Web-based fiction soars in popularity, boosted by adaptations

SEOUL, May 20 (AJU PRESS) - The popularity of web-based fiction and novels has surged, with the market growing by 62 percent this year, compared to two years ago, according to a recent study by the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea. Experts attribute the growth to the booming demand driven by popular web series being adapted into Netflix shows. The so-called web-novels, name-wise, are literary works available primarily or solely on online platforms such as Kakao Page,

May 21, 2024

Sao Paulo to adopt Korean as second foreign language subject

SEOUL, May 21 (AJU PRESS) - Sao Paulo, the most populous city in Brazil, will adopt Korean as a second foreign language for elementary, middle and high school students, the Korean Education Institute in Sao Paulo (KEISP) said Tuesday. The language institute signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday (local time) with Sao Paulo's education department and the Korean Consulate General to incorporate Korean language education into the regular school curriculum in the city. Kor

May 21, 2024

SNU student arrested for distributing explicit images using faces of female classmates

SEOUL, May 21 (AJU PRESS) - A 40-year-old student from Seoul National University (SNU) has been arrested for creating and distributing explicit images and videos using the faces of his female classmates, police said Tuesday. The suspect, identified only by his surname Park, was detained on charges of doctoring explicit images and sharing them through a group chat room on Telegram. Two other SNU students were also arrested on the same allegation. Authorities said that Park colle

May 21, 2024

Opinion: What could President Raisi's death mean for stability in Iran and beyond?

SEOUL, May 21 (AJU PRESS) - A helicopter carrying Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, the country's foreign minister and other officials crashed in the mountainous north-west reaches of Iran on May 19, sparking a rescue operation in thick fog and driving rain. On Monday, search and rescue teams reached the crash site and "found no signs of the helicopter's occupants being alive." The death of Raisi and his foreign minister will shake up Iranian politics. Who was Rai

May 21, 2024

Opinion: California is about to tax guns more like alcohol and tobacco − and that could put a dent in gun violence

SEOUL, May 21 (AJU PRESS) - Starting in July 2024, California will be the first state to charge an excise tax on guns and ammunition. The new tax – an 11-percent levy on each sale – will come on top of federal excise taxes of 10 percent or 11 percent for firearms and California's 6-percent sales tax. The National Rifle Association has characterized California's Gun Violence Prevention and School Safety Act as an affront to the Constitution. But the reaction fr

May 21, 2024

Plan to allow foreign doctors sparks heated debate in Korea

SEOUL, May 17 (AJU PRESS) - Pros and cons over a scheme to allow foreign doctors to work in Korea are heating up, after the government announced the move early this month. The government came up with the idea in a bid to address the long-term shortage of medical personnel and ease disruptions in public healthcare across the country, amid a collective strike by medical professionals. Since February, most of medical trainees at major hospitals have resigned in protest against the go

May 20, 2024

Korea's ramyeon exports hit record high in April

SEOUL, May 20 (AJU PRESS) - Exports of Korean instant noodles, ramyeon, surpassed $100 million for the first time in April, led by a spicy chicken flavor variant, according to government data. Data from the Korea Customs Service showed that Korean companies sold $108.6 million worth of ramyeon last month, a 46.8 percent increase from the same period a year ago. The volume broke the previous monthly record of $92.9 million set in February. Ramyeon exports have increased annually s

May 20, 2024

Luxury pet-friendly services on the rise in Korea

SEOUL, May 20 (AJU PRESS) - Luxury pet services and products ranging from canine kindergartens to hotels, and health supplements, are attracting a growing number of pet-lovers in Korea. According to a recent report released by KB Financial Group, about 5.5 million households or one out of every four households in Korea, have at least one pet. The report estimated that there are around 12.6 million pet owners. The trend is attributed to the increased number of single-person househo

May 20, 2024

Korean Council on Latin America pledges support for opening of Cuban Embassy in Seoul

SEOUL, May 20 (AJU PRESS) – Han Byung-kil, chairman of the Korean Council on Latin America and the Caribbean (KCLAC), has pledged support for an early opening of the Cuban Embassy in Seoul during his meeting with a visiting senior Cuban diplomat. Han met with Mario Alzugaray Rodriguez, deputy head of mission of the Cuban Embassy in China, in Seoul on Thursday, and discussed measures to promote cooperation between the two countries, the non-profit organization said. Alzugara

May 20, 2024

Opinion: Iranian President Raisi reported dead – what that might mean for country and region

SEOUL, May 20 (AJU PRESS) - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who has been reported dead after the helicopter he was in crashed on May 19, 2024, is a consummate loyalist whose passing will be a severe blow to the country's conservative leadership. While search and rescue teams – hampered by rain, fog, forests and mountains – searched for wreckage, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the nation "should pray" for Raisi. As an expert on I

May 20, 2024