Minho of SHINee will begin the new year with his first solo fan concert, dubbed the "2024 Best Choi's Minho Fan-Con Multi-Chase," which is set to take place at Jangchung Arena in Seoul on Jan. 6-7. Minho also kicked 2023 with an event for his fans. From January to March, he traveled to Manila, the Philippines; Taipei, Taiwan; Hong Kong and Yokohama, Japan, for fan meets. The first solo fan concert scheduled next year is expected to be filled with performances and songs that show M

Korean divas of the ’80s and ’90s have embarked on a new journey as a girl group, with a new single to be dropped Friday. "Golden Girls" on KBS2 follows four divas -- Insooni, Park Mi-kyung, Shin Hyo-beom and Lee Eun-mi -- who debuted as solo vocalists more than 30 to 40 years ago as they "re-debut" as a K-pop girl group named Golden Girls. Park Jin-young, also known as J.Y. Park, leads JYP Entertainment, one of the country's top three entertainment agencies.

A cold wave is expected to peak over the weekend, dragging the mercury down further, the weather agency said Friday, after morning temperatures in most parts of South Korea fell below freezing. The cold wave advisory, which took effect in Seoul and Gangwon Province as of 9 p.m. Thursday, was lifted as temperatures rose Friday afternoon, but is still in effect in some parts of North and South Gyeongsang Provinces. The Korea Meteorological Administration predicted that Saturday morning's te

A woman convicted of killing another woman in her 20s and dismembering the body was sentenced to life in prison on Friday. The Busan District Court sentenced 23-year-old Jung Yoo-jung to a lifetime in prison, and required her to wear a location tracking device for the next 30 years. Explaining the sentence, the court said it believes the killing had been premeditated. Jung’s lawyer asked the court for a reduction in jail time, citing her family background and mental and physical weakness.

President Yoon Suk Yeol attended a Bureau of International Expositions banquet on Thursday as the first official event during his visit to Paris, in a bid to rally support for Busan in the vote taking place next week. Diplomats and BIE delegations from around the world attended the dinner held at a hotel in Paris. The chiefs from Korea's top conglomerates, including Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and Lot

This winter is expected to be warmer and wetter than usual, due to global warming and El Nino, the Korea Meteorological Administration said Thursday. Temperatures from December to February next year are likely to be higher than the average years by a 61 to 67 percent chance, the weather agency said in a briefing on its three-month climate forecast. On a monthly basis, there is a 40 percent probability that the temperatures in those three months will be similar to or higher than the average year

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee, who are on a state visit to Britain to mark the 140th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, attended a state banquet hosted by King Charles III at Buckingham Palace, Tuesday. The two leaders confirmed the strong relationship between South Korea and Britain, paying tribute to influential cultural figures and the history of each country. After attending an official welcoming ceremony at

People traveling from Incheon to Seoul by bus will be able to use an unlimited monthly transit pass from next year, Seoul City said Friday. It is an expansion to a 65,000 won ($50) pass that gives commuters unlimited access on all public transport within Seoul, and bus rides that depart from Seoul to other metropolitan areas. The announcement came as Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok signed a "Seoul-Incheon Transportation Business Agreement" at Seoul City Hall and

The first snow of the season fell in many regions, including Seoul, Friday. The Korea Meteorological Administration explained that the first snowfall in Seoul, at 11:20 a.m., was observed earlier than usual. Friday's measured precipitation in Seoul was not immediately available as of 3 p.m., but the KMA predicted about 1 centimeter of snowfall in the Greater Seoul area until Saturday. The weather agency officially announces the first snow in Seoul when an observer at the Seoul Meteorologica

Local governments across the country have suspended issuing government certificates and civil documents due to a failure in the administrative computer network, followed by a series of suspensions of the Government 24 online service, causing massive inconveniences. The Interior Ministry said it was working to restore the system. An indefinite suspension of all services was announced on the Government website at 1:55 p.m., with the explanation that the system was malfunctioning. The Government 24

The Suneung, South Korea's national college entrance exam, is less than a week away, with this year's test seeing a number of changes. The Education Ministry in June announced that it would exclude "killer questions" -- excessively difficult questions, the material for which is often not covered in the public education system. The change came following President Yoon Suk Yeol's comments that such questions might create an excessive dependence on private education. The mi

Even in the chilly winter season, when the air gets cold and the sun sets fast, there are still good reasons to take a walk: warm, delicious street snacks. As winter approaches, street vendors attract customers with sweet and savory snacks that one can hold in a hand and enjoy while walking along the street. "The cold, dark way home from work in winter feels even more exhausting than in mild weather, but when I find a street snack truck or a vendor, it really cheers me up," said Lee Hy

As the Seoul Metro, operator of the city's subway system, initiated a two-day warning strike Thursday to protest the company's downsizing plans, disruptions are expected outside of rush hour. The labor union of the Seoul Metro is holding a strike from 9 a.m. on Thursday to 6 p.m. Friday as the final negotiations broke down the previous day. Seoul Metro operates Seoul subway lines 1 to 8 and some sections of line 9. During rush hour, from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., all subway trains will operate

Morning temperatures fell below freezing in several regions across the country on Wednesday, the weather agency said. In Seoul, the first frost was observed on Wednesday, 21 days later than last year and 11 days later than the average record from 1991 to 2020. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, Jeonju, Gwangju, Seoul, Suwon, Cheongju, Daegu, and Incheon also saw the first frost as of 6 a.m. The first ice was also observed in Seoul, Suwon, and Andong. All were about 20 days lat

The South Korean government on Tuesday announced the withdrawal of a ban on disposable paper cups for food service businesses such as cafes and restaurants, along with provisional approval for the use of plastic straws at cafes and plastic bags at convenience stores. The Environment Ministry's announcement came as the grace period for the policy was coming to an end. A ban on single-use products, including paper cups, plastic straws and stirring sticks, was part of disposable product regula

Following the rain that fell across the country on Monday, temperatures are expected to drop significantly on Tuesday morning, with some areas likely to see morning temperatures below freezing and the first cold wave alerts. The Korea Meteorological Administration forecast that the morning temperature in Seoul on Tuesday will drop to 3 degrees Celsius, which is 12 C lower than the previous day, marking the coldest weather this fall. In northern Gyeonggi Province and some parts of Gangwon Provinc

Amid the steady stream of bedbug reports nationwide, central and local government agencies have begun implementing measures to prevent the spread of the pests in the country. In mid-September, a student reported having been bitten by bedbugs in a dormitory at Keimyung University in Daegu. On Oct. 13, live bedbugs and larvae were found in a sauna in Seo-gu, Incheon. Bedbugs have also been reported in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul and Busan. The Busan Metropolitan Government a

Labor Minister Lee Jung-sik said the government will work to set clear criteria for what constitutes workplace harassment as part of a push to foster a safe working culture, during a meeting with young workers in Seoul on Wednesday. "Creating a fair and safe workplace is the fundamental starting point of labor reform," said Lee during a meeting with young workers, labor inspectors and related experts at an event organized by the Ministry of Employment and Labor. Lee promised to consi

A man in his 70s was arrested on Tuesday for wielding a knife in front of the main gate of the Defense Ministry in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, where the presidential office is located. Two police officers were injured in the process of subduing the man. The Yongsan Police Station arrested the 77-year-old man, who is only identified by his surname of Park, who took out a knife in front of the main gate of the presidential office at 1:20 p.m. When Park, who was passing in front of the main gate of the Defe

The Korean government is stepping up its official development assistance support projects in developing countries as part of its bidding efforts to host the World Expo 2030 in Busan. Official development assistance is a form of government aid designed to promote economic development and welfare in developing countries. Developing countries account for about two-thirds of the 182 member countries of the Bureau International des Expositions, which are the countries that have the right to vote for