경향신문

Seoul faces legal pressure over refusal to disclose ‘ground subsidence safety map’

The issue of disclosing the Seoul Metropolitan Government's “ground subsidence safety map” in connection with last month's sinkhole accident in Gangdong-gu, Seoul, is expected to turn into a court battle. While civic groups are calling for the release of the map, the city maintains that “it cannot be released because it is classified and irrelevant to the sinkhole.”On April 9, the New Seoul Preparation Special Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) held a press conference, urgi...

2025.04.10 18:01

Volleyball superstar Kim Yeon-koung leaves court on high note

When Korean volleyball superstar Kim Yeon-koung of the Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders announced her retirement on February 13, many people asked, “Why retire when you’re still playing so well?” Kim finally gave her answer after winning the 2024-25 V League Championship.Kim, who scored a team-high 34 points in the fifth game of the championship series on April 8 to clinch the title for the Pink Spiders, expressed her joy, saying, “I’ve always imagined retiring at the top, holding th...

2025.04.10 17:58

Samsung posts operating profit of 6.6 trillion won in Q1 exceeding market expectations

Samsung Electronics posted an operating profit of 6 trillion won in the first quarter of this year, exceeding market expectations. However, it is hard to be optimistic about the second quarter's performance as there are many variables, including the imposition of U.S. tariffs.Samsung Electronics said on April 8 that its consolidated operating profit for the first quarter was estimated at 6.6 trillion won. It is down 0.15 percent from 6.61 trillion won in the same period last year.Sal...

2025.04.09 17:57

Hyangrin Church happily closes its shelter after Yoon Suk-yeol's dismissal

Hyangrin Church in Jongno-gu, Seoul, announced the closure of its night shelter following the dismissal of former President Yoon Suk-yeol from office. The church, which had served as a gathering place for protesters for 25 days from March 11 until the morning of April 3, when the Emergency Action for the Immediate Removal of Yoon Suk-yeol and Social Reform began holding rallies, announced the “joyful closure.”In total, about 300 people visited the church during this period. The rooms for...

2025.04.09 17:54

Actress Lee Young-ae to return to stage after 32 years

"It's a work I chose with a mindset of learning. I'm sure Lee Young-ae on stage will be quite different from what you’ve seen in films or TV series."Actress Lee Young-ae (54) is returning to the stage after 32 years. At a press event for the play “Hedda Gabler” at the LG Arts Center Seoul on April 8, Lee said, "It's hard to perform on stage after such a long time, but it's so fun. Every moment is challenging, but I'm gaining several times more joy than the difficulties.”“Hedda Gabler...

2025.04.09 17:48

Heal your mind while listening to various sounds of Hongneung Forest

When you listen to the sounds of Hongneung Forest, recorded by Kim Song-hyun, an officer at the National Institute of Forest Science, on March 27, birdsong echoes through the space and leaves sway in the wind. It feels like walking in a forest together if you follow the sound of shoes stepping on a dirt road. Just listening to the sound with earphones on makes you feel like you have been to a quiet forest for a while.In January this year, the sound of stepping on leaves in a quiet forest...

2025.04.08 17:51

Kospi plunges more than 5 percent due to U.S. tariff concerns

The U.S. announcement of reciprocal tariffs has sent financial markets around the world into a panic as fears of a global recession grow. The Kospi and Kosdaq plunged more than 5 percent, triggering the worst panic selling since “Black Monday” in August last year. Foreigners sold more than 3 trillion won from the Korean stock market. The won-dollar exchange rate also rose by more than 33 won in a single day. Uncertainty surrounding U.S. tariff policies is expected to continue, leading to vol...

2025.04.08 17:48

Foreigners choose K-pop as 1st image that comes to mind when thinking of Korea for 8 straight years

For the eighth consecutive year, foreigners who have experienced Korean cultural contents choose "K-pop" as the first image that comes to mind when they think of Korea. Among K-pop singers, boy band BTS were their favorite.The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange released the “2025 Overseas Hallyu (Korean Wave) Survey” on April 7, revealing the findings.In the survey of 26,400 people who have experienced Korean cultural...

2025.04.08 17:44

Prosecutors likely to speed up investigations into dismissed president and his wife

With the dismissal of former President Yoon Su-yeol, investigations into various suspicions surrounding Yoon and his wife Kim Keon-hee, such as the relocation of the official residence and the illegal involvement in the nomination for by-elections, will also be able to speed up. The suspicion of the illegal involvement in the nomination for by-elections, which has made considerable progress in the investigation, is drawing the most attention. It is predicted that the investigation into Yoon ...

2025.04.07 17:53

National Assembly Speaker proposes holding national referendum on constitutional amendment

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik on April 6 proposed holding a national referendum on amending the Constitution on the day of the early presidential election, which will be held in the wake of the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk-yeol. The idea is that the process of constitutional amendment should begin before the start of the new president’s term in order to realize it, which has been repeatedly stalled. It is unclear whether the constitutional amendment will be a major agend...

2025.04.07 17:49