BLACKPINK becomes first K-pop artist with 20 MILLION YouTube subscribers

As of Saturday noon, the band's YouTube channel has 20,277,518 subscribers, way higher than K-pop sensation BTS (16.3 million).

The exploitation of Korea's most precious resources - SOPA Students find their voice

If the Me#Too campaign passed by the Seoul School of Performing Arts, it must have taken a cursory glance and kept on moving. If campaigners had been able to look inside the school, they would have demanded answers, but like other 'closed society' institutions, the school's black-out curtains had been pulled tight.

Sexual violence rampant in school chatrooms

Despite the public uproar and criticism toward the snowballing scandal where some celebrities shared illegally taken sex videos and encouraged sex crimes, misogyny and insensitivity to sexual violence is still rampant among male-only student groups on university campuses and male educators.

Transfer of foreign prisoners urged

Frank Chinedu Obioha is a Nigerian inmate at a foreigners-only prison in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province. Now 51, he wants to serve the rest of his sentence back in Nigeria, where he can get regular visits from his family and friends while serving out his term, according to National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) officials who interviewed him.

Late Lee goal gives Korea labored win over Bolivia

Korea bounced back, kind of, from a disappointing Asian Cup in January with a 1-0 win over Bolivia, Friday, thanks to a late goal from Lee Chung-yong. That at least gave the sold-out crowd at the Ulsan World Cup Stadium something to shout about as while the game was won, the old issues remain.

YG chief says 'faithfully cooperate' with probe into Seungri scandal [PHOTOS]

Yang Min-suk, chief executive of YG Entertainment, made the remarks to reporters before attending the company's regular shareholder meeting in Seoul."I take those cases very seriously. (I) will faithfully cooperate with the relevant authorities in charge of investigations," Yang said.The National Tax Service launched a tax evasion probe into YG Entertainment earlier this week, amid the police's widening investigation into the sex-for-favors scandal involving Seungri, a former member of BIGBANG.

'Baltic, stupid!': Latvia tells Korean Foreign Ministry

“Until now, the absence of ROK diplomatic missions in the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania and the Republic of Estonia in the Balkan region has caused difficulties in providing consular assistance and services…” You may laugh at this thinking it is a prank, but it is actually the work of professionals - the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The extract was part of its press release March 19 until the Latvian Embassy in Seoul protested that its country belonged to the Baltic region, not Balkan, and the ministry changed it.

Hyundai Motor wins landslide victory over Elliott in dividend battle

Hyundai Motor scored a landslide victory at the automaker's annual shareholder meeting, Friday, in its battle with U.S. hedge fund Elliott over setting dividend payments and appointing outside directors. Also at the meeting, shareholders approved naming Hyundai Motor Group Executive Vice Chairman Chung Eui-sun as one of the company's CEOs paving the way for him to get firmer control of the auto giant. They also made R&D head Albert Biermann an executive director, the company's first foreign board member.

Moon's faux pas

“Even with 10 mouths, there can be nothing to say,” an old Korean saying meaning an inexcusable mistake, may apply to a series of gaffes made during the recent presidential visit to Brunei, Malaysia and Cambodia. Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon admitted that it showed a lack of professionalism and promised to ameliorate it, while Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa apologized. The Foreign Ministry helps prepare protocols involving presidential overseas trips.

Arrest warrant sought for ex-environment minister

The prosecution sought an arrest warrant for former Environment Minister Kim Eun-kyung, Friday, for her alleged complicity in the ministry's creation of a “blacklist” of people appointed by previous administrations to head its affiliated organizations that it wanted to force to resign.

Asiana faces investors' stock sell-off

Asiana Airlines' credibility among investors further fell Friday after its share trading was halted following an auditor's negative opinion on the airline's financial status, according to analysts and officials Friday. The company will be placed on the bourse operator's watch list, Monday, which many expect will force institutional investors to dump the firm's shares. Trading will resume, Tuesday.

Ex-US envoy opposes Trump's North Korea approach

A former chief U.S. negotiator for North Korea's nuclear disarmament said the U.S. needs a step-by-step approach to denuclearization instead of an “all-or-nothing” tactic. Joseph Yun, a former U.S. special representative for North Korea policy, called President Donald Trump's “no deal is better than a bad deal” stance mere rhetoric, saying the two countries could have “salvaged something” during their latest summit in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Wives still do more housework than husbands: report

Many married women think they share childcare duties with their husbands quite equally, but in fact they bear a greater burden than their partners in other household chores, a study showed Friday. According to the 2018 study 10,630 married women aged between 15 and 49 by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, 52 percent said they and their husbands were not sharing housework equally.

TvN reveals poster for new romantic comedy

Cable channel tvN revealed a poster for its upcoming romantic comedy drama, “Her private life” on its official website, Friday. The drama, which will go to air on April 10, revolves around a successful career woman who lives the secret life of an obsessed fan.

'Ms. Trot for Tomorrow' resets rating record

TV Chosun's audition show “Ms. Trot for Tomorrow” set a new rating record at 8.36 percent, Thursday.

Samsung Heavy faces OECD investigation over deadly crane collapse

The complaint was submitted to the OECD's liaison offices, called National Contract Point (NCP), in Korea, France and Norway, said the NGOs - the Samsung Heavy Industries Martin Linge Project Crane Accident Workers Support Team and the Korean Transnational Corporations Watch (KTNC).

[INTERVIEW] 'Flight attendants provide much more than in-flight services'

For a flight attendant traveling around the clock, enjoying different cuisines and beautiful scenery in different countries is part of their daily routine. The lifestyle definitely caught Mok In-sang's attention, which led him to apply for a cabin crew member position at the country's second-largest carrier, Asiana Airlines.

Three nabbed for killing 30 dogs with poisoned meat

Three people have been charged for allegedly killing 30 dogs with poisoned meat, according to Busan Gangseo Police, Thursday. A woman, 49, allegedly hired two men to kill stray dogs with meat lined with agricultural pesticide in a village in Busan from August 2018 to February.

Public discourse, driving force for Twitter

Twitter is trying to make more people join public conversation through the U.S.-based micro-blogging platform, as the firm believes the power of conversations will lead society to new heights, the CEO of the firm said Friday.

Viva hits snag with Toss internet bank plan

Viva Republica, operator of peer-to-peer (P2P) online money transfer application Toss, is facing a governance crisis even before it can form a consortium to apply for an internet banking license, industry sources said Friday. As Shinhan Financial Group decided to ditch its partnership with Viva's envisioned Toss Bank following a disagreement over the its business model, other potential partners have decided not to back Toss. Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance, Cafe24 and Korea Credit Data have called it quits.

Simmons-K, Ace Bed hit by owner risks

Simmons-K, the Korean partner of global mattress maker Simmons, has been grappling with growing owner risks as company CEO Ahn Jung-ho is under police investigation for alleged embezzlement and other illicit business practices, according to industry officials Wednesday.

Cafeteria operators head abroad for new income

Ourhome, CJ Freshway and other food catering service providers here have actively sought international expansion, aiming at increasing sales in new markets amid saturation in the domestic market, officials said Friday.

INFINITE's Sungyeol to enlist on March 26

Sungyeol of K-pop boy group INFINITE will enlist on March 26, becoming the second band member to join the army and serve active duty.

Hong Sang-soo returns with self-reflective opus

Hong Sang-soo, the prolific auteur who has been avoiding exposure to local media after he made public his extramarital affair with actress Kim Min-hee in 2017, returns to the local cinema with his latest film “Hotel by the River.”The sixth joint project between the director and actress, like their previous works “On the Beach at Night Alone” and “Claire's Camera,” is self-reflective.

Agency kicks out F.T. Island member

FNC Entertainment has terminated its contract with Choi Jong-hoon, formerly with K-pop band F.T. Island, amid further allegations against him. The action came after a bribery accusation was added to earlier sex-video allegations, according to StarNews, Thursday.

60% of mothers say 'appropriate' to financially help children until university graduation

According to the survey of 11,205 married women, 59.2 percent of the respondents said they think it appropriate to financially support their children until college graduation.

Dodgers' Ryu Hyun-jin loses final spring start

Los Angeles Dodgers' South Korean starter Ryu Hyun-jin has suffered his first loss of spring training.