Brutal murder ignites debate on bladed weapon regulations in Korea

SEOUL, August 7 (AJU PRESS) - On the night of July 30, a man wielding a katana, a traditional Japanese sword, attacked a 43-year-old father of two who was returning home from a smoke break at a Seoul apartment complex. The victim, suffering from severe gashes, fled in terror as the assailant pursued him for over 30 meters. Tragically, he succumbed to his injuries before reaching medical care. This grisly incident, the third murder case involving a katana since 2021, has ignited a he

August 8, 2024

Electrical issues caused over 50 percent of underground parking fires, report reveals

SEOUL, August 8 (AJU PRESS) - More than half of car fires in underground parking lots over the past decade were caused by electrical problems, according to a report released Thursday by the Seoul Metropolitan Fire & Disaster Headquarters. Between 2013 and 2022, 1,399 fires were reported in underground parking lots, with 611 of these incidents (47.7 percent) involving vehicles. Among these vehicle fires, 324 cases (53 percent) were attributed to electrical issues such as overload

August 8, 2024

Opinion: Russia's Relentless Suppression of Free Expression

KENOSHA, August 08 (AJU PRESS) - The release of targeted journalist Evan Gershkovich of "The Wall Street Journal" and 15 others politically imprisoned in Russia is cause for relief and rejoicing. Eight prisoners held in the West, including a murderer, were also released in the largest such exchange since the Cold War. Gershkovich represents a highly respected, influential-news organization. He also personifies Russia dictator’s Vladimir Putin’s long-term repr

August 8, 2024

Seoul ponders if N. Korean athletes' acceptance of Samsung phones violates UN sanctions

SEOUL, August 8 (AJU PRESS) - South Korea will figure out whether North Korean athletes participating at the Summer Olympics in Paris, France violate United Nations Security Council resolutions by accepting smartphones from Samsung Electronics, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Thursday. Samsung, the official sponsor of this year's Olympics, provided its special edition "Galaxy Z Flip 6" foldable smartphones to all athletes and personnel participating in the

August 8, 2024

Kakao founder indicted for stock price rigging

SEOUL, August 8 (AJU PRESS) - The prosecution indicted Kim Beom-su, the founder of Kakao Corp., on Thursday on charges of stock manipulation related to the tech giant's 2023 takeover of SM Entertainment. Kim had been arrested on July 23 for violating the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act. The Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office also sent former Kakao Corp. CEO Hong Eun-taek and former Kakao Entertainment CEO Kim Sung-soo to trial on the same ch

August 8, 2024

S&P upgrades SK Hynix rating, citing strong HBM performance

SEOUL, August 08 (AJU PRESS) - S&P Global Ratings has upgraded SK hynix's credit rating to 'BBB' from 'BBB-', the company's highest-ever rating from the agency. The outlook remains stable. The upgrade reflects SK hynix's strong market position in high bandwidth memory (HBM) and expectations of improved financial performance. S&P projects the company's annual earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) to reach 34

August 8, 2024

Electric vehicle explosion sparks safety concerns in Korea

SEOUL, August 8 (AJU PRESS) - Concerns are growing among Korean consumers about the safety of electric vehicles following a recent EV explosion in Incheon, west of Seoul. On August 1, a Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan exploded in the underground parking garage of an apartment complex, sparking a fire that injured about 20 people and damaged over 100 cars. Investigations are still underway to determine the exact cause of the fire. Experts have suggested overcharging or initial defects in

August 8, 2024

N. Korean envoy arrives in Viet Nam amid Pyongyang's move to resume diplomacy

SEOUL, August 8 (AJU PRESS) - North Korea's new ambassador to Viet Nam arrived in Hanoi earlier this week, becoming the isolated country's first envoy abroad since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Ri Sung-kuk replaces his predecessor Kim Myong-gil, who returned to Pyongyang in April 2019. The post had remained vacant since then. His appointment and arrival at the overseas mission came after Ri Ryong-nam was appointed as ambassador to China in 2021. Vietnam'

August 8, 2024

Monks make debut as K-pop group to spread Buddhism

SEOUL, August 8 (AJU PRESS) - Some 10 monks and nuns have teamed up to promote Buddhism, starting their activities with a debut stage in the southern port city of Busan on Thursday, according to the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. The Korea's largest Buddhist organization said BTENS will help people find peace and solace through the religious method of meditation. "Korea topped the suicide rate among OECD countries. We pondered what we can do about this as religious peo

August 8, 2024

Badminton legend critiques rising star

SEOUL, August 08 (AJU PRESS) - Bang Soo-hyun, the gold medalist in women’s singles in badminton at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and now a prominent TV commentator, has expressed disappointment in badminton star An Se-young's recent public criticism of the Badminton Korea Association. In a radio interview, Wednesday, Bang said An’s decision to publicly air grievances about the association immediately after winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics was “regret

August 8, 2024