Korea24 – 2022.10.25 (Tuesday)

News Briefing: President Yoon Suk Yeol called for bipartisan cooperation in his first parliamentary budget speech, which he delivered in front of a half-empty national assembly due a boycott by the main opposition Democratic Party. (Eunice Kim)

In-Depth News Analysis: Earlier this month, a young worker at a bakery goods factory died after her body was caught in a sauce mixer. The lack of adequate safety measures and insensitive response from the company has sparked public outrage, leading to a growing boycott of the company, SPC Group, and its affiliated brands. To learn more about the incident and its ramifications related to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, reporter Lee Tae-hee from the Korea JoongAng Daily joins us in the studio.

Korea Trending with Jenny Suh:

1. The former British Treasury Secretary Rishi Sunak is set to become the United Kingdom’s first Asian prime minister. (영국 차기 총리 '인도계' 수낵…비백인·최연소 총리)

2. The Justice Ministry has reportedly decided to lower the minimum age of criminal liability to 13. (촉법소년 기준 '1살' 내린다…만 13세도 형사처벌)

3. The Korea Professional Golf Association has fined golfer Kim Han-byul for verbally abusing a forecaddie during a competition earlier this month. ("돈 받는데 그따위로…" '캐디 폭언' 김한별에 벌금 1000만원)

Touch Base In Seoul: Ann Shin is a Korean Canadian filmmaker who won seven Canadian Screen Academy awards in 2012 for “The Defector: Escape from North Korea”, a documentary that followed North Korean defectors as they tried to make their way to South Korea. Inspired by their stories, she wrote her debut novel called “The Last Exiles” which won the Trillium Book Award this year. She joins us via video to tell about the book and documentary, and what inspired her to pursue these stories.

Morning Edition Preview with Richard Larkin:

- In tomorrow’s Korea Herald, Park Ga-young reports on future plans announced by the Korea National University of Arts, also known as K-Arts, as it celebrates its 30th anniversary.

- Tomorrow’s Korea Times features a report by Park Han-sol on an exhibition being held to remember the life of the late modern craft artist Yoo Lizzy at the Seoul Museum of Craft Art.

Korea24 – 2022.10.24 (Monday)

News Briefing: The prosecution has carried out a raid of a think tank inside the Democratic Party headquarters as part of its probe into Kim Yong, the former aide of DP chair Lee Jae-myung. (Eunice Kim)

In-Depth News Analysis: Chinese President Xi Jinping has emerged from the Communist Party congress with his grip on power stronger than ever. He secured a historic third term as party leader and appointed all his most loyal political allies to the key posts. To discuss the key takeaways from the twice-a-decade party meeting and the geopolitical implications, Professor Choo Jae-woo from the Department of Chinese Studies at Kyunghee University joins us on the line.

Korea Trending with Walter Lee:

1. The presidential office on Sunday revealed its new logo and corporate identity. (대통령실, 5개월 만에 CI 공개…용산 청사·봉황·무궁화 형상화)

2. A Korean Air flight overran the runway of Mactan-Cebu International Airport in the Philippines amid poor weather conditions on Sunday. (대한항공 여객기, 필리핀 공항서 활주로 이탈···인명피해 없어)

3. The PyeongChang 2018 Legacy Foundation announced that figure skating legend Kim Yuna will serve as a trainer for the “Play Winter Sports Academy” next month. (피겨퀸 김연아, 결혼 후 첫 활동은...'꿈나무 지도')

Monday Sports Round-up: In the KBO, the Kiwoom Heroes is set to face the LG Twins in a best-of-five series to see who will secure a place in the Korean Series. Meanwhile, in the K-league, the promotion-relegation playoffs are set to take place this week. And Lydia Ko won the LPGA Tour’s BMW Ladies Championship on Sunday. Sports reporter Yoo Jee-ho from the Yonhap News Agency briefs us on these stories.

Morning Edition Preview with Richard Larkin:

- In tomorrow’s Korea Herald, Hwang Dong-hee reports on the Korean independent film “Jeong-sun” winning two awards at the 17th Rome International Film Festival.

- Tomorrow’s Korea Times features a report by Lee Hyo-jin on the Korean government and the World Health Organization (WHO) jointly hosting the 2022 World Bio Summit in Seoul.

Korea24 – 2022.10.21 (Friday)

News Briefing: Lee Jae-myung proposed launching an independent special counsel probe into corruption allegations surrounding the Daejang-dong development. The opposition leader strongly refuted allegations that funds from the project were funneled into his presidential campaign. (Eunice Kim)

Weekly Economy Review: South Korea’s key interest rate entered the three percent range for the first time in a decade. According to a Bank of Korea report this week, four out of ten companies in Korea were not able to pay their debt off with the operating profit in 2021, becoming so-called “Zombie firms.” Many are concerned that more companies can be pushed to the brink of bankruptcy. Closely related to the issue, the real estate market is also heavily affected, with apartment prices in Seoul experiencing the steepest drop since 2012.

Korea Trending with Walter Lee:

1. Britain’s Prime Minister Liz Truss has announced her resignation after just 44 days in office, becoming the shortest-serving prime minister in British history. The Conservative Party will confirm its new leader by next Friday. (영국 리즈 트러스 총리 44일만에 사임…역대 최단명 불명예)

2. The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) released the latest series of its “Feel the Rhythm of Korea” campaign on the KTO’s official YouTube channel, “Imagine your Korea.” Suga and Jimin of BTS are featured in the first two videos to introduce Busan and Daejeon. (BTS, 부산, 대전 등 4개 지역 관광 매력 알린다)

3. South Korean shortstop Kim Ha-Seong of the San Diego Padres has been nominated for the National League Gold Glove Award. If Kim is named winner, he’ll become the first South Korean to grab a Gold Glove. (김하성 NL 골드글러브 후보 3인 포함, 韓 최초 수상 도전)

Movie Spotlight: This week we review Everything Everywhere All at Once, written and directed by the Daniels. The film explores the narrative of Chinese immigrants who own a launderette as they happen to discover the existence of multi-dimensional universes. Also, a Korean horror film, The Other Child, a story about a church pastor and his wife adopting a child who can see a dead child, will be discussed.

Next Week from Seoul with Richard Larkin:

- President Yoon’s Economic Crisis Response Meeting next week will be televised in its entirety for the first time.

- South Korea, the U.S. and Japan are to hold talks on North Korea’s military provocations next week.

- BTS Jin will release his first solo single “The Astronaut” next week.

Korea24 – 2022.10.20 (Thursday)

News Briefing: The prosecution is zeroing in on DP Chair Lee Jae-myung and allegations that he violated political funding regulations ahead of the presidential election. (Eunice Kim)

Korean Politics Digest: Prosecutors filed for arrest warrants of the former defense minister Suh Wook and the former Coast Guard Commissioner General Kim Hong-hee regarding a case involving a fisheries official who was shot dead by North Korea in 2020. Our guests Professor Kim Byeong-ju from the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and Professor Cho Hee-kyung from Hongik University provide more insight into these developments.

Korea Trending with Jenny Suh:

1. It’s been revealed that Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon has left Singapore for an unknown destination through Dubai.('테라•루나 사태' 권도형, 싱가포르 떠나 제3국행…공소시효 정지)

2. BTS member Jin has collaborated with Coldplay for his upcoming solo debut “The Astronaut.”( 방탄소년단 진, 콜드플레이와 협업…솔로곡 '디 아스트로넛')

3. A mural of actor Angelina Jolie with her mastectomy scars appeared in Milan, Italy, as October 19 marked International Breast Cancer Awareness Day. (伊에 '가슴절제' 앤젤리나 졸리 벽화…'세계 유방암의 날' 기념)

Explore Korea: This week, art critic Ahn Jae-woo introduces us to the fascinating artist Asaran Jeong and takes us to Seoul's Onsugonggan, where her solo exhibition titled "Heavy Heart, Thin Ground" is on view.

Morning Edition Preview with Richard Larkin:

- In Tomorrow’s Korea Times, Park Han-sol talks about the South Korean painter Ro Eun-nim, who sadly passed away on Tuesday at the age of 76.

- In tomorrow’s Korea Herald, Lee Si-jin recommends to us the best mountain temples to visit during Autumn.

Korea24 – 2022.10.19 (Wednesday)

News Briefing: Kakao Corporation’s co-CEO Namkoong Whon offered to step down on Wednesday in the aftermath of a data center fire that caused massive disruptions to the company's services over the weekend, including its mobile messenger app, Kakaotalk, which is used by some 90 percent of South Korea's population. (Eunice Kim)

In-Depth News Analysis: Flames of criticism and concern continue days after a fire broke out at one of Kakao corps data centers, causing services to go down for 11+ hours. On Wednesday, Kakao Corp. co-CEO Namkoong Whon offered to step down to take responsibility. Tech writer Cho Mu-hyun and Professor Yang Jun-suk of the Department of Economics at the Catholic University of Korea join us to discuss the aftermath of the outage and its ramifications.

Korea Trending with Walter Lee:

1.The Iranian sport climber Elnaz Rekabi, who was suspected to have gone missing, has returned home after competing in an international tournament without a hijab. (‘히잡 미착용 뒤 실종’ 이란선수 귀국)

2.Consumers are boycotting brands operated by the SPC Group after the food company ran a factory just one day after a worker died there.(제빵공장 사망사고 SPC그룹 불매운동 일파만파)

3.Professional volleyball team AI Peppers confirmed media reports that it met with controversial former V-League star Lee Jae-yeong. (페퍼저축은행, 이재영과 접촉 인정…구체적 영입 논의는 없어)

4.Korea Book Club: “One Coal Briquette” (1994) by Ahn Do-hyun is a poem about selflessness and self-sacrifice, that was recently made popular again by the hit series “Extraordinary Attorney Woo.” Barry Welsh helps us learn more about the charming poem.

Morning Edition Preview with Richard Larkin:

- In Tomorrow’s Korea Times, Lee Yeon-woo gives us more details about Alicia Dong-joo Bang, an international storyteller who tells Korean folktales in English to non-Korean audiences.

- In tomorrow’s Korea Herald, Park Jun-hee writes about a new trend of celebrities drinking on talk shows, with fans enjoying their more down-to-earth image.

Korea24 – 2022.10.18 (Tuesday)

News Briefing: Prosecutors requested arrest warrants for high-level officials involved in the handling of a case involving a Seoul fisheries official shot dead by North Korean soldiers in 2019. This includes an arrest warrant for former Defense Minister Suh Wook. (Eunice Kim)

In-Depth News Analysis: South Korea has long considered itself a drug-free nation. However, we have been shocked by several drug-related stories recently, from Don Spike to the first body-packing case reported in Korea. Reporter Shin Ji-hye from the Korea Herald joins us to discuss why Korea has been witnessing more drug cases and how the government has responded so far.

Korea Trending with Jenny Suh:

1. Purmil, a dairy product manufacturer that spun off from Lotte Group in 2007, decided to close its business and sent out letters of dismissal to its employees. All 370 employees will be terminated on Nov. 30, the last business day. (사업 접는 범롯데가 푸르밀, 전 직원 정리해고 통보)

2. Meanwhile, with wild animals appearing more frequently, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will scatter preventive medicines against rabies until November. Passersby are advised not to touch them, as human scent would scare off the wild animals. (서울시 ‘광견병 미끼 예방약’ 살포)

3. Park Hang-seo, the Vietnamese men’s national soccer team coach, is to end his tenure early next year after a successful 5-year journey with the team. (박항서 감독, 베트남과 5년 동행 마무리)

Touch Base In Seoul: Emma Webster is a unique artist who uses Virtual Reality to recreate landscape and translate it onto a canvas. She made her Asia debut with her solo exhibition “Illuminarium” in Seoul will be held until Oct. 20. She Joins us via video to talk about her artistic journey, how she uses VR imaging in her work and her ultimate goal as an artist.

Morning Edition Preview with Richard Larkin:

- In the Korea Herald, Choi Jae-hee writes about a new film studio in Seoul inspired by K-pop music video sets that lures K-Pop fan content creators.

Korea24 – 2022.10.17 (Monday)

News Briefing: KakaoTalk, a messenger app used by 90% of South Koreans, was disrupted over the weekend as a fire broke out at a data center. The app’s related services were also heavily impacted, creating social havoc. The National Security Office has decided to form a pan-government cybersecurity task force to respond to the issue. (Eunice Kim)

In-Depth News Analysis: Last week, North Korea fired hundreds of artillery shots to the East and West Sea buffer zones, arguing it was in protest of the South’s shelling in Cheorwon. Meanwhile, South Korea began its annual Hoguk exercise staged in the second half of the year. Chun In-Bum, retired Lieutenant General of the South Korean army, joins us over the line to discuss the significance of last week’s provocations, the Korean government’s responses to it, and the prospects of the inter-Korean relationship.

Korea Trending with Walter Lee:

1. Kim Geun-sik, who had served 15 years in prison for raping eleven minors and was set to be released, was arrested on Sunday for another sexual assault charge. The new charge is about another raping case by Kim in 2006. (출소 하루 앞두고… ‘미성년자 연쇄 성폭행’ 김근식 구속)

2. An Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin named Bibongi(비봉이) was released back into the wild after 17 years. The 23-year-old dolphin was released from waters off Jeju Island on Sunday. (17년만에 고향 바다로…남방큰돌고래 비봉이 오늘 방류)

3. The popular KBS TV program “National Singing Contest” aired its first episode with comedian Kim Shin-young succeeding the late Song Hae, who had hosted the show for 34 years. (김신영 진행 전국노래자랑 첫방송)

Monday Sports Roundup: Ulsan Hyundai FC finally became the champions of K League 1 football for the first time in 17 years! Ulsan’s title means Jeonbuk’s run of five straight championships has come to an end. Sports reporter Yoo Jeeho from Yonhap News Agency joins us on the line to tell us about the K League 1 championship, KBO postseason games, and what to look for in the starting KBL season.

Morning Edition Preview with Richard Larkin:

- In tomorrow's Korea Herald, Lee Yoon-seo writes about a recent report that found people in South Korea consume ramyeon 1.7 times a week.

- The Korea Times has an article by Park Han-sol, introducing a media art exhibition being held in Seoul to show the 100-year history of Haribo, the jelly brand.

Korea24 – 2022.10.14 (Friday)

News Briefing: North Korea conducted multiple provocations from Thursday night to the early hours of Friday, and claimed it was in response to South Korea’s artillery shots fired on Thursday. The South Korean defense ministry sent a notice to the North through a military hotline, urging it to abide by the 2018 agreement signed between the two Koreas to diffuse military tension. (Koo Heejin)

Weekly Economy Review: The Bank of Korea this week made another big step of raising its key interest rate by 50 basis points, to three percent. Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund raised South Korea’s growth outlook for this year by 0.3%p from July’s estimate, to 2.6% but slashed its outlook for 2023. Also this week, it was announced that Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix would be given a one year exemption from the US' export curbs against China. Professor Yang Jun-suk from the Catholic University of Korea helps us digest the week's economic news.

Korea Trending with Walter Lee:

1. South Korea confirmed its first case of 'body packing'. The body packer was found to have died of acute ecstasy poisoning, caused by burst drug packets inside his body.(뱃속에서 마약 터진 남성 사망…국내 첫 ‘보디패커’ 확인 ‘충격’)

2. The man who spent 15 years in prison for raping eleven minors is facing release from prison, and it is being reported that he will be living at a rehabilitation facility under the Ministry of Justice. (미성년 11명 성폭행 김근식, 출소 뒤 경기도 갱생시설 거주)

3. Netflix plans to launch a cheaper, ad-supported plan in South Korea and eleven other countries next month. Users with this option will have to watch an average of 4-5 mins of ads per hour. (넷플릭스, 광고 기반 요금제 11월 출시…한국서 5500원)

Movie Spotlight: DAEMUGA(대무가), a comedy-drama about shamanism by debut director Lee Hanjong, is quite an unusual film about three shamans and a gangster. The film is divided into three parts, with each part centered around one of the shamans. Film critics Darcy Paquet and Jason Bechervaise also talk about some of the highlights of this year's Busan International Film Festival that is closing today.

Next Week from Seoul with Richard Larkin:

- Top military officers from South Korea, Japan, and the United States will hold trilateral talks in the U.S. next week.

- South Korean Foreign minister Park Jin will travel to Vietnam to celebrate the two countries’ 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year.

- From next week, patients who visit the emergency room can receive treatment without testing for COVID -19 first.

Korea24 – 2022.10.13 (Thursday)

News Briefing: North Korea said it test-fired two long-range strategic cruise missiles on Wednesday under the supervision of Kim Jong-un. The test-firing was conducted to enhance the "combat efficiency and might" of the missiles. (Koo Heejin)

Korean Politics Digest: The family feud surrounding comedian Park Soo-hong sparked the yearslong debate on whether article 328 of the Criminal Act should be scrapped. Our guests Professor Song Se-ryun at Kyunghee University and Professor Cho Hee-kyung at Hongik University discuss this, as well as criticism surrounding the annual parliamentary audit session.

Korea Trending with Jenny Suh:

1. The son of the woman killed by her husband in Seosan posted a petition explaining the suspect’s history of domestic violence and asked for the maximum sentence.( 서산 가정폭력 살해사건 아들 "아버지 엄벌해달라")

2. A man’s keen observations led to the arrest of a voice phishing criminal in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province earlier this year.( "모자 쓴 사람이 수상해요"…시민의 눈썰미에 보이스피싱범 검거)

3. Son Heung-min was named Player of the Match in Tottenham Hotspurs' 3:2 win against Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday. (손흥민, 프랑크푸르트전 MOM)

Explore Korea: Pottery is one of the oldest crafts and art forms in the Korean peninsula with one dynasty standing out in particular! Allie from Pinpoint Korea tells us all about the white porcelain of the Joseon Dynasty and where you can learn more about it.

Morning Edition Preview with Richard Larkin:

- In Tomorrow’s Korea Times, Lee Yeon-woo reports that a survey has found that Koreans spend 40 percent of their lives using the internet for streaming content or shopping online.

- In tomorrow’s Korea Herald, Kim Hae-yeon talks about what restaurants made it onto the 2023 edition of the Michelin Guide Seoul.

Korea24 – 2022.10.12 (Wednesday)

News Briefing: The Bank of Korea has raised its benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points to three percent at its monetary committee meeting on Wednesday. This is the fifth consecutive time this year the BOK has raised rates to contain soaring prices and fluctuations in the financial market. (Eunice Kim)

In-Depth News Analysis: Twitch recently reduced the maximum video quality it offers in South Korea as a response to a new planned bill to have content providers pay network usage fees. Reporter Yoon So-yeon from the Korea Joongang Daily discusses the ongoing feud between internet service providers and content providers over possible amendments to the country’s Telecommunications Business Act.

Korea Trending with Walter Lee:

1. The police will crack down on vehicles that fail to come to a full stop before turning right at an intersection with a pedestrian crossing from today.( 오늘부터 '교차로 우회전 일시정지' 단속)

2. Samsung group topped Forbes magazine’s “The World’s Best Employers” list for the third consecutive year.( 삼성전자, '세계 최고의 직장' 선정…MS 2위)

3. Korean baseball legend Lee Seung-yuop (이승엽) is among five candidates being considered to take over as manager of the Doosan Bears.( '국민타자' 이승엽, 두산 감독 최종 후보 리스트 포함)

Korea Book Club: Barry Welsh brings us “Three Days in That Autumn” (그 가을의 사흘 동안) by celebrated writer Pak Wanseo (박완서). This complex work, originally published in 1985, tackles the aftereffects of war, patriarchy, birth, and abortion in Korea.

Morning Edition Preview with Richard Larkin:

- In Tomorrow’s Korea Times, Dong Sun-hwa reports on plagiarism allegations surrounding South Korean Dancer Vata.

- In tomorrow’s Korea Herald, Lee Si-jin talks about the Sinpung grandmothers, unique artists that are found in Yecheon village, in North Gyeongsang Province.