Actor Gang Dong-won invited to join Motion Picture Academy

SEOUL, June 27 (AJU PRESS) - Actor Gang Dong-won has been invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Academy, which awards the Oscars, released a list of 487 new invitees including 71 Oscar nominees for this year. The Korean heartthrob was included in the list. Once they accept, these invitees earn voting rights at next year's Oscars, the most prestigious film awards in the U.S. Gang, renowned for his roles in films like "Broker" (2022)

June 27, 2024

PHOTOS: Exhibition explores art world of Japanese amination master Isao Takahata

SEOUL, June 27 (AJU PRESS) - "Studio Ghibli - Isao Takahata Exhibition" is underway at the Sejong Museum of Art in central Seoul. Isao Takahata, co-founder of Studio Ghibli, directed beloved TV anime series such as "Anne of Green Gables" and "Heidi, Girl of the Alps" in the 1970s. The exhibition features over 1,300 pieces of artwork and archival materials. The event runs from April 26 to August 3 at the gallery, which is affiliated with the Sejong Center fo

June 27, 2024

Opinion: Artificial intelligence meets genuine judgment

KENOSHA, June 27 (AJU PRESS) - "I’m sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that." That is Hal 9000, all-purpose spaceship computer, declining an order from an astronaut to open the reentry doors. The scene is from the 1968 film “2001 – A Space Odyssey.” David Bowman (actor Keir Dullea) remains trapped in a small module, facing death. The theme of machines taking control from people, eventually destroying them, is at least as old as the Indus

June 27, 2024

Jay Park teases upcoming single with steamy images

SEOUL, June 27 (AJU PRESS) - Park Jae-beum, also known as Jay Park, is generating some buzz for his upcoming single slated for release this weekend, by unveiling some provocative images. According to his management agency, his new single, "McNasty," a hip hop track with "catchy hook and straightforward lyrics" is set to be released on June 30. Earlier in the week, the Korean-American singer uploaded a somewhat provocative picture of himself half-naked on a bed

June 27, 2024

Vietnamese PM to visit Seoul to boost economic ties

SEOUL, June 27 (AJU PRESS) - Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will arrive in Seoul on Sunday for a four-day visit aimed at strengthening economic cooperation between the two countries, a Seoul official said. Chinh is scheduled to hold a meeting with his Korean counterpart, Han Duck-soo, at the government complex in Seoul on Tuesday and attend a welcome dinner hosted by Han at the prime minister's official residence, according to the Korean Prime Minister's Office.

June 27, 2024

Surging Korean cosmetics exports on track for record yearly volume

SEOUL, June 27 (AJU PRESS) - South Korean cosmetics exports surged 21 percent year-on-year in the first five months of 2024, on track to reach a record high annual volume, data showed Thursday. The Korea Customs Service said cosmetics exports during the period reached $4.04 billion, compared to $3.34 billion in the same period of 2023. While exports to China decreased by 11.6 percent, shipments to the U.S. soared 67.8 percent. Japan and Vietnam also saw significant increases of

June 27, 2024

Korea, U.S., Japan vow to strengthen semiconductor, battery supply chains

SEOUL, June 27 (AJU PRESS) - South Korea, the United States and Japan agreed on Wednesday to enhance cooperation on semiconductor and battery supply chains during a trilateral meeting of top industrial officials in Washington, D.C. Korean Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Ahn Duk-geun, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, and Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Ken Saito also pledged further collaboration among the three countries in critical minerals, export controls

June 27, 2024

N. Korea claims 'successful launch of multi-warhead missile'

SEOUL, June 27 (AJU PRESS) - North Korea Thursday claimed that it had "successfully" conducted a missile test, contradicting South Korea's assessment that the ballistic missile, fired near Pyongyang the previous day, appeared to have "failed." According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the launch, aimed at testing the individual operation of mobile warheads including a decoy, was a "success." It hailed the achievement as a signifi

June 27, 2024

Naver's Webtoon Entertainment sets IPO price at top of range ahead of New York market debut

SEOUL, June 27 (AJU PRESS) - Webtoon Entertainment, affiliated with Korea's leading internet portal Naver, has set its initial public offering price at $21 per share, the top end of its proposed range, signaling strong demand ahead of its debut on the Nasdaq on Thursday (local time). At the set price, the market capitalization of the digital comics platform could reach $2.67 billion. The Los Angeles, California-based firm is the parent company and North American opera

June 27, 2024

VISUALS: Korea's largest book fair underway in Seoul

SEOUL, June 27 (AJU PRESS) - The 2024 Seoul International Book Fair opened at COEX in Gangnam, Seoul, on June 26, 2024, for a five-day run. This year's theme for the nation's largest book fair is "Houyhnhnm," inspired by the horse-like race without human vices from "Gulliver's Travels." More than 120 publishers and book-related organizations from 18 foreign countries, as well as about 350 domestic publishers and institutions, are participating in the event,

June 27, 2024