Journalist

LEE KEONHEE
  • Actress Ku Hye-sun Defends Price of Patented ‘KOOROLL’ Hair Roller
    Actress Ku Hye-sun Defends Price of Patented ‘KOOROLL’ Hair Roller Actress Ku Hye-sun has addressed criticism over the price of her patented hair roller, ‘KOOROLL.’ Ku wrote on her social media on the 5th that KOOROLL “removes more than 80% of the plastic” used in conventional round hair rollers. She said that unlike round rollers, which can tangle with hair and become dirty, KOOROLL can be unfolded to remove hair easily and then returns to its original shape. She added that the product is durable and “can be used permanently.” Ku said the initial production run was small, raising costs, and that “for that reason the price is currently on the high side,” but she plans to offer discounts and other promotions so consumers are not burdened. She also promoted the product, saying, “If you consider the environment, choose ‘KOOROLL.’” Debate flared online after Ku shared a link to the official sales website along with pricing information. Typical hair rollers generally cost about 400 to 500 won, and even some higher-priced products are often in the 4,000 to 5,000 won range. Ku recently received a master’s degree in engineering from the Graduate School of Science Journalism at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, known as KAIST. KOOROLL was selected as a recipient of South Korea’s Excellent Patent Award in 2025. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-05 15:54:15
  • YouTuber Kim Seon-tae Says Impostor X Account Is Using His Name
    YouTuber Kim Seon-tae Says Impostor X Account Is Using His Name Kim Seon-tae, who was known as “Chungju Man,” said he has been targeted by an impersonator on X.  Kim wrote on his social media on March 5, “This is an impersonation X account. Please report it,” and posted a photo showing the account. The impersonating account had 4,526 followers.  Online commenters reacted with posts such as “What happened?” “An impersonation account is a sign of success,” and “How far does his influence reach?”  Kim opened his YouTube channel, “Kim Seon-tae,” on March 2. As of March 5, it had about 962,000 subscribers. A video he posted March 3 titled “I’m Kim Seon-tae” had 5.63 million views.  The surge in attention has raised expectations that he will reach 1 million subscribers through his personal channel, a milestone he had hoped to achieve while working as a Chungju city government employee. The report said companies have also been flooding him with advertising inquiries. 2026-03-05 13:48:16
  • Internet Press Ethics Panel Launches Fair Election Coverage Support Ahead of June 3 Local Vote
    Internet Press Ethics Panel Launches Fair Election Coverage Support Ahead of June 3 Local Vote The Internet Newspaper Ethics Commission and the Internet Election News Deliberation Commission said Thursday they will jointly launch the “2026 9th Nationwide Local Elections Fair Election Coverage Support Project” to help online news outlets provide fair and responsible coverage ahead of the June 3 vote. Marking 90 days before election day, the two bodies began distributing the first installment of a “Fair Election Coverage Practice Guide,” providing training on fair election reporting for employees of outlets that have pledged to participate in the ethics panel, and opening a special online bulletin board for election-coverage consultations. With more reporting expected on opinion polls, allegations and quoted claims during the campaign, the project aims to build a prevention-focused support system that can be used in newsrooms. It will center on standards for publishing election poll results and precautions in reporting, practical guidance for election newsgathering and writing, and considerations for coverage involving deepfakes and AI tools. The two organizations plan to jointly distribute the guide four times, timed to D-90, D-60, D-40 and D-20. The ethics commission will produce and distribute practice-oriented materials by adding examples from actual deliberation decisions, while the election news deliberation commission will provide standards-focused content, including revised review rules, major types of violations and time-specific precautions. Also Thursday, the ethics commission will hold an online video lecture for employees of participating outlets. The session will cover standards for reporting election polls, practical election reporting and major deliberation cases, focusing on points journalists should watch for in the reporting process. To respond quickly to newsroom-level questions that arise during election coverage, the ethics commission opened a “Fair Election Coverage Consultation” bulletin board on its website, which the two bodies will jointly operate through election day. The two organizations have continued joint efforts to foster a fair election reporting environment for online media since signing a cooperation agreement in 2018. The ethics commission said it has used accumulated deliberation cases and operating experience as the only self-regulatory body for internet newspapers to help check and prevent potential fairness and objectivity issues in election coverage. They said they plan to strengthen cooperation through the joint project to raise the voluntary accountability of online media and help establish a culture of fair election reporting.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-05 10:36:17
  • Director Jang Hang-jun Walks Back 10 Million-Viewer Pledge for ‘A Man Living With the King’
    Director Jang Hang-jun Walks Back 10 Million-Viewer Pledge for ‘A Man Living With the King’ Film director Jang Hang-jun has scrapped the pledge he made if his movie ‘A Man Living With the King’ reaches 10 million viewers.  Jang appeared as a guest on ‘Bae Seong-jae’s Ten Wednesday Live,’ released March 4 on the YouTube channel ‘SBS Radio Erao.’ The appearance drew attention because it marked his return after making the pledge in January. In January, Jang said, “If it somehow becomes a 10 million-viewer film, I’ll change my phone number, change my name, and get plastic surgery so no one can recognize me.” He also said he was “considering naturalization,” adding that he did not want people looking for him and that he would have to throw a party on a boat.  The remarks were made as a joke at the time, as he hoped the film would at least break even. But the movie has surpassed 9 million viewers, putting 10 million within reach.  Jang reversed course, saying, “I’m grateful for the attention, but I didn’t think this would become news.” He added that he never expected the film to hit 10 million and that he made the comments while worrying whether it could even pass the break-even point.  Looking back, he said he was relieved he had not pledged to give away half his assets, and asked, “How can you live while keeping every pledge?” Instead, he said he would hold a coffee-truck event in about two weeks. 2026-03-05 08:00:38
  • Kim Seon-tae’s New YouTube Channel Ties Chungju City’s Official ChungTV in Subscribers
    Kim Seon-tae’s New YouTube Channel Ties Chungju City’s Official ChungTV in Subscribers Kim Seon-tae, known as the original “Chungju Man,” has seen his new YouTube channel reach parity with Chungju City’s official YouTube channel, “ChungTV,” in subscriber count. As of 4:50 p.m. on March 4, the channel “Kim Seon-tae,” created by Kim, had 775,000 subscribers. Kim opened the channel on March 2. After news of it spread more widely on March 3, subscriptions rose sharply. Attention has focused on whether Kim’s channel will overtake ChungTV. ChungTV also stood at 775,000 subscribers. Kim, who had built up ChungTV since 2019, matched its subscriber total just two days after launching his own channel. ChungTV’s subscriber count fell sharply after news spread that Kim had retired. Kim posted a video on March 3 titled “I’m Kim Seon-tae.” A ChungTV administrator drew notice by commenting, “Seon-tae, my Seon-tae.” * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-04 16:57:23
  • Actress Nam Bo-ra Asks Fans About Her Pregnancy Bump in SNS Post
    Actress Nam Bo-ra Asks Fans About Her Pregnancy Bump in SNS Post Actress Nam Bo-ra asked followers for advice about her pregnancy bump.  Nam posted a photo on her social media on the 4th with the caption, "How far out does your belly go?"  In the photo, she wears leggings and shows her baby bump.   Nam held a wedding ceremony last May with a businessman her age. She is due to give birth to a son in June. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-04 16:39:14
  • Singer Navi Shares Maternity Photos as She Nears Due Date
    Singer Navi Shares Maternity Photos as She Nears Due Date Singer Navi, whose real name is Ahn Ji-ho, has shared maternity photos as she nears the end of her pregnancy. On Tuesday, she posted photos on social media with the caption, "3+1=4." In the images, she highlights her baby bump. Online commenters responded with messages including, "So beautiful," and, "Wishing you a safe delivery." Navi married Cho Sung-hwan, a retired soccer player, in 2019. She gave birth to a son in 2021 and is currently pregnant with a daughter, due in April. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-04 16:18:15
  • Kim Seon-tae’s New YouTube Channel Nears Chungju City’s ChungTV Subscriber Count
    Kim Seon-tae’s New YouTube Channel Nears Chungju City’s ChungTV Subscriber Count Kim Seon-tae, who became widely known as “Chungju Man” while working as a public official, is seeing rapid growth for his newly launched YouTube channel and is closing in on the subscriber count of Chungju City’s official channel, “ChungTV.” News spread on March 3 that Kim opened the channel “Kim Seon-tae” on March 2, drawing attention online. As of the morning of March 3, it had not yet reached 10,000 subscribers. By about 1:20 p.m. on March 4, the channel had about 720,000 subscribers. Viewers are now watching to see whether Kim’s channel will overtake ChungTV, which has about 774,000 subscribers. ChungTV is a channel Kim planned and built himself. After news of his retirement, ChungTV’s subscriber count, which had topped 900,000, fell sharply. In a video posted the previous day, Kim said, “The fundamental reason I started thinking about leaving was that I’d done what I could,” adding, “1 million was the original goal, and I felt I’d done my duty.” He said, “In the end, I started YouTube because I wanted to try things freely,” adding, “This is the only thing I can do. I wanted to make more money.” Kim also said he is 40 and wanted to show what he can do before getting older. “Even if it doesn’t work out, I’m not the type to have regrets, so I want to establish myself as a YouTuber,” he said.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-04 13:30:10
  • Braves’ Jurickson Profar Tests Positive for PEDs Again, Facing 162-Game Ban
    Braves’ Jurickson Profar Tests Positive for PEDs Again, Facing 162-Game Ban Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar, a teammate of infielder Kim Ha-seong, has tested positive for a banned substance for the second time in his career. ESPN reported that a performance-enhancing drug was detected in Profar’s drug test on March 4 (Korean time). Profar previously tested positive last year and was suspended for 80 games. With a second violation, he now faces a 162-game suspension. Profar became the sixth player to be caught twice in MLB drug testing since the league strengthened penalties in 2014, according to the report. Before the 2025 season, Profar signed a three-year, $42 million contract with Atlanta. If the suspension is finalized, he would forfeit his $15 million salary for this season. Profar, who is from Curacao in the Netherlands, had been expected to play for the Netherlands in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, but his participation is now in doubt. Profar and Kim have been close friends, playing together with the San Diego Padres and again in Atlanta. 2026-03-04 09:30:55
  • Wolves Beat Liverpool 2-1 as Hwang Hee-chan Returns to Bench After Injury
    Wolves Beat Liverpool 2-1 as Hwang Hee-chan Returns to Bench After Injury Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Hwang Hee-chan, sidelined by injury, was back in the matchday squad, raising expectations he could return to action soon. Wolverhampton beat Liverpool 2-1 in a 2025-2026 English Premier League Round 29 home match at Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton, England, on Tuesday (Korean time). The win was the club’s second straight and cut the gap to last place, narrowing the deficit to Burnley (16 points), which has played one fewer match, to three points. Hwang was named among the substitutes. He started the club’s Round 25 home match against Chelsea on Feb. 8 but was substituted in the 43rd minute of the first half after complaining of calf muscle pain. He was then left out of the squad for four straight matches. With Hwang back on the bench, his on-field return appears close. The development could also be a boost for Hong Myung-bo’s national team ahead of the North American World Cup, as Hwang’s speed and physical play can add another attacking option.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-03-04 08:42:16