King Sejong Institute set to open more Korean classes overseas

SEOUL, June 24 (AJU PRESS) - Korea will open more Korean-language centers overseas to encourage more foreigners to learn Hangeul, the Korean alphabet, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Monday. Named after Sejong the Great (1387~1450) who invented Hangeul, the state-run King Sejong Institute opened its first center in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia in 2007 to promote Korean language and culture globally. As of 2023, there were some 248 institutes in about 85 countries, with som

June 24, 2024

Battery factory fire in South Korea kills 22, mostly Chinese workers

SEOUL, June 24 (AJU PRESS) – At least 22 people, mostly Chinese migrant workers, were killed in a fire that swept through a lithium battery manufacturing plant in Hwaseong, south of Seoul, on Monday, firefighters said. Eight others were injured, including two seriously, and one person was unaccounted for. The blaze started at 10:31 a.m. at a three-story factory building owned by Aricell, a local primary battery maker, in the industrial city in Gyeonggi Province. The cau

June 24, 2024

Kara set to return with new album next month

SEOUL, June 24 (AJU PRESS) - K-pop girl group Kara will resume their activities with the release of a new album next month. Currently consisting of five members - Park Gyu-ri, Han Seung-yeon, Heo Young-ji, Kang Ji-young and Nicole, Kara will reunite for the album slated for release in July, according to the five-member band's management agency last week. Their return to the K-pop music scene comes nearly two years after they released a special album in November 2022 to celebr

June 24, 2024

One dead, mass casualties feared in battery factory fire in South Korea

SEOUL, June 24 (AJU PRESS) - A fire broke out at a battery manufacturing plant in Hwaseong, south of Seoul, on Monday, leaving at least one worker dead and six others injured, authorities said. Officials fear the casualty count may rise, as an estimated 23 people, including 20 foreign nationals and two Koreans, are believed to be trapped inside the facility. The blaze started at 10:31 a.m. at a factory operated by Aricell in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. The cause of the

June 24, 2024

NewJeans' Japanese debut album tops Oricon chart 

SEOUL, June 24 (AJU PRESS) - K-pop girl group NewJeans topped Japan's major music chart with their Japanese debut album. The quintet's four-track album, "Supernatural," ascended to No. 1 on the Oricon's daily singles chart on June 21, immediately after its release and remained there the following day. First released in 1968, the chart serves as one of key indicators for gauging the popularity of songs and albums in the island country. "Supernatural&q

June 24, 2024

500 yoga practitioners gather in southern Seoul to celebrate 10th International Yoga Day

SEOUL, June 24 (AJU PRESS) - Despite heavy showers, 500 yoga practitioners and enthusiasts gathered last Saturday at COEX, a massive underground shopping mall complex in Seoul's southern district of Gangnam, to celebrate the 10th International Yoga Day. The event, jointly hosted by the Embassy of India to Korea and the Korea Yoga Association (KYA), was attended by Indian Ambassador Amit Kumar and KYA President Cheon Jun-pil, who greeted guests and yoga practitioners at the ope

June 24, 2024

LG, Samsung dominate US consumer TV rankings

SEOUL, June 24 (AJU PRESS) - Korean electronics giants LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics have secured top positions in Consumer Reports' annual best TV rankings, with their organic light-emitting diode (OLED) models receiving particular praise. The influential U.S. consumer magazine selected eight models as this year's best TVs, with four from LG and two from Samsung, according to market insiders on Monday. LG's OLED evo (model G4) and Samsung's 65-inch OLED

June 24, 2024

Emart24 enters Cambodian convenience store market

SEOUL, June 24 (AJU PRESS) - Emart24 has opened its first store in Phnom Penh, becoming the first South Korean convenience store chain operating in Cambodia. The company said Sunday that it launched the store in Boeung Keng Kang, one of the busiest districts in the Cambodian capital, in partnership with Saihan Partners, a joint venture between Cambodia's Saisons Brother Holding and Korea’s Hanlim Architecture Group. Emart24 and Saihan aim to operate 100 stores within fi

June 24, 2024

Foreign students flock to Seoul, shunning provincial universities

SEOUL, June 24 (AJU PRESS) - Foreign students are increasingly choosing Seoul and surrounding areas for their studies in Korea, according to a report released by the Korean Council for University Education (KCUE) on Monday. The influx is further exacerbating the country's ongoing issue of urban concentration, with nearly half of the population now residing in the capital region. According to the Bank of Korea, more than 40 percent of Korea's population lives in the Seoul met

June 24, 2024

Samsung launches Olympic outdoor campaign in Paris

SEOUL, June 24 (AJU PRESS) - Samsung Electronics has launched its Olympic outdoor advertising in Paris, building anticipation for the 2024 Games one month before their opening. The Korean tech giant announced Monday the campaign, featuring its Olympic message, "Open Always Wins," is on display at iconic Parisian locations such as Opéra Garnier and La Défense. The advertisements also highlight breaking, a new Olympic sport for 2024, along with its Galaxy Z

June 24, 2024