Pinkfong's animation show 'Bebefinn Playtime' tops Netflix chart in eight countries

SEOUL -- "Bebefinn Playtime," an animation show created by South Korea’s educational entertainment company Pinkfong has garnered popularity mainly in English-speaking countries on Netflix. The animation content topped the over-the-top (OTT) service's daily chart featuring popular children's content in eight countries. Bebefinn Playtime was created in December 2023 as a follow-up to "Bebefinn," a three-dimensional animated series featuring the five

January 2, 2024

Historical film depicting 1979 military coup garners more than 12 mln viewers in less than 2 months

SEOUL -- "12:12 The Day," a historical film directed by Kim Sung-su, has garnered more than 12 million moviegoers in less than two months of release. Normally, any film that attracts more than 10 million people in South Korea with a population of about 5.2 million is considered a successful work. The military coup took place on December 12, 1979, after the assassination of President Park Chung-hee. Major General Chun Doo-hwan, who led the coup, took control of the govern

January 2, 2024

NewJeans performs on US broadcaster ABC's special New Year's Eve show

SEOUL -- NewJeans has become the first K-pop girl band to interact with American fans through an annual special New Year's Eve show hosted by American broadcaster ABC. The program titled "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest" broadcasts the countdown event at Times Square in New York and showcases promising artists of the year. The group's agency ADOR said on January 1 that NewJeans appeared on New Year's Rockin' Eve. The five-

January 2, 2024

Majority of S. Koreans born in 1988 are unmarried: report

SEOUL -- Among some 633,000 South Koreans born in 1988, only 49.2 percent tied the knot with their partners, data released by South Korea's statistical information service showed. Among married individuals born in 1988, three out of ten couples do not have a child. Those born in 1988 are currently 34 or 35 years old. Many young South Koreans are less interested in marriage due to costly expenses and unstable employment. In 2022, around 191,700 South Korean couples got married

December 29, 2023

Usage rate of smartphones among people in 60s similar to level of young people: survey

SEOUL -- The usage rate of smartphones among South Koreans in their 60s is similar to that of people in their 20s, a survey showed. More than 66 percent of people aged 70 years and older use smartphones. According to a survey of 7,055 people aged 13 years and older, conducted by South Korea's media and communications watchdog between June and August 2023, 96.2 percent of people in their 60s owned a smartphone while 99.8 percent of people in their 20s had one. The high level

December 29, 2023

AI-based CCTV cameras to be installed across Seoul by 2026 to monitor violent crimes

SEOUL -- Seoul will install artificial intelligence-based closed-circuit television cameras across the city to detect abnormal activities and notify monitoring agents if a person is in need. Among some 160,000 closed-circuit television cameras in the capital city, about 85,000 of them will be replaced with smart monitoring solutions. AI-based CCTV systems that recognize people and their surroundings are used for early signs of accidents or crimes. According to data released by Seoul

December 29, 2023

S. Korea's major brewer Hite Jinro to target young whisky lovers in 2024

SEOUL -- Major brewer Hite Jinro targets young South Korean consumers in their 20s and 30s with lineups such as whisky and spirits. The beverage company has recently become the importer and distributor of Cutty Sark, a popular brand of blended Scotch whisky, to maintain its position as the top player in South Korea's alcoholic beverage market estimated to exceed one billion trillion won ($7.7 billion) in 2023. According to the state customs office, a total of 26,937 tons of

December 29, 2023

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries creates fire emergency leaflets for foreign workers

SEOUL -- To protect foreign employees from fire accidents, South Korea's HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has created fire emergency leaflets in 16 languages including English, Chinese, Russian, Mongolian, and Nepali. The leaflets will be distributed to some 3,500 foreign workers including members of the conglomerate's in-house partner groups. HD Hyundai Heavy said on December 28 that the company worked with a fire station in the southeastern industrial city of Ulsan to produce l

December 28, 2023

S-OIL receives regulatory exemption for processing of bio-based raw materials through refining process

SEOUL -- S-OIL, one of South Korea's major oil refiners, has secured government approval to demonstrate the processing of bio-based raw materials, including animal and plant-based oils, within its existing petroleum refining process. This regulatory approval, granted through the sandbox program, allows the refiner to assess the effectiveness of bio-based fuel and chemical production techniques. The regulatory sandbox program provides exemptions for regulations governing new prod

December 28, 2023

Historical film about 1979 military coup d'état in Seoul exceeds $1 million in ticket sales in N. America

SEOUL -- "12.12: The Day," a historical film directed by Kim Sung-su, has surpassed $1 million in ticket sales in North America. The movie portrays the 1979 military coup d'état in Seoul which pushed South Korea into a new eight-year era of military dictatorship. The military coup took place on December 12, 1979, after the assassination of President Park Chung-hee. Major General Chun Doo-hwan, who led the coup, took control of the government and declared martial

December 28, 2023