S. Korean film production company recreates historic sea battle with visual effects technology

SEOUL -- South Korea's film production company Bigstone Pictures has recreated a historic marine battle using visual effects technology. The intense battle scenes were showcased in "Noryang: Deadly Sea," a war action film directed by Kim Han-min. The film highlights Korea's 16th-century naval commander Yi Sun-sin who scored dramatic victories against Japan. Visual effects (VFX) technology, which incorporates computer graphics (CG) elements, is often used by filmmak

December 23, 2023

Bus strikes 18 pedestrians at transit center in Seoul's satellite city

SEOUL -- A public bus has struck 18 pedestrians at a bus transit center in Suwon, a southern satellite city of Seoul, killing an elderly woman and severely injuring two people. The bus also damaged infrastructure including a light pole and road signs. According to police, the accident took place at around 1:27 p.m. on December 22. An electric bus operated by a female bus driver in her 50s ran over people walking on a pedestrian crossing. The vehicle, which was just leaving a bus sto

December 22, 2023

Ordinary worker has to save every wage without spending for 15 years to buy house in Seoul

SEOUL -- An ordinary worker would have to save every dime of his or her monthly savings for 15 years to buy a house in Seoul, the land ministry's survey data showed. The homeownership rate was 61.3 percent. Renting households in the metropolitan area spent 18.3 percent of their monthly income on rent. According to South Korea's Real Estate Board (REB), the average price for an apartment in Seoul in 2022 was about 1.3 billion won ($1 million). Apartment complexes are one of t

December 22, 2023

Convenience store chain Emart24 to make foray into Cambodian market

SEOUL -- Emart24, the convenience store chain of South Korea's retail giant Shinsegae, will open its first store in Cambodia in the first half of 2024. To expand into the Cambodian convenience store market, the company partnered with Saihan Partners, a joint venture between Hanlim Architecture Group, a Seoul-based real estate service provider, and Cambodia's Saisons Brother Holding. Saisons, which started its food and beverage business in 2010, has expanded its business scop

December 22, 2023

[OPINION] CEWC 2024: China's strategic blueprint

KARACHI -- As China charts its course for 2024, the palpable resonance from Beijing is a resounding commitment to prioritize high-quality development. The recently concluded Central Economic Work Conference (CEWC), the most im

December 21, 2023

[OPINION] Christmas 1944: Hell on Earth

KENOSHA -- Christmas includes the anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, the largest land battle fought by the United States. The battle was hell on earth. On December 16, 1

December 21, 2023

Pyongyang expresses discomfort over UN Security Council meeting on ICBM test launch

SEOUL -- Kim Yo-jong, North Korea's No. 2 in power, strongly expressed discomfort over a United Nations Security Council meeting that was held to call for de-escalation, political dialogue, and diplomatic solutions for the Korean Peninsula, claiming such an action denounced the sovereign right of North Korea. North Korea fired off a projectile suspected of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on December 18, 2023, a day after Pyongyang fired a ballistic missile into the

December 21, 2023

G-Dragon's agency sends out deadline warning towards cyberbullies

SEOUL -- The agency representing singer Kwon Ji-yong, known by his stage name G-Dragon, has issued a deadline warning to cyberbullies spreading malicious rumors about the 35-year-old artist's drug scandal. The agency will take legal action if such comments are not deleted or corrected by December 28. Meanwhile, G-Dragon plans to establish a foundation to combat drug abuse. Along with Lee Sun-kyun, who gained worldwide popularity after appearing in the Oscar-winning film "Pa

December 21, 2023

Market share of Hyundai and Kia cars in Europe stands at 8.6% in November 2023: data

SEOUL -- Sales of Hyundai and Kia cars in the European market continued to rise in November 2023 to have a market share of 8.3 percent, up 0.1 percent compared to the same period in 2022, data released by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association showed. The European car market stood at about $15 billion with some 13 million newly-registered units in 2022. The number of newly-registered vehicles dropped by 10.4 percent compared to a year ago, but remained larger than the Nor

December 21, 2023

BTS' Jimin to drop solo digital single 'Closer Than This'

SEOUL -- BTS member Jimin's solo digital single will be released while he fulfills his mandatory military service in South Korea. The 28-year-old will deliver his sincere feelings toward his fan club, "ARMY," through the song titled "Closer Than This." Big Hit, the agency of BTS, said the digital single will be rolled out at 2:00 p.m. (0500 GMT) on December 21. "As we approach the final days of 2023, we hope that 'Closer Than This,' with its lyri

December 21, 2023