SEOUL, June 16 (Korea Bizwire) — Rising K-pop girl group ILLIT showcased its artistic evolution with confidence on Monday as it unveiled its third EP, “bomb.” The release follows the group’s earlier albums, “Super Real Me” and “I’ll Like You,” and continues ILLIT’s coming-of-age narrative. This time, the group broadens its perspective, shifting from introspective [...]
SEOUL, June 16 (Korea Bizwire) — Celebrated soprano Sumi Jo on Monday expressed gratitude for the support and love from her fans throughout her career, which culminated in her receiving a prestigious French cultural award. Last month, she was honored with France’s Commandeur of the Order of Arts and Letters, the highest rank of the [...]
SEOUL, June 16 (Korea Bizwire) — A growing number of South Korean workers believe the legal minimum wage should be extended to cover gig workers, freelancers, and those in special employment arrangements, reflecting mounting concern over the widening protections gap in the evolving labor market. According to a survey released Sunday by the labor rights group [...]
SEOUL, June 16 (Korea Bizwire) — The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced new measures on Sunday to enhance oversight of real estate transactions involving foreign nationals, aiming to address rising concerns over transparency, market disruption, and perceived unequal treatment of domestic buyers. As foreign ownership of property in South Korea increases, Seoul officials plan to scrutinize sources [...]
SEOUL, June 16 (Korea Bizwire) — Nearly half of caregivers for people with developmental disabilities in South Korea are providing care alone, often without any backup support in emergencies, according to a nationwide study released Sunday. The survey, commissioned by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and conducted by the Korea Institute for Health and Social [...]
SEOUL, June 16 (Korea Bizwire) — In an escalating effort to combat the rise of clandestine drug trafficking, South Korean police announced plans to equip narcotics units with industrial endoscope cameras to locate drugs hidden in hard-to-access spaces. The new tools, which will be distributed later this year to 71 drug investigation teams across 18 metropolitan [...]
SEOUL, June 16 (Korea Bizwire) — After completing a successful safety trial, Seoul will expand its late-night autonomous taxi service to cover all of the Gangnam district starting June 16, city officials announced Sunday. The program, launched in September 2024 as South Korea’s first public self-driving taxi pilot, currently operates between select neighborhoods such as Yeoksam, [...]
SEOUL, June 16 (Korea Bizwire) — Global investors are showing renewed confidence in South Korea’s stock market, with over ₩1 trillion (US$770 million) pouring into the iShares MSCI Korea ETF (ticker: EWY) this month alone—the highest monthly inflow in 18 months. The U.S.-listed exchange-traded fund, which offers global investors passive exposure to Korea’s leading equities, has [...]
SEOUL, June 16 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea is intensifying efforts to secure global leadership in artificial intelligence by investing ₩300 billion (approximately $220 million) over the next five years to recruit 400 elite postdoctoral researchers in AI convergence fields. Announced on Sunday by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the country’s four premier science [...]
SEOUL, June 15 (Korea Bizwire) — A sharp spike in global oil prices, triggered by Israel’s recent airstrike on Iranian nuclear facilities, is injecting fresh uncertainty into South Korea’s refining sector just as it showed signs of recovery. Industry analysts say the attack—amid already fragile geopolitical conditions—has heightened concerns over global supply disruptions and intensified [...]