Dark web drug ring with 4,000 buyers busted

SEOUL, July 26 (AJU PRESS) - Prosecutors have indicted drug dealers and distributors after uncovering a dark web store with about 4,000 buyers, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (SPO) said Friday. The dark web is a clandestine part of the internet, consisting of websites inaccessible through common browsers or search engines. Due to its anonymity, it is often used for the illegal trade of goods and services including firearms, drugs, stolen items, and even human t

July 26, 2024

Defense chiefs of S. Korea, US, Japan to meet in Tokyo next week

SEOUL, July 26 (AJU PRESS) - The defense chiefs of South Korea, U.S. and Japan will gather for talks in Tokyo next week to bolster trilateral cooperation and tighten security on the Korean Peninsula. They last met on the sidelines of the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore last month where they agreed to rotate hosting their talks. In the trilateral meeting, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik will sit for talks with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Japan's

July 26, 2024

Actor Yu Ah-in booked on allegations of sexually assaulting man in his 30s

SEOUL, July 26 (AJU PRESS) - Police have booked disgraced actor Yu Ah-in on allegations that he sexually molested a man at a studio apartment in central Seoul earlier this month, it was revealed on Friday. Under Korea's criminal law, sexual violence against individuals of the same sex is classified as "quasi-rape." According to police in Yongsan, the alleged man claims he was sexually assaulted while sleeping at the studio. He said he became aware of what had happen

July 26, 2024

Amid e-commerce settlement dispute, Tmon begins refunds after customers occupy office

SEOUL, July 26 (AJU PRESS) - Tmon, an e-commerce platform caught in a settlement delay controversy, began processing refunds early Friday morning, following protests by hundreds of disgruntled customers who had occupied its headquarters in southern Seoul. Tmon and sister company WeMakePrice have been delaying payments to sellers since early July, prompting businesses to withdraw from the sites. Customers are requesting cash refunds since payment gateway agencies began to suspend

July 26, 2024

Peruvian Embassy in Seoul celebrates Independence Day

SEOUL, July 26 (AJU PRESS) - Envoys and special guests gathered at a hotel in central Seoul on Thursday to celebrate the 203rd anniversary of Peru's Independence Day, hosted by the Peruvian Embassy in Seoul. During the opening ceremony, Peruvian Ambassador to Korea Paul Duclos highlighted the 60th anniversary of the South American country's diplomatic relationship with Korea, which was commemorated in 2023. Peru celebrates its independence from Spain, achieved by Jos&ea

July 26, 2024

Korea Eximbank, IDB sign $300 million co-financing deal for Latin America infrastructure projects

SEOUL, July 26 (AJU PRESS) - The Export-Import Bank of Korea (Eximbank) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to provide co-financing for infrastructure projects in Latin America, the bank announced on Friday. Under the agreement, Eximbank will extend up to some 414.5 billion won ($300 million) in co-financing over the next three years through its Economic Development Promotion Facility (EDPF). The bank aims to identify and joi

July 26, 2024

Opinion: 83 bottles of wine per person: how experts are calculating Paris Olympics' carbon footprint

SEOUL, July 26 (AJU PRESS) - The 2024 Paris Olympics aim to be the greenest edition on record, and the first compatible with the Paris climate agreement. Talk of "green games" goes back to April 2021. At the time, the Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (OCOG) had even aspired to carbon neutrality by removing more greenhouse gases from the atmosphere than those generated by the games. However, the reference to net zero was quietly dropped in subsequent communications.

July 26, 2024

PHOTOS: WeMakePrice processes refunds amid payment delay crisis

SEOUL, July 25 (AJU PRESS) - Over 700 customers received refunds after waiting up to six hours at WeMakePrice's headquarters in Seoul on Thursday, as the e-commerce platform struggles to manage a growing payment crisis. WeMakePrice and Tmon have been delaying settlements with sellers since early July, prompting some businesses to cancel products and withdraw from the sites. Damages are estimated to exceed 100 billion won ($72.23 million). The crisis stems from a liquidity crunch involv

July 25, 2024

E-commerce payment crisis spreads rapidly across multiple sectors

SEOUL, July 25 (AJU PRESS) - The payment delay crisis at South Korean e-commerce platforms Tmon and WeMakePrice is intensifying, impacting the travel, accommodation, electronics, food, gaming, and entertainment industries as of Thursday. Vendors are facing financial strain, while consumers are worried about cancellations and refunds due to prolonged payment delays to sellers, stemming from a liquidity crunch involving their Singapore-based parent company, Qoo10. The two platforms

July 25, 2024

Children in Seoul feel happier after pandemic blues, survey shows

SEOUL, July 25 (AJU PRESS) - Children and teenagers living in Seoul are feeling happier compared to a few years ago during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a recent survey released by the Seoul Metropolitan government on Thursday. The biannual survey of Seoul's 2,520 households with children aged 18 and under showed that their level of happiness was 2.3 points on a 3-point scale, up 22 percent from an average of 1.88 points in 2021. During the pandemic, al

July 25, 2024