Korea24 – 2022.09.26 (Monday)

News Briefing: South Korean stock markets nosedived on Monday amid the weakening Korean won against the US dollar. The KOSPI and KOSDAQ plunged more than 3 and 5 percent respectively. (Eunice Kim)

In-Depth News Analysis: North Korea fired one unidentified ballistic missile toward the East Sea on Sunday morning, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. It comes after the USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike group arrived in Busan on Friday to hold combined drills with the South Korean Navy. To assess the ramifications of the North's latest provocation, retired US Army Special Forces Colonel and Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, David Maxwell, joins us in the studio.

Korea Trending with Walter Lee:

1. A girl believed to be the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appeared on stage at an official event in Pyongyang recently, according to the Daily Mail. ("北김정은 딸 추정 소녀, 정권 수립 기념 행사서 무대 올라")

2. Two Liberian officials visiting Busan for an international forum have been arrested for the alleged sexual assault of two minors. (부산서 여중생 성폭행한 라이베리아 공무원 구속)

3. Blackpink has become the first K-pop girl group to top the Billboard 200 albums chart with their second album “Born Pink”. (블랙핑크, K팝 걸그룹 최초 빌보드 메인 앨범차트 1위)

Monday Sports Round-up: Sports journalist Yoo Jee-ho from the Yonhap News Agency joins us on the line to go over South Korea’s 2-2 draw with Costa Rica last Friday, as well as preview Tuesday’s match against Cameroon, the last of Korea’s World Cup tuneup matches. We also discuss the fight for the playoff spots in the KBO and how Korean golfers fared in the Presidents Cup.

Morning Edition Preview with Chris Welsh:

- Tomorrow’s Korea Herald features a report by Yoon Min-sik on the continuing influence of YouTube in Korean politics.

Korea24 – 2022.09.23 (Friday)

News Briefing: All remaining outdoor mask mandates will be lifted in South Korea from Monday, including at outdoor sports stadiums, concerts and rallies. (Koo Hee-jin)

In-Depth News Analysis (Weekly Economy Review): The US Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate by 75 basis points for the third time in a row on Wednesday, leaving South Korea’s benchmark rate 75 basis points lower than the US. Economics Professor Yang Jun-sok from the Catholic University of Korea joins us to discuss where this leaves the Bank of Korea’s future rate hikes, as well as government data showing that the nation is on track to record a trade deficit for the sixth consecutive month.

Korea Trending with Jung Ye-won:

1. Japan has announced that it will resume visa-free travel for foreign travelers from October 11. (기시다 "외국인 무비자 일본 입국 내달 11일부터 허용")

2. Daejeon's fire and rescue authorities are looking for an anonymous hero who saved a woman from drowning after she accidentally drove into a stream. (하천에 추락한 차량 목격한 시민, 운전자 구하고 홀연히 떠나)

3. 34-year-old golfer Choi Na-yeon says next month's BMW Ladies Championship 2022 will be the last LPGA tour of her career. (LPGA 통산 9승 최나연, 10월 BMW 챔피언십 끝으로 은퇴)

Movie Spotlight: What could go wrong on a ship full of dangerous criminals? Our critics Jason Bechervaise and Darcy Paquet found out in the action-horror-thriller “Project Wolf Hunting” starring Seo In-guk. They give their reviews of the film, along with their thoughts on "Thunderbird", an indie thriller about debts and betrayal.

Next Week From Seoul with Richard Larkin:

- U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will visit Seoul next Thursday.

- A group of Korean lawmakers will travel to Japan for the state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe next week.

- The South Korean men’s national football team will play two friendly matches in preparation for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Korea24 – 2022.09.22 (Thursday)

News Briefing: The Korean won collapsed beyond the 1,400 threshold against the US dollar on Thursday, following the US Federal Reserve’s third consecutive 0.75 percentage point rate hike. (Koo Hee-jin)

In-Depth News Analysis (Korean Politics Digest): President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed on the need to resolve pending bilateral issues during their meeting in New York on Wednesday. This comes after there were doubts over whether the meeting would go ahead due to Tokyo’s disgruntlement over Seoul’s unilateral announcement of the summit. Law Professor Cho Hee-kyung from Hong-ik University and Affiliate Professor Kim Byoung-joo from the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies give their reaction to the meeting, as well as a pending parliamentary bill to stabilize the price of rice.

Korea Trending with Jenny Suh:

1. Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the first partial military mobilization order since World War II, escalating the war in Ukraine. (러시아 군 동원령 전격 발동…우크라서 23일부터 합병 투표)

2. The youngest daughter of Kim Jung-ju, the late founder of gaming giant Nexon, has become the world's youngest billionaire after inheriting a stake in NXC, a Nexon holding company. ("넥슨 故김정주 차녀, 세계 최연소 억만장자")

3. Photos of actor Mads Mikkelsen dining alone at a Korean restaurant in Prague have gone viral. (“2주간 8번 왔다”…프라하 한식당서 삼겹살에 푹 빠진 007 빌런)

Explore Korea: This week, Allison Needels from Pinpoint Korea introduces us to the German Village of Namhae County and the return of their Oktoberfest beer festival this year! She tells us about how the village was first established in 2001 by Koreans returning from Germany, and what visitors can expect during the festival.

Morning Edition Preview with Richard Larkin:

- Tomorrow’s Korea Times features a report by Kwak Yeon-soo on the “Gwandong Pungryu Era Route”, a seaside train tour on the eastern coast of the peninsula.

Korea24 – 2022.09.21 (Wednesday)

News Briefing: In his first speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, President Yoon Suk Yeol called on the international community to respect the UN framework to find solutions and work in solidarity. (Eunice Kim)

In-Depth News Analysis: The nation has been shock after a young subway worker was murdered by her former colleague and stalker at Sindang station last week. Many have questioned whether more could have been done to prevent this crime, especially as this is the eighth time a stalking-related death has occurred despite an anti-stalking law that took effect in October last year. To discuss this issue, Professor Lee Yung-hyeock from the Department of Police Science at Konkuk University joins us on the line.

Korea Trending with Walter Lee:

1. It has been calculated that electricity fees for the average household would have to be raised by more than 80,000 won for the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) to make up its record deficit this year. ("한전 적자 해소, 가구당 전기요금 월 8만원 인상 불가피")

2. A district court has sentenced a zoo manager for violating the Animal Protection Act for the first time. ('동물 학대' 동물원 운영자 첫 처벌···"실효성 없다")

3. High jumper Woo Sang-hyeok has completed the 2022 season as No.1 in the world rankings, becoming the first Korean track and field athlete to do so. (우상혁, 세계육상연맹 2022 월드랭킹 1위 확정)

Korea Book Club: “Deep Blue Night (깊고 푸른 밤)” by the influential author Choi In-ho, tells the story of a writer and a musician who have fled the oppression of 1970s Korea, only to find themselves lost, living an itinerant life in the US. Originally published in 1981, and translated by Bruce and Ju-chan Fulton in 2002, literary critic Barry Welsh helps us unpack this celebrated work.

Morning Edition Preview with Richard Larkin:

- In tomorrow’s Korea Herald, Jie Ye-eun writes about the first recording of the KBS TV music talent show, “National Singing Contest”, with new host, Kim Shin-young.

- Tomorrow’s Korea Times features Park Han-sol’s report on how six webtoons and web-based novels will be adapted for small screens by the end of the year.

Korea24 – 2022.09.20 (Tuesday)

News Briefing: President Yoon Suk Yeol has arrived in New York ahead of the United Nations General Assembly, as well as talks with U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. (Eunice Kim)

In-Depth News Analysis: Record downpours hit Seoul and the surrounding areas last month, causing deadly floods of homes. That was followed by another extreme weather event, Typhoon Hinnamnor, which left eleven dead in its wake earlier this month. And then just this week, Typhoon Nanmadol, brushed past the southeastern parts of the country. To learn more about these recent weather events, and whether they are becoming more common, Professor Christian Franzke of the IBS Center for Climate Physics joins us on the line.

Korea Trending with Jenny Suh:

1. A 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit Mexico killing at least two people on Monday, which was the anniversary of two previous deadly earthquakes. (멕시코서 규모 7.6 강진, 주민 사망·건물파손 피해 속출)

2. Hikers at Bukhansan National Park have been warned not to harvest acorns due to concerns over food supply for squirrels and other wildlife. (다람쥐도 좀 먹고 삽시다... 북한산 도토리 전쟁)

3. Netflix is looking for participants to appear on the reality survival show "Squid Game: The Challenge," inspired by the hit series “Squid Game”. (우승자는 456만 달러…진짜 ‘오징어게임’ 초대하는 넷플릭스)

Touch Base In Seoul: Composer and conductor Henry Cheng caught the attention of K-pop fans recently for his classical composition “Suite for ARMY”, which was inspired by the classical music influences he found in BTS’s discography. He stopped by the studio to tell us about how he came to write the piece and the response from ARMY as well as the classical music world.

Morning Edition Preview with Richard Larkin:

- In tomorrow’s Korea Herald, Park Ga-young reports on 76-year-old Pianist Paik Kun-woo’s upcoming tour in Korea and new album.

- Tomorrow’s Korea Times features Park Han-sol’s article on the return of Nam June Paik's video tower installation after a three-year restoration project at the MMCA.

Korea24 – 2022.09.19 (Monday)

News Briefing: President Yoon Suk-yeol has paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II during his visit to London to attend Her Majesty’s state funeral. (Eunice Kim)

In-Depth News Analysis: Last Wednesday, the World Health Organization(WHO) said that the end of the COVID-19 pandemic is in sight, after the agency reported a 22-percent on-week drop in virus deaths worldwide. Echoing such sentiments, Jung Ki-suck, the head of South Korea’s advisory committee on infectious diseases, suggested a possible end to the pandemic in six months' time. For reaction to these comments, Dr. Deepti Gurdasani from the Queen Mary University of London joins us on the line.

Korea Trending with Walter Lee:

1. The government has unveiled plans to commercialize Level 3 self-driving cars by the end of the year, as part of its “Mobility Innovation Roadmap.” (국토부, ‘모빌리티 로드맵’ 발표)

2. Police have booked a man for stalking his neighbor by standing in front of her apartment door to record sounds coming from inside on his cellphone. (매일 밤 ‘옆집 소리’ 몰래 들은 남성…‘스토킹 혐의’ 수사)

3. One of the top second-generation K-pop girl groups, Kara, will be making a comeback in November after a seven-year hiatus. ('데뷔 15주년' 카라, 11월 완전체 컴백)

Monday Sports Round-up: Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min emphatically ended his goal drought with three goals against Leicester City on Saturday. Sports writer Steve Price joins on the line to tell us about the hat trick. He also briefs us on the new KBO schedule to make-up for recent weather-delayed games, as well as the WTA and ATP Tours coming to Korea.

Morning Edition Preview with Richard Larkin:

- In tomorrow’s Korea Herald, Hwang Dong-hee reports on the influence that former President Moon Jae-in still has when recommending books.

- Tomorrow’s Korea Times features Park Han-sol’s preview of the Seoul International Writers' Festival (SIWF) starting on September 23.

Korea24 – 2022.09.16 (Friday)

News Briefing: China's top legislator, Li Zhanshu, is in Seoul, where he has met with President Yoon Suk-yeol. He also met with the National Assembly speaker Kim Jin-pyo, who proposed a three-way meeting with the parliamentary speakers of South Korea, China and Japan. (KOO Hee-jin)

In-Depth News Analysis (Weekly Economy Review): On Tuesday, the US reported a higher than expected inflation of 8.3% in August, which sent markets tumbling. This also raised the odds of another major rate hike by the US Federal Reserve next week. In South Korea, the local currency depreciated further against the dollar, passing the 1,390-won mark for the first time in over 13 years. Economics Professor Yang Jun-suk from the Catholic University of Korea joins us to dissect these latest developments.

Korea Trending with Walter Lee:

1. Seoul’s Gwanak District has come under fire for sponsoring a golf tournament 'in solidarity with' victims of last month’s flooding in the region. (서울 관악구, '수재민과 함께하는 골프대회' 논란)

2. Nike has unveiled the new national team uniforms for 11 countries competing in the Qatar 2022 football World Cup, including South Korea’s home kit. ('황희찬 메인 모델' 나이키, 대한민국 새 유니폼 발표)

3. Honey J, leader of the dance crew “Holy Bang” that won “Street Woman Fighter”, has announced that she is getting married and having a baby. ('스우파' 허니제이, 결혼+임신 깜짝 발표)

Movie Spotlight: Film critics Jason Bechervaise and Darcy Paquet review “Confidential Assignment 2: International (공조2: 인터내셔날)”, the action-comedy sequel that has pulled in over 3 million admissions since its release before the Chuseok holiday, as well as the indie drama, “Kim Min-young of the Report Card (성적표의 김민영)”, which won the grand prize at the Jeonju International Film Festival in 2021.

Next Week From Seoul with Richard Larkin:

- President Yoon Suk Yeol will depart on a three-nation tour next week, visiting the U.K, U.S, and Canada.

- The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is expected to announce the 'Mobility Innovation Roadmap' on Monday.

- A US Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting will take place next Tuesday and Wednesday, where a further rate hike is set to be announced.

Korea24 – 2022.09.15 (Thursday)

News Briefing: The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has said that the end of the COVID-19 pandemic is in sight. (KOO Hee-jin)

In-Depth News Analysis (Korean Politics Digest): Former ruling People Power Party chairman Lee Jun-seok awaits a ruling on another injunction against his party, seeking to invalidate recent revisions to the party constitution that enabled them to transition into an emergency leadership system and block his potential comeback as leader. Meanwhile, the prosecution revealed this week that 2,001 people have been booked for election law violations related to the presidential election in March. Law Professor Cho Hee-kyung from Hong-ik University and Law Professor Song Se-ryun from Kyunghee University join us to discuss these latest developments.

Korea Trending with Jenny Suh:

1. Police arrested a subway station employee in his 30’s for killing a female colleague in a public restroom at a station in Seoul. (신당역 화장실서 여직원 전 동료에 피살)

2. The woman believed to be the mother of the children whose bodies were found in abandoned suitcases in New Zealand has been apprehended in Ulsan. (뉴질랜드 가방 속 어린이 시신…피의자 울산에서 검거)

3. The South American country Suriname, where the Korean crime series “Narco-Saints” is set, is looking to take legal action against the show’s producers. (수리남 정부 “넷플릭스 ‘수리남’ 제작사 법적 조치 검토”)

Explore Korea: Our travel Explorer Hannah Roberts takes us to the Joseon Dynasty Palace Gyeongbokgung and the adjacent Gwanghwamun Square. Considered two of the most popular tourist spots in Seoul, Hannah tells us about their history, as well as the recent updates and renovations that they have seen.

Morning Edition Preview with Richard Larkin:

- Tomorrow’s Korea Times features a report by Dong Sun-hwa on RM, the leader of the K-pop group BTS, recently donating 100 million won to preserve overseas Korean cultural assets.

- In tomorrow’s Korea Herald, Choi Jae-hee charts the history and trend of how apartment entrance gates in South Korea have evolved over time.

Korea24 – 2022.09.14 (Wednesday)

News Briefing: Google and Meta have been slapped with a combined record fine of 100 billion won (US$ 71 million), for collecting and using personal information without consent. (Eunice Kim)

In-Depth News Analysis: Since social distancing rules were relaxed last year, getting a late night taxi ride home in Seoul has become a frustrating challenge. This is due to a shortage of drivers, following an exodus during the pandemic, who have not returned. To deal with this issue, the Seoul city government has begun reviewing the possibility of a fare hike. But will this solve the issue? Reporter Lee Hyo-jin from the Korea Times briefs us on the situation.

Korea Trending with Walter Lee:

1. The government has announced plans for local distribution and logistics companies to use reusable boxes and cooler bags instead of cardboard boxes in order to reduce waste. (택배 종이상자 없앤다…2024년부터 ‘다회용 상자’ 도입)

2. The Supreme Court sentenced an 84-year-old man to 18 years in prison for killing his ex-wife over a financial dispute. (자녀 9명 키우며 43년 살았는데…돈 때문에 전처 살해한 80대 징역 18년)

3. Ukrainian forces have reportedly reclaimed 6,000km² of territory this month, and are advancing further into Russian-occupied regions. (우크라군 전세 역전 조짐…이틀 새 '서울 10배 면적' 탈환)

Korea Book Club: Regarded as one of the most important short stories from the post-Korean war period by one of that generation's most representative writers, Barry Welsh introduces us to “A Stray Bullet (오발탄)” by Lee Beomseon (이범선), about a man displaced from the North who has his morals tested as he struggling to provide for his family.

Morning Edition Preview with Richard Larkin:

- Tomorrow’s Korea Times features Kwak Yeon-soo’s interview with Belgian filmmaker Thierry Loreau to talk about "K-Classics Generation", his documentary on Korean classical musicians.

- In tomorrow’s Korea Herald, Park Han Na reports on the growing popularity of vegan beauty in South Korea.

Korea24 – 2022.09.13 (Tuesday)

News Briefing: The Korean Netflix series "Squid Game" made history by becoming the first non-English series to win two major Emmy Awards, going to lead actor Lee Jung-jae and director Hwang Dong-hyuk. (Eunice Kim)

In-Depth News Analysis: On Thursday, North Korea passed a new law declaring itself a nuclear weapons state. The law also enshrines the right to use preemptive nuclear strikes to protect itself. This comes despite the Yoon administration’s promise of a “bold initiative” in return for denuclearization. To get some expert analysis on what this new law means for the peace process on the Korean Peninsula, we have joining us on the line Professor Robert Kelly from Pusan National University.

Korea Trending with Jenny Suh:

1. 750,000 people are expected to visit Westminster Hall from Wednesday to pay respects to Queen Elizabeth II, who died last Thursday. (여왕 관 일반에 처음 공개…“75만 운집, 비상계획 수립”)

2. A DP lawmaker has submitted a bill to ban out-of-hours work messages and calls, in order to promote a better work-life balance. (퇴근 후 업무카톡 금지법 발의)

3. Football Head Coach Paulo Bento has announced the men’s national team roster for friendly matches against Costa Rica and Cameroon later this month. (벤투 감독 9월 A매치 명단 발표, 이강인 합류)

Touch Base In Seoul: In April, the Korean Basketball League (KBL) expanded its "Asian Player Quota" system to include players from the Philippines. Among the first players signed was Filbasket MVP Justin Gutang, who joined the Changwon LG Sakers. He joins us via video to tell us about his story, his goals for the upcoming season and what we can expect from him and his compatriots.

Morning Edition Preview with Richard Larkin:

- In tomorrow’s Korea Times, Dong Sun-hwa reports on the first “KCON” event to be held in Saudi Arabia from September 30 to October 1.

- Tomorrow’s Korea Herald features Kim Hae-yeon’s preview of the Royal Culture Festival, which will kick off on October 1 at four royal palaces in Seoul.