Daily COVID-19 cases spike to all-time high

Daily new COVID-19 infections exceeded 3,000, Friday, for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic as people returned home from the Chuseok holiday.

TV series 'Jirisan' to premiere on Oct. 23

The TvN series “Jirisan,” one of the most highly anticipated TV events of the year, is finally set to kick off its run Oct. 23. The network announced the premiere date of the thriller action series, unveiling a second trailer, Thursday.

Korea's first single malt whisky produced in hills of Namyangju

Whisky's best days in Korea appeared to be behind it in 2020 when the amount of imports hit its lowest mark in 21 years. But Bryan Do saw an opportunity when he noticed that the single malt whiskey market was still expanding.

Huawei executive freed in Canada after deal with US prosecutors

Chinese telecoms executive Meng Wanzhou was freed Friday after three years of house arrest in Canada, following an agreement with the US Justice Department to suspend the fraud charges against her that had poisoned Beijing's relations with Washington and Ottawa.

Samsung asks US to give more tax credits for chip investment

A senior Samsung Electronics executive has asked the Biden administration to offer more tax incentives in order to move forward with its planned massive semiconductor investments in the United States. In a Korea Society program titled, “The US-Korea Global Partnership: Supply Chain and Semiconductors,” Samsung's Kim Won-kyong, who oversees both the company's global public affairs team and corporate sustainability center, said the company's planned investment of $17 billion to build a new chip plant in the U.S. will make the Korean firm the largest foreign investor there.

Banks collaborate with financial authorities on Evergrande risk review

The financial authorities and commercial lenders are reviewing spillover risk exposures posed by recent debt default fears at Evergrande, the biggest real estate company in China.

Former UFC champ Jon Jones arrested in Vegas for domestic battery, damaging vehicle

Former UFC champion Jon Jones was jailed in Las Vegas early Friday after an incident at Caesars Palace that police said led to his arrest on charges of domestic battery and damaging a vehicle.

'Success breeds failure': liberal critic's advice for conservative party leader

Kang Jun-man, a professor emeritus of Jeonbuk National University and a liberal political commentator, has advised conservative main opposition People Power Party (PPP) leader Lee Jun-seok to move on from being an irresponsible amateur politician to becoming a tolerant and mature politician.

Gov't to halt financial assistance for overseas coal power projects

State-run organizations will no longer provide financial assistance of any kind to new overseas coal-fired power plant projects starting Oct.1, according to four government ministries and the financial regulator, Friday. The joint announcement seeks to give a clear signal on decarbonization to both the public and private sectors, thereby pushing them to promptly renounce fossil fuel dependence and to forgo investment into cheap but environmentally unsustainable sources of energy.

K-pop band NCT 127 debuts on British Official Albums Chart

South Korean boy band NCT 127 has made it onto Britain's Official Charts with its latest album "Sticker."

China declares all cryptocurrency transactions illegal

China's central bank on Friday declared all transactions involving Bitcoin and other virtual currencies illegal, stepping up a campaign to block use of unofficial digital money.

Controversy rises over palm tree photo zone on Gyeongpo Beach

Controversy is brewing over palm trees planted by Gangneung City on Gyeongpo Beach for the purpose of providing a unique tourist experience. The city government of Gangneung in Gangwon Province said Thursday that it had planted the 46 palm trees, including Washington filifera and Phoenix canariensis, around Gyeongpo Beach and the Gangneung KTX Station to provide a unique attraction for residents and tourists.

Crime action thriller 'On the Line' dominates local box offices

The crime action film, “On the Line,” has been soaring in local box offices, topping the charts for nine consecutive days. The thriller flick landed at the top of the box office chart on its opening day, Sept. 15, with about 47,000 ticket sales, grossing 413 million won ($352,000).

Toughened financial regulations confuse crypto market, customers

The implementation of a toughened set of financial regulations is adding confusion to the cryptocurrency market and its customers, after a six-month grace period finished as of Friday.

TWICE to premiere 'The Feels' on 'Tonight Show'

K-pop girl group TWICE is set to premiere its first English single, “The Feels,” on NBC's “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” the nine-member group's management company JYP Entertainment said Friday.

Britney Spears' calls and texts were monitored, new documentary says

A security firm hired by Britney Spears' father monitored the pop singer's phone calls and text messages during the court-sanctioned conservatorship she has lived under since 2008, according to a New York Times documentary released Friday.

UN rapporteur voices concern 'fake news' bill would hurt Korea's reputation

A South Korean media bill under criticism for potentially undermining press freedom, if passed, could give a "negative message" to the world about the country's stance on freedom of media, a U.N. expert said Friday.

Households, companies can afford financial burden from further rate hike: Bank of Korea

The country's central bank is moving towards justifying its rationale for an additional rate hike this year, as the bank's senior official underscored the need for such a future hike, claiming that households and companies will be able to withstand the interest burden from further monetary tightening.

Scaling down of China's steel sector could hurt Korean steelmakers

China's strengthened restrictions on steel production, on top of the Evergrande Group real estate crisis, are keeping Korean steelmakers on their toes. China, which manufactures 57 percent of the world's steel, plans to drastically reduce output this year, which has impacted the global markets for both steel and iron ore.

LG takes steps toward cutting battery costs, enhancing features

During a recent battery event organized by Tesla, CEO Elon Musk said that he was aiming to set a $25,000 price target for electric vehicles (EVs) by 2023. This target is being considered quite ambitious as today's least expensive EV model is about $38,000.

CJ Group heir on track for managerial succession

CJ Group heir Lee Sun-ho, the eldest son of Chairman Lee Jae-hyun, is on track to succeed his father as head of the local conglomerate. The younger Lee, head of the global business team at CJ CheilJedang, flew to the United States to sign a global marketing partnership deal with the Los Angeles Lakers (LA Lakers) as a sponsor, Sept. 20.

From aespa to ENHYPEN, numerous K-pop stars set to shake up music scene in October

A-list K-pop stars, including BLACKPINK's Lisa and NCT 127, took the music scene by storm in September with their new releases. In October, attention-grabbing groups like aespa and ENHYPEN will pick up the baton, seeking to take center stage with their fresh tunes.