Sunday Sounds: Suuns, Protomartyr wow Hongdae audience

Lead singer of Canadian art-rock band Suuns Ben Shemie previously told The Korea Times all he wanted from the crowd at his band's first-ever Seoul performance was for people to show up. “As long as there are people in the room, I feel confident we can put on a good show,” he said.

Time of terror: The Tigers of Jeolla Province

There is a legend in Naju that many hundreds of years ago, a young noble woman became lost and wandered hopelessly through the wilderness. Up until the mid-1920s, the Jeolla provinces were notorious for tigers and their predations upon the isolated villages and lone travelers so it is unsurprising that she soon encountered one of these ferocious monarchs of the forest.

Korean churches divided over Yemeni refugees

A conservative Protestant group voiced worries about the spread of Islamophobia following media reports about 486 Yemeni asylum seekers on the scenic island of Jeju.

Minister vows to recruit more immigration officers

“Having more immigration officers is necessary to improve the quality of (immigration) services,” the minister said after inspecting the airport. “I will seriously consider recruiting more officers.”

Lawmaker brags illegal influence on prosecutor [VIDEO]

The controversial footage - recorded in March 2014 and revealed on Friday - shows lawmaker Kim Jae-won of the opposition Liberty Korea Party publicly boasting about how he influenced a prosecutor to reduce punishment for his friend, who had been involved in a DUI hit-and-run accident. In the video, referring to a DUI case involving former vice agriculture minister Kim Joo-soo, the lawmaker claimed the light punishment was because of a speech he gave.

Can Nongshim Kellogg's new CEO live up to expectations?

The newly appointed chief executive of Nongshim Kellogg is facing a daunting task of maintaining its market share, amid entries of Korean food conglomerates into the cereal market. Kim Jong-woo, who stepped up to lead Korea's second-largest cereal maker Thursday following the sudden death of former CEO Han Jong-kap last month, said, “Based on my experience at several foreign companies and a domestic food firm, I will develop Kellogg's into a more respectable enterprise.” The new CEO, who previously led Woongjin Foods, Diageo's branches for Northern Asia and Korea, and Philip Morris Taiwan, however, may be unable to achieve his goal, due to the intensifying market competition.

Heatwave advisory marks hottest day of the year

The summer heat is upon Korea. The mid-day high in Seoul, Gangneung, Chuncheon and Daegu reached 31-33C on Friday, marking it the hottest day of the year. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) issued a heatwave advisory in Gangwon and South Gyeongsang provinces at 11 a.m. The sultry weather is forecast to last throughout the weekend.

5 candidates vie for POSCO chairmanship

POSCO unveiled the names of five CEO candidates, after a board meeting Friday.

Singaporean reporter says candlelit protests is most moving memory

A Seoul correspondent from a Singapore media outlet picked candlelit protests in 2016 as one of the most moving memories in Korea during a JTBC variety show “Let's Eat Dinner Together” Wednesday.

Hedge funds attract more investment

Korea's hedge fund market has surpassed 20 trillion won ($18 billion) as more investors seek to put money into diverse investment tools for larger profits. It only took six years for it to become a 20 trillion won market, since hedge funds were introduced here in December 2011 under Korea's Financial Services Commission (FSC)'s approval.

Actor Jo Jung-suk, singer Gummy to have private wedding

Korean actor Jo Jung-suk and singer Gummy, or Park Ji-yeon, will have a private wedding with family this fall after a five-year relationship.

Gov't boost quarantine efforts to prevent fire ant spread

Korea will boost quarantine efforts to prevent the spread of foreign red fire ants that have been discovered in major ports in the country over the past month. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on Friday, announced plans to disinfect the entire port area in efforts to contain the spread.

440,000 jobs lost due to investment outflow'

The outflow of direct investments cost the country nearly 440,000 jobs last year, a report showed Friday. Experts say Korea should attract foreign direct investment as well as encourage domestic investments to sustain jobs.

Female firefighter wins fitness contest

Female firefighter Lee Min-young won a fitness contest held June 1 in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. Lee, who works at Anseong Fire Station, participated in the contest as the only female firefighter among 13 contestants.

Trump: North Korea blows up 4 missile engine test sites

"They've stopped the sending of missiles, including ballistic missiles. They're destroying their engine site. They're blowing it up," Trump said. "They've already blown up one of their big test sites. In fact, it was actually four of their big test sites. And the big thing is, it will be a total denuclearization, which has already started taking place."

Psychiatrist says 'take it easy to relieve stress'

If you're stressed out, the book “Let Me Take a Break” may help you prevent burnout and suggest a new healthy lifestyle for you. Yoon Dae-hyun, a professor of psychiatry at Seoul National University, draws on his experience and expertise to explore the challenges average Koreans face, such as building constructive relationships with in-laws and maintaining a work-life balance.

Two conservative parties respond to election defeats differently

After their crushing defeat in the June 13 local elections, conservative parties are speeding up reshuffle and reform measures. Their leaders stepped down right after the elections, taking responsibility for the outcome. The responses of the two conservative parties are similar in that they immediately formed emergency taskforces, which is somewhat a habitual measure after an election failure in Korea's political scene. But they are different in how they organized the emergency groups: one was staffed with party members from the younger generation, and the other with the same old members.

DMZ Peace Train Music Festival begins

The DMZ Peace Train Music Festival will run through Sunday in Seoul and Cherowon, Kangwon Province.

Two Koreas hold Red Cross talks

The two Koreas are set to hold a Red Cross meeting on Friday to discuss a set of humanitarian issues, including holding a reunion of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, amid a thaw in inter-Korean relations.

Kim, Xi discussed strategic cooperation: NK media

North Korea's state agency reported Thursday its leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed the states' alliance and pledged to boost “strategic cooperation” in a meeting in Beijing on Wednesday. Kim arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for a two-day visit, and held a private meeting with Xi at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse the following day.

Are drugs tainting eSports?

Are eSports players using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs)? Many speculate that eSports players are using the drugs _ mainly central nervous system stimulants such as Adderall and Ritalin, commonly prescribed for people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Global media groups ambitious to keep up with changing times

The 70th World News Media Congress held in Estoril, Portugal from June 6-8, was all about "transformation." "Every transformation is never enough because the world around you is always moving faster than you," said Tina Stiegler, executive vice president of people and strategy at Schibsted Media Group in Norway, during the keynote session.

South Korean military halts own exercise after UFG suspension

South Korea has delayed an independent military exercise slated to begin later this month in efforts to ensure the smooth progress of the ongoing denuclearization and normalization talks with North Korea, according to the Ministry of National Defense. This is the first time that the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) has decided to postpone the annual Taegeuk command-post exercise, held in May or June each year, since it started in 1995.

How animals cool off [PHOTOS]

A penguin peeks at a half-submerged ice ball at Everland amusement park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulGiraffes munch on frozen fruit at Everland amusement park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday, which was named World Giraffe Day in 2014 by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulA tiger bites a raw chicken in its cage at Everland amusement park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulA polar bear named Tongki plays in water at Everland amusement park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. The aged bear will be moved to a wildlife park in the United Kingdom in November. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulAn elephant splashes water on itself using its trunk at Everland amusement park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulA polar bear named Tongki tries to eat frozen apples at Everland amusement park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. The aged bear will be moved to a wildlife park in the United Kingdom in November. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulAn elephant splashes water using its trunk at Everland amusement park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

How Jeju became haven for Yemeni refugees

“For some Yemeni refugees, Korea is portrayed as a land of opportunity,” said Kim Dae-yong, founder and president of the Jeju Islamic Culture Center. “Word of Korea spread fast among those Yemeni refugees in Southeast Asian countries because Korea is livable and as we recently have seen on this island, asylum seekers are even allowed to work here.”