News

[NEWs GEN] No Delivery Day: Why Korea's delivery system sets global standard

2025/08/13 13:33

NEWs GEN] No Delivery Day: Why Korea's delivery system sets global standard '택배 없이는 못 살아'... 한국의 택배 시스템

Kim Keon Hee arrested on corruption charges

2025/08/13 11:41

South Korea's ex-first lady, Kim Keon Hee, has been arrested on corruption charges. This is the first time in the nation's history that a former first lady has been put behind bars, and also the first time that a former presidential couple has been detained at the same time. Byeon Ye-young starts us off. 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. 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 Her arrest means all privileges as a former First Lady were revoked, and her security detail was fully withdrawn.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. She first appeared for questioning in front of a 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 spouse have been jailed at the same time. Byeon Ye-young, Arirang News.

Heavy rain in central areas today, contrasting temperatures

2025/08/13 11:40

Hope your morning commute was alright. A stationary front has been dropping strong and heavy rain on most of the central regions since early this morning, and it will continue to lash down through tomorrow morning. By tomorrow, the capital area could see over 200 millimeters of rain, with west of Gangwon-do receiving up to 150 millimeters. Rain could pound down at a rate of 40 to 50 millimeters an hour. So, heavy rain alerts have been issued in the capital region, which could expand to more surrounding areas. Meanwhile, rain in southern provinces will let up as the morning goes on so sunny skies and strong heat return by the afternoon with a high of 34 degrees in Daegu and Gyeongju, which is about 10 degrees higher than yesterday. Seoul has heat relief with a high of 28 degrees. Those in the central-northern regions can expect on-and-off rain along with strong winds through Liberation Day morning on Friday, so those near the water need to stay alert!

Elephant reserve in South Africa educates visitors on World Elephant Day

2025/08/13 11:40

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.

French nuclear plant facing delayed restart after jellyfish 'invasion'

2025/08/13 11:39

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.

Egypt announces joint effort with Qatar and U.S. to broker 60-day Israel-Hamas ceasefire

2025/08/13 11:39

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.

World News 1: Wildfires rage across southern Europe as temperatures top 40C

2025/08/13 11:39

Good morning, I'm Choi Chi-hee, and this is The World Now. 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.

Continued employment struggle for manufacturing, construction sectors

2025/08/13 11:38

South Korea's year-on-year employment in July increased by 171 thousand, continuing two consecutive months of job gains in the 100-thousand range. According to Statistics Korea on Wednesday, the employment rate for July rose by point-1 percent to hit a record 63-point-4 percent. However, manufacturing and construction sectors continued to see job losses, down 78 thousand and 92 thousand,.. respectively. Healthcare and social welfare added over 260 thousand jobs, while professional services gained 91 thousand. The unemployment rate was 2-point-4 percent, down point-one percentage point from the same period last year.

[On-point] How immigration raids are affecting Koreans in U.S.

2025/08/13 11:38

As the Trump administration's crackdown on immigrants intensifies,.. a Purdue University student from Korea was recently released from federal detention, while a green card holder living in the United States for 35 years was also detained sending shockwaves through the Korean community in the United States. For more on this, we're joined by Steve Kang, Chairman of the Korean American Federation of Los Angeles. Mr. Kang, thanks for joining us today. 1. Immigration raids like these are unprecedented, right? How do cases like this reflect the Trump administration's immigration policy? 2. All this must have been shocking for Koreans living in the U.S. How is the Korean community in Los Angeles reacting to the recent immigration raids? 3. I understand ICE agents have been arresting hundreds of immigrants every day across the U.S. What do the raids look like in Los Angeles? How are they changing people's daily lives? 4. What kind of diplomatic efforts does the Korean government need to make to help resolve this issue? Alright, thank you so much for sharing your insight with us today. We appreciate it.

[THE INTERVIEW] Victor Cha on what’s at stake if Trump meets Kim

2025/08/13 11:37

In part two of our interview, the CSIS Korea chair weighs in on the prospects for a summit between Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong-un,.. and the issues that could define it. He also notes that Washington's pursuit of denuclearization of Pyongyang is a long-term goal. Our correspondent Kim Jung-sil reports. Victor Cha, Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, says Washington's official stance remains unchanged: the end goal is still the denuclearization of North Korea. But he warns that's no short-term prospect. "Stated U.S. policy is that the end game is denuclearization, right? That's our stated U.S. policy. But that's really a long-term goal. I mean given how much North Korea's nuclear program has developed. So the question then becomes, in the interim, what would the United States be seeking?" In that interim, Dr. Cha says Washington could pursue other priorities and perhaps a diplomatic opening. He's suggested that if the U.S. President attends October's APEC meeting in Gyeongju, the trip might also take him to Panmunjom, and possibly to talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. "If that (the summit) happened, I just wanted to ask you the real end game for both sides this time?" "Certainly, I think some form of freeze on the program, some of the initial steps towards denuclearization, would be important. But at the same time, there are other things that I think the United States is concerned about when it comes to North Korea. And one of them, of course, is their deep military relationship with Russia." He says that relationship now factors directly into Trump's top foreign policy priority. "This is clearly a priority of the Trump administration to end the war in Europe, and North Korea now plays a role in that. So one wonders whether that will become a high priority issue if President Trump meets the leader of North Korea." But Pyongyang has set its own terms for any meeting. In a recent statement, Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korea's leader, rejected any challenge to the regime's "nuclear weapons status". "She made very clear that any meeting between the two leaders will be as a de facto recognized nuclear weapons state. That's a condition they've laid out for meeting, and it's one theTrump administration has to determine whether they're willing to meet that condition or not." Dr. Cha says a Trump–Kim meeting could sideline denuclearization issues for others, such as Pyongyang's military ties with Moscow, or stopping North Korea from helping rebuild Iran's nuclear program. "But as we've seen with this president, like in the end he makes the decision, and as far as we know he won't make that decision till he walks into the room with Kim." For now, all eyes are on what Trump decides when, and if, he meets Kim. Kim Jung-sil, Arirang News.

U.S. State Department says human rights in N. Korea remain very serious

2025/08/13 11:36

The U.S. State Department, in its latest report on human rights, says the situation in North Korea remains very serious. The 2024 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released on Tuesday local time, said the regime maintains its control through brutality and coercion including executions, physical abuse, enforced disappearances and collective punishment. It said that in the past year, there has been "no significant change" in the North's human rights. The report lists serious abuses in the North, including killings, disappearances, torture, forced medical practices, arbitrary detention, repression abroad, limits on speech, press, and religion, coerced abortions, human trafficking and forced labor, child labor and bans on independent unions.

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

2025/08/13 11:35

Disgraced cryptocurrency mogul Do Kwon has pleaded guilty in the United States to two fraud charges. With the plea deal, Kwon is expected to face no more than 12 years in prison, with half of his sentence potentially behind bars in South Korea. 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.

What is expected to top agenda at Korea-U.S. summit?

2025/08/13 11:34

With a summit between the presidents of South Korea and the United States scheduled for August 25th,.. eyes are now on what issues will be on the table. For now,.. security and trade are expected to top the agenda. Park Kun-woo has more. As the Korea-U.S. summit approaches later this month, speculation is mounting over the possible agenda items. One is security, including "modernizing" the alliance, which could involve changes to the size and role of the U.S. Forces Korea, increasing defense spending, and greater strategic flexibility. This comes after remarks last week from USFK Commander Xavier Brunson, who cited evolving security threats, including from the North's nuclear program expansion. Asked about a potential troop reduction, he stressed capability over numbers. Observers are watching how much Seoul can concede, as fully rejecting U.S. requests may be difficult while maintaining stability on the peninsula. The Washington Post also reported that the U.S. initially sought to raise Korea's defense spending from 2-point-6 percent to 3-point-8 percent of GDP, along with boosting Seoul's annual cost-sharing payments for U.S. troops. Another expected key item is finalizing details of Korea's 350 billion U.S. dollar investment pledge made during tariff negotiations. About 150 billion is expected to go toward the MASGA project, possibly through acquiring and operating U.S. shipyards, and building and supplying naval and commercial vessels. The rest would possibly be invested more broadly in sectors such as chips and batteries. Specific investment sectors and timelines for implementation are expected to be discussed. Talks may also touch on non-tariff barriers, from the possible allowance of agriculture and beef imports to digital trade issues. With about two weeks remaining, the summit is expected to tackle these issues, with the hope of concluding the talks with constructive outcomes for both sides. Park Kun-woo, Arirang News.

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

2025/08/13 11:33

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.

STOCK&FX

2025/08/12 22:45

2025. 8. 12. KOREAN STOCK MARKET KOSPI : 3,189.91 ▼16.86 -0.53% KOSDAQ : 807.19 ▼4.66 -0.57% KOSPI200 : 431.63 ▼1.66 -0.38% ASIAN STOCK MARKET NIKKEI225 : 42,718.17 ▲897.69 +2.15% HANG SENG : 24,969.68 ▲62.87 +0.25% SHANGHAI : 3,665.92 ▲18.37 +0.50% WALL STREET (AUG. 11) DOW JONES : 43,975.09 ▼200.52 -0.45% NASDAQ : 21,385.40 ▼64.61 -0.30% S&P500 : 6,373.45 ▼16.00 -0.25% EXCHANGE RATE USD : 1,389.90 (+1.90) JPY : 937.25 (-3.42) CNY : 193.16 (+0.01) EUR : 1,613.81 (-5.57)

Lee-Trump summit date set on Aug. 25 for key discussions

2025/08/12 22:44

The Presidential Office has confirmed the first summit between the leaders of South Korea and the U.S. will take place in around two weeks from today. It'll be President Lee Jae Myung's first face-to-face with President Donald Trump since taking office two months ago. Our Presidential Office Correspondent Yoon Jung-min reports. The date has been made official for the first Lee-Trump summit: August 25th. President Lee Jae Myung will be in Washington from August 24th to 26th, upon invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump. According to the top office in Seoul, it'll be a working visit involving a luncheon. During the first summit in more than two months since Lee took office, the agenda will include key issues. "The two leaders will discuss ways to develop the South Korea-U.S. alliance into a future-oriented, comprehensive strategic alliance in response to the changing international security and economic environment." An economic partnership on chips, batteries and shipbuilding will top the agenda, as well as high-technology and critical minerals, as part of the allies' framework trade deal that was reached late last month before the Trump administration's August 1st deadline. Security issues that were not addressed at that time could be on the table. Eyes are also on whether the two leaders will discuss resuming dialogue with North Korea, reflecting peace efforts by the new government in Seoul. "The leaders will discuss measures to coordinate peace on the Korean Peninsula and denuclearization, while further strengthening the robust South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture." First lady Kim Hea Kyung will be accompanying the president. Business leaders could also join the trip, though the presidential office says it has yet to be decided. With much speculation that President Lee's trip to neighboring Japan will precede his U.S. trip, his office remains tight-lipped, adding it's sounding out various possibilities. Yoon Jung-min, Arirang News.

[Weather] Heavy rain will spread across the country tomorrow

2025/08/12 22:43

Rainfall of around 30 millimeters per hour has poured down on the coastal areas of Jeju Island and Jeollanam-do Province. Heavy rain warnings and advisories are in effect on the coast of Jeollanam-do, Gyeongsangnam-do Provinces, and the mountainous areas of Jeju Island, and there will be a lot of rain. This rain will spread all over the country tomorrow. As much as 150 millimeters of rain is forecast in northern Gyeonggi-do Province and Incheon, and up to 120 millimeters in Seoul. Please be prepared in advance to avoid any damage from rain. The morning will start warm at 25 degrees Celsius in Seoul and Gwangju, Busan at 26 degrees. Highs will move up to 27 degrees in Seoul and Chuncheon, Gyeongju and Jeju at 33 degrees. It will stop raining tomorrow night in the southern parts of the country, but it will continue until Friday morning, in the central parts of the country. That's all for Korea. Here are the weather conditions around the world.

HUNTR/X’s “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters tops Billboard Hot 10

2025/08/12 22:43

The KPop Demon Hunters craze is hitting new heights, with its hit song "Golden" topping the Billboard Hot 100, making history for both K-pop and virtual idols. Byeon Ye-young tells us more. The "KPop Demon Hunters" sensation shows no signs of slowing down, this time topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Praised for its high-quality animation, visually striking characters, and clever use of Korean traditional folklore, the Netflix original animation's soundtrack "Golden" climbed up a spot to reach number 1 for the first time. Billboard announced the feat on Monday, local time, noting that "Golden" is the ninth song linked to Korean pop to top the Hot 100, and the first to do so with female lead vocalists. "This is the first time a girl group has topped the Billboard Hot 100 since Destiny's Child. And in K-pop history, it's also the first time virtual idols, or an animated act based on K-pop, have reached number 1 on the chart." Sung by the virtual girl group "Huntr/x" in the movie, the vocalists behind the song are Korean-American artists EJAE, Rei Ami, and Audrey Nuna. Of all the tracks in KPop Demon Hunters, "Golden" has stood out for its soaring high notes in the latter part of the song, a section that has even become a benchmark for proving one's vocal skills and sparked the "Golden Challenge" among K-pop stars. Big K-pop names like Solar of Mamamoo, Lily of NMIXX, and Ailee have all joined in. "K-pop is not just about listening to and enjoying the music; it's about enjoying it together. That's one of K-pop's charms. Participating, singing along, even creating content, all of that has helped bring the songs from KPop Demon Hunters closer to the public." Earlier this month, "Golden" also topped the UK's Official Singles Top 100 chart, one of the two biggest music charts in the world alongside Billboard's Hot 100, making it a rare track to conquer both the UK and U.S. pop markets. Byeon Ye-young, Arirang News.

Hearing concludes on arrest request for former first lady Kim Keon Hee on corruption allegations

2025/08/12 22:41

A Seoul court held a hearing today on whether to allow the arrest of former first lady Kim Keon Hee, the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol. Kim faces allegations of stock manipulation, interference in party nominations, and influence-peddling, which she denies. Prosecutors argued there was a high risk she would destroy evidence. After the four-hour hearing at the Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday, Kim was moved to Seoul Southern Detention Center to await the court's decision. A decision could come as early as tonight, and if granted, it would mark the first time in the country's history that a former president and first lady are detained simultaneously.

Workplace safety once again tops President Lee's Cabinet meeting

2025/08/12 22:41

Workplace safety was once again at the center of Tuesday's Cabinet meeting, as President Lee Jae Myung discussed ways to end the recent string of fatal industrial accidents with his Cabinet. Our Presidential Office correspondent Song Yoo-jin reports. At a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, President Lee Jae Myung again emphasized the need to move away from what he called a "regressive republic of industrial accidents." "When preventable accidents are left unprevented, especially when cutting costs to save money takes someone's life, that, as I've said before, is the same as murder by willful negligence, a form of societal murder." The country has seen a string of fatal industrial accidents this year, with the most recent one happening last Friday, when a worker fell to his death while dismantling a safety net at an apartment construction site. The next day, President Lee ordered the Labor Ministry to report on the preventive and follow-up measures for industrial accidents at Tuesday's Cabinet meeting. "After hearing from the Labor Ministry, the President noted that not a single major construction company has been penalized under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, and called for a penalty surcharge system to ensure companies secure adequate budget for safety measures." The Land Ministry reported its own plan to address major construction-related accidents. President Lee suggested harsher measures, such as permanently barring unsafe companies from public tenders and offering substantial rewards for whistleblowers who report poor safety management. He also touched on inter-Korean relations, noting the dismantling of loudspeakers by both sides. "In line with our actions, I hope the North will also remove unnecessary and costly loudspeakers. Through such reciprocal steps, I hope dialogue and communication between the two Koreas will gradually open." Following Seoul's complete removal of its loudspeakers used for anti-North Korea broadcasts, South Korea's military says it has detected signs of the North beginning to dismantle some of its own along the border. Song Yoo-jin, Arirang News.