare centers.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-04 14:09:18
  • Resident Says Family Lost Home of 20 Years in Uiwang Apartment Fire
    Resident Says Family Lost Home of 20 Years in Uiwang Apartment Fire A resident who lived for more than 20 years in an apartment in Uiwang, south of Seoul, said the family lost everything after a fire that started in the unit below. A post circulating on social media on May 4 identified the writer, surnamed A, as a member of the family living directly above the unit where the fire began. A said the apartment was the first home the parents ever bought. “They lived there for more than 20 years, and overnight they lost everything,” A wrote. “We can’t even cry.” A said the family had been told some belongings might be salvageable, but found nothing could be recovered. “I’m so angry, and it hurts even more that I can’t help them,” A wrote. Because the fire started directly below, A said the damage was worse than in other units. A also said the family did not have fire insurance and that compensation for household items was small. A wrote that the parents did not want to ask even their children for help, despite needing basics such as clothing. Photos posted with the message showed furniture, including a bed, burned beyond recognition and reduced to blackened debris. In a later post, A said an insurance company would provide some compensation for the building and household items. A added that the family was recognized as displaced and would receive support for temporary housing. A said other affected families were still not receiving temporary housing support. A wrote that city assistance is provided per household, making it difficult for families of three or more to use nearby lodging, and that many residents were struggling because immediate housing support was limited. The fire began around 10:30 a.m. on April 30 on the 14th floor of the apartment building. A man in his 60s, identified as B, fell to his death, and his wife, a woman in her 50s, was found dead in the bathroom. Six other residents suffered minor injuries, including smoke inhalation. A note was found in B’s clothing expressing despair over personal circumstances, including financial hardship, authorities said. The couple’s apartment had recently been sold after going to auction, according to reports. A joint team from Uiwang police, the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency’s forensic unit, the National Forensic Service and the Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters conducted an on-site inspection on May 1 and confirmed a gas valve inside the unit had been left open. Investigators tentatively concluded that leaking gas led to an explosion.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-04 09:42:22
  • Actor Kim Soo-hyun Reportedly Seen Looking Gaunt in Seoul’s Seongsu-dong
    Actor Kim Soo-hyun Reportedly Seen Looking Gaunt in Seoul’s Seongsu-dong Actor Kim Soo-hyun, who has faced controversy over allegations tied to the late Kim Sae-ron, was recently spotted around Seoul’s Seongsu-dong, with an account saying he appeared noticeably thinner. In a video posted May 3 on the YouTube channel “Entertainment President Lee Jin-ho,” former entertainment reporter Lee Jin-ho said an acquaintance saw Kim by chance while passing through Seongsu-dong a few days earlier. “He looked visibly gaunt and worn down,” Lee said, citing the acquaintance. Lee added that the situation was understandable, saying that with various lawsuits, “even just breathing costs tens of millions of won every month,” and that the matter needs to end so things can be sorted out. Kim’s agency, Gold Medalist, has also been reported to be facing management difficulties as key actors have left the company. Kim is in a dispute with Kim Sae-ron’s bereaved family over when the two dated. The group Garosero Research Institute has alleged that Kim dated Kim Sae-ron starting when she was 15 and filed a complaint accusing him of violating the Child Welfare Act, among other allegations. Kim has said the two did date but only after she became an adult. At a news conference, he denied the allegation that the relationship began when she was a minor and filed complaints against Garosero and the bereaved family for defamation over the alleged spread of false information. Amid the dispute, cosmetics brand A, which Kim endorsed, has filed a damages lawsuit of about 2.8 billion won, alleging he violated a duty to maintain the dignity expected of a model. The court is expected to make a final decision in the civil case with the advertiser after reviewing the results of the ongoing criminal defamation investigation.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-05-04 09:22:14
  • Man Who Helped Rescue Victims in 2022 Itaewon Crush Found Dead After 10-Day Search
    Man Who Helped Rescue Victims in 2022 Itaewon Crush Found Dead After 10-Day Search A man in his 30s who took part in rescue efforts at the Oct. 29, 2022, Itaewon crowd crush was found dead 10 days after he went missing, according to reports. According to the Incheon Ilbo and other outlets, police said they found the body of A (37) at about 11:57 a.m. on April 29 in the area of Wangbangsan in Seondan-dong, Pocheon. A friend reported him missing to police on April 25, saying they had been unable to reach him since April 20. He was believed to have lost contact with family and acquaintances after leaving home that day. Seoul’s Guro Police Station, which received the initial report, traced his last known location to near Wangbangsan. Police, riot units and firefighters conducted a joint search and found him 10 days after he disappeared. Police said rigor mortis had set in when he was found, suggesting he had been dead for some time. Reports said A ran a business near the Hamilton Hotel in Seoul’s Yongsan district, where the Itaewon disaster occurred, and helped move injured people during the rescue effort. He was said to have suffered severe post-traumatic stress disorder after the disaster and to have complained of trauma and depression while also struggling financially amid a downturn in the area’s commercial activity. ※ If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or thoughts of self-harm, help is available 24 hours a day through the suicide prevention hotline 109 or via social media counseling “Madeleine” (an online friend who listens). 2026-04-29 15:19:39
  • Actress Tang Wei Faces Online Speculation About Second Pregnancy After Shanghai Event
    Actress Tang Wei Faces Online Speculation About Second Pregnancy After Shanghai Event Actress Tang Wei has become the subject of online speculation that she is pregnant with a second child. According to the entertainment industry on the 29th, Tang appeared at a brand event held April 26 in Shanghai, China. She wore a loose black dress and low-heeled shoes, and images of what some described as a visible baby bump spread quickly online. Fans said she appeared to be expecting, and Chinese media outlets also reported the claims, fueling the speculation. In March, Tang was also seen on a date with her husband, director Kim Tae-yong, in Sanlitun in Beijing. At the time, she wore an oversized check shirt that appeared to cover her abdomen, prompting similar talk. Tang’s side has not issued an official statement. Tang met Kim through the film “Late Autumn.” They married in July 2014 and have a daughter. Tang was born in 1979 and is 47, while Kim was born in 1969 and is 57. Separately, Tang has announced she will appear again in a film by director Park Chan-wook. It has been described as a Western about revenge and punishment set in a frontier era. Tang previously worked with Park on “Decision to Leave,” released in 2022.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-29 14:13:11