Democratic Party lawmakers make protest visit to prosecution over Yoon's release

Lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party visited the Supreme Prosecutors Office on Monday to protest against its decision not to appeal a court ruling to release impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol. The lawmakers, led by Rep. Choo Mi-ae, entered the SPO building at around 10:30 a.m., holding placards demanding the resignation of Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung. They reportedly plan to meet with Lee Jin-dong, the deputy prosecutor general. Yoon, who was detained in January on charges of i

March 10, 2025

Choi orders active efforts to address 'misunderstanding' about S. Korean tariff on US goods

Acting President Choi Sang-mok on Monday instructed the government to engage with the United States to address any "misunderstandings" regarding South Korea's average tariff rate on US imports. The order followed US President Donald Trump's claim in his address to a joint session of Congress last week, stating that South Korea's average tariff is four times higher than that of the US. In a meeting with ministers and officials on economic issues, Choi ordered officials to "actively explain" any m

March 10, 2025

Yoon meets ruling party leadership day after release from jail

Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol met with the leadership of the ruling People Power Party at his residence Sunday, a day after he was released from detention, party officials said Monday. Rep. Kwon Young-se, head of the People Power Party's emergency leadership committee, and People Power Party floor leader Kweon Seong-dong visited Yoon's official residence in central Seoul for about 30 minutes on Sunday evening, according to party spokesperson Shin Dong-wook. During the meeting, Yoon shared hi

March 10, 2025

Red Velvet's Seulgi releases new solo album

Seulgi of K-pop girl group Red Velvet is back with a new solo album, "Accidentally On Purpose," her agency said Monday. "Accidentally On Purpose" consists of six tracks, including the lead track, "Baby, Not Baby." The EP marks the singer's first solo release in over two years since she made her solo debut with the first EP, "28 Reasons," in October 2022. "Baby, Not Baby" is a pop dance song with a dramatic melodic progression, featuring a funky bassline and an energetic electric guitar performan

March 10, 2025

Approval rating for ruling party rises to 42.7%

The approval rating for the ruling People Power Party rebounded to 42.7 percent, narrowing the gap with the main opposition Democratic Party to within the margin of error, a poll showed Monday. According to the survey conducted by Realmeter on 1,507 adults aged over 18 last week, support for the People Power Party gained 5.1 percentage points from the previous week, while the approval rating for the DP fell 3.2 percentage points to 41 percent. The gap in their approval ratings shrunk to 1.7 perc

March 10, 2025

EXO's Xiumin drops 2nd solo EP

Boy group EXO member Xiumin put out his second solo EP, titled "Interview X," on Monday, his agency, INB100, said. Including lead track "Whee!," the album has six tracks that also include "Can't Help Myself," "Make You Lala" and "Switch Off." "Whee!" is a UK garage-inspired dance track that blends synthesizers with Xiumin's vocals, delivering a trendy yet sophisticated sound. "The album's title 'Interview X' means discovering the hidden aspects of Xiumin," the singer said in a release. "Through

March 10, 2025

S. Korea ranks 7th in domestic vehicle output in 2024

South Korea ranked seventh in the world in terms of domestic vehicle output last year, an industry association said Monday, down one notch from a year earlier due to a drop in output amid an economic slowdown. The country's domestic car production fell to 4.13 million units in 2024 from 4.24 million a year ago as local consumption slowed, according to a report released by the Korea Automobile & Mobility Association. High inflation and high interest rates weighed on consumer sentiment in 2024, dr

March 10, 2025

Seoul shares open tad lower ahead of key inflation data

South Korean stocks started a tad lower Monday ahead of key US inflation data amid escalating uncertainties over US tariff policies. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 1.08 points, or 0.04 percent, to 2,562.40 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said last week that the US economy is solid and he has no plan to adjust monetary policy hurriedly, calming the uncertainties for the world's largest economy. The US consumer price index will be relea

March 10, 2025

Son Heung-min's late penalty salvages draw for Tottenham against Bournemouth

Son Heung-min salvaged a draw for Tottenham Hotspur with his second-half penalty in their latest Premier League match at home. Son converted the spot kick in the 84th minute as Spurs eked out a 2-2 draw against AFC Bournemouth at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Sunday. It was Son's seventh goal of the Premier League this season and 11th goal in all competitions. Spurs stayed in 13th place with 34 points from 10 wins, four draws and 14 losses. Son started the match on the bench and watched

March 10, 2025

Bong Joon-ho's 'Mickey 17' tops North American box office but falls short of expectations

Bong Joon-ho's latest film, "Mickey 17," debuted at No. 1 at the North American box office over the weekend, making history as the first film by a Korean director to debut in the top spot. However, its opening-weekend earnings fell short of industry projections, raising concerns over its ability to recoup its substantial production and marketing costs. According to Box Office Mojo, a U.S.-based online tracker of box-office revenue, on Sunday, "Mickey 17" earned $19.1 million from 3,807 theaters

March 10, 2025