Korean | Common News Update

Feb182021 by adminNo Comments

South Korean same-sex couple sues health insurer for equal rights

World

SEOUL, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Same-sex couple Kim Yong-min and So Seong-wook filed a lawsuit against South Korea's national health insurance agency on Thursday over its removal of So's status as a dependent family member, a move they claim violates their rights. In February of last year, Kim, 30, registered So, 29, as his dependent under the National Health Insurance Service, South Korea's public scheme that covers almost the entire population. Advertisement Although South Korea does not recognize same-sex marriages or civil unions, the couple was able to register for health insurance as spouses, in what lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender advocates believe was the first such case in the country. However, their progress was short-lived, as the NHIS abruptly canceled So's dependent status in ...

Jan82021 by adminNo Comments

Seoul court orders Japan to compensate 12 Korean sex slaves

World

A South Korean court has ordered Japan to financially compensate 12 South Korean women forced to work as sex slaves for Japanese troops during World War IIBy HYUNG-JIN KIM Associated PressJanuary 8, 2021, 10:13 AM• 4 min readShare to FacebookShare to TwitterEmail this articleSEOUL, South Korea -- A South Korean court on Friday ordered Japan to financially compensate 12 South Korean women forced to work as sex slaves for Japanese troops during World War II, a landmark ruling that’s set to rekindle animosities between the Asian neighbors.Japan immediately protested the ruling, maintaining that all wartime compensation issues were resolved under a 1965 treaty that restored their diplomatic ties.The Seoul Central District Court ruled the Japanese government must give 100 million won ($ 91,360)...

Dec162020 by adminNo Comments

Report: U.S. reconnaissance aircraft flies over Korean Peninsula

World

Dec. 16 (UPI) -- A U.S. spy plane designed to detect missile launches flew over South Korean airspace Wednesday, ahead of North Korea's planned Eighth Party Congress in January. The RC-135W, or Rivet Joint, flew over South Korea's West Sea, or the Yellow Sea, between China and Korean Peninsula, South Korean military intelligence sources told local newspaper Chosun Ilbo. Advertisement The reconnaissance aircraft, designed to gather telemetry and other electronic intelligence data before rocket launches, has previously appeared unannounced on the Korean Peninsula in 2020. On Wednesday, the plane left the Seoul metropolitan area about 1:30 p.m. local time and flew west. Its capabilities would have allowed it to conduct reconnaissance activity near Chinese and North Korean territory, the repo...

Oct152020 by adminNo Comments

South Korean boy band BTS’s label makes a strong debut in ‘really hot’ IPO market

Finance

SINGAPORE — Shares of Big Hit Entertainment, the music label of K-pop superstars BTS, soared as they made their market debut in South Korea on Thursday.Big Hit Entertainment's stock opened at 270,000 Korean won (approx. $ 236) per share on Thursday, according to Refinitiv Eikon. That was double the stock's issue price of 135,000 Korean won per share. Shares extended gains after the open before weakening. It finished its first trading day more than 90% higher than its issue price.South Korea's entertainment sector is "becoming global-scale," Daniel Yoo, head of global investment at Yuanta Securities Korea, told CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia" on Thursday.If you look at the overall IPO market, it's really, really hot.Daniel YooYuanta Securities Korea"We think that the entertainment industry will b...

Sep262020 by adminNo Comments

Defector: Kim Jong Un likely knew of plans to execute South Korean

World

Sept. 26 (UPI) -- Kim Jong Un has reportedly apologized for the murder of a South Korean fisheries officer, but the statement is in no way a confirmation the North Korean leader had no hand in the death of the 47-year-old man, a U.S.-based North Korean defector says. Hyun Seung Lee, a North Korea-born consultant who now lives and works in Washington D.C., told UPI on Saturday during a video conference hosted by the Japan branch of Action for Korea United Kim was likely apprised of the situation before the brutal death involving a possible burning. Advertisement "Behind every major decision is Kim, maybe even his sister Kim Yo Jong," Lee said. "This time, the military [likely] reported [the captive] to the upper ranks, received a decision, and went ahead with the execution." The North Kore...