Annual Boryeong Mud Festival awaits summer revelers

SEOUL, July 18 (AJU PRESS) - One of Korea's most popular summer festivals kicked off in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province on Friday, which is famous for its beautiful beaches and skin-cleansing sludge. The annual Boryeong Mud Festival, now in its 27th year, runs its two-week-long mud-themed madness until Aug. 4, inviting tourists to a variety of fun activities like mud slides, mud wrestling, mud massages, and body painting with mud. Visitors can also unwind through a numb

July 19, 2024

PHOTOS: Koreans pay respects to Marine killed in flood rescue operation one year ago

SEOUL, July 19 (AJU PRESS) - Koreans paid their tributes on Friday to Marine Cpl. Chae Su-geun, who died during flood relief operations one year ago. He was swept away by a torrent in a stream during a search operation for civilians missing amid heavy rains on July 19, 2023. Politicians, military personnel, and citizens paid their respects at his grave at the National Cemetery in Daejeon and other memorial places, including one set up by former marines in central Seoul. The military’

July 19, 2024

SK Ecoplant expects acquisition of two group subsidiaries will bolster competitiveness

SEOUL, July 19 (AJU PRESS) - SK Ecoplant, a Korean environmental and infrastructure company, said Friday its planned acquisition of two SK Group affiliates will enhance its core competitiveness and future growth engines. On Thursday, the company’s board approved a plan to take over Essencore, a semiconductor module manufacturer, and SK Materials AirPlus Co., an industrial gas producer, through share exchanges with parent company SK Inc. Essencore, headquartered in Hong Kong

July 19, 2024

Samsung Electronics dominates JD Power customer satisfaction rankings in U.S.

SEOUL, July 19 (AJU PRESS) - Samsung Electronics has secured the top position in 10 out of 11 appliance categories in JD Power's 2024 Kitchen and Laundry Appliance Satisfaction Study. This achievement surpasses their previous record of nine category wins in 2021, earning Samsung the title of "Most Awarded Brand for Kitchen and Laundry Appliances." The annual study, conducted by the U.S. market research firm, surveyed over 15,000 consumers who purchased appliances in th

July 19, 2024

JYP Entertainment to make foray into Latin America

SEOUL, July 19 (AJU PRESS) - JYP Entertainment is set to venture into Latin America, riding the waves of K-pop's growing popularity across the globe. "We plan to establish a subsidiary in Latin America in the third quarter of this year," it said Thursday. The exact location of the subsidiary was not revealed yet, but it apparently aims to make its presence in the Spanish-language market, starting with its global audition project called "L2K," which

July 19, 2024

KakaoTalk dominates Korean messaging market, study shows

SEOUL, July 19 (AJU PRESS) - KakaoTalk remained the most widely used messaging platform in Korea last year, with 93.5 percent of users naming it as their primary choice, a government survey showed Friday. The study conducted in 2023 by the Ministry of Science and ICT also found that Kakao T led the ride-hailing sector with an 86.6 percent market share, while Instagram topped social networking services at 36.3 percent. In e-commerce, the survey noted a high rate of "multi-hom

July 19, 2024

Opinion: Joe Biden has COVID. Here's what someone over 80 can expect

SEOUL, July 19 (AJU PRESS) - If U.S. politics leading up to the 2024 presidential election was a Hollywood thriller, it would be a movie full of plot twists and surprises. The latest twist is President Joe Biden has COVID and is isolating at home. Biden's doctor says his symptoms are mild and include a runny nose, cough and generally feeling unwell. His temperature, oxygen levels and respiratory rate are said to be normal. Biden, who has been diagnosed with COVID twice before

July 19, 2024

Torrential downpours hit capital region

SEOUL, July 18 (AJU PRESS) - Torrential downpours drenched Seoul and many other parts of the country on Thursday. Heavy rain alerts were issued in the Seoul metropolitan areas, along with landslide warnings in parts of Gangwon and South Chungcheong provinces. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, Paju, Gyeonggi Province, was the hardest hit, with an hourly precipitation of 75.1 mm at one point in the early morning hours, after having already been battered by over

July 18, 2024

Supreme court grants spousal health insurance coverage for same-sex couples in Korea

SEOUL, July 18 (AJU PRESS) - The Supreme Court ruled that the government should provide spousal health insurance coverage for those in same-sex relationships. The court, in a historic ruling, upheld in favor of the plaintiff, So Seong-wook, in his lawsuit against the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS). In Korea, the person designated as the head of the household pays for health insurance bills for the entire family. So, who married his partner Kim Yong-min in 2019, was in

July 18, 2024

PHOTOS: Students explore diverse careers at Seoul fair

SEOUL, July 18 (AJU PRESS) - The 2024 Seoul Career Fair is now underway at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) from Wednesday to Friday. Visitors can explore and experience various career paths in the annual event which was launched 2011.

July 18, 2024