News

President Lee vows to overcome conflict as 5-year policy road map unveiled

2025/08/13 19:43

President Lee Jae Myung vowed to overcome social conflict through integration, with his five-year policy blueprint unveiled today. "I will make a country where the people are treated as owners, the real Republic of Korea where everyone is happy, together. Beyond conflict and confrontation, I will open a path towards integration through politics that unite the people." Lee was speaking at an event in Seoul on Wednesday where a road map was unveiled by the State Affairs Planning Committee, which concluded its two-months-long job as a de-facto transition team. Included were 123 tasks in five areas, including politics, the economy and foreign affairs.

[Weather] Heavy rain tomorrow, about 50-150mm in Seoul metropolitan area

2025/08/13 19:43

Heavy rain of around 30 to 80 millimeters per hour has been passing through the Seoul metropolitan area and northern parts of Gangwon-do Province. Heavy rain warnings are in effect in Seoul, Incheon, and the northern parts of Gyeonggi-do Province, while heavy rain advisories are in place for other areas of the capital region and northern parts of Gangwon-do Province. By tomorrow morning, more than 200 millimeters of rain is expected in Incheon and northern parts of Gyeonggi-do Province, 50 to 150 in the Seoul metropolitan area, and over 150 millimeters in inland areas of Gangwon-do Province. Seoul and Busan will start warm at 26 degrees Celsius tomorrow morning, Chucheon at 24 degrees. Daily highs will move up to 29 degrees in Seoul and Chuncheon, 35 degrees in Gyeongju. Rain in the central parts of the country will continue until Friday morning. That's all for Korea. Here are the weather conditions around the world.

World News: Wildfires rage across southern Europe as temperatures top 40C

2025/08/13 19:42

This is the World Now, bringing you the latest stories from around the globe. From Spain to the Balkans, a severe heatwave is driving temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius and fires have broken out across southern Europe, resulting in three deaths and forcing thousands to evacuate. In Spain, a wildfire near Madrid resulted in one death late Monday and forced the evacuation of 180 people. Another person died fighting fires in northwest Spain, while in southern Spain's Cadiz region, over 2,000 tourists and residents were evacuated from hotels and beaches as a fast-moving blaze filled the skies with black smoke. Spain's military said on Tuesday that nearly 1,000 soldiers have been deployed to combat wildfires across the country. Greece, which is facing more than 100 wildfires, has requested emergency assistance including water-dropping planes from the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism. Wildfires have broken out in several other countries. One person fighting fires in Montenegro died when a water tanker overturned, while in Turkiye, around 50,000 people have been evacuated due to fires. Scientists warn that climate change is turning southern Europe into a tinderbox due to rising temperatures and prolonged droughts. Egypt has announced that Cairo is actively engaging with Qatar and the United States as mediators to negotiate a 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. During a news conference on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty stated that Egypt is "working very hard in full cooperation with the Qataris and Americans" to revive a previous ceasefire proposal. This plan includes a 60-day truce, conditional releases of hostages and Palestinian detainees, and unrestricted access for humanitarian aid into Gaza. Abdelatty emphasized that discussions are ongoing with both Hamas and Israeli authorities, based on a recent initiative from the U.S. and Qatar. Last month, negotiations in Doha failed to achieve a breakthrough for a ceasefire and the release of hostages, as Israel and the U.S. withdrew their delegations, citing unacceptable demands from Hamas. In France, a swarm of jellyfish caused a temporary shutdown of four of the six reactors at the Gravelines nuclear power plant, one of the country's largest, as of Monday morning, after clogging the cooling system's filters. EDF, the company that operates the plant, stated that teams are conducting inspections to restart the site "in complete safety," and that the reactors that were shut down are expected to restart on Thursday. While the company reassured that no safety or environmental risks were linked to the incident, experts warn that an increase in jellyfish blooms exacerbated by climate change is increasing the risk of power plant interruptions. Finally, in South Africa's Adventures With Elephants sanctuary in Bela-Bela, visitors celebrated World Elephant Day on Tuesday by interacting with a herd of rescued African elephants. As part of what was described as a rare and respectful opportunity to connect with the animals firsthand, visitors had the chance to feed and touch the largest mammals on earth. A special tour commemorating the day also included the reserve's educational team, which informed visitors about the history of elephants and emphasized their intelligence and memory. Choi, Chi-hee, Arirang News.

Art galleries, museums become popular during summer vacation season

2025/08/13 19:42

Meanwhile for those of you in the southern resort island of Jeju who are seeking some shelter from the scorching heat a trip to an art gallery there may prove to be quite rewarding. Cha Yun-kyung reports. "Dreams of a Butterfly on Jeju," a special exhibition on Seok Joo-myung in celebration of the 80th Anniversary of Korea's Liberation from Japan, is currently being held by Jeju National Museum. Seok was a lepidopterist who made significant contributions to the taxonomy of around 250 butterfly species in Korea. At the exhibition, visitors can find paintings of butterflies by Nam Gye-u, a painter of the Joseon Dynasty whose works were praised by Seok. There is also Seok's legacy reflecting the nature and life on Jeju Island, such as his research notes on his drawings. The exhibition will be held until October 19th at the Special Exhibition Gallery of Jeju National Museum. "It is too hot outside. So, we came into the exhibition hall. There are some species that we never knew before. It is great content to show our children." Meanwhile, an exhibition of artwork by Marc Chagall is also being held at Jeju Museum of Art. His engraved print series, "Daphnis and Chloe," is being shown in Korea for the first time. Visitors can spend a lot of time at the gallery perusing the wonderful colors and storytelling behind his work. The exhibition will also be held until October 19th. "It feels so great when we get into the museum and artworks also purify our minds." Spending a summer vacation at art galleries and museums is becoming a trend since people can get some rest while enjoying artistic culture. Cha Yun-kyung, Arirang News.

From final brushstrokes to burnt Taegeukgi: Illuminating Korea’s resistance heritage

2025/08/13 19:41

Come Friday Korea commemorates its 80th anniversary of liberation from Japanese colonial rule and in light of this occasion a number of related exhibitions are underway here on the local front. Our Park Hyo-been takes us to one such event. Korea's darkest days, and the courage of those who refused to bow, now gathered in one place. To mark the 80th anniversary of Korea's Liberation from Japanese colonial rule, a special exhibition at Deoksugung Palace brings together over 110 artifacts from the late 19th century to the day the nation reclaimed its freedom. "For the first time, Korean independence hero Ahn Jung-geun's calligraphy is being showcased to the public. These two letters, meaning 'green bamboo', show his strong opposition to Japanese rule." His final brushstrokes, made in a cold Lushun prison cell before his execution, capture not only defiance against Japan, but also a longing for peace in Asia and respect for human dignity. From here, the story turns to lesser-known independence fighters. Min Young-hwan took his own life in protest after Japan's illegal Eulsa Treaty stripped Korea of its sovereignty, writing, "If our freedom and independence are restored, I shall gladly smile even in the afterlife." Manifestos and letters from Korea's civilian militias, known as the righteous armies, also bear the weight of defiance, with some returning to Korea only last year after decades in Japan. The spirit of defiance is also preserved in the national flag, a Taegeukgi found at Jingwansa Temple, riddled with holes and burn marks. Believed to have been made during the March 1st Independence Movement in 1919, it bears the Korean flag's taegeuk symbol and trigrams painted in black ink over the Japanese flag, amplifying the message of resistance. "This Taegeukgi, national flag of Korea, found at Jingwansa Temple, is even more meaningful as it shows just how fiercely our independence fighters carried out their work in secrecy." Bringing these treasures together is what makes this exhibition truly historic. "While marking the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation, this exhibition is most meaningful for bringing together authentic resistance heritage from both institutions and individuals in one place." Liberation was never given. It was earned, with blood, sweat, and hope. Eighty years on, their courage still lights the path toward the freedom they dreamed of. Park Hyo-been, Arirang News.

Do Kwon pleads guilty to U.S. fraud charges in US$ 40 bil. crypto collapse

2025/08/13 19:39

Over in the U.S. Disgraced cryptocurrency founder Kwon Do-hyung also known as Do Kwon has pleaded guilty to fraud for a 12-year prison sentence and a 19 million U.S. dollar fine. Lee Seung-jae has more. Disgraced South Korean cryptocurrency mogul Do Kwon on Tuesday, pleaded guilty in the United States to two fraud charges, connected to the 40 billion U.S. dollar collapse of Terraform Labs' digital currency ecosystem. The 33-year-old entered the plea at a Manhattan federal court, where under the deal with prosecutors, Kwon will face no more than 12 years in prison if he abides by the agreement. This is despite nine charges he was facing under the indictment and sentencing guidelines calling for roughly 25 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for December 11th. Also, as part of the plea deal, Kwon admitted to conspiring to commit commodities, securities, and wire fraud. He will also forfeit over 19 million dollars, proceeds authorities say were illegally gained. Kwon will also relinquish his stake in Terraform and its cryptocurrencies. Meanwhile,.. if Kwon serves half his sentence and meets all conditions of the plea bargain, the U.S. Justice Department will support his request to transfer to South Korea under the International Prisoner Transfer Program. Kwon has long requested that he be extradited to his home country, to serve prison time in South Korea. However, he also faces separate criminal charges in South Korea. Kwon co-founded Terraform Labs in 2018, developing the so-called stablecoin TerraUSD, pegged to the U.S. dollar to avoid price swings. But in 2022, the token's value collapsed, wiping out about 40 billion dollars from TerraUSD and its sister coin Luna, leaving investors around the world with major losses. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.

Kim Keon Hee arrested on corruption charges

2025/08/13 19:38

Former First Lady Kim Keon Hee has been arrested. This unprecedented event also marks the first time that a former presidential couple is sitting behind bars simultaneously. Byeon Ye-young reports. Kim Keon Hee, the wife of impeached former President Yoon Suk Yeol, was arrested late on Tuesday on charges of stock manipulation, interference in party nominations, and political influence-peddling. A special counsel team set up to investigate Kim has summoned the former first lady to appear for questioning at 10 AM on Thursday. Meanwhile, the special counsel team has launched a raid on the People Power Party to investigate allegations that large numbers of Unification Church members joined the party. On Wednesday morning, investigators were dispatched to the PPP's central headquarters in Yeouido to secure electronic data needed for the probe. They presented a search and seizure warrant and received the necessary materials through voluntary submission. Kim is accused of taking part as a "funding source" in the Deutsche Motors stock-rigging scheme from 2009 to 2012, meddling in People Power Party candidate selections in recent elections, and accepting an illicit lobbying request from a "broker" from the Unification Church in 2022. The Seoul Central District Court cited "concerns over destruction of evidence" as the main reason for issuing the arrest warrant. Kim was moved to the Seoul Southern Detention Center, where she waited in a holding room for detainees before she was transferred to a housing unit. Her arrest means all privileges as a former first lady were revoked, and her security detail was fully withdrawn. However, like her husband, she will be assigned a dedicated correctional officer and kept separate from other inmates during exercise and bathing. Kim first appeared for questioning in front of the special counsel team last week, where she made a public apology. "I am truly sorry that a nobody like myself has caused concern for the people. I will faithfully undergo the questioning." Her husband, Yoon Suk Yeol, is behind bars on insurrection charges. While several other former South Korean presidents have previously served prison terms, this is the first time in the nation's history that both a former president and their spouse have been jailed at the same time. Byeon Ye-young, Arirang News.

As torrential downpour continues, landslide and flood advisories issued nationwide

2025/08/13 19:37

Heavy rain has been pounding the Greater Seoul region since the early hours of this Wednesday and authorities remain on high alert amid reports of flash floods and landslides. Ahn Sung-jin reports. South Korea continues to see heavy rain throughout the central region, including Gyeonggi-do Province, on Wednesday. Deokjeok-do Island of Ongjin-gun County, Incheon saw extreme rainfall of nearly 150 millimeters in just one hour. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, from 8:14 AM till 9:14 AM on Wednesday morning, around 149 millimeters of rain poured in the area, marking a near record figure of rainfall. Even areas that didn't cross the 100 millimeter per hour threshold still saw significant rainfall well above typical downpour levels, being classified as "heavy" rainfall. Around 29 streams in Seoul have been closed off, including Cheonggyecheon and Anyangcheon streams. A heavy rain advisory had been issued in the morning in the northern parts of the city and was later raised to a heavy rain warning in the southwestern areas. Seoul and Gyeonggi-do Province have activated Level Two of their emergency response measures, while the country's Forestry Service issued landslide warnings for some cities and counties, including Pocheon, Gapyeong, and Yangju. Advisories have been placed in nearby regions, as authorities order evacuations in other affected areas as a precaution. The KMA notes that this comes from North Pacific high-pressure air expanding into the Peninsula alongside hot and humid air caused by the typhoon "Budle". This air, combined with the dry air coming down from the north, created a narrow rain cloud band. More specifically, fast winds blowing from the lower atmosphere at an altitude of 1-point-5-kilometers, known as lower jets, have been adding to a large amount of water vapor and torrential rain. As the Interior and Safety Ministry activated level 1 of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters response measures, authorities are calling on strict management and preemptive closure of flood-prone areas to prevent further damage. Though heavy rain is expected to continue throughout Wednesday, it will ease off nationwide by Thursday afternoon, and related agencies will be closely monitoring conditions. Ahn Sung-jin, Arirang News.

Continued employment struggle for manufacturing, construction sectors

2025/08/13 19:36

Employment expanded by one-hundred-71-thousand in July on year to post a second straight month of gains hovering on the one-hundred-thousand range. Accordingly Statistics Korea says the employment rate for the month of July rose by 0-point-1 percent to stand at 63-point-4 percent. By sector however the employment trend remained mixed with health and social welfare adding on more jobs while the manufacturing and construction industries continued to see job losses. Meanwhile the unemployment rate now stands at 2-point-4 percent down 0-point-1 percentage point on year.

Information, communication technology exports hit record high for July

2025/08/13 19:36

On the trade front. Overseas shipments of ICT products soared over 14 percent on year in July spurred by strong global demand for semiconductors. Park Jun-han has the latest numbers. South Korea's information and communication technology exports saw a record-breaking performance in July. Exports of ICT products for the month reached 22-point-19 billion U.S. dollars, a 14-point-5 percent increase from the same period last year, according to data released by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Wednesday. Despite uncertainties stemming from U.S. tariff policies, this marks the highest July export figure ever recorded for the sector, producing a trade surplus of 8-point-87 billion dollars. The driver behind the surge was semiconductors. Semiconductor exports posted an over 31 percent increase in July to 14-point-7 billion dollars, driven by rising prices for memory semiconductors and strong demand for high-value-added chips such as high bandwidth memory (HBM) and double data rate 5 (DDR5.) This marks the fourth consecutive month of year-on-year record-breaking semiconductor exports. "With the growth of the AI industry, sales of HBM memory semiconductors for AI systems are rising, and as HBM is a high-value product, it is positively impacting South Korea's tech exports." However, not all sectors showed as strong a performance. Display exports fell almost 9 percent due to uncertain demand in forward industries, while mobile phone exports dropped almost 22 percent, though strong finished product sales partially offset declines in components. Exports of computers and peripherals declined by about 17 percent, affected by the high baseline set by last year's surge in solid state drive (SSD) shipments, and a temporary slowdown in demand. The strength in exports once again underscored South Korea's resilience in the global ICT market, particularly in semiconductors, despite ongoing trade uncertainties. Park Jun-han, Arirang News.

Putin shares information on upcoming summit with U.S. to N. Korean leader Kim

2025/08/13 19:35

On the international front. Russia's Vladimir Putin and his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong-un appear to have reaffirmed their alignment ahead of the Russian leader's upcoming trip to Alaska to meet with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump on Friday. Our defense correspondent Kim Bo-kyoung reports. Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a phone call on Tuesday, briefed North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on the upcoming summit between himself and U.S. President Donald Trump. Putin is set to meet Trump in Alaska on Friday to discuss the Ukraine war, as U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff's visit to Russia on August 6th laid the foundations for the summit to take place. According to the Kremlin on Tuesday local time, Putin highly assessed Pyongyang's support for operations in the Kursk region, and the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further developing cooperative relations in all areas in line with the mutual defense treaty they signed in June last year. According to the Korean Central News Agency on Wednesday, Kim Jong-un expressed his full support. Meanwhile, the White House has reconfirmed that the Putin-Trump summit is going to be a bilateral one, not involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The White House press secretary added that the goal is to have a better understanding of how the war could end. "I think this is a listening exercise for the president. Look, only one party that's involved in this war is going to be present, and so this is for the president to go and to get, again, a more firm and better understanding of how we can hopefully bring this war to an end." When asked about whether the issue of dispatching North Korean troops to Russia would be discussed, Tammy Bruce, State Department Spokesperson, said the content of the dialogue can only be known by the two leaders. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on Tuesday vowed not to give eastern Ukrainian land the Donbas region to Russia, adding that it would open a bridgehead for a Russian offensive. He said Moscow would have to agree to a ceasefire before territorial issues are discussed. Kim Bo-kyoung, Arirang News.

Remains of six Korean independence activists return home

2025/08/13 19:34

The remains of six Korean independence activists arrived home on Wednesday from the U.S. Canada and Brazil ahead of Friday's 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule. A repatriation ceremony was held at the Seoul National Cemetery where Prime Minister Kim Min-seok posthumously awarded each of them the Order of Merit for National Foundation. He also reaffirmed commitment to ensure that the repatriation campaign continues until the very last hero is laid to rest here at home. The remains of the six activists will be buried at the Daejeon National Cemetery.

President Lee picks new education, gender minister candidates

2025/08/13 19:33

President Lee Jae Myung has named new nominees to head the Education and Gender Equality ministries. Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik announced on this Wednesday that Choi Kyo-jin the current superintendent of Sejong Metropolitan City Office of Education has been tapped as the new Education Minister a post that also serves as Deputy Prime Minister. Kang described Choi as an "education expert" who has dedicated four decades to the academic arena. Lawyer Won Min-kyong who has served on the National Assembly's Gender Equality Advisory Committee has been picked as Minister of Gender Equality and Family. Both positions have remained vacant after the president's initial picks withdrew and resigned respectively following allegations of plagiarism and workplace abuse.

Pres. Lee to visit Japan for summit from Aug. 23-24

2025/08/13 19:33

President Lee Jae Myung will travel to neighboring Japan for talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba next weekend that is August 23rd until the 24th. According to the Presidential Office on this Wednesday this bilateral summit will take place prior to the summit with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on August 25th. On the agenda of talks between the South Korean and Japanese leaders are ways to promote a future-oriented partnership and to bolster the trilateral security framework with the U.S.

LEE ADMINISTRATION UNVEILS POLICY BLUEPRINT

2025/08/13 16:40

LEE ADMINISTRATION UNVEILS POLICY BLUEPRINT

[Features reporter] From final brushstrokes to burnt Taegeukgi: Illuminating Korea’s resistance heritage

2025/08/13 16:40

Just two days from now marks the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese rule. Hyobeen, I heard you went somewhere that takes us right back to that time in history? That's right, Soa. Ahead of Liberation Day this Friday, I visited a special exhibition that sheds light on stories of resistance , and some of the artifacts are being shown to the public for the first time. Let's take a look. Korea's darkest days , and the courage of those who refused to bow, now gathered in one place. To mark the 80th anniversary of Korea's Liberation from Japanese colonial rule, a special exhibition at Deoksugung Palace brings together over 110 artifacts from the late 19th century to the day the nation reclaimed its freedom. "For the first time, Korean independence hero Ahn Jung-geun's calligraphy is being showcased to the public. These two letters, meaning 'green bamboo', show his strong opposition to Japanese rule." His final brushstrokes, made in a cold Lushun prison cell before his execution, capture not only defiance against Japan, but also a longing for peace in Asia and respect for human dignity. From here, the story turns to lesser-known independence fighters. Min Young-hwan took his own life in protest after Japan's illegal Eulsa Treaty stripped Korea of its sovereignty, writing, "If our freedom and independence are restored, I shall gladly smile even in the afterlife." Manifestos and letters from Korea's civilian militias, known as the righteous armies, also bear the weight of defiance, with some returning to Korea only last year after decades in Japan. The spirit of defiance is also preserved in the national flag , a Taegeukgi found at Jingwansa Temple, riddled with holes and burn marks. Believed to have been made during the March 1st Independence Movement in 1919, it bears the Korean flag's taegeuk symbol and trigrams painted in black ink over the Japanese flag, amplifying the message of resistance. "This Taegeukgi, national flag of Korea, found at Jingwansa Temple, is even more meaningful as it shows just how fiercely our independence fighters carried out their work in secrecy." Bringing these treasures together is what makes this exhibition truly historic. "While marking the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation, this exhibition is most meaningful for bringing together authentic resistance heritage from both institutions and individuals in one place." Liberation was never given. It was earned, with blood, sweat, and hope. Eighty years on, their courage still lights the path toward the freedom they dreamed of.

[K-enter] Seventeen donate charity auction proceeds to UNESCO

2025/08/13 16:39

Time for some K-entertainment news with Bella Kim. Bella, today we have a wide range of K-entertainment news. Let's start with a warm donation story. Seventeen, a group that serves as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors for Youth, have made a huge gesture. According to their agency, Pledis Entertainment, the group donated 250-thousand U.S. dollars to UNESCO on International Youth Day. The donation was raised through a charity auction, titled "Joopiter Presents: Sacai X Seventeen." This charity auction was a limited collection introduced back in June by Seventeen in collaboration with JOOPITER, a digital commerce content platform founded by fashion brand Sacai and artist and producer Pharrell Williams. They released leather jackets that Seventeen members helped make and T-shirts with their autographs. The donation will fund the Global Youth Grant that Seventeen and UNESCO launched together. Last year, Seventeen were named as the first-ever UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors for Youth, and upon their appointment, they donated 1 million U.S. dollars to help young people around the world pursue their dreams. It's great to see them support young people as ambassadors for youth. Speaking of ambassadors, we are going to talk about another group who were appointed as ambassadors. Which group is it? The city of Seoul has appointed the virtual idol group PLAVE as the ambassadors for Startup Seoul. On Tuesday, Seoul held a ceremony to appoint the "2025 Startup Seoul ambassadors and Try Everything promotional group." At the ceremony, Seoul selected PLAVE as its ambassadors to promote the startup and entrepreneurship ecosystem of Seoul to foreign countries. PLAVE's agency, VLAST, is a Seoul-based startup that possesses motion capture-based 3D content production technology. At the ceremony, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon presented the appointment letter to the CEO of VLAST and PLAVE members received it in real time in a virtual world on a large screen just behind them. The members of PLAVE said that they are honored to have the opportunity to promote Seoul's excellent startup ecosystem to the world, and that they will widely convey the charm of Seoul to their global fans. It's more meaningful as PLAVE's agency is a startup as well. Now, let's end off on an upcoming movie. The upcoming film "MURDER REPORT" held a press conference on Tuesday at CGV Yongsan IPark Mall in Seoul. Attending along with the director Cho Young-joon were lead actors Cho Yeo-jeong of "Parasite" and Jung Sung-il, best known for his role in Netflix hit series "The Glory." "MURDER REPORT" centers on a psychiatrist, who is also a serial killer, requesting an exclusive interview with a reporter. The majority of the film is filled with a one-on-one interview between the two. Cho Yeo-jeong, who plays the reporter Seon-ju, said she specifically focused on her pronounciation and articulation to express the character well. Jung Sung-il, who portrays the killer Young-hun, said that he fell right into the character and actually had trouble getting out of it after the shoot. "MURDER REPORT" is set to be released in theaters on September 5th. Crime-thriller film fans like you Bella must be excited. Thank you Bella for today's stories.And now let's go over to our AI anchor Ari for other issues on the culture front. Ari!

K-wave AI News

2025/08/13 16:37

Hello and welcome to your AI guide to the latest cultural updates from Korea. Here's our top story. The Independence Hall of Korea will host a cultural celebration this Friday, August 15, to mark Liberation Day on the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan's colonial rule. Held under the theme "Light of the Nation," the event will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring a wide range of performances and programs that showcase the spirit of independence and the significance of liberation. Highlights include an air show by the Air Force's Black Eagles, a taekwondo demonstration, and special guided tours of liberation-themed exhibitions. Organizers expressed hope that many will attend to reflect on the meaning of Korea's Liberation Day. Also marking the milestone 80th anniversary, Busan's Gwangalli Beach hosted a special edition of the "Gwangalli M Drone Light Show." Some 1,500 drones lit up the night sky with images depicting independence activists such as Kim Gu and Yu Gwan-sun, as well as Ahn Jung-geun's severed finger, a powerful symbol of independence fighters' unwavering resolve. The Gwangalli Drone Show is one of Busan's signature weekend tourist attractions, with its theme changing each week to match the season. This week's performance was specially designed to commemorate Liberation Day. Yeon Deok-chun, the first Korean pro golfer to win a major international tournament, has had his Korean name officially restored. Yeon, the late former advisor to the Korea Professional Golfers' Association, won the Japan Open in 1941 but was forced to compete and be recorded under a Japanese name during Japan's colonial rule. An official ceremony for the correction of his name and Japan Open records was held in Seoul on Tuesday. This came at the request of the Korean government, marking the 80th anniversary of liberation and the 60th anniversary of normalizing Seoul-Tokyo ties. Japan Golf Association Chief Operating Officer Hiroshi Yamanaka hinted after the ceremony that Yeon is highly likely to be inducted into the JGA Hall of Fame. That's all from me. Stay tuned to the Kulture Wave.

[K-Sports highlights with Jason Lee] Son Heung-min transfers from Tottenham to LAFC

2025/08/13 16:36

It's time for K-sports highlights, after a decade at Tottenham Hotspur global football icon, South Korea's superstar Son Heung-min has transferred to Major League Soccer, to join Los Angeles FC. And in the KBO, a legendary pitcher has announced his retirement after this season. For all the details, we have our sportscaster Jason Lee joining us in the studio. Jason hello! Q1. Clearly, the big news is Son Heung-min leaving Tottenham Hotspur and joining LAFC in the Major League Soccer! Yes, there had been rumours for quite some time of the possibility of Son Heung-Min leaving Tottenham this offseason and I have to admit I didn't want to hear it. He's been such a staple and icon with the team over the last decade that I think many (including myself) were in denial of a possible move. But when you actually consider everything, it actually does make a lot of sense for all parties. I've said for the last several months now that Son Heung-Min has clearly lost a step he's not as explosive as he used to be especially 1-on-1 or even 1-on-2 situations that he would attempt confidently in the past. Injuries have also been an issue as of late and that's resulted in a drop in playing time and a lack of playing time becomes an issue with personal confidence and the whole thing just snowballs. So this should be a good move for Son Heung-Min in that, yes he's going to a lesser league, but he'll continue to have a significant role, which I just don't think would've been the case had he decided to stay with Tottenham. This is also a good move for Tottenham as they receive a whopping 26-million dollar transfer fee. And for LAFC they get a big name star that the large Korean population in LA will be willing to pay money to see. And LAFC has always been like the LA Clippers of MLS with the LA Galaxy being more like the Lakers so this maybe gives the team a chance to catch up to the Galaxy in terms of local popularity and support. Q2. And Sonny has actually already made his debut for his new team, how did he do in his first game against the Chicago Fire? Yeah, He entered the game at the 1 hour mark so he played about the last 40 minutes factoring in injury time. He obviously got a huge cheer from fans when entering the game eventhough the game was on the road in Chicago. Son Heung-Min earned a breakaway late in the game, but was clearly taken down in the penalty area and earned his team a penalty kick which was converted by Denis Bouanga to tie the game so Son Heung-Min already paying off for LAFC. Q3. A lot has been going on in the KBO as of late not all good news though, let's start with the news that Kim Do-Young is out with another hamstring injury Yeah, I guess you could say his leg has hamstrung his season This is the 3rd time his leg is knocking him out for a considerable amount of time and his Kia Tigers have announced that they'll keep him out for the rest of the regular season. This is huge because Kim Do-Young is the reigning KBO MVP after hitting 38 home runs last year the thing is Kia can really use him just to get into the post season right now. They're right on the playoff bubble I can say this much no team will want to face Kia in the post season if they're adding Kim Do-Young to a team that somehow made it without him. Q4. Kim Do-Young may have been the KBO's big story last year, but this year he's been upstaged by a fellow 21 year old Yes, you are obviously talking about KT's Ahn Hyun-Min, who was just named the KBO's player of the month for July. He's currently hitting.348, which is tops in the league his 1.060 OPS is also tops in the league and for the month of July he hit.441 while slugging.706. As you mentioned he's the same age as Kia's Kim Do-Young, but Ahn is still eligible for Rookie of the Year this year and it's already a foregone conclusion that he'll win the award. The only question is if he'll be a unanimous winner, which he has a good shot at. The one other thing I'll mention is that a lot of people worried with Lee Jung-Hoo and Kim Hye-Seong both leaving for Major League baseball over the past 2 years. But since then, the KBO has broken attendence records and has seen the rise of stars like Kim Do-Young and Ahn Hyun-Min the last 2 years so it seems the league is still in good hands. Q5. Speaking of players leaving the KBO, Samsung Lions pitcher Oh Seung-Hwan has announced he would be retiring after this season how big of a deal is that? It's huge If you've just gotten into baseball or the KBO recently you might not fully appreciate the accomplishments of Oh Seung-Hwan, but he has been as great as they come as a reliever. He set the single season saves record back in 2006 as a sophomore and was a finalist for League MVP that season unfortunately for him, that same season Lee Dae-Ho won the hitting triple crown, while Ryu Hyun-Jin took the pitching triple crown and MVP honours. But Oh Seung-Hwan, I think you can safely say is the greatest Korean reliever of all-time. Not only are his 427 saves, more than any other KBO pitcher ever, he accomplished that while spending 2 years in Japan with the Hanshin Tigers and 4 years in major league baseball with the Cardinals, Jays and Rockies. And I've gotta say beyond the numbers and accomplishments I'll always remember him for his nickname, "the final boss". He helped Samsung to back to back Korean series titles in 2005 and 2006 and then he led them to 3 straight from 2011 to 2013. Q6. It's getting late in the year, but there have been a couple of other serious injuries resulting in players missing the rest of this year and a good chunk of next year as well Yes, both players on the Kiwoom Heroes let's start with their closer Ju Seung-Woo. He will need Tommy John Surgery so there's a good chance he misses all of this year and next year as well. He last pitched on Sunday and complained of pain in his elbow and tests revealed ligament damage in his right elbow. This is a big blow because Kiwoom has been terrible this year in last place, but Ju had been one of the few bright spots with a 2.45 ERA. And more bad news for the Heroes as Ahn Woo-Jin will also miss about a year after requiring shoulder surgery for an incident that could've been avoided. Ahn was basically forced to do extra drills by a coach for being on the losing team of a scrimmage and during those drills he got hurt. Ahn is also recovering from Tommy John surgery so hasn't played in over a year and was targetting a return to play this fall. And talent wise he's the type of guy Korea could use on their national team for the World Baseball Classic next Spring, but he won't even be a consideration for that now so a big loss to Korea, not just Kiwoom. Thank you very much Jason for all the updates, have a great rest of the week. Thank you Bella, we'll see you back tomorrow.

Putin briefs N. Korean leader on upcoming summit with Trump: report

2025/08/13 13:34

Russian President Vladimir Putin has spoken with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and briefed him on his upcoming meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. According to Russia's TASS news agency on Tuesday, the two discussed the planned Trump-Putin talks in Alaska on Friday, which are aimed at efforts to end the war in Ukraine over the phone. Putin also shared his appreciation for Pyongyang's support of Russian operations in the western front-line Kursk region, praising what he called the "valor, heroism and selflessness" of North Korean troops. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday stressed his country will not give up the Donbas region as part of a ceasefire deal with Russia. The comments come as Moscow is demanding that Ukraine withdraw from the entire eastern Donbas region as a condition for a peace deal.