Boy band NCT Dream takes grand prize at Seoul Music Awards

SEOUL -- Multinational K-pop boy band NCT Dream was awarded the grand prize at South Korea's annual music awards for this year. The seven-member band took the first place at the Seoul Music Awards two years in a row. NCT Dream is a subgroup of NCT, an 18-member project group formed by SM Entertainment in 2016. Billboard chose NCT Dream as one of the 21 most talented artists or groups under the age of 21 for the third time in 2021. The Billboard list is determined based on vari

January 3, 2024

Democratic Party to hold emergency meeting to discuss attack on leader Lee Jae-myung

SEOUL -- The main opposition Democratic Party will convene an emergency council meeting to discuss matters regarding the attempted murder of the party's leader, Lee Jae-myung. The opposition party will also provide information about the attack and the current health status of its leader after the meeting. The attack on Lee Jae-myung occurred on January 2 when an assailant stabbed him in the neck with a knife during the party leader's visit to the site for a new airport on

January 3, 2024

CGBio's bone substitute material wins US health department's approval as medical device

SEOUL -- "Novosis Putty," a bone substitute developed by South Korea's healthcare provider CGBio was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration as a medical device. Medical products designated by the health department can receive priority reviews for the evaluation process for commercialization. Novosis Putty is a bone regeneration material that incorporates recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein called "rhBMP-2." Doctors can inject th

January 3, 2024

Assailant planned to murder opposition leader Lee Jae-myung: police

SEOUL -- The police have obtained a statement from the assailant who stabbed the neck of the opposition Democratic Party leader, Lee Jae-myung, with a knife. The man in his 60s told the police that he had planned to murder the politician, who had competed against President Yoon Suk-yeol in the 2022 presidential election. Lee was hospitalized after being stabbed in the neck by the attacker during his visit to the southern port city of Busan on January 2. The Democratic Party leader

January 2, 2024

Poland signs mutual certification deal with S. Korea for military aircraft

SEOUL -- Poland's defense department has signed a mutual airworthiness certification agreement with South Korea's arms procurement agency for military aircraft. Under the agreement, Poland will acknowledge the flight safety of military aircraft verified by the South Korean government, and vice versa. The airworthiness certification is designed to ensure the safety of an aircraft and evaluate the essential criteria for its design, production, and operation. Poland is the fift

January 2, 2024

Opposition party leader Lee Jae-myung stabbed in neck during Busan visit

SEOUL -- Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, was hospitalized after he was stabbed in the neck by a man during his visit to the southern port city of Busan. The assailant, who disguised himself as a Democratic Party supporter, approached the 59-year-old leader asking for an autograph. The attacker was apprehended at the scene by police. The Democratic Party leader was visiting the site for a new airport on Gadeok Island southwest of Busan with fellow

January 2, 2024

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