South Korea

South Korea’s rent-free renting system, which landlords and renters alike benefitted from over a lengthy period of rising residential property prices, is suffering as a result of a drop in housing values. With the “jeonse” arrangement, renters pay a deposit of up to 70 percent of the home’s value, then live rent-free for two years until the landlord returns the …

In an effort to better confront North Korea’s threats, South Korea and the United States will conduct tabletop drills in Washington, D.C., the week after next, according to Seoul’s defense ministry on February 17. Nuclear-armed North Korea launched a record number of missiles in 2018, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of striking anyplace in the United States, and resumed …

Thursday, February 16 was the first time in six years that South Korea has referred to North Korea as its “enemy” and reported an increase in Pyongyang’s stockpile of weapons-grade plutonium. The yearly white paper provides a peek of the secretive North’s expanding nuclear and conventional military arsenals. The North Korean dictatorship and military were referred to as “our adversary” …

Monday, February 13 marks the debut of an artificial intelligence (AI) chip by South Korean company Rebellions Inc, which is competing for government contracts as Seoul seeks a position for local firms in the expanding AI market. The company’s ATOM processor is the most recent Korean effort to challenge global leader Nvidia Corp in the hardware that drives potentially transformative …

After more than two years together as a couple, GOT7 member JAY B and special effects artist PURE.D have decided to end their relationship. The breakup was confirmed by JAY B’s agency, CDNZA Records, according to a report from Soompi. The agency stated that the two “naturally grew apart” while “focused on their respective work,” and that they have agreed …

The South Korean actors Seo In-guk and Park So-dam will co-star in the next fantasy drama Death’s Game! According to a report by Soompi, the series would be about a guy named Choi Yi-jae (played by In-guk) who is given a second shot at life after confronting death by traveling 12 times between the two realms. So-dam will portray Death, …

South Korean entertainment business HYBE said on February 10 that it will purchase $335 million worth of shares in competitor SM Entertainment in order to bolster its dominance in the K-pop sector. The transaction would make HYBE the top shareholder of SM Entertainment, as it acquires a 14.8% interest in its rival from the previous largest shareholder and SM founder, …

The South Korean actress Park Eun-bin, who starred in the popular television series Extraordinary Attorney Woo, will soon appear in the forthcoming drama Diva of the Deserted Island. Kakao Entertainment announced on February 9 that Eun-bin would star in a new romantic comedy about a lady named Seo Mok-ha who attempts to adjust to the real world after “drifting out …

On Wednesday, February 8, South Korean lawmakers decided to impeach the interior minister over his response to a fatal Halloween crush, paving the way for him to become the nation’s first cabinet member to be removed by the legislature. The impeachment resolution was approved by a secret vote of 179-109 in the 300-member house, where the main opposition Democratic Party …

Actress Lee Yoo-young of South Korea is now involved in a relationship. A day after Yoo-young uploaded images of herself smiling and resting down on a mysterious man’s arm while in bed, her agency ACE FACTORY verified the news. Yoo-photos young’s were taken in bed. “Lee Yoo-young is currently in a relationship with a non-showbiz person.” According to Soompi, ACE …