South Korea
Filipino actor Sharon Cuneta shows off Louis Vuitton shopping bags after being ‘turned away’ at Hermès store in Seoul
- Filipino actor and singer Sharon Cuneta shares the moment she was “turned away” from an Hermès store in Seoul in her latest travel vlog.
- Shortly after being turned away, Cuneta went on to shop at Louis Vuitton, where she was apparently provided with welcoming service.
- The actor eventually left the store with numerous Louis Vuitton shopping bags and passed by Hermès again.
- The vlog went viral due to the Hermès incident, with fans expressing anger toward the luxury store and amusement at the actor’s response.
- In an Instagram post, Cuneta clarified to fans the reason she was denied entry was due to COVID-19 capacity restrictions.
In her latest travel vlog, Filipino actor and singer Sharon Cuneta shares the moment she was “turned away” from an Hermès branch in South Korea.
In the vlog uploaded to her YouTube channel on Friday, Cuneta goes on a trip with her family in Seoul. She can be seen trying Korean food, buying K-pop merchandise and going on a shopping spree in Seoul’s fashion hubs.
Supreme Court rules Korean ‘comfort women’ in WWII US camptown sex trade entitled to reparations
- South Korea’s Supreme Court has ruled that Korean “comfort women” who worked in brothels for U.S. troops in the 1940s are entitled to reparations between 3 million Korean won and Korean won (approximately $2,092-$4,881) each.
- The verdict also confirmed the existence of the brothels, called “comfort stations,” which operated in U.S. military camptowns.
- “I had been frustrated that the Supreme Court hadn’t made any ruling in the several years since we filed the lawsuit, but now that it has finally returned a verdict today in favor of us grandmothers, I can’t help but cry,” she said. “With each year the lawsuit went on, more of our sisters passed. I think they, too, are happy in heaven.”
- A statement from the advocates and other participants of the press conference sought an official apology for the government, a new law that helps spread awareness about the issue of the “comfort women” and support for the victims.
South Korea’s Supreme Court has ruled that the “comfort women” for U.S. troops in the 1940s are entitled to receive reparations from the government.
The Sept. 29 decision confirmed an earlier ruling that each of the women who worked in the brothels set up for U.S.soldiers should be compensated between 3 million won and 7 million won (approximately $2,092-$4,881).
S. Korean man who stalked woman stabs her to death in Seoul subway station day before hearing
- Jeon Joo-hwan, a 31-year-old South Korean man who had been accused of stalking his former female colleague, allegedly stabbed her to death at a subway station in Seoul on Sept. 14 – the day before he was due to be sentenced on charges of stalking.
- Jeon was arrested and fired from his job after the woman reported him to the police in October 2021, according to reports.
- However, police deemed Jeon as “low risk,” and he was later released on bail.
- He has been sentenced to nine years in prison for stalking the victim. He will be tried and sentenced separately for her murder.
- The incident has sparked nationwide outrage and criticism toward law enforcement, who many believe failed to protect the woman.
A South Korean man who had been accused of stalking a former colleague allegedly murdered her at a subway station in central Seoul the day before he was due to be sentenced.
Jeon Joo-hwan, 31, had stalked and threatened his former female colleague on more than 300 separate occasions over a nearly two-year period, according to the court.
Seoul mayor plans to improve South Korea’s fertility rate with foreign and low-cost nannies
- Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has shared his plans to aid South Korea’s ongoing fertility crisis on Facebook.
- “South Korea’s fertility rate is 0.81 (as of 2021) and Seoul’s fertility rate is 0.63, pushing us past a decrease in population to face a growing concern of demographic extinction,” he wrote.
- Citing Hong Kong and Singapore as examples, he shared, “I am focusing on policies for foreign child nannies. It will be welcomed news for parents who have avoided nannies because of financial issues or shortage of helpers.”
- Mayor Oh’s foreign nanny policy is expected to further open South Korea’s borders and ease immigration and visa processes.
- Earlier in August, South Korea also tripled monthly baby allowances to 1 million KRW (approximately $703) as an incentive for more births.
Oh Se-hoon, Seoul’s mayor, shared plans to alleviate South Korea’s fertility crisis with foreign and low-cost nannies in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
In the post, translated by NextShark, he states:
S. Korean gold medalist skater officially joins Chinese Olympic team after renouncing citizenship
- Short-track speed skater Lim Hyo-jun, also known by his Chinese name Lin Xiaojun, is now officially part of the Chinese national team.
- He was one of the nine men and eight women who the Chinese national team announced on Monday.
- Lim, 26, will compete under the Chinese flag in upcoming international events, such as the World Cup in Canada next month and the Four Continents Championships in Salt Lake City in November.
- Lim was involved in a controversy after being banned by the Korea Skating Union in 2019 for pulling down the pants of a younger athlete at Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, South Korea.
Former South Korean short-track speed skater Lim Hyo-jun has officially found a new team to compete with at the next Olympics.
In an announcement on Monday, Lim, who also goes by his Chinese name Lin Xiaojun, will officially compete for China as part of the country’s national team in the next Olympics. The news came months after the International Skating Union cleared the speed skater to compete in July.
All DAY6 members renew their contracts with JYP Entertainment
- All four members of the South Korean boy group DAY6 have renewed their contracts with JYP Entertainment.
- Since DAY6 debuted under JYP Entertainment in September 2015, the recent news breaks the notorious “7-year curse” that several K-pop groups have faced.
- Members Wonpil, Dowoon and Young K are currently completing their mandatory military service.
- Leader Sungjin recently made his first public appearance since his military discharge, celebrating DAY6’s seventh anniversary with fans.
- Wonpil, Dowoon and Young K, who make up the subunit DAY6 (Even Of Day), released “Darling of the Beach” in August, which was filmed and recorded prior to their military enlistment.
All four members of the South Korean boy group DAY6 have renewed their contracts with longtime label JYP Entertainment.
JYP Entertainment told outlets on Monday that members Young K, Wonpil, Sungjin and Dowoon are sticking with them for the foreseeable future.
BLACKPINK make history with first-ever No. 1 album debut on Billboard 200
- K-pop girl group BLACKPINK landed their first ever No. 1 album debut on the Billboard 200 albums chart with “Born Pink.”
- The new album reached 102,000 album units sold in the U.S. last week, making BLACKPINK the first girl group to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 since Danity Kane with “Welcome to the Dollhouse” in 2008.
- BLACKPINK are also the first girl group to debut at the top of both the Billboard 200 and official U.K. charts simultaneously since Destiny’s Child 21 years ago.
- The YG Entertainment quartet are set to embark on their world tour spanning seven months in over 25 cities, starting in Seoul in October.
BLACKPINK have “Shut Down” the Billboard 200 albums chart with their first album to debut at No. 1, “Born Pink.”
To achieve the Billboard milestone, BLACKPINK’s second studio album reached 102,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. last week. This makes BLACKPINK the first girl group to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in any country since 2008’s Danity Kane with “Welcome to the Dollhouse.”
South Korean teen becomes world’s youngest billionaire
- Kim Jung-youn, a South Korean heiress to the video game empire Nexon, has become the world’s youngest billionaire at 18 after her father’s death.
- Kim Jung-youn and her older sister Kim Jung-min inherited stakes in their father’s personal holding company NXC and are now worth $1 billion each.
- Their father, Kim Jung-ju, amassed his fortune through Nexon, the largest gaming company in Korea behind games like “Maplestory.”
- Outside of his businesses, Kim Jung-ju’s philanthropic endeavors focused on supporting Korea’s youth.
- At the time of his death, Kim Jung-ju was the third richest man in Korea, after pharmaceutical magnate Seo Jun-jin and Samsung’s Lee Jae-young.
Kim Jung-youn, the daughter of the founder of South Korean gaming company Nexon, has become the world’s youngest billionaire at 18 after her father’s death.
Kim Jung-youn and her older sister Kim Jung-min inherited stakes in their father’s personal holding company NXC, which has a 48 percent stake in Nexon, according to Forbes. Even after an inheritance tax bill of $1.5 billion, the sisters are still worth $1 billion each.
‘Glitch’: New Netflix K-drama trailer teases comedic duos and alien abductions
- Netflix released a new trailer for the upcoming K-drama “Glitch” on Thursday.
- “Glitch” follows a girl named Hong Ji-hyo, played by Jeon Yeo-been (“After My Death,” “Vincenzo”), who enlists the help of a UFO enthusiast to help find her missing boyfriend, uncovering a mysterious conspiracy in the process.
- Jeon is joined by former After School member Nana (“The Good Wife,” “Swindlers”), who plays Heo Bo-ra.
- “Glitch” will be released exclusively on Netflix on Oct. 7.
The creators of Netflix’s “Extracurricular” get extraterrestrial in their newest trailer for the upcoming K-drama “Glitch.”
As seen in the trailer released on Thursday, “Glitch” follows a girl named Hong Ji-hyo, played by Jeon Yeo-been (“After My Death,” “Vincenzo”), who enlists the help of a UFO enthusiast to help find her missing boyfriend, uncovering a mysterious conspiracy in the process.
VICTON’s Heo Chan suspends group activities after drunk driving incident
- VICTON member Heo Chan was investigated by the police for a drunk driving incident on the morning of Sep. 20.
- According to a statement from VICTON’s label IST Entertainment on Thursday, Heo Chan will be suspended from all group activities moving forward.
- The K-pop act’s upcoming “2022 VICTON Fan Concert [Chronicle]” will be promoted with only five members.
- On Friday, Heo Chan posted an apology on his Instagram account.
Heo Chan of K-pop boy group VICTON has been suspended from group activities after being investigated by the police for a drunk driving incident on Tuesday.
VICTON’s label, IST Entertainment, issued a statement on Thursday saying that Heo Chan was cooperating with a police investigation. Per a translation from Soompi, the statement read:
Hybe issues statement on who will front the bill for upcoming free BTS concert in Busan
- HYBE issued a statement on Wednesday agreeing to pay for the remaining expenses of the free BTS concert in Busan.
- The concert is part of Busan’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo.
- HYBE said the group’s members will perform the concert without pay, and that it has been their dream to put on a free concert for fans.
- They recognize that South Korea is an underdog in the competition for the expo bid and wish to help in an important national event.
BTS’ label HYBE issued a statement on Wednesday agreeing to front the bill for the upcoming “Yet To Come” concert in Busan, South Korea.
The concert was already being partly paid for by corporate sponsors and streaming advertisements, but now the Seoul-based label has said they will pay for the concert.
S. Korean President Yoon proposes new ministry to protect Korean Americans from hate crimes
- On Tuesday, President Yoon met with overseas Koreans in New York City and vowed to increase efforts to protect Koreans and Korean Americans against hate crimes.
- He announced a bill aimed at establishing a ministry dedicated to overseas Koreans is expected to be passed by the National Assembly.
- Earlier the same day, President Yoon joined the 77th United Nations General Assembly, delivering his keynote speech at the U.N. headquarters.
- Yoon also met with U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres regarding nuclear weapons and North Korea.
- During his time in New York, Yoon will continue to attend the U.N. General Assembly and hold various summits, including meetings with Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. President Joe Biden.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol promised to increase efforts to protect Koreans from hate crimes, placing emphasis on support for overseas Koreans.
On Tuesday, President Yoon met with overseas Koreans in New York City. During the meeting, Yoon presented efforts to protect Koreans and Korean Americans against hate crimes, including a bill to establish a ministry dedicated to overseas Koreans.
