• 
  Luxury pet-friendly services on the rise in Korea SEOUL, May 20 (AJU PRESS) - Luxury pet services and products ranging from canine kindergartens to hotels, and health supplements, are attracting a growing number of pet-lovers in Korea. According to a recent report released by KB Financial Group, about 5.5 million households or one out of every four households in Korea, have at least one pet. The report estimated that there are around 12.6 million pet owners. The trend is attributed to the increased number of single-person househo May 20, 2024
• 
  Korean Council on Latin America pledges support for opening of Cuban Embassy in Seoul SEOUL, May 20 (AJU PRESS) – Han Byung-kil, chairman of the Korean Council on Latin America and the Caribbean (KCLAC), has pledged support for an early opening of the Cuban Embassy in Seoul during his meeting with a visiting senior Cuban diplomat. Han met with Mario Alzugaray Rodriguez, deputy head of mission of the Cuban Embassy in China, in Seoul on Thursday, and discussed measures to promote cooperation between the two countries, the non-profit organization said. Alzugara May 20, 2024
• 
  Opinion: Iranian President Raisi reported dead – what that might mean for country and region SEOUL, May 20 (AJU PRESS) - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who has been reported dead after the helicopter he was in crashed on May 19, 2024, is a consummate loyalist whose passing will be a severe blow to the country's conservative leadership. While search and rescue teams – hampered by rain, fog, forests and mountains – searched for wreckage, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the nation "should pray" for Raisi. As an expert on I May 20, 2024
• 
  'Gwanghwamun needs new name plate in Hangeul' SEOUL, May 19 (AJU PRESS) - The iconic signboard of Gwanghwamun, the main gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace in central Seoul, has once again become the center of a long-held debate, with scholars advocating for the use of Hangeul, the Korean alphabet. The controversy has resurfaced last week after Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yu In-chon expressed support for the Korean-written signboard during an event marking the 627th birth anniversary of King Sejong the Great, the invento May 20, 2024
• 
  Turkish corvette-class warship to visit Busan next month SEOUL, May 20 (AJU PRESS) - The Turkish Navy's corvette-class warship is set to dock in Korea's southern port city of Busan next month, the Turkish Embassy in Seoul said last week. As part of its Asian tour of 20 countries, the TCG Kinaliada will make a two-day stopover in Korea starting from June 4. During its visit, ordinary visitors will be allowed to board the warship for a brief tour. In a press briefing in Seoul on May 17, the Turkish Embassy said that the warship May 20, 2024
• 
  NewJeans performs 'Cool With You' at Korea's historic palace SEOUL, May 20 (AJU PRESS) - K-pop girl band NewJeans' special performance at Korea's traditional royal place is set to be broadcast on KBS World in 142 countries on Tuesday. The iconic group's performance of "Cool With You" will air on a music show starting at 11:25 p.m. (1425 GMT), the national television channel said. The song is part of "Get Up," the group's mini-album released in July 2023. NewJeans is the second K-pop group, after BTS, to May 20, 2024
• 
  N. Korean propaganda song praising Kim Jong-un goes viral on TikTok SEOUL, May 17 (AJU PRESS) - A propaganda song praising North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has gone viral online. Intrigued by its up-tempo beat and repetitive rhythm, combined with unfamiliar and laughable background scenes, the three-minute clip for "Friendly Father," first uploaded in April, has garnered 880,600 views on TikTok as of this week, with heart emojis next to the portly leader's name. About 155,000 people have clicked on another video introducing the song wit May 20, 2024
• 
  Opinion: History says tariffs rarely work, but Biden's 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs could defy trend SEOUL, May 20 (AJU PRESS) - In June 2019, then-presidential candidate Joe Biden tweeted: "Trump doesn't get the basics. He thinks his tariffs are being paid by China. Any freshman econ student could tell you that the American people are paying his tariffs." Fast-forward five years to May 2024, and President Biden has announced a hike in tariffs on a variety of Chinese imports, including a 100-percent tariff that would significantly increase the price of Chinese-made May 20, 2024
• 
  PHOTOS: Korean activists rally for LGBTQ rights on key commemoration day SEOUL, May 17 (AJU PRESS) - Korean civic groups called for the protection of the rights of sexual minorities on Friday during an event marking the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT). A coalition of 78 activist groups, including Rainbow Action against Sexual Minority Discrimination, the Solidarity for LGBT Human Rights of Korea, and HIV/AIDS Human Rights Action, held a news conference outside the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, before staging a pro May 17, 2024
• 
  Imported electric vehicle registrations surge 150% this year SEOUL, May 17 (AJU PRESS) – The number of imported electric vehicles (EVs) newly registered in Korea from January to April surged more than 150 percent year-on-year, data showed Friday. The ratio of EVs in newly registered imported cars also nearly tripled from a year before, according to the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association (KAIDA). In the first four months of the year, the number of imported EV registrations was 13,863 units, a 155.9 percent May 17, 2024