News

[K-enter] Rosé's "APT" music video surpasses 1 billion views, and Jennie announces "Love Hangover."

2025/02/03 14:00

It's now time for our daily dose of K-entertainment news with Walter Lee who also talked about a number of these groups we saw in Yoo-jin's report. Yes, "KickFlip" was a big story for us over the past month, we are still waiting for "Hearts2Hearts", which I am looking forward to personally and what are YG going to do with their new group? So much mystery surrounding them. But Walter let's now move on to your latest K-enter news. Our first story definitely no rookies anymore news on two BlackPink members. The music video for "APT.", a hit collaboration between BLACKPINK's Rosé and pop star Bruno Mars, has surpassed 1 billion views on YouTube, according to Rosé's entertainment company The Black Label on Saturday. This is the fastest time for any K-pop artist to hit 1 billion views and is the fifth fastest music video worldwide to achieve this feat. Ahead of Rosé is.. 4. J Balvin, Willy William -Mi Gente 3. Ed Sheeran -Shape of You 2. Luis Fonsi -Despacito ft. Daddy Yankee 1. Adele -Hello Rosé beat out Psy's "Gangnam Style" by 56 days, with Psy taking 158 days to reach the one billion mark. The song is still dominating global charts, peaking at No. 3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the UK Official Singles Chart Top 100. And next up, the second member we are going to talk about is Jennie, and she has recently released a new single. Let's talk about that. On Friday, BlackPink's Jennie released her third single titled "Love Hangover" off her upcoming album "Ruby", less than a week after also releasing hard hitting single "Zen". Both singles are quite in contrast to each other with "Zen" coming in with some power vocals and bass while "Love Hangover" shows the versatility of Jennie's voice and the high-pitch, angelic side of her range. This is the third release coming off Jennie's album with the first song being "Mantra", leaving fans wanting more. Jennie's "Ruby" album is set for release on March 7. We have more girl group news. What's next? To celebrate their 10th anniversary, K-pop girl group Red Velvet will release a live concert film titled "Red Velvet Happiness Diary: My Dear, ReVeluv in Cinema". The film, which is available in special formats such as 4DX, SCREENX, and ULTRA 4DX, showcases the incredible talent that the group has built over the last decade and feature some of their greatest hits such as, "Happiness," "Ice Cream Cake," "Psycho," "Feel My Rhythm," "Cosmic," and "Red Flavour." . The film captures the Seoul performance of their fan concert tour and is set for an exclusive CGV release on February 5. Thanks for that news Walter stick around. And now time for other culture-related news with our AI anchor Ari who has exciting events to introduce for us today. Ari!

[Features_reporter] New wave of K-pop coming up in 2025

2025/02/03 14:00

2025 is expected to be a huge year for K-pop, with one reason being a new wave of rookie K-pop groups already turning heads, even before their official debut. Our culture correspondent Song Yoo-jin introduces some of them. These boys are among the rising stars breaking into the world of K-pop this year. 2025 is shaping up to be a dynamic year for the industry, with a fresh wave of rookie groups lined up. Three of K-pop's biggest entertainment agencies are preparing to debut highly anticipated new groups. First up is JYP Entertainment's KickFlip. Even before their official debut on January 20th, the boy group was named on Grammy.com's list of "Rookie K-pop Acts to Watch in 2025." And they are having a strong start, with their debut album "Flip It, Kick It!" topping two domestic music charts in the fourth week of January. "The group's vibe is really upbeat and lively. These days, people want boy groups to exude a bright, energetic presence, so in that sense, I think they nailed their image." Coming up next is SM's first girl group since Aespa's debut five years ago: Hearts2Hearts. The eight-member group is ready to steal the hearts of K-pop fans when they officially debut on February 24th. "SM's identity under former producer Lee Soo-man has been less about relatable, down-to-earth K-pop groups, but more about crafting myth-like figures, who seem distinct from typical teens or young adults. But now, artists need to connect with their fans on a more personal and emotional level. The question is how well they can pull it off this time." Last but not least is YG Entertainment. "Our new group, tentatively named Next Monster is waiting for their debut. We're looking forward to introducing them to fans soon." The label's newest group remains a mystery, with little information out there, except for one thing: YG is set to unveil them this year. "There are quite a few trainees at YG preparing for their debut. We'll reveal more details, including the official debut date, at a later time." With fresh talent, bold sounds, and new stories to tell, these rising stars are ready to take the spotlight. Song Yoo-jin, Arirang News.

Egyptian border with Gaza at Rafah reopens after 9 months

2025/02/03 10:00

Starting in the Middle East, the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt reopened on Saturday local time after being closed for nearly nine months. This reopening aims to facilitate the evacuation of Palestinians, including children who require urgent medical treatment. The development is part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, aiming to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. It signals that negotiations on the possible extension of the current ceasefire are gaining traction. The World Health Organization estimated just before the current ceasefire that approximately 12,000 patients require medical evacuation, including those with war injuries and chronic conditions. A group of 50 sick and wounded Palestinian children were the first to be allowed through the crossing on Saturday.

Kim A-lim wins LPGA Tour opener

2025/02/03 10:00

South Korean golfer Kim A-lim kicked off her 2025 season, with an LPGA Tour season opener victory on Sunday. Kim held off top-ranked Nelly Korda in the final round at the LPGA Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Orlando, Florida, to shoot a five-under-67 on the day, and finish at 20-under par overall. The win also marks her third career LPGA title, and second in three months, following her victory at the Lotte Championship in November. She won her first LPGA Tour title at the 2020 U.S. Women's Open, one of the five majors.

N. Korea denounces Rubio's "rogue state" remarks

2025/02/03 10:00

North Korea has openly denounced the Trump administration for the first time since Donald Trump returned to office. According to the Korean Central News Agency on Monday, North Korea's foreign ministry condemned new U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for calling Pyongyang a "rogue state." It also called the remarks "slanderous" and reiterated the U.S.'s unchanged hostile policy toward Pyongyang stating that it is absurd for the world's most troublesome country to call others troublesome. The North appears to be commenting on remarks made by Rubio on a U.S. podcast on January 30th where he said the world is becoming multi-polar with "rogue states" including Iran and North Korea to deal with.

On-point: How will President Yoon brace for two trials simultaneously?

2025/02/03 10:00

Things are going to be even more hectic for President Yoon, now that he has to brace for two simultaneous trials. We discuss this more with legal expert Joung Hwang. Good morning. 1. Busy weeks ahead for President Yoon now that the holidays are over. What do you think about the prospect that the court will speed up the impeachment trial considering that it is the trial of a sitting president and that he is under detention? 2. Witnesses are scheduled to appear again this week. What aspects will the Constitutional Court focus on? 3. President Yoon is actively participating in his impeachment trial. Will he appear in person at the criminal trial? How actively do you think he'll participate? 4. President Yoon is set to receive visits including from his party leadership in the coming hour. There is a limit to the number of visits and visitors? Will he receive all of them? 5. That means his wife, first lady, Kim Kun-hee, can also visit him. How likely is it that she'll visit? What makes you think so? Thanks so much for joining us this morning. We appreciate it.

Yoon facing two simultaneous trials as detention continues

2025/02/03 10:00

Now onto the latest on the martial law saga. Starting this week, President Yoon faces two trials: his impeachment trial and a criminal one. Let's head to Seoul Detention Center where he is currently being held. Do-yeon, what is the scene like there, and walk us through what President Yoon has in store this week. Good morning Dami, as you said I'm standing in front of Seoul Detention Center where President Yoon has been detained since mid-January and could be for another six months during his trials. At the moment, you only see a handful of protesters here right now with speaker equipment for protests being set up. But you can see that there is heavy security with the police officers and buses on site. As for President Yoon's schedule this week he's set to head to the Constitutional Court on Tuesday and Thursday for his trial. Some key witnesses are set to be at the Court with him then. To be exact, key military personnel will take the witness stand who can testify to Yoon's orders during the declaration and the brief execution of martial law. They include Yeo In-hyeong, former chief of the Defense Counterintelligence Command and others. NIS Chief Cho Tae-yong and the National Security Advisor Shin Won-shik have also been asked to appear as witnesses by Yoon's legal team. Now, this is not the only trial Yoon is facing. His criminal trial also has begun and this means he could be appearing at two different courts three times a week. And because of this Yoon's legal team requested the Constitutional Court to stop the review of his impeachment motion as there is a criminal case going on for the same reason his declaration of martial law. According to Article 51 of the Constitutional Court Act this is a possibility. Meanwhile, the legal team is also looking at requesting bail for President Yoon to have him released during the trials. Now, Do-yeon, while the legal team may try to get President Yoon out of detention, he is allowed to receive visitors. Who's making their way to the detention center? That's right Dami, in fact the leadership of the ruling People Power Party is set to visit here in less than an hour. Yesterday during a press conference, floor leader Kwon Seong-dong said he would be joined by the PPP's interim chair Kwon Young-se during his visit at 11 AM. This is the first time the two top leaders of the party have visited President Yoon. While they did receive criticism from both within and outside of the party Kwon made it clear that it is a personal visit. He said the point isn't to discuss the ongoing trial or the political scene but to show support for an old friend. That's all for now, back to you Dami.

S. Korea's industrial output rises in 2024 despite persistent weak domestic demand

2025/02/03 10:00

South Korea's industrial production rose for the first time in four months in December, rounding off the year with an overall rise. Data from Statistics Korea on Monday showed that industrial output rose by 2-point-7 percent in the last month of 2024, contributing to an increase of 1-point-7 percent for the entire year compared to 2023. Manufacturing output showed growth due to a boom in the semiconductor sector, while services output continued to show a downturn. This comes on the back of weak performance in the retail and wholesale sectors especially with domestic demand failing to recover from the fallout of the December martial law declaration.

Constitutional Court to rule on Acting President's partial bench appointment

2025/02/03 10:00

A day before President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial resumes after the Lunar New Year holiday, the Constitutional Court will rule on another major case regarding its own judicial vacancy. Oh Soo-young has the details. The Constitutional Court will decide whether Acting President Choi Sang-mok should have appointed a third judge to fill the court bench's remaining seat a crucial ruling as the bench deliberates on President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial. On Monday, the 8-member bench will deliver a verdict on a competence dispute filed by National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik against the Acting President's decision to appoint only two out of the three candidates recommended the Assembly. Under pressure from both ends of the political spectrum, Choi in late-December chose to instate two candidates one recommended by the ruling party and one by the opposition party. But he omitted left-leaning judge Ma Eun-hyuk, saying there should be bipartisan agreement on the third candidate. The Assembly's resolution to appoint the judges was forced through by the majority-holding opposition party, which recommended two left-leaning candidates. The Speaker, who comes from the opposition party, claims Choi has disregarded the parliament's decision, by only partially enacting the resolution. The ruling People Power Party, however, have called for the case to be scrapped, and say the Speaker's competence dispute bypassed a formal vote at the National Assembly. The Court's composition is a particularly sensitive issue, amid President Yoon's trial, which requires a two-thirds majority vote to uphold his impeachment. The ruling party, and Yoon's supporters have raised concerns about the political orientation of the bench,. with the President's legal team requesting the recusal of three Justices on Saturday, citing their connections to a left-leaning legal organisation, and their associations with key figures espousing Yoon's impeachment. If the Court finds Choi Sang-mok's partial appointment unconstitutional, there would be significant pressure on the Acting President to appoint Ma Eun-hyuk as the ninth justice to the bench. However, as the ruling is not binding, observers say it is likely Choi would sustain the eight-member bench until a compromise is reached between the ruling and opposition parties. Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.

China, Canada, Mexico hit back against Trump tariffs

2025/02/03 10:00

And these countries under the influence of Trump's steep tariff plans plan on taking swift countermeasures. China is looking to sue the U.S., and Canada and Mexico are issuing retaliatory tariffs. Ahn Sung-jin has more. Following the imposition of tariffs by the U.S., China stated that it would challenge Trump's move. "The unilateral imposition of tariffs by the U.S. seriously violates World Trade Organization rules, which is not conducive to solving its own problems, but disrupts normal China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation." In a written statement from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, China expressed strong discontent and added that not only will it file a lawsuit with the World Trade Organization, but it will take other countermeasures to safeguard its rights and interests. Though nothing has been specifically stated, some of its retaliation measures may be hardening export controls on rare earth metals or targeting U.S. companies with interests in China. There's also speculation that China may impose a 10 percent tariff on U.S. imports after Tuesday, when Trump's new sanctions will be put in place. Mexico and Canada have also vowed immediate retaliatory measures against the U.S. for tariffs imposed on both countries. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Saturday posted on X that she has informed her economy minister to implement what she called "plan B" which includes tariff and non-tariff measures in defense of Mexico's interests. "This measure, of 25% tariffs, has effects for both countries but it has very serious effects for the economy of the United States as it is going to greatly increase the costs of all products that are exported from Mexico to the United States." Canada responded with a 25 percent tariff on American goods, including beer and wine starting Tuesday, while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also urged Canadians to restrict travel to the U.S. and to boycott U.S. products, adding that Americans will feel pain from Trump's tariffs. "This is a choice that yes, will harm Canadians but beyond that, it will have real consequences for you, the American people." A spokesman for the European Commission said the EU regrets U.S. tariffs against neighboring countries and China and vowed to respond strongly to unfair levies levelled against the bloc. Ahn Sung-jin, Arirang News.

Trump says possible pain from tariffs "worth the price"

2025/02/03 10:00

U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that America may feel economic pain due to his tariffs on key trading partners. However, he argued that it would be "worth the price" in order to secure U.S. interests. Lee Seung-jae reports. U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday imposed a 25-percent tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, while China was hit with an additional 10-percent tariff on the various existing duty rates. The tariffs are expected to be met with retaliatory measures from the affected countries, and are also expected to lead to higher inflation. Economists also predict that the ensuing trade war would likely slow U.S. growth. However, Trump says while the Americans may feel the economic "pain" from his tariffs, it would be "worth the price" in order to secure U.S. interests. Taking to his social media platform Truth Social on Sunday, he said the tariffs will "Make America Great Again, and it will all be worth the price that must be paid." Meanwhile, in a separate post, the U.S. president reiterated his call for Canada to become a U.S. state. He claimed that the U.S. pays "hundreds of billions of dollars to SUBSIDIZE Canada," adding that Canada would "cease to exist as a viable Country" without the subsidy. With this, he called on Canada to become a "Cherished 51st State," promising that such a move would lead to lower taxes, better military protection and no tariffs. The cryptocurrency market responded negatively to the news of Trump's tariffs against Canada, Mexico and China over the weekend. According to U.S.-based exchange Coinbase as of 7 AM Korea Standard Time, the price of bitcoin stood at just over 97-thousand-200 U.S. dollars. The price of the largest cryptocurrency by market cap, hovered above 100 thousand U.S. dollars before the tariffs went into effect on Saturday. According to cryptocurrency media outlet CoinDesk, the renewed trade war could aggravate inflation in the U.S., and make it difficult for the U.S. Fed to cut interest rates. It added that the weakness in the bitcoin price reflects such concerns, sending a signal to the market to avoid risky assets. On the other hand, spot gold price surpassed 28 hundred U.S. dollars per ounce on Friday, with investors opting to buy safer assets. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.

[Weather] Brutal cold snap for week of Ipchun

2025/02/03 10:00

Today is Ipchun, the start of spring on the seasonal calendar but brace for the coldest week of the season, forget about the weekend's warmth. A cold wave advisory was re-issued for the upper parts of Korea. Tomorrow morning it will feel like minus 20 degrees Celsius in the capital. Gangwon-do and southern provinces are seeing a mix of rain and snow this morning, it will snow up to 1 centimeter. Then heavy snow will return to Jeolla-do Provinces from late this evening, piling up to 25 centimeters until Wednesday, Chungcheong-do could see more than 15 centimeters of massive snowfall. The capital and Gyeongsang-do Province will be under sunny skies, but biting winds will add more chill to the air. Seoul gets up to minus 2 degrees, 9 degrees lower than yesterday, Daegu at 2 degrees. Jeju and Jeolla-do should receive snow possibly into the weekend. Meanwhile, a rapid drop in readings will be no joke with this whole week looking to be a freezing one. It's going to be a long week. Bundle up tight.

67th Annual Grammy Awards

2025/02/03 10:00

In the U.S., the 67th annual Grammy Awards is taking place in Los Angeles on Sunday local time. Hosted by Trevor Noah for the fifth time, the event honors outstanding achievements in the music industry over the past year. Beyonce led the nominations with 11, and secured early wins, including Best Country Duo/Group Performance. Kendrick Lamar also won multiple awards for his track "Not Like Us." The ceremony features performances by artists such as Shakira and Billie Eilish and includes a tribute to Quincy Jones, an iconic producer who died last year. The event also aims to support wildfire victims in Los Angeles.

Ukraine accuses Russia of missile strike on Kursk school

2025/02/03 10:00

Moving to the Ukraine-Russia war Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of bombing a boarding school in Sudzha, located in the area of Russia's Kursk region that has been under Kyiv's control for five months. Civilians were sheltering there and preparing for evacuation when the attack on Saturday occurred. Ukraine's Armed Forces reported that four people were killed, dozens were injured, and 84 people have been rescued or received medical treatment. However, the Russian Defense Ministry says the Ukrainian forces launched the deadly missile strike from Ukraine's Sumy region. These conflicting accounts have not yet been independently verified.

STOCK

2025/01/31 20:00

2025. 1. 31. KOREAN STOCK MARKET KOSPI : 2,517.37 ▼19.43 (-0.77%) KOSDAQ : 728.29 ▼0.45 (-0.06%) KOSPI200 : 333.36 ▼3.38 (-1.00%) ASIAN STOCK MARKET NIKKEI225 : 39,572.49 +58.52 (+0.15%) HANG SENG : CLOSED SHANGHAI : CLOSED WALL STREET (JANUARY 30) DOW JONES : 44,882.13 ▲168.61 (+0.38%) NASDAQ : 19,681.75 ▲49.42 (+0.25%) S&P500 : 6,071.17 ▲31.86 (+0.53%) EXCHANGE RATE USD : 1,452.70 (+21.40) JPY : 938.98 (+16.96) CNY : 198.97 (+1.43) EUR : 1,509.50 (+13.08)

All 67 believed dead after collision between helicopter and American Airlines plane

2025/01/31 20:00

Thank you for joining us. I'm Yoon Jung-min. We begin with the deadly plane crash in the U.S. The collision between a military helicopter and a passenger plane near Washington, D.C., has killed all 67 people on board both aircraft. Shin Ha-young brings the latest and more. Rescue efforts went on through the night, but no survivors were found from the deadly collision of an American Airlines aircraft and the Army helicopter. Early on Thursday morning, U.S. authorities announced that 28 bodies had been recovered and believe all 67 people on board died. "Despite all these efforts, we are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation. At this point, we don't believe there are any survivors from this accident." CBS News reported that at least 40 bodies had been recovered by 5:30 PM Thursday, Eastern Time. A U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on a training flight collided with American Airlines Flight 5342 on Wednesday night, local time, while approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C., sending the two aircraft plummeting into the Potomac River the deadliest U.S. air crash since 2001. The jet had departed from Wichita, Kansas with 60 passengers and four crew members, while the helicopter had three military personnel on board. According to AP, less than 30 seconds before the crash, an air traffic controller asked the helicopter if it had the arriving plane in sight. According to CBS News, figure skating athletes and their coaches were on board the plane. Among them, teenage figure skater Jinna Han and her mother are believed to be of Korean descent. Spencer Lane, another teenage athlete who was adopted from Korea, was also on the plane with his American mother. They were returning home from the National Development Camp, which was held in connection with the recent U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita. "For Spencer Lane, he's one of my best friends. I mean, every single day I would walk into that locker room here and greet him and he would tell me about his day and everything. And Jinna, she would sit and put her skates on in the hallway. But when I would walk down the hallway, I would greet her every morning. And she was so kind to me." U.S. President Donald Trump shared his condolences and paid tribute to the victims and families ahead of a press conference. But he then criticized the previous administration, indicating that its diversity, equity and inclusion program for air traffic controllers at the Federal Aviation Administration were partially to blame for the crash. "And then when I left office and Biden took over, he changed them back to lower than ever before. ( ) I put safety first. Obama, Biden and the Democrats put policy first." Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters there appeared to have been an elevation issue with the helicopter, and said Army investigators were on the ground looking into the matter. Meanwhile, South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul expressed deep sorrow over the plane crash. The South Korean government is working to obtain a passenger list, though it is still unclear if any Korean nationals were on board. Shin Ha-young, Arirang News.

[Weather] Warmer weekend before major cold snap next week

2025/01/31 20:00

Snowy weather continued on this last day of January, making travel difficult on the roads. Rain will move into the southwest tonight and gradually spread to the rest of the central and southern regions on Saturday. Meanwhile, Jeju and Gyeongsang-do Provinces could see rain until Sunday, with Jeju expecting heavier showers of up to 70 millimeters. Some areas in Jeolla-do and Gyeongsang-do provinces may also see snow. Seoul will stay dry this weekend, and temperatures will climb well above seasonal norms. However, much colder weather is on the way next week. Looking at tomorrow's temperatures, Seoul starts off at minus 2 degrees Celsius, while Daejeon begins the day at 1 degree. Afternoon highs will reach 7 degrees in Seoul and 8 degrees on Daegu. Although the seasonal calendar shows next Monday as Ipchun, the start of spring, it will feel more like midwinter with freezing temperatures ahead. That's Korea for you, here's a look at the weather conditions around the world.

[Arts & Culture] Why 2025 will be a huge year for K-pop

2025/01/31 20:00

Time now for our weekly Arts and Culture segment. As always, we're joined by our culture correspondent Song Yoo-jin. Welcome! Good evening. What do you have for us today? During our first Arts and Culture segment of the year, I mentioned that 2025 would be a big year for K-pop. This year, all BTS members will complete their military service, BLACKPINK is getting ready to drop new music and hit the road for a world tour. But the excitement isn't just about the industry giants. A new wave of rookie K-pop groups is already turning heads, some even before their official debut. Let's take a closer look. These boys are among the rising stars breaking into the world of K-pop this year. 2025 is shaping up to be a dynamic year for the industry, with a fresh wave of rookie groups lined up. Three of K-pop's biggest entertainment agencies are preparing to debut highly anticipated new groups. First up is JYP Entertainment's KickFlip. Even before their official debut on January 20th, the boy group was named on Grammy.com's list of "Rookie K-pop Acts to Watch in 2025." And they are having a strong start, with their debut album "Flip It, Kick It!" topping two domestic music charts in the fourth week of January. "The group's vibe is really upbeat and lively. These days, people want boy groups to exude a bright, energetic presence, so in that sense, I think they nailed their image." Coming up next is SM's first girl group since Aepsa's debut five years ago: Hearts2Hearts. The eight-member group is ready to steal the hearts of K-pop fans when they officially debut on February 24th. "SM's identity under former producer Lee Soo-man has been less about relatable, down-to-earth K-pop groups, but more about crafting myth-like figures, who seem distinct from typical teens or young adults. But now, artists need to connect with their fans on a more personal and emotional level. The question is how well they can pull it off this time." Last but not least is YG Entertainment. "Our new group, tentatively named Next Monster is waiting for their debut. We're looking forward to introducing them to fans soon." The label's newest group remains a mystery, with little information out there, except for one thing: YG is set to unveil them this year. "There are quite a few trainees at YG preparing for their debut. We'll reveal more details, including the official debut date, at a later time." With fresh talent, bold sounds, and new stories to tell, these rising stars are ready to take the spotlight. Can't wait to see what this new generation of artists will bring to K-pop. Yoo-jin, let's now put our focus on the relatively established groups. I heard some of them have exciting news this week. You're right. I want to mention BLACKPINK's Rose, as she shattered her own record this week and set a new milestone for a K-pop female artist on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Rose's collaboration with American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars for "APT." ranked third on the chart this week. This is, once again, the highest any female K-pop artist has reached on this globally acclaimed weekly chart. The previous record was also set by "APT." placing fifth for the second week of January. The song made Rose the first K-pop female artist to break into the chart's top 10 last October, debuting at number eight on the chart. We'll see how far the song will go. When we talk about K-pop's appeal, it's not just about the music, it's the full experience. The visuals, the choreography, and the performances all come to life, especially at concerts. And I hear there's an exciting concert event for K-pop fans to look forward to. Can you tell us more? Absolutely. Over the past few years, we've seen a rise in concert films here in Korea, bringing the live experience to the big screen. The latest group to join this trend is the K-pop girl group Red Velvet. Their concert film "Red Velvet Happiness Diary: My Dear, Reve1uv In Cinemas" will premiere in theaters across Korea next Wednesday, February 5th. Ticket sales just opened today, and fans can relive the energy of Red Velvet's Seoul fan concert, which celebrated its 10th debut anniversary last year. Sounds exciting. Thank you Yoo-jin for your report today. As always, my pleasure.

Global reaction to how Chinese start-up 'DeepSeek' is shaping the AI market landscape

2025/01/31 20:00

A Chinese AI startup, DeepSeek, is challenging industry giants with its cost-effective AI model, sending shockwaves through the tech industry. Moon Hye-ryeon explains. "I don't feel threatened by DeepSeek or any other AI model. In fact, competition and innovation in AI development push all models (including me) to improve and offer better responses." This is the response that OpenAI's ChatGPT gives when asked about its new up-and-coming Chinese "competition" – DeepSeek. And while ChatGPT may not feel threatened, the Chinese startup is attracting a wealth of attention in the AI market for users and investors alike as it claimed its new V3 model could be trained at a fraction of the cost required for the computing power from Nvidia's chips. With its assertion that the model is not only cheap but rivals OpenAI and Meta's most advanced counterparts, the need to invest billions of dollars in AI technology from the United States is being put under question. Its newest AI assistant has overtaken ChatGPT as the most downloaded free application in Apple's App Store in the U.S. Global firms, leaders and investors are showing mixed reactions. "The release of DeepSeek A. from a Chinese company should be a wake-up call for our industries that we need to be laser-focused on competing to win." U.S. President Donald Trump's comments came as traders dumped big tech stocks – including a record one-day loss for Nvidia – resulting in American tech companies losing roughly a trillion dollars in market value. His nominee to lead the Commerce Department, however, accused DeepSeek of leveraging "stolen" U.S. technology. DeepSeek used parts of Meta's technology that was given away by the U.S. firm to be freely available online, but OpenAI said in a statement that they are currently reviewing indications that DeepSeek may have used the American tech giant's models to train its own. Outside of the U.S., European countries showed concern over data security. Italy's data protection authority has banned DeepSeek in a move to protect Italian user data, stating that the firm gave "insufficient" information on personal data usage, while France's privacy regulator is analyzing the tool to assess privacy risks. As for South Korea, the focus is on how its semiconductor firms could be affected by potential changes in the AI landscape. SK hynix is currently supplying memory chips to Nvidia, and now, Samsung Electronics has been reportedly approved to do so too – meaning that Nvidia's standing in the AI market will affect domestic chip firms in turn. Samsung Electronics issued a statement on Friday saying that they are currently monitoring the market, but it is too early to judge with the limited information currently available. There are also mounting concerns that tensions between Washington and Beijing will intensify with this competition in advanced technology, prompting Trump to strengthen regulations on China in the high-tech industry. Moon Hye-ryeon, Arirang News.

No. of visitors to S. Korea in 2024 reaches nearly 16.4 mil

2025/01/31 20:00

The number of visitors to South Korea has nearly returned back to pre-COVID-19 figures. According to the Korea Tourism Organization on Friday, a total of 16-point-37 million tourists visited the country in 2024, which is an increase of nearly 50-percent compared to the year before. Most of the visitors were from China, followed by Japan, Taiwan and the U.S. During the COVID-19 outbreak, the number of visitors saw a sharp decrease to 2-point-5 million in 2020, yet 2024 saw a recovery of up to 94 percent of 2019 levels.