South Korea

A collection of 36 posts

Culture

Fans Flock to Korean Classes After ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Boom

Across the United States, Americans are enrolling in Korean language classes as interest in K-pop and K-dramas grows, a trend that The New York Times reports has been amplified by the movie "KPop Demon Hunters" (Jan. 31, 2026). The article notes that the film’s hit song "

Business

South Korean Kospi Sets Record High as Market Doubles Over Past Year

The South Korean stock market rose for three straight days this week and the benchmark Kospi index set fresh records each day, closing above 5,000 for the first time on Tuesday, the New York Times reported on Jan. 30, 2026. The rally has pushed the Kospi to double over

World

Canada signs deal with South Korea to explore bringing auto manufacturing to Canada

On Jan. 29, 2026, Canada announced an agreement with South Korea to explore bringing Korean automotive manufacturing to the country, a move the government linked to U.S. tariffs that it says threaten Canada’s auto industry. The accord, scarce on details, was presented as part of Prime Minister Mark

Tech

South Korea enacts ‘world-first’ AI law requiring watermarks and risk tests

South Korea has launched what is being billed as the most comprehensive set of AI laws anywhere in the world after an AI basic act took effect on Thursday last week, a move the government says is central to its bid to become a leading global AI power. The law

World

Trump says he will raise tariffs on South Korean goods amid trade dispute

Donald Trump said he is raising tariffs on South Korean goods, including automobiles, lumber and pharmaceuticals, accusing Seoul of not living up to a trade deal struck last year and briefly sending shares in Korean carmakers tumbling. In a post on social media the president said tariffs on South Korean

World

Trump says he will raise South Korea tariffs back to 25 percent

President Trump announced he was raising tariffs on South Korean exports, including cars, back to 25 percent, saying Seoul was not moving fast enough to implement a recent investment agreement. South Korean officials said the announcement caught them off guard. In October, Mr. Trump agreed to lower tariffs on South

Business

Trump threatens to raise South Korea tariffs to 25%

President Trump said on Monday he would raise tariffs on South Korean exports, including cars, faulting Korea’s National Assembly for not approving a trade deal with the United States quickly enough. In a post on Truth Social, Mr. Trump wrote: "Because the Korean Legislature hasn’t enacted our

Culture

True Beauty adapts Yaongyi webtoon to examine South Korea's beauty pressures

According to Collider, True Beauty is a South Korean television adaptation of Yaongyi's popular webtoon that follows high school student Lim Ju-Kyung (Moon Ga-young) as she learns to use makeup to navigate relentless bullying. The series shows Ju-Kyung enduring mockery for her acne and features, surviving a public

World

Pentagon says South Korea will take primary role in deterring North Korea

The Pentagon foresees a "more limited" role in deterring North Korea, with South Korea taking primary responsibility, a Pentagon policy document released on Friday said. The National Defense Strategy said "South Korea is capable of taking primary responsibility for deterring North Korea with critical but more limited

World

Han Duck-soo sentenced to 23 years over role in failed martial law attempt

Former South Korean prime minister Han Duck-soo has been sentenced to 23 years in prison for his role in an insurrection stemming from the failed martial law declaration by former president Yoon Suk Yeol, and Judge Lee Jin-kwan ordered Han's immediate detention. The judge's verdict on

World

Han Duck-soo sentenced to 23 years over role in 2024 martial law

Han Duck-soo, a former prime minister and acting president of South Korea, was sentenced to 23 years in prison on Wednesday after a three-judge panel at Seoul Central District Court convicted him of collaborating in former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s brief imposition of martial law, which the court called

Culture

Park Chan-wook’s 13 feature films ranked from debut to latest

Collider has ranked all 13 feature films directed by South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook from worst to best, excluding short films and television work. The piece traces Park’s evolution: his debut The Moon Is… the Sun’s Dream (1992) and Trio (1997) are described as obscure, lesser entries — and

Tech

How to reduce the risk of smart home hacking

Smart homes and internet-connected devices are at risk of being hacked, though such attacks are generally opportunistic rather than targeted, ZDNET reports. The outlet notes that attackers typically search randomly for easy targets and that many high-profile incidents stem from basic security lapses. Recent reports cited in the piece said

Politics

Seoul court sentences ex‑president Yoon Suk Yeol to five years over martial law actions

Seoul central district court has sentenced former president Yoon Suk Yeol to five years in prison for mobilising presidential security forces to block his own arrest and for abusing his powers, in the first judicial ruling linked to his failed martial law declaration in December 2024. The court found Yoon

Politics

Seoul court sentences former president Yoon Suk Yeol to five years over martial law actions

A three-judge panel at the Seoul Central District Court on Friday sentenced South Korea’s impeached former president Yoon Suk Yeol to five years in prison for fabricating an official document to justify his short-lived declaration of martial law and for illegally using his bodyguards to block his arrest on

Politics

Former South Korean President Yoon Sentenced to Five Years Over Martial Law

A three-judge panel at the Seoul Central District Court sentenced impeached and ousted former president Yoon Suk Yeol to five years in prison on Friday, finding him guilty of fabricating an official document to justify his short-lived imposition of martial law and of illegally using his bodyguards to prevent his

Tech

Six expert steps to reduce smart-home hacking risk

ZDNET outlines six measures smart-home users can take to reduce the risk of their devices being hacked, noting that all smart homes are at risk though attacks are opportunistic and not a likely event. Recent reports — including the compromise of 120,000 home security cameras in South Korea for sexploitation

Culture

BTS to stage 2026–27 world tour starting in South Korea

BTS has announced a 2026–2027 world tour, kicking off in South Korea in April and running through to March 2027 with more than 70 dates across Asia, North America, South America, Australia and Europe. The tour marks the group’s first headline performances since their 2021–22 Permission to

Culture

BTS Announces 79-Date World Tour and March Album Release

BTS announced a 79-date comeback tour that will span five continents over about 11 months, the seven-member K-pop band said. The group also plans to release its fifth full-length album on March 20. Big Hit Music said the new album contains 14 tracks and was “packed with honest stories,” adding

World

South Korea courted by China and Japan as leaders meet amid their spat

Time reports Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met South Korean President Lee Jae-Myung on Tuesday at a summit in Takaichi’s home prefecture of Nara, as Seoul becomes a focal point in an escalating China–Japan dispute. Both leaders spoke of improving Korea–Japan ties after 60 years of diplomatic

Politics

Prosecutors demand death for former South Korean president Yoon over failed martial law

South Korean prosecutors have asked for the death penalty for former president Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed December 2024 martial law declaration, in what the authorities describe as the first insurrection trial of a Korean head of state in three decades. Prosecutors told Seoul central district court the case

Politics

Prosecutors seek death sentence for ousted South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol

A special counsel on Tuesday asked a court in Seoul to sentence South Korea’s impeached and ousted former president, Yoon Suk Yeol, to death on the charge of leading an insurrection when he briefly imposed martial law in late 2024. The three-judge panel at the Seoul Central District Court

Tech

Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold's 10-inch display pushes foldables into phone‑tablet territory

ZDNET's Kerry Wan tried the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold in a private showroom at CES and said the device felt like the future of foldables. The TriFold unfolds to a wider 10-inch AMOLED with a 4:3 aspect ratio that Wan found made split-screen multitasking, browsing and video

Crypto

Story (IP) Doubles to Above $3 as Trading Surge Outpaces On-Chain Growth

Beincrypto reports Story (IP) doubled from a local low near $1.50 to above $3.00 in early 2026, even as on-chain metrics show weak network growth. Trading data point to South Korean traders as the main driver: CoinGecko shows daily trading volume exceeded $300 million on January 13, with

Crypto

South Korea proposes 5% cap on listed firms' crypto exposure

South Korea has proposed guidelines that would limit listed companies' exposure to cryptocurrencies to 5% of their assets. The proposed guidelines would allow eligible firms to invest in the top 20 cryptocurrencies by market value. The measures are proposals and have not been finalized; it is not yet clear