No 'Squid Game': South Korea's real-life debt trap

SEOUL - Many small business owners in South Korea recognize themselves in the cash-strapped characters of the wildly popular Netflix drama 'Squid Game', who vie desperately for a chance to win $38 million, exposing a debt trap that is all too familiar.

Nearing retirement at 58, Yu Hee-sook paid off her debts long ago, but still gets calls from collection agencies threatening to seize her bank accounts, as the loans got securitized and sold to investors without her knowledge.

"In Korea, it's like the end of the world once you become a credit delinquent," said Yu, who got by on small jobs, such as writing for movie magazines, during the 13 years it took to pay off the debts she incurred over a movie that flopped in 2002.

"All I wanted was chances to repay debt, but banks don't let you make money," added Yu, who feels trapped in an unforgiving life-long ordeal, just like the 456 game show contestants of the 'Squid Game'.

While foreigners may associate South Korea with the boyband BTS and sleek Samsung smartphones, the drama points to a dark flipside of rising personal borrowing, the highest suicide rate among advanced nations, and the rarity of getting free of debt.

Record household borrowing is fueling private investment and housing growth, but unforgiving social mores about debt often blur the line between personal and business loans, burdening those who run small businesses.

Personal bankruptcies soared to a five-year high of 50,379 last year, court filings show.

The proportion of those falling behind on more than one type of personal debt payment has risen steadily to reach 55.47% by June from 48% in 2017, figures from the Korea Credit Information Services show.

"If Donald Trump was a Korean, he probably couldn't have become the president, having been bankrupted many times," said a lawyer in Seoul, who specializes in personal bankruptcy.

"In the United States, corporate debt is more separated from personal debt."

An inadequate social safety net for small entrepreneurs and the lack of a rehabilitation program for failures spell risks that could drive some South Koreans desperate, and banks often ignore a five-year limit to destroy insolvency records.

"Due to traditional practices in the banking industry, business owners in South Korea face high likelihood of taking the debt burden from the business they run," said bankruptcy judge Ahn Byung-wook.

Banks often demand that business owners stand as joint surety for the firm's borrowing, a practice the government banned for public financial institutions in 2018, although three owners told Reuters some providers persist.

Applicants for business loans who have poor credit ratings or a history of default need guarantees from state-run financial institutions in South Korea.

"Culturally, failed entrepreneurs are socially stigmatized, so starting over is hard, as people don't trust them," added Ahn, who has spent four years at the Seoul Bankruptcy Court.

"On top of that, those who file personal bankruptcy face a long list of restrictions on employment."

The numbers of South Korea's self-employed rank among the world’s highest, forming a quarter of the job market, making it vulnerable to downturns. A central bank study in 2017 showed that just 38% of such businesses survive three years.

Still, as economic prospects dwindle, with South Koreans chasing fewer good jobs amid surging home prices, many are betting that speculation is the only route to wealth, and have taken on more debt than ever to buy stocks and other assets.

Household borrowing is roughly equivalent to GDP at a record 1,806 trillion won ($1.54 trillion) in the June quarter.

"The government encourages startups but they don't take care of the failed businesses," said Ryu Kwang-han, a 40-year old entrepreneur who exited the debtor rehabilitation program in 2019 but still struggles to get loans.

"How is this different from 'Squid Game' if there's no second chances?"

The global sensation has been watched by 142 million households since its Sept. 17 debut, the world's largest streaming service has said, helping Netflix to add 4.38 million subscribers.

-reuters

South Korea steps up COVID-19 curbs ahead of peak holiday season

SEOUL - South Korea said on Sunday it will tighten social distancing rules across most of the country this week, warning that its worst-ever COVID-19 wave might spread further in the summer holiday season.

The curbs will be increased to Level 3 on a four-level scale, which will mean a 10 p.m. dining curfew and ban on gatherings of more than four people, from Tuesday for two weeks for most areas except for some small counties.

"What's most concerning is the virus' recent spread in the non-capital areas," President Moon Jae-in told an intra-agency meeting reviewing efforts in the campaign against the coronavirus.

"There has been an increase in movements nationwide, especially around vacation spots."

South Korea managed to largely avoid major COVID-19 outbreaks with an extensive testing and tracing campaign for the first year of the pandemic.

But the latest spikes in infections have dented public confidence even though there have been relatively few critical cases and deaths.

The government early this month imposed the toughest Level 4 curbs, which include a ban on gatherings of more than two people after 6 p.m., in the capital Seoul and neighbouring areas.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Sunday reported 1,487 cases for Saturday, the highest increase recorded on any weekend.

South Korea's total infections have risen to 188,848, with 2,073 deaths. (Reporting by Hyonhee Shin Editing by Robert Birsel)

-reuters

Asia's rising coronavirus cases a worry as vaccine doubts cloud campaigns

SINGAPORE - India, South Korea and Thailand faced mounting coronavirus infections on Thursday, undermining cautious hopes that Asia might be emerging from the worst of the pandemic as worries about safety threatened to delay vaccination drives.

India reported a record 126,789 new cases, the third day this week tallies have surged to more than 100,000, catching by surprise authorities who have blamed crowding and a reluctance to wear masks as shops and offices reopen.

More infectious variants of the virus may have played a role in India's surge, some epidemiologists say, with hundreds of cases found of variants first detected in Britain, South Africa and Brazil.

The alarming numbers have led to New Zealand putting a temporary ban on anyone arriving from India, even for the first time blocking New Zealand citizens from coming home, for about two weeks.

"We are temporarily suspending entry into New Zealand for travellers from India," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told a news conference in Auckland.

New Zealand, which has virtually eliminated the virus within its borders, recorded 23 new cases at its border on Thursday, 17 from India.

Two other countries that managed to largely keep the coronavirus under control during the first year of the pandemic were also grappling with new waves, though smaller than India's.

South Korea reported 700 new cases on Thursday, its highest daily figure since early January, and the prime minister warned that new social distancing rules would likely be needed.

Thailand, which has been planning a cautious re-opening of its tourist industry, reported a rise in new daily infections to 405 on Thursday, taking its total number of infections to 30,310, with 95 deaths.

Adding to Thai worries, it has detected 24 cases of a highly contagious virus variant first detected in Britain, its first reported domestic transmission of the variant.

Cases are also rising in parts of Europe but South America is the most worrying region of the world for infections, with cases mounting in nearly every country, the director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Wednesday.

SUSPENDING SHOTS

Asia's increasing cases comes as worries are growing over the safety of one of the most prominent vaccines against the virus.

The European Medicines Agency on Wednesday said it found rare cases of blood clots among some adult recipients of AstraZeneca Plc's COVID-19 vaccine, although it said the vaccine's advantages still outweighed the risks.

Both South Korea and the Philippines have suspended use of the vaccine for people under 60 because of possible links to blood clots, while Australia and Taiwan said they would continue to use it.

Worry about the vaccine could delay immunisation drives in Asia, some of which are already dogged by supply problems. Campaigns in most parts of Asia lag those in places like Britain and the United States.

Australia's program to vaccinate its near 26 million people is more than 80 percent behind its original schedule.

Authorities there had pledged to administer at least 4 million first doses by the end of March but could only deliver 670,000. The government blamed supply issues from Europe.

While India's cases mount, vaccine centres in several parts of the country, including hardest-hit Maharashtra state, have been running out of supplies.

China, where the novel coronavirus emerged in late 2019, is driving ahead with its vaccination campaign, administering about 3.68 million doses on Wednesday, taking its total number of doses given to 149.07 million, authorities said.

Japan's vaccinations are far behind those in most major economies, with only one vaccine approved and about 1 million people having received a first dose since February, even as it struggles with new cases.

Infections in Tokyo spiked by 545 cases on Thursday, adding to worries about the Olympics and Paralympics, delayed from last year and now due to start at the end of July.

The government scrambled to calm a social media furore saying it was not looking to prioritise vaccines for its Olympic athletes, dismissing a media report that it was considering doing so.

Japan is not insisting that arriving athletes be vaccinated but there will be frequent tests while they are in Japan. There will be no foreign spectators and a decision on domestic ones has yet to be made.

-reuters

K-pop singer Chungha tests positive for coronavirus

SEOUL — Singer Chungha has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, her agency said Monday, as a huge wave of mass infections has been penetrating the K-pop industry.

“After being aware that she has come into contact with a COVID-19 patient, Chungha got tested and received the positive result Monday,” MNH Entertainment said in an announcement posted on a fansite.

It said the singer has halted all schedules and gone into self-isolation, while her colleagues, staff members and other close contacts have been tested or will be tested soon.

Chungha, one of the most bankable female solo artists in the K-pop scene, was originally set to release the single “X” on Thursday before dropping her first full-length album “Querencia” next month.

“I’m so sorry again and again. I’ve tried to be cautious, but I think I needed to be more so,” Chungha said in a posting. “I’ll come back after fully recovering.”

As South Korea has been struggling with mass COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, some K-pop singers, including members of UP10TION and EVERGLOW, have been confirmed to have the virus. (Yonhap)

-The Korea Herald

BTS’ upcoming online concert to feature up-to-date technologies

SEOUL — K-pop sensation BTS will catch the eyes of its long-waiting fans with fresh up-to-date viewing experiences at its upcoming live online concert next month, its management agency said Tuesday.

The online concert titled “BTS Map of the Soul ON:E” will be livestreamed at 7 p.m. on Oct. 10 and at 4 p.m. on Oct. 11, according to Big Hit Entertainment.

During the two-hour event, the septet will perform on a scale equivalent to an offline concert, featuring augmented reality and extended reality software technology with high-definition content.

A multi-view live streaming service will also help audiences select and enjoy various scenes taken from six different angles on a real-time basis.

“We are preparing an unprecedented stage and a variety of set lists for fans who are missing offline concerts that have been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Big Hit said.

The Oct. 10-11 concerts were originally set to take place in-person in Seoul under government-led seat distancing guidelines, with a paid simultaneous streaming service.

But Big Hit canceled the in-person element last week due to nationwide tightened social distancing stemming from a recent spike in coronavirus cases across South Korea.

BTS’ previous paid online concert, “Bang Bang Con: The Live,” in June, set a new Guinness World record for “most viewers for a music concert livestream,” attracting 756,000 viewers in 107 countries and regions across the world. 

-Yonhap News Agency

North and South Korea exchange gunfire at border: Seoul

North Korean troops fired multiple gunshots towards the South in the DMZ dividing the peninsula on Sunday, prompting South Korean forces to fire back, Seoul said.

The rare exchange of gunfire comes a day after North Korean state media reported that leader Kim Jong Un had made his first public appearance in nearly three weeks following an absence that triggered intense speculation about his health and fears about the stability of the isolated nation.

A South Korean guard post was hit by several shots from the North, the joint chiefs of staff (JCS) in Seoul said in a statement, adding no casualties were reported in the South.

"Our military responded with two rounds of gunfire and a warning announcement," the JCS said.

The South Korean military later said the North Korean gunshots were "not deemed intentional", according to the Yonhap news agency.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also said he believed the shots had not been fired on purpose, telling ABC's "This Week" it was likely they were "accidental".

The two neighbours remain technically at war, after fighting in the Korean War was halted with an armistice in 1953.

Despite its name, the demilitarized zone is one of the most fortified places on earth, replete with minefields and barbed-wire fences.

The last time the two sides exchanged fire on the border was in 2014. North Korean soldiers also shot at a defector in 2017 but the South did not fire back.

- Swirling health rumours -

Easing military tensions on their border was one of the agreements reached between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in at a summit in Pyongyang in September 2018.

But most of the deals have not been acted on by North Korea, with Pyongyang largely cutting off contact with Seoul.

North Korea's discussions with the United States over Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal are also at a standstill, despite three meetings between Kim and US President Donald Trump.

The uncertainty around the process would have increased had Kim been incapacitated or dead as rumoured in recent weeks.

Speculation about Kim's health has been swirling since his conspicuous no-show at April 15 celebrations for the birthday of his grandfather, the North's founder -- the most important day in the country's political calendar.

His absence triggered a series of unconfirmed reports over his condition, while the United States and South Korea insisted they had no information to believe any of the conjecture was true.

However, North Korean state television on Friday showed Kim walking, smiling broadly and smoking a cigarette at what it said was the opening of a fertiliser factory.

A senior South Korean presidential official on Sunday brushed off rumours that Kim had undergone surgery during his absence, saying they had enough grounds to believe he had not.

Trump on Saturday welcomed the leader's return.

"I, for one, am glad to see he is back, and well!" the president tweeted.

Before Kim's reappearance, Pompeo said last month that he remained hopeful a nuclear deal could be clinched with North Korea.

"Regardless of what transpires inside of North Korea with respect to their leadership, our mission remains the same -- to deliver on that commitment that Chairman Kim made with President Trump... (the) verified denuclearisation of North Korea," Pompeo told reporters.

"We are still hopeful that we'll find a path to negotiate that solution to get the outcome that is good for the American people, good for the North Korean people and for the whole world."

Agence France-Presse

South Korea leads virus success in Asia as drug trial raises hope

South Korea, once one of the hardest-hit countries in the coronavirus pandemic, reported no new cases on Thursday, boosting hopes of an eventual return to normality as US scientists hailed the results of a major drug trial.

The good medical news caused equities to rally, despite mounting deaths worldwide and abysmal economic figures caused by the COVID-19 crisis.

Data showed the pandemic, which has killed more than 224,000 people, has plunged the United States into its worst economic slump in a decade, and has left Germany expecting its biggest recession since the aftermath of World War II.

But for the first time since the new disease was detected there in mid-February, South Korea reported zero new infections.

The East Asian nation had the world's second-largest coronavirus outbreak for a period after the virus emerged in China late last year.

But with an aggressive test-and-trace strategy and widespread social distancing, it has managed to bring the spread of the pathogen under control.

"This is the strength of South Korea and its people," said President Moon Jae-in as he announced the milestone.

Meanwhile in the first proof of successful treatment, a clinical trial of the drug remdesivir showed that patients recovered about 30 percent faster than those on a placebo.

"The data shows that remdesivir has a clear-cut, significant, positive effect in diminishing the time to recovery," said Anthony Fauci, the top US epidemiologist.

- Hope in Asia -

South Korea's virus death toll is around 250 -- vastly lower than that of Italy, Britain, Spain and France, which have each recorded more than 24,000 fatalities, and the United States, topping the table with a third of global deaths.

Other parts of the region have seen similar success in their fight against the virus.

Infections have dwindled in China after it imposed extremely strict lockdown measures on millions of people earlier this year. Its official toll is around 4,600, although doubt has been cast on the figures' accuracy.

Hong Kong, a city of seven million where there have been just four virus deaths, reported no new cases for the fifth straight day on Thursday.

And New Zealand has declared the battle won against widespread, undetected community transmission.

However the economic costs are beginning to mount, raising fears of an era-defining global crash and increasing pressure worldwide to ease lockdowns despite fears of a second wave of contagion.

- Recession warning -

The US announced that economic output collapsed 4.8 percent in the first quarter -- ending more than a decade of expansion.

On Thursday, France and Spain both said their economies had fared even worse, contracting 5.8 percent and 5.2 percent respectively, while the Eurozone economy as a whole also shrank.

Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell warned worse was to come, and economic activity will likely drop "at an unprecedented rate" in the second quarter.

Germany, Europe's largest economy, has succeeded in holding off the devastating death tolls seen elsewhere, but is still bracing for an overwhelming economic hit.

Germany "will experience the worst recession in the history of the federal republic" founded in 1949, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier warned, predicting that GDP would shrink by a record 6.3 percent.

The International Labour Organization said half the global workforce -- around 1.6 billion people -- are in "immediate danger of having their livelihoods destroyed".

One of the worst-hit sectors is the aviation industry, but an unprecedented drop in demand for fossil fuels means global energy emissions are expected to fall a record eight percent this year, the International Energy Agency said.

- Drug trial -

Experts have warned that only a vaccine will allow the full removal of restrictions that this year put half of humanity under some form of lockdown.

But there have been encouraging signs in the search for a treatment.

Fauci likened remdesivir to the first retrovirals that worked, albeit with modest success, against HIV in the 1980s.

The drug failed in trials against the Ebola virus, and a smaller study, released last week by the WHO, found limited effects among patients in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the disease's original epicentre.

Senior WHO official Michael Ryan declined to weigh in on the latest findings, saying he had not reviewed the complete study.

"We are all hoping -- fervently hoping -- that one or more of the treatments currently under observation and under trial will result in altering clinical outcomes" and reducing deaths, he said.

While the world keeps looking for signs of progress against the pandemic, research is also revealing frightening new details about COVID-19.

Britain and France have both warned of a possible coronavirus-related syndrome emerging in children -- including abdominal pain and inflammation around the heart.

"I am taking this very seriously. We have absolutely no medical explanation at this stage," French Health Minister Olivier Veran said.

Experts have also warned of longer-term psychological tolls on both children and adults after weeks or even months in isolation.

burs-kaf/hg/axn

Agence France-Presse

Cyber-bullied K-pop star found dead at her home

SEOUL, South Korea — A popular K-pop star who had long been the target of abusive online comments was found dead at her home Monday, South Korean police said.

The body of Sulli, a former member of top girl group f(x), was discovered by her manager at her home on the outskirts of the capital, Seoul.

Police said in a statement that the 25-year-old had been suffering from "severe depression".

The exact cause of her death was still under investigation.

South Korea has one of the world's highest rates of suicide which, according to recent government figures, is among the top causes of death for those under 40.

Sulli, whose real name was Choi Jin-ri, was known for her outspokenness and drive for women's rights, for which she had suffered online bullying and harassment.

She debuted in 2009 for f(x), which quickly became one of the top K-pop girl groups worldwide.

She suspended her career in 2014 after struggling with cyber-bullying and left the group a year later to focus on acting projects.

Sulli was active on social media and recently hosted a TV series where celebrities discussed their experiences with online abuse.

Her death sent shockwaves through the K-pop fan community.

"I always adored and respected you for your boldness. All I can say is rest in peace," a fan commented on Sulli's Instagram account.

"In heaven, you don't have to act strong or pretend everything is okay," another fan said. "I hope you will only think about yourself there."

source: philstar.com

K-pop superstars BTS to take 'long-term break'

SEOUL, South Korea — K-pop superstars BTS will take a 'long-term break' from the music scene, their agency said Monday, after the boy band topped charts in the US and Britain earlier this year.

But the pause may only last a few weeks, with the septet due to play a controversial show in Saudi Arabia in October.

The K-pop industry is known for cutthroat competition and around-the-clock work hours that include concerts, press events and gruelling singing and dancing training when the stars are offstage.


BTS will take their "first official long-term break since their debut" six years ago, managers Big Hit Entertainment said, adding it will be a time to "recharge and refresh as musicians and creators".

It would also be a time for them to "enjoy their daily lives as normal 20-something young men", the agency said in a midnight statement.


"If you run into BTS at an unexpected place, we ask for the fans' consideration to allow the members to enjoy their private time."

BTS -- or Bangtan Sonyeondan, which translates as Bulletproof Boy Scouts -- have gained a massive global following in recent years, becoming the first K-pop group to top charts in the US and Britain with a string of sold-out shows in Los Angeles, Paris and London's Wembley Stadium.

The floppy-haired musicians, all in their 20s and often sporting earrings and lipstick, appeal to a generation that feels comfortable with the idea of fluid gender identity.


They maintain close relationships with their fans, flooding social media with selfies, videos and tweets in Korean and English.

The statement did not say how long the break will be but the band is scheduled to perform in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 11.

Hundreds of thousands of fans wrote on the BTS Twitter account -- which has 21.3 million followers -- to wish them a happy vacation.

"I love you very much and hope you enjoy your break to the fullest," a fan commented.

Another wrote: "We are going nowhere and will be here to welcome you back with fanfares!"

The group's popularity has generated huge profits for Big Hit Entertainment, which is even collaborating with Barbie maker Mattel for BTS dolls.

South Korean performers such as Psy -- whose 2012 hit "Gangnam Style" became the first video to top a billion views on YouTube -- have previously broken into Western markets, but none have achieved BTS' sustained success.

source: philstar.com

South Korea's pride parade marks 20 years in blaze of color

SEOUL, South Korea — Tens of thousands of LGBT South Koreans and their supporters paraded through central Seoul Saturday for the capital's 20th gay rights march, with ruling Democratic Party members taking part for the first time.

The parade, some 70,000 strong according to organisers, made its way through the South Korean capital with participants dancing on open truck beds and waving rainbow flags.

"People who used to be invisible are here to show that they exist," said Jeong Min-hee, a 26-year-old participant.

"It's so much fun, I'm very excited and it feels so good to be in solidarity with others."

South Korea is Asia's fourth biggest economy and a capitalist democracy, but lived through decades of military rule when evangelical Christianity was widespread and framed the communist North as evil.

Christian churches still have enduring political influence in the South, and they are now targeting sexual minorities, activists say.

"The conservative Christians consider both -- communists and sexual minorities -- as deserving to be demonised in South Korean society," said Lim Bo-rah, a senior pastor at an LGBT-friendly church in Seoul.

But changes in society are afoot. Members of the ruling, left-leaning Democratic Party (DPK) participated in the event for the first time this year and CASS, one of the South's largest beer brands, on Friday became the country's first major company to openly support gay rights.

The South Korean President Moon Jae-in -- a former human rights lawyer -- has spoken only vaguely on gay rights. His political rivals and LGBT activists say he is trying not to alienate supporters.

As the front-runner in the presidential race in 2017, Moon said in a television debate that he "opposed" homosexuality in the military.


-'We were invisible'-


"We decided to participate because we wanted to show that LGBT people and their allies exist even within the ruling party," said Kim Min-seok, one of some 30 DPK members who showed up at the parade, waving the party flag.

"I often felt we were invisible within the DPK -- many members wouldn't even think about the possibility of our existence", Kim said.

The participation of the ruling party's members was announced prior to the event and sparked intense controversy, triggering the spokesperson for the main opposition, conservative party Min Kyung-wook to say the Democrats should "come out" as a "queer" party.

Homosexuality is not illegal in South Korea but there is currently no legislation outlawing discrimination.

It is also the world's only advanced economy to make consensual gay sex between soldiers a crime under military rules.

It is a marked contrast to Taiwan -- which also has Confucian cultural components, a history of dictatorship, and has enjoyed an economic boom in recent decades.

But earlier this month Asia's first gay marriages took place on the island after it legalised the change.

Activists say the difference is religion: South Korea has proven fertile ground for religious groups that offered comfort and salvation that appealed during times of deep uncertainty following the Korean War.

Now more than 20 percent of South Korea's population are Protestant Christians, surveys show, compared to about five percent of Taiwanese.

Thousands of Christian protesters turned out to protest the event on Saturday, holding up signs that read "Repent and come back to Jesus. He loves you."

A cross-section of society were present, including buddhists, Korean-American adoptees, asexuals and parents of sexual minorities.

In previous parades, "young LGBT people would come to us and cry in arms whenever we gave them free hugs," said Lee Sun-young, who works for Parents and Families of LGBTAIQ people of Korea.

"We always remember them. I hope they know that the world is changing, although slowly."

source: philstar.com

South Korean court to rule on arresting K-pop star Seungri

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean pop star Seungri went to court Tuesday for a hearing over whether he should be arrested on charges including prostitution in a snowballing sex scandal.

The 28-year-old singer from popular boy band BIGBANG and his business partner are accused of arranging sex services for potential investors and rich clients at a nightclub owned by the pair.

Dressed in a sharp black suit, Seungri -- real name Lee Seung-hyun -- quickly walked past a mob of reporters at the Seoul Central District Court, tight-lipped as he brushed off questions.

Hours later a sombre-looking Seungri stepped out of the building, his hands cuffed and covered with a cloth, to be taken to a nearby detention centre to await the court decision, expected late Tuesday night.

Police investigations have shown that Seungri and his partner procured a dozen prostitutes for a group of Japanese investors in 2015 at their upmarket Burning Sun nightclub, according to Yonhap news agency.

The pair also allegedly embezzled around 530 million won (US$450,000) from the business and face charges of violating sanitary codes at Burning Sun, where drug peddling was allegedly commonplace and women are said to have been regularly raped.

Seungri -- who announced his retirement from showbusiness in March as the scandal ballooned -- has denied the charges.

Other stars have been embroiled in the allegations, which have cast a shadow over the K-pop industry after investigations into Seungri revealed an online chatroom where a handful of male celebrities shared illegally filmed sex videos.

Singer-songwriter Jung Joon-young, who ran the chatroom, was arrested in March after admitting to filming himself having sex and sharing the footage without his partners' consent.

A member of boy band FT Island was arrested earlier this month while another figure has announced his retirement from the entertainment industry amid an ongoing probe.

source: philstar.com

It's not me: South Korean female stars rush to deny K-pop sex videos

SEOUL, South Korea — Female K-pop stars and actors have rushed to issue denials that they appear in sex videos secretly shot by male singers, illustrating women's fears about victim-blaming and stigma in the face of South Korea's enduring conservative social values.

In three days no fewer than five male K-pop singers, including mega star Seungri, have been identified as recipients of illicit videos made by singer-songwriter Jung Joon-young of sexual acts with women, taken without their consent.


Three are being investigated by police, while four have announced their retirements or quit their bands.


There has been widespread online speculation on the victims' identities.

At least four women have issued separate statements denying they appear in the videos, with actor Oh Cho-hee saying on her Instagram account that the rumors were "really not true".

"I can't tell you how many calls I've received since this morning," she added.

Most of their agents—including two of the biggest managers in K-pop, SM Entertainment and JYP Entertainment—said they would take legal action against further online rumors that "significantly ruin their reputation and image".

Scholars and activists say the fact that being identified as a victim of sex-related offenses is seen as a threat to a woman's status shows the enduring presence of traditional values and the tendency to blame victims in the South.

"In an ideal world, women wouldn't worry about getting their reputation ruined for matters like these," said women's rights activist Kang Min-jin.

"And for the K-pop agencies, they are worried about getting their reputation ruined because they think about female singers as their products. They are worried that their products will no longer be marketable."

Scarlet letter 

South Korea's entertainment industry has a history of targeting female stars caught up in "revenge porn" sex video scandals.

In 2000, a singer who was filmed without her knowledge and consent and the footage shared with others by her former manager—was heavily criticized by the public.

Instead of being acknowledged as a victim, she had to tearfully apologize in a televised press conference for "causing trouble".

She was unable to make television appearances for around five years afterwards.

An actor whose video was leaked by her ex in 1998 and shared by countless men left the country for three years, and could not return to acting for another seven years.

"The women were criticized partly because they were unmarried," said Lee Soo-yeon, a researcher at the Korean Women's Development Institute.

"They were seen as 'irresponsible' and even 'promiscuous' public figures because they had sex with non-husband figures. So the logic was it was partly their fault that the leak happened," she told AFP.

While producing and sharing such content have since been criminalized in SouthKorea, Lee said conservative views on women's chastity still prevail, as reflected in the current K-pop scandal.

"A lot of people think it's inappropriate for unwed women to have sex, regardless of the view being right or wrong", she said.

"And the stigma can be especially severe for women who are well-known figures."

Sex, competition and videotape 

Beneath its glitz and glamour, the $5 billion K-pop industry is known for cutthroat competition, gruelling singing and dancing training and the hyper-sexualization of its female artists, some of whom are minors.

Many stars are picked up by agencies at a young age, usually in their early to mid teens, and their lives taken over by punishingly long hours of training—with the ever-present risk of falling foul of a cut-throat screening process.

They are also closely monitored by their agents, who dictate everything from diet regimen to mobile phone use and normally impose dating bans.

"This is a very unhealthy environment for anyone to grow up in," said researcher Lee, adding that many K-pop stars miss out on crucial elements of their teenage years, especially those who start their training early.

Activist Kang said that young female K-pop stars are often deemed more "marketable" when they look childlike and "sexually innocent"—but at the same time, are expected to perform sexualized dance moves in provocative outfits onstage.

"Many would think it's 2019 and it's ridiculous to talk about women's virginity," she said.

"But the reality is that losing that image—of looking innocent—will affect a woman singer's career in this industry."

source: philstar.com

South Korea successfully tests space rocket engine

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea on Wednesday successfully conducted a rocket engine test launch, news reports said, paving the way for the development of its own space launch vehicle.

A liquid-fuel engine successfully propelled a single-stage rocket weighing 52 tonnes and measuring 25.8 meters (84.6 feet) long, from the Naro Space Center on the southern coast, Yonhap news agency said.

The engine, designed and developed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI ) as part of a $1.8 billion project, will be used to propel the country's first indigenous three-stage launch vehicle -- the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-2 (KSLV-2).


"This is a significant step forward in developing a launch vehicle with our own technology," a KARI spokesman said.

It is the first such launch in South Korea since 2013 when the country successfully put a small satellite into orbit following failures in 2009 and in 2010.

But the significance of the 2013 launch was widely discounted as the launch vehicle had to rely on a Russia-developed engine for its first stage.

On its launch -- scheduled for 2021 -- KSLV-2 will use five of the newly developed engines, a bundle of four for the first stage and another one for the second stage.

Wednesday's test was deemed successful as the engine combustion was maintained for over 140 seconds during the test launch, Yonhap said.

The KSLV-2 rocket, which will be South Korea's first space vehicle wholly designed and built by itself, will be used to place satellites into the Earth's orbit and for other commercial applications.

source: philstar.com

South Korea’s President Moon congratulates BTS

MANILA, Philippines — The boys of BTS continued to reap congratulations and bask in the admiration of fans with their global rise, and the latest to send compliments is South Korean President Moon Jae In.

Recognizing the latest of the achievements of BTS—grabbing the top spot of the Billboard Top 200—Moon said: “The songs, dance, dreams and enthusiasm of BTS energized and gave strength to young people around the world.”

Congratulations to the Seven Music-loving Boys and Their Wings, ‘ARMY’!
The songs, dance, dreams and enthusiasm of BTS energized and gave strength to young people around the world. https://t.co/6ZL4XdrZVv

— ??? (@moonriver365) May 28, 2018

 Moon posted on his Twitter and Facebook a note, in English and in Hangul, for the seven-piece group.

BTS or Bantan Seonyondan or Behind the Scene is the first Korean group to land on the Billboard Top 200 with their latest outing “Love Yourself: Tear.”

“At the very heart of the BTS’s outstanding dancing and singing is sincerity. This magical power turns grief into hope and differences into similarity,” the South Korean president added.

“Thank you to BTS for spreading joy across Korea and the world with your great performances,” Moon also said.

Quoting the Billboard, a report from the Associated Press said that the BTS album is “first primarily foreign language album” to grab the top spot since Il Divo’s “Ancora” in 2006.

BTS, composed of Rap Monster (Kim Namjoon), Jin (Kim Seokjin), Suga (Min Yoongi), J-Hope (Jung Hoseok), Park Jimin, V (Kim Taehyung) and Jeon Jungkook,
is among the third generation of global phenomenon Hallyu or “Korean Wave.”
The South Korean government promotes Hallyu as one of its global cultural policies. The global trend also contributes to Korea’s GDP. — with a report from Associated Press

source: philstar.com

NKorean leader Kim watches performance by SKorean pop stars

SEOUL — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on yesterday watched a rare performance by South Korean pop stars visiting Pyongyang, media reports said, amid thawing ties between the rivals after more than a year of heightened tensions over the North's nuclear program.

A South Korean artistic group including K-pop singers flew to Pyongyang on Saturday for two performances in the North Korean capital. Their trip comes before Kim is to meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at a border village on April 27 and with President Donald Trump in May in separate summits.

South Korean media pool reports from Pyongyang said Kim and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, watched yesterday's performance by the South Korean group at the East Pyongyang Grand Theater. The reports said Kim's younger sister, Kim Yo Jong, and other top officials, including nominal head of state Kim Yong Nam, were also present.

Kim clapped his hands during the event, and he shook hands with South Korean performers and took a group photo with them after their performance, according to the reports.

South Korean pop singers performed in the North during a past era of detente, but it was the first time for a North Korean leader to attend such a South Korean performance. Before yesterday's performance, South Korea last sent a pop singer to North Korea in 2005.

The pool reports cited an unidentified South Korean official as saying that Kim had initially planned to watch the second performance, set for Tuesday, but changed his plan due to a scheduling conflict. On Tuesday, the two Koreas plan to hold a joint performance.

The ongoing cooperation steps between the rivals began after North Korea took part in February's Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. During the games, a North Korean art troupe performed in South Korea, and Moon and his wife watched it with visiting senior North Korean officials including Kim Yo Jong, who became the first member of the North's ruling Kim family to visit the South since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.

source: philstar.com

South Korea ‘will block war by all means’ – president

SEOUL — South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in said on Tuesday there will be no military action upon the Korean peninsula without Seoul’s consent and that the government would prevent war by all means.

“Military action on the Korean peninsula can only be decided by South Korea and no one else can decide to take military action without the consent of South Korea,” said Moon in televised comments.

The president was making an annual speech to commemorate the 72nd anniversary of the nation’s liberation from Japanese military rule that began in 1910 and ended in 1945.

“The government, putting everything on the line, will block war by all means,” Moon said.

Previous presidents before Moon, who took office in May, have traditionally made North Korea the core of their speeches, mainly focusing on policy to engage Pyongyang.

Moon also urged the North to come to the dialogue table, saying sanctions against Pyongyang aim only draw it out to talks.

“I call upon the North Korean government: without international cooperation and co-existence economic development is impossible,” said Moon. “If you continue on this path there will only be international isolation and a dark future.”

Tension on the Korean peninsula has increased in recent months over concern that North Korea is close to achieving its goal of putting the mainland United States within range of a nuclear weapon.

North Korea and the United States exchanged threats of military action last week, with Pyongyang saying it will develop a plan to fire missiles to land in waters near the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam.

Earlier on Tuesday, North Korea said it would keep fire-ready regarding its Guam plans while watching the actions of the United States for a while longer.

source: interaksyon.com

North Korea hacking focused more on making money than espionage – South Korean study

SEOUL — North Korea is behind an increasingly orchestrated effort at hacking into computers of financial institutions in South Korea and around the world to steal cash for the impoverished country, a South Korean state-backed agency said in a report.

In the past, suspected hacking attempts by North Korea appeared intended to cause social disruption or steal classified military or government data, but the focus seems to have shifted in recent years to raising foreign currency, the South’s Financial Security Institute (FSI) said.

The isolated regime is suspected to be behind a hacking group called Lazarus, which global cybersecurity firms have linked to last year’s $81 million cyber heist at the Bangladesh central bank and the 2014 attack on Sony’s Hollywood studio.

The U.S. government has blamed North Korea for the Sony hack and some U.S. officials have said prosecutors are building a case against Pyongyang in the Bangladesh Bank theft.

In April, Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab also identified a hacking group called Bluenoroff, a spinoff of Lazarus, as focused on attacking mostly foreign financial institutions.


The new report, which analyzed suspected cyberattacks between 2015 and 2017 on South Korean government and commercial institutions, identified another Lazarus spinoff named Andariel.

“Bluenoroff and Andariel share their common root, but they have different targets and motives,” the report said. “Andariel focuses on attacking South Korean businesses and government agencies using methods tailored for the country.”

Pyongyang has been stepping up its online hacking capabilities as one way of earning hard currency under the chokehold of international sanctions imposed to stop the development of its nuclear weapons program.

Cyber security researchers have also said they have found technical evidence that could link North Korea with the global WannaCry “ransomware” cyberattack that infected more than 300,000 computers in 150 countries in May.

“We’ve seen an increasing trend of North Korea using its cyber espionage capabilities for financial gain. With the pressure from sanctions and the price growth in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum — these exchanges likely present an attractive target,” said Luke McNamara, senior analyst at FireEye, a cybersecurity company.

North Korea has routinely denied involvement in cyberattacks against other countries. The North Korean mission to the United Nations was not immediately available for comment.

ATMs, online poker

The report said the North Korean hacking group Andariel has been spotted attempting to steal bank card information by hacking into automated teller machines, and then using it to withdraw cash or sell the bank information on the black market. It also created malware to hack into online poker and other gambling sites and steal cash.

“South Korea prefers to use local ATM vendors and these attackers managed to analyze and compromise SK ATMs from at least two vendors earlier this year,” said Vitaly Kamluk, director of the APAC research center at Kaspersky.

“We believe this subgroup (Andariel) has been active since at least May 2016.”

The latest report lined up eight different hacking instances spotted within the South in the last few years, which North Korea was suspected to be behind, by tracking down the same code patterns within the malware used for the attacks.

One case spotted last September was an attack on the personal computer of South Korea’s defense minister as well as the ministry’s intranet to extract military operations intelligence.

North Korean hackers used IP addresses in Shenyang, China to access the defense ministry’s server, the report said.

Established in 2015, the FSI was launched by the South Korean government in order to boost information management and protection in the country’s financial sector following attacks on major South Korean banks in previous years.

The report said some of the content has not been proven fully and is not an official view of the government.

source: interaksyon.com

2nd Korean Zika case reported

MANILA - South Korea has recorded its second case of Zika virus infection, involving a man who had a history of travel to the Philippines.

News agency Xinhua reported that the 20-year-old man claimed to have been bitten by mosquitoes while staying in the Philippines for five days through April 14.

The man developed symptoms of flu on April 20, and started manifesting rashes two days later.

It was the second  Zika case in South Korea since a 43-year-old man was diagnosed with the virus on March 22.

Department of Health Secretary Janette Garin said the new case has been confirmed by the Center for Disease Prevention and Control.

Garin said the patient is well and not in the Philippines anymore.

She added that those who came in contact with him in the country were not manifesting symptoms.

In March, a woman was diagnosed with Zika virus in the United States after having traveled to the Philippines.

source: interaksyon.com

LG Electronics begins sales of world’s 1st curved OLED TV

SEOUL — South Korea’s consumer electronics giant LG Electronics said Monday that it began sales of curved organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TV for the first time in the global industry.

LG began accepting pre-orders for its 55-inch Curved OLED TV in South Korea through more than 1,400 retail stores of the company, with deliveries to start next month, according to an e-mailed statement.

The premium TV, priced at 15 million won (around 13,500 U.S. dollars), would give LG a significant lead in the OLED segment that was expected to grow to 7 million units by 2016, the company said.

“Our Curved OLED TV is not only the proof of LG’s unmatched leadership in next-generation displays but also a testament to LG’ s commitment to bringing to market the most exciting TV technology available today,” said Havis Kwon, chief executive of LG’s home entertainment division.

After spending more than five years on research for the optimum curvature, LG developed the industry’s very first curved screen that is equidistant from the viewer’s eyes. The technology eliminated the problem of screen-edge visual distortion and loss of detail, the company said

source: interaksyon.com

Samsung on track to become top home appliances maker

LAS VEGAS — South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co said it is on course to achieve its goal of becoming the world’s top home appliances maker by 2015, with sales growing an estimated 50 percent by then.

Samsung Electronics, which makes more chips, flat-screens, handsets and TVs than any of its competitors – including the world’s best-selling smartphone – is aiming to boost its home appliance segment and narrow the gap with companies including Whirlpool Corp and Electrolux AB.

“I’m confident of Samsung becoming the world’s top appliances maker by 2015 with $18 billion sales, as we set up a very well structured framework for key products and moving step by step to the goal, first starting with fridges,” Yoon Boo-keun, president of the division, told Reuters in an interview at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Monday.

Analysts estimate Samsung Electronics earned around 13 trillion won ($12 billion) last year from home appliances, part of the firm’s consumer electronics arm.

Samsung Electronics would ditch unprofitable product lines and boost research into consumer tastes across different markets, Yoon said.

“It’s a business that can ensure steady cash flow with little earnings fluctuation, once you have a proper system in place,” Yoon said. “It’s not dull at all and has great potential to become Samsung’s next earnings driver.”

Mr Tv aims for growth

Yoon, who was head of Samsung’s TV business until 2011, was put in charge of the thin-margin home appliance division a year ago with a mission to match the TV outfit’s success.

Known as Mr. TV, he had a pivotal role in ending Japan’s more than three decades of leadership in the global TV industry in 2006.

“We see lots of opportunities in the appliances segment but we didn’t strongly grow the business – simply, it didn’t get proper treatment,” Yoon said after unveiling a new four-door Internet-connected fridge at the electronics show.

His remarks come only hours after Samsung Electronics said it likely earned a record quarterly operating profit of $8.3 billion, aided by roaring sales of smartphones.

Samsung’s CE division is estimated to have earned around 13 trillion won ($12.22 billion) of revenue in the fourth quarter, or roughly a quarter of its total revenue.

TV sales generally account for around 70 percent of CE performance, and the rest comes from selling appliances such as fridges, ovens and laundry, according to analysts. Samsung does not provide breakdowns.

It’s been a low-margin business compared with smartphones, which generate around 25 percent of margin, and the division’s operating profit contribution is estimated at around 4 percent.

Yoon also said Samsung, the world’s top maker of TVs, was aiming to sell 55 million flat-screen TVs this year, up from 51 million last year, even as the industry is set to remain stagnant due to the weak global economy.

Betting large TVs with over 65-inch screen sizes will lead the growth, Samsung Electronics unveiled three models of ultra high-definition (HD) TVs that boast four times better picture quality than full HD models.

Acquisitions in medical sector

Yoon also heads Samsung’s corporate design centre and oversees the medical equipment business, which was added to the consumer electronics division this year.

Samsung Electronics acquired a controlling stake in Korean ultrasound equipment firm Medison in 2010 and its affiliate later for around $300 million in total, its biggest ever acquisition in the healthcare industry.

Yoon expected sales from its medical devices would reach $500 million this year, up from $300 million last year, and will grow with the acquisition of companies that make MRI scanners and computed tomography machines.

Samsung Electronics has said it plans to spend 1.2 trillion won in the medical equipment business by 2020 to make it a $10 billion operation by then.

In the long run, Samsung Electronics aims to become a global healthcare leader, taking on GE, Philips, Hitachi, Toshiba and Siemens

source: interaksyon.com