Korea24 – 2021.02.08. (Monday)

News Briefing: Daily COVID-19 cases in Korea have dropped below 300 for the first time in two months amid news that the nation will receive 1.5 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine by late February. (Eunice Kim)

In-Depth News Analysis: Law professors Kim Kee-chang from Korea University and Cho Hee-kyung from Hongik University give their analysis on the National Assembly passing a motion to impeach senior judge Lim Seong-geun for allegedly meddling in politically sensitive trials. They delve into the impeachment, the first in the nation's history, and what's at stake. (임성근 판사탄핵 논란)

Korea Trending with Alex Sigrist: Hyundai Motor Group says that talks are on hold with Apple over autonomous electric cars(현대기아차 애플카), Kakao Corporation founder and chairman Kim Beom-su says he'll donate over half his wealth to resolve social issues(카카오 김범수, 재산 절반 기부 발표), and singer Chungha reveals a teaser of the title track "Bicycle," from her first full-length album "Querencia"(청하, Bicycle 뮤직비디오 티저 공개).

Sports: Yoo Jee-ho from Yonhap News Agency talks about Tottenham Hotspur Son Heung-min(손흥민) ending his goal-less drought, K League’s Ulsan Hyundai FC finishing in last place at the FIFA Club World Cup, Kim Ha-seong(김하성) meeting the Korean press on Monday to talk about his upcoming season with MLB's San Diego Padres, and pro-golfer Lee Kyoung-hoon(이경훈) tying for second at the Phoenix Open.

Morning Edition Preview with Mark Wilson-Choi: Mark shares a piece from the Korea Herald that talks about the growing overseas popularity of the genre of the traditional Korean music, gugak.

Korea24 – 2021.02.05. (Friday)

News Briefing: An independent advisory panel has recommended the government to approve Astra Zeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, but it also recommended further discussion for use on those over 65 years old. Meanwhile, the government has approved the conditional use of Celltrion’s COVID-19 treatment candidate. (Eunice Kim)

In-Depth News Analysis: Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon gives his thoughts on various issues discussed at the Global Engagement and Empowerment Forum held this week, including inequalities and climate change.

Korea Trending with Alex Sigrist: South Korea's current account surplus increases about 26% last year(경상수지), an equestrian is accused of a particular sex crime(승마선수), and the film Minari receives several nods for this year's Screen Actors Guild(SAG) award, including Youn Yuh-jung's nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role(윤여정 미나리).

Movie Spotlight: Film critics Jason Bechervaise and Darcy Paquet share the Korean space blockbuster “Space Sweepers(승리호),” directed by Jo Sung-hee(조성희), starring Song Joong-gi(송중기). They also talk about the Asian-American comedy-drama “The Farewell(페어웰),” starring Awkwafina.

Next Week from Seoul: Mark Wilson-Choi brings us stories and events to look out for the following week, including the many ways that the nation is prepping for the Lunar New Year to prevent a further spread of COVID-19, including advisories and tightened measures to encourage people to stay home.

Korea24 – 2021.02.04. (Thursday)

- News Briefing: The South Korean parliament on Thursday passed a motion for the impeachment of a senior judge, who is accused of meddling in politically sensitive trials under the previous Park Geun-hye administration. It is the first time for a judge to be impeached in the country and the bill will now be reviewed by the Constitutional Court for a final decision. (Robert Koehler)

- In-Depth News Analysis: Profesor Yang Jun-suk from the Catholic University of Korea and Daniel Yoo, Head of Global Investment at Yuanta Securities Korea, give their insight on South Korea's Financial Services Commission extending its ban on short-selling until May 2, amid protests from retail investors not wanting to see it return. They delve into the GameStop fiasco in the US, the role of short-selling in the market, and their thoughts on the current controversy.

- Korea Trending with Lee Ju-young: The government raises the limit of subsidies to encourage the early disposal of old diesel vehicles to improve air quality(노후 경유차 조기폐차 지원금), the film Minari gets nominated for the Golden Globes for the best foreign language film category(미나리, 골든 글로브 최우수 외국어영화상 후보 올라), and singer-songwriter Kwon Jin-ah announces the release of her EP "The Way For Us," set to drop February 18(권진아, 18일 EP ‘우리의 방식’으로 컴백).

- Explore Korea: Andy St. Louis of Seoul Art Friend discusses the important yet often overlooked Choi Byung-So(최병소) and his exhibition "SENS ET NON-SENS(의미와 무의미)" at Arario Gallery(아라리오 갤러리). Andy delves into the solo exhibition that features works that span nearly five decades of the experimental artist's career.

- Morning Edition Preview with Mark Wilson-Choi: Mark shares a piece from the Korea Times that features Nika Tchaikovskaya and her book “Haenyeorina(해녀리나)” that imagines haenyeo(해녀) as ballerinas.

Korea24 – 2021.02.03. (Wednesday)

- News Briefing: Iran said on Tuesday it would release most of the crew members of the South Korean-flagged oil tanker that was seized last month by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps(IRGC) in the Persian Gulf. The captain and the tanker, however, will remain as the Iranian judiciary investigates the tanker's alleged marine pollution. (Eunice Kim)

- In-Depth News Analysis Part 1: Professor Park Hyun-do from the Institute of Middle Eastern Affairs at Myongji University gives his analysis on Tehran saying it would release the tanker's the crew members as well as the issue surrounding Iran's frozen financial assets in South Korean banks.

- In-Depth News Analysis Part 2: Waqas Adenwala, Asia Analyst at The Economist Intelligence Unit, delves into the EIU’s annual Democracy Index for 2020 that saw South Korea being classified as a "full democracy." He discusses other key findings including how the COVID-19 pandemic affected governments around the world.

- Korea Trending with Alex Sigrist: The government warns of the possible uptick in delivery damages during the Lunar New Year(설 명절 피해주의보), social media platform Cyworld announces its revival(싸이월드 3월 부활), and "Your Eyes Tell," a Japanese remake of the 2011 Korean film "Always(오직 그대만)," is set to release in March featuring the original theme song by BTS(유어 아이즈 텔).

- Korea Book Club: Barry Welsh shares "My Brilliant Life(두근두근 내 인생)" by Kim Ae-ran(김애란), a moving piece that deals with death but also the celebration of life. Barry talks about how the world is seen through the eyes of Areum, a boy with a rare condition that makes him age many times faster than normal.

- Morning Edition Preview: Mark shares a story from the Korea Times that talks about William Speakman, a Korean War Veteran honored as the war hero of the month of February. He also talks about a piece from the Korea Herald that delves into the decline in population across a majority of the nation's cities and provinces.

Korea24 – 2020.02.02. (Tuesday)/////News Briefing: South Korea released the 2020 defense white paper on Tuesday, discussing not only South Korea’s current defense capabilities, but also the military status of North Korea. It noted that North Korea has expanded its ballistic missile units, strengthened special forces with modernized equipment and reinforced exercises to attack strategic targets. (Robert Koehler)/////In-Depth News Analysis: Almost two week’s after US President Joe Bident’s inauguration, the phone call between Biden and South Korean President Moon Jae-in has happened. Professor Park Won-gon from Handong Global University gives his insight on what this delayed phone call could mean, and how the Biden administration is expected to handle North Korea’s denuclearization issue, as well as pending bilateral issues with Seoul./////Korea Trending with Lee Ju-young: Notorious child sex offender Cho Doo-soon qualifies for welfare benefits(조두순 복지급여), the KBO announces its 2021 regular-season schedule(프로야구 정규시즌 일정 발표), and K-pop soloist Kang Daniel teases his comeback on February 16(강다니엘 컴백)./////Touch Base in Seoul: Photographer Rami Hyun discusses his work with soldiers and veterans, more recently with Korean War Veterans. He talks about the importance of capturing the veterans' pride and honor through his portraits so they can be passed on to future generations./////Morning Edition Preview with Mark Wilson-Choi: Mark shares a piece from the Korea Herald that talks about the official Romanization of the modern art master 이중섭 as "Lee Jung-seop."

Korea24 – 2021.02.01. (Monday)/////News Briefing: South Korea saw its daily COVID-19 cases remain in the 300s for the second straight day as the government is gearing up to curb further spread of the virus ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday. It devised special measures for the holidays in addition to extending major quarantine guidelines for two more weeks. Meanwhile, controversy is growing over deleted government files that outlined energy cooperation with North Korea, including the construction of a nuclear power plant. Opposition parties are demanding a probe, while the Moon administration is strongly denying any wrong-doing and calling the accusations a political attack. (Eunice Kim)/////In-Depth News Analysis: Reporter Shim Kyu-Seok of the Korea JoongAng Daily and affiliate Professor Kim Byung-joo of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies(HUFS) discuss the Busan mayoral by-elections. They delve into the current situation in the city and go over key issues and top candidates./////Korea Trending with Alex Sigrist: Myanmar's de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi is detained by the military(미얀마, 아웅산수치 구금, 1년간 비상사태 선포), SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won is tapped to helm both the Seoul Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry(KCCI)(SK 최태원 서울상의 회장 단독추대), and SM Entertainment's SHINee announced their seventh album, "Don't Call Me," to be released on February 22nd(샤이니 2월 22일 정규 7집 컴백)./////Sports: Yoo Jee-ho from Yonhap News Agency talks about the KBO opening spring training with everyone staying in South Korea due to the pandemic, Yang Hyeon-jong(양현종) turning down the KBO for a shot at MLB, Belgium-based footballer Lee Seung-woo(이승우) being linked with K-League teams, and the KBL's top to squads set to square off./////Morning Edition Preview with Mark Wilson-Choi: Mark shares a piece from the Korea Times that talks about a new service that allows fans to directly connect with their favorite K-pop artists.

Korea24 – 2021.01.29. (Friday)/////News Briefing: The South Korean government says it will take a couple more days to monitor the current COVID-19 trend before deciding on social distancing measures for the beginning of February. The move comes as the number of daily cases remained above the high 400s amid clusters linked to a missionary group and others. (Eunice Kim)/////In-Depth News Analysis(Weekly Economy Review): Professor Yang Jun-suk from the Catholic University of Korea gives his take on South Korea’s gross domestic product(GDP) shrinking one percent in 2020 from a year earlier. He also shares his thoughts on the International Monetary Fund's(IMF) growth forecast of 3.1% this year as well as the government’s plans for institutional compensation for COVID-19 induced losses./////Korea Trending with Alex Sigrist: A district court handed out prison sentences to the former coach and a former team captain of the late triathlete Choi Suk-hyun (최숙현), KakaoTalk releases the beta version of a new multi-profile service(카카오톡 멀티프로필), and KBO veteran slugger Lee Dae-ho re-signs with the Lotte Giants for a final season(이대호 롯데 잔류 확정)./////Movie Spotlight: Film critics Jason Bechervaise and Marc Raymond share “Three Sisters(세자매),” a film that connects the lives of three sisters dealing with their own personal struggles. They also talk about “The White Tiger(화이트 타이거),” a film adaptation of Aravind Adiga's 2008 novel of the same name./////Next Week from Seoul: Mark Wilson-Choi brings us stories and events to look out for the following week, including Foreign Minister nominee Chung Eui-yong’s confirmation hearing.

Korea24 – 2021.01.28. (Thursday)

- News Briefing: Frontline medical workers in South Korea will receive the first COVID-19 vaccines starting next month, with the general public to be inoculated starting in the second half of the year. Health authorities are aiming to achieve herd immunity by November. (Robert Koehler)

- In-Depth News Analysis Part 1: Professor Adam Kamradt-Scott from the University of Sydney delves into the concept of Vaccine Nationalism, what it is and why it would cost the whole world more in the long run. Professor Kamradt-Scott also discusses what then should be done to fight the ongoing pandemic.

- In-Depth News Analysis Part 2: Dean Cheng, Senior Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, gives his thoughts on Chinese President Xi Jinping's sharp remarks towards the US at the World Economic Forum as a new phase in US-China relations begins. He also delves into what the US-China relation would mean for South Korea, a nation seemingly stuck in between the two superpowers.

- Korea Trending with Lee Ju-young: The Ministry of Health and Welfare announces their plan to tighten cigarette regulations in an effort to improve the nation's health, later to be denied by the Prime Minister(담배값 인상), a merger occurs between Naver's V-LIVE and Big Hit Entertainment's beNX(네이버-빅히트), and this year's Cannes Film Festival is pushed back to July(칸 영화제, 5월에서 7월로 연기).

- Explore Korea: Allison Needels of Moon Bear Travel shares the first part of a two-part series on the family story between Joseon’s King Yeongjo, his son Sado, and grandson Jeongjo. Allie shares Sado's terrifying yet tragic life and his tumultuous relationship with his father.

- Morning Edition Preview with Mark Wilson-Choi: Mark shares a piece from the Korea Times that talks about the use of Konglish in K-pop.

Korea24 – 2021.01.27. (Wednesday)

- News Briefing: The South Korean government ensured both Washington and Beijing are on the same page when it comes to North Korea's denuclearization. President Moon Jae-in held telephone talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping while the outgoing and incoming top diplomats from Seoul and Washington held their first phone talks on the matter as well. (Eunice Kim)

- In-Depth News Analysis Part 1: Dr. Simon Clarke, associate professor in cellular microbiology at the University of Reading, delves into the various types of COVID-19 strains, their threat, and the vaccine's effectiveness against them. He also gives his thoughts on the possibility of the variants prolonging the world's battle against the pandemic.

- In-Depth News Analysis Part 2: Robin Harding, Tokyo Bureau Chief of the Financial Times, shares his thoughts on the ongoing doubt surrounding the Tokyo Olympics on if they're being held after being delayed a year. He also discusses possible scenarios Japan and the International Olympic Committee(IOC) could take.

- Korea Trending with Alex Sigrist: KDCA Chief Jeong Eun-kyeong tests negative for COVID-19(정은경 질병관리청장 코로나19 음성), ruling Democratic Party Chairman Lee Nak-yon apologizes to the victim of the late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon(이낙연, 박원순 피해자에 사과), and the Korea Music Copyright Association(KOMCA) reveals 25 new artists to be added as full-time members(한국음악저작권협회 정회원 승격 명단).

- Korea Book Club: Literary Translator Anton Hur shares four poetry books that were reissued by the book publisher Moonji(문학과 지성사). Anton talks about the works by four beloved female poets from the ‘80s to now: "Love in Our Time(이 시대의 사랑)" by Choi Seung-ja(최승자), "A Faraway House Where I Go Alone(혼자 가는 먼 집)," by Huh Sukyung(허수경), "Written in Cursive(그리하여 흘려 쓴 것들)" by Lee Jenny(이제니), and "I Put the Evening in a Drawer(서랍에 저녁을 넣어 두었다)" by Han Kang(한강).

- Morning Edition Preview: Mark shares a story from the Korea Times that covers special markets in Yeongdeungpo District aimed to help those feeling financial strain due to the pandemic, and a Korea Herald piece that talks about an English edition of a book by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art(MMCA).

Korea24 – 2020.01.26. (Tuesday)

- News Briefing: South Korea’s economy shrank by one percent last year, logging the first contraction since 1998 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The figure is still higher than the Bank of Korea's initial forecast, with the South Korean government assessing it fared relatively well among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development(OECD). (Robert Koehler)

- In-Depth News Analysis: Elizabeth Koh of the Wall Street Journal discusses LG Electronic's announcement last week that left many to speculate the future of LG's mobile phone unit that has been in the red since 2015. She discusses possible scenarios and how they would shape LG's corporate value.

- Korea Trending with Lee Ju-young: Hyundai Motor releases their Q4 performance(현대자동차 실적발표), Pohang orders that at least one member per household gets tested for COVID-19(포항 행정명령), and Shinsegae's E-mart acquires the KBO's SK Wyverns(이마트 SK와이번스).

- Touch Base in Seoul: Dr. Ji Nayoung, assistant professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, shares her journey that led her to the US after she finished medical school in South Korea. She also talks about how a sudden illness didn't stop her from writing “Follow Your Heart(마음이 흐르는 대로),” a book that sends a positive message through her own life experiences.

- Morning Edition Preview with Mark Wilson-Choi: Mark shares a piece from the Korea Times that talks about an upcoming performance by the National Chorus of Korea(NCK), and a feature in the Korea Herald that delves into gaming, apps, and VR being used as medical treatment.