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☆ A South Korean firm is offering to pay its workers $75,000 each time they have a baby
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Gawon Bae | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Seoul CNN —A South Korean company is ready to pay millions of dollars to help fix the country’s abysmally low birth rate. Booyoung Group, a construction firm based in Seoul, plans to pay employees 100 million Korean won ($75,000) each time they have a baby, it said in a press release Monday. It will also pay a total of 7 billion Korean won ($5.25 million) in cash to employees who have had 70 babies since 2021, the company added. Countries like South Korea, Japan and China, however, have shied away from mass immigration to tackle the decline in their working age populations. The South Korean government and other private companies already offer financial perks to encourage people to have more children, but none on the scale of Booyoung Group’s benefits.

Persons: Group’s, Lee Joong, keun, ”, “, ” Lee, China’s Trip.com Organizations: Seoul CNN, CNN, Statistics Korea, Booyoung, South Locations: Seoul, Korean, South Korea, Korea, Japan, China

☆ Samsung chief Lee Jae-yong acquitted in 2015 merger case
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Seoul CNN —Samsung chief Lee Jae-yong was found not guilty by a Seoul court on Monday on charges of stock manipulation and accounting fraud connected to a controversial merger in 2015 of two Samsung affiliates. The acquittal comes as a major relief to the chairman of Samsung Electronics, who has been embroiled in legal problems for years. They alleged that the merger of the two firms allowed Lee to gain a tighter grip on Samsung Electronics, the group’s flagship company. “Even if Lee’s control has been strengthened, the merger in this case cannot be considered unfair, as long as there is a reasonable purpose for the merger,” Park said. He added the decision will “lead to lowering the confidence of foreign investors in the Korean legal system and the soundness of the Korean capital market.”

Persons: Lee Jae, Lee, Park Jeong, ” Organizations: Seoul CNN — Samsung, Samsung, Samsung Electronics, Cheil Industries, Seoul, District Court, Seoul National University, CNN Locations: Seoul

Hong Kong/Seoul CNN —SK Hynix, a South Korean chipmaker, is investigating how two of its memory chips mysteriously ended up inside the Mate 60 Pro, a controversial smartphone launched by Huawei last week. “The significance of the development is that there are restrictions on what SK Hynix can ship to China,” G Dan Hutcheson, vice chair of TechInsights, told CNN. The big question is whether any laws were violated.”A Hynix spokesperson told CNN Friday that it was aware of its chips being used in the Huawei phone and had started investigating the issue. “SK Hynix is strictly abiding by the US government’s export restrictions,” the company said. Industry insiders said it was possible that Huawei had purchased the memory chips from the secondary market and not directly from the manufacturer.

Persons: ” G Dan Hutcheson, It’s, TechInsights, Mike Gallagher, Michael McCaul Organizations: Seoul CNN — SK Hynix, Huawei, SK Hynix, CNN, “ SK Hynix, US, Industry, 5G Kirin, chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, White Locations: Hong Kong, Seoul, Korean, Hynix, Canada, China, United States, Shenzhen

Seoul CNN —At least 16 people have died from heat-related illnesses in South Korea as the country swelters under a prolonged heat wave with temperatures above 38 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit) in some parts of the country. A total of 1,284 people reported suffering heat-related illnesses as of Tuesday, according to KDCA. South Korea has raised the heat wave warning to the highest “serious” level for the first time since 2019, the interior and safety ministry said Wednesday. Ahn Young-joon/APHeat wave warnings have expanded to most of the country since late July as temperatures rose over 33 degrees Celsius (around 91 Fahrenheit). To cope with the continuing heat wave, local authorities are regularly checking on vulnerable populations and setting up cooling facilities such as shade tents and sun umbrella rentals.

Persons: Ahn Young, ’ Organizations: Seoul CNN —, Korea Disease Control, Prevention Agency, “, Korean Confederation of Trade Unions Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Korea, KDCA, Gyeonggi, Yeoju, Anseong, Asia, China, Japan

An army official told CNN the private was set to be administratively separated from the US Army. Details about how exactly King ended up on the North Korean side of the border remain unclear. King’s mother, Claudine Gates, told ABC she was “shocked” after being told by the US Army that her son had crossed into North Korea. Travis King, the US soldier who ran across the military demarcation line into North Korea on Tuesday, July 18 Travis King/FacebookThe US has been actively reaching out to North Korea to resolve the situation, but it has not yet heard back, a defense official said Wednesday. South Korean police told CNN that King was transferred to US military police after an investigation into an assault last September.

Persons: hasn’t, Travis King, King, Claudine Gates, ”, Travis, ” Gates, he’d, John Aquilino, Aquilino, King “, we’ve, ” Aquilino, CNN King, Jeon Heon Organizations: Seoul CNN, CNN, US Army, ABC, Pacific Command, Aspen Security, Joint Security, North, Defense Department, Korean, Reuters, King . Locations: Seoul, North Korea, Fort Bliss, South Korea, Mapo, Korea

☆ Fukushima wastewater: South Korean shoppers hoard salt, seafood ahead of Japan's release of treated radioactive water
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Jessie Yeung Yoonjung Seo Paula Hancocks | Jessie Yeung | Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The government has said the wastewater release will begin this summer, though it has not specified a date. The shortages were so acute that the government was forced to release sea salt from its official reserves to stabilize salt prices, which have soared more than 40% since April, according to the country’s salt manufacturing association. After a thorough safety review, it concluded in a report last week that the wastewater release would have “negligible” impact on people or the environment. The South Korean government said last week it would respect the IAEA’s findings. Photos show protesters holding banners that lambasted the IAEA and the Japanese government and condemned the wastewater release.

Persons: There’s, Chung Sung, Jung Yeon, ”, Lee Gi, I’m, ” Lee, Rafael Grossi, “, Lee, I’ve, … I’ve Organizations: Seoul CNN —, United Nations, CNN, Shoppers, Ministry of, Fisheries, Reuters, National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, Gallup, Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale, Getty, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, South Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Fukushima, Japan, United States, China, Gallup Korea

But in South Korea, “no-kids zones” have become remarkably popular in recent years. In addition to the world’s lowest birthrate, South Korea has one of the world’s fastest aging populations. A widely circulated crowd-sourced Google Map shows the location of many of South Korea's no-kids zones, as identified by users. A man looks at strollers at a baby fair in Seoul, South Korea, in September 2022. See why South Korea has the world's lowest fertility rate 02:41 - Source: CNNNo kids to kids first?

Persons: it’s, Yong Hye, Bonnie Tilland, Tilland, ”, Lee Yi, “ It’s, Lee Ji, Kim Se, “, choong, ” Tilland, Yong, don’t, ” Yong, Barista Ahn Hee, yul, they’re Organizations: Seoul CNN —, South, Google, Income Party, National Assembly, Facebook, Human Rights, UN, Yonsei University, Leiden University, Hankook Research, CNN Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Jeju, Japan, United States, South, Korea, Netherlands, ‘

☆ BTS 10th anniversary: Superfans make pilgrimage to South Korea to celebrate the K-pop band that conquered the globe
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Kathleen Magramo Yoonjung Seo Paula Hancocks | Kathleen Magramo | Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Scroll through the gallery to see how the K-pop group went global. ilgan Sports/Multi-Bits/Getty Images BTS fans at the "Love Yourself" North American Tour at the Staples Center on September 9, 2018 in Los Angeles. Andrew Lipovsky/NBC/Getty Images BTS won all three awards they were nominated for at the 2021 American Music Awards held in Los Angeles. Theo Wargo/Getty Images BTS addressed Asian inclusion and representation at the White House in Washington, DC on May 31, 2022. “Being in America and not seeing that much of Asian representation, when I saw that seven Asian guys were trending … that totally like piqued my interest immediately.

Persons: Rowan Joss, Katie Myles ’, they’re, ’ ”, Joss, HYBE, Myles, Kim Tae, Jung Ho, Kim Nam, Kim Seok, Jeon Jung, kook, Min Yoon, Psy’s, ”, Chelsea Guglielmino, Jimmy Fallon, Andrew Lipovsky, Matt Winkelmeyer, Theo Wargo, Kent Nishimura, CedarBough Saeji, ” Saeji, Katie Myles, –, hasn’t, Anthony Wallace, ’, Lisa Trinh, Diana Phung, they’ve, Trinh, they’ll, Jimin, Hwang Young, Startrip, Yoonjung Seo, Jungkook, dad, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, Shawn Mendes, it’s, Michelle Cho, It’s, Phung Organizations: Seoul CNN —, BTS, Records, YouTube, ilgan, Staples Center, Chelsea, NBC, Getty, White, Los Angeles Times, East Asian Studies, Pusan National University, ARMY, Ministry of Culture, Tourism, Tower, CNN, The, Guinness, Spotify, University of Toronto Locations: Hong Kong, Seoul, South Korea, Scotland, Los Angeles, Washington , DC, Korean, AFP, Seoul’s, California, Gangwon province, Busan, Korea, Cafe, America

Hong Kong/Seoul CNN —South Korean prosecutors have indicted a former Samsung executive for allegedly working with competitors who tried to build a copycat semiconductor factory in China. In a Monday statement, the Suwon district prosecutor’s office said it had charged a 65-year old former employee of what it called “Company A” over data theft. Prosecutors said the executive then tried to use that information to build a “duplicate” plant in the Chinese city of Xi’an, about 1.5 kilometers (one mile) away from a Samsung semiconductor factory. News agency Yonhap identified the second company as SK Hynix, another South Korean chip giant. Reuters reported that the attempt to build the new plant using Samsung data between 2018 and 2019 ended in failure due to funding issues.

Persons: wasn’t, Prosecutors, Yonhap Organizations: Seoul CNN — South, Samsung, “, SK Hynix, Prosecutors, Industrial Technology Protection, Reuters Locations: Hong Kong, Seoul, China, Suwon, Xi’an, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea’s, South Korea, United States, Netherlands, Japan, Washington, Beijing

Hong Kong/Seoul CNN —Sam Altman, the CEO of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, used a high-profile trip to South Korea on Friday to call for coordinated international regulation of generative artificial intelligence, the technology that underpins his famous chatbot. “As these systems get very, very powerful, that does require special concern, and it has global impact. So it also requires global cooperation,” Altman said at an event in Seoul, ahead of a meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. In China, authorities will also “be initiating AI regulation,” according to Elon Musk, who helped found OpenAI before breaking from the group. As many as 300 million full-time jobs around the world could eventually be automated in some way by generative AI, according to Goldman Sachs estimates.

Persons: Sam Altman, ” Altman, Yoon Suk, that’s, ”, Yoon, Antony Blinken, Elon Musk, Musk, OpenAI, Goldman Sachs, Altman, “ it’s, ” Sam Altman, SeongJoon Cho, Narendra Modi Organizations: Seoul CNN, South Korean, Reuters, World Economic, SoftBank, Bloomberg, Getty, United Arab Locations: Hong Kong, Seoul, South Korea, Sweden, China, India, Israel, United Arab Emirates

Hong Kong/Seoul CNN —“The Little Mermaid” has bombed with moviegoers in China and South Korea amid racist critiques in some quarters over the casting of Black actress Halle Bailey as main character Ariel. Disney’s live-action remake has made only $3.6 million in mainland China since opening there on May 26, according to Box Office Mojo. In South Korea, “The Little Mermaid” has grossed $4.4 million since May 24. Halle Bailey in 'The Little Mermaid.' Ariel and Prince Eric in a scene from 'The Little Mermaid.'

Persons: Halle Bailey, Ariel, Disney’s, Bailey, “, ”, Rob Marshall, ‘ Let’s, ’, Fans, Prince Eric, Maleficent ’, Paul Dergarabedian Organizations: Seoul CNN —, Office, Korean Film Council, Global Times, Disney, Hollywood, Halle, United, Comscore Locations: Hong Kong, Seoul, China, South Korea, United States, Comscore, ”, Japan, Philippines, Indonesia, Italy, Germany, United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Singapore, Finland, United Arab Emirates

☆ North Korea claims it’s ready to launch first spy satellite: state media
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Seoul CNN —North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un has ordered officials to prepare to launch the country’s first military reconnaissance satellite, North Korean state media KCNA reported on Wednesday. During his visit to the National Aerospace Development Administration on Tuesday, Kim Jong Un said the country’s military reconnaissance satellite production has been completed and ordered the dispatching of “several reconnaissance satellites,” KCNA reported. Last December, North Korea claimed it had conducted an “important final stage test” for the development of a spy satellite. The country’s space development agency announced that it would finish preparations for the first military reconnaissance satellite by April 2023. On Tuesday, Kim stressed the role of military satellites as to protect national safety and territorial stability in the midst of escalating military threats and challenges by the US and South Korea.

Hong Kong/Seoul CNN —South Korean internet company Kakao has become the largest shareholder of SM Entertainment, winning a battle for control of one of the country’s most iconic music agencies. Kakao and its entertainment unit have increased their stake in SM to 39.9%, they said in a Tuesday regulatory filing. In securing a controlling stake, Kakao has seen off rival HYBE, South Korea’s top music agency and home to boy band sensation BTS, after a bruising takeover battle. In a separate Tuesday filing, HYBE said it had sold some of its SM shares to Kakao, reducing its stake to 8.8%. Aespa is represented by SM Entertainment.

Hong Kong/Seoul CNN —South Korea says it will build an enormous facility to make computer chips in the greater Seoul area, with about $230 billion in investment from memory chip giant Samsung Electronics. “We will build the world’s largest new ‘high-tech system semiconductor cluster’ in the Seoul Metropolitan area based on large-scale private investment of almost 300 trillion Korean won,” he said. An aerial view of Samsung Electronics' chip production plant at Pyeongtaek, South Korea on September 7, 2022. The vast majority of the world’s advanced microchips are made in just two places, Taiwan and South Korea. Taiwan’s industry is larger and more dominant, something South Korea is keen to challenge.

Hong Kong/Seoul CNN —South Korea says it will build an enormous facility to make computer chips in greater Seoul, with about $230 billion in investment from private companies. “We will build the world’s largest new ‘high-tech system semiconductor cluster’ in the Seoul Metropolitan area based on large-scale private investment of almost 300 trillion Korean won,” President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Wednesday. “In addition, we will grow the ‘semiconductor mega cluster’ to the world’s largest in connection with the existing memory semiconductor manufacturing complexes.”The Seoul Metropolitan area includes the capital Seoul, neighboring city of Incheon and surrounding Gyeonggi province. This is a developing story. More to come.

Hong Kong/Seoul CNN —BTS agency HYBE says it has called off a takeover bid for SM Entertainment, ending weeks of corporate mudslinging that has dominated headlines in South Korea. Last week, tech giant Kakao and its entertainment unit said they had doubled down on their quest to take control of SM, the iconic K-pop music agency. Kakao offered SM shareholders 150,000 won ($115) per share, much more than HYBE’s previous offer of 120,000 won ($92) per share, which garnered only mild interest from investors. SM Entertainment said in a statement that it “welcomes” HYBE’s decision to suspend its takeover bid. Kakao and its entertainment unit will continue with their existing tender offer to SM shareholders, which will wrap up on March 26, they told CNN.

It plans to offer SM shareholders 150,000 won ($115) per share. The artists are represented by SM Entertainment, which is currently in the midst of several shareholder disputes. Kakao and its Kakao Entertainment unit already currently hold 4.9% of SM, the company told CNN in a statement Tuesday. Kakao’s gambleKakao is pressing forward nonetheless, inviting SM shareholders to accept its tender offer, which ends on March 26. Its shares closed 3% lower in Seoul on Tuesday, while SM’s shares soared 15%.

Hong Kong/Seoul CNN —The billionaire mastermind behind some of the world’s biggest K-pop stars is pushing back on accusations that he’s trying to monopolize the Korean music industry. “It wouldn’t be correct to say that we’re trying to take over the whole industry,” Bang told CNN in an exclusive interview in Seoul. Bang Si-Hyuk, who chairs the HYBE management agency, spoke with CNN's Richard Quest on Tuesday. “When the two companies are combined, a monopoly and oligopolistic group of companies that account for approximately 66% of total market sales will be created,” it told CNN. The company would then announce the outcome and next steps, it told CNN on Friday.

On Monday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced that the United Arab Emirates had pledged a staggering $30 billion in investment in the Asian country. The news came after the leaders of the two nations held talks in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, in a landmark trip that marked the first-ever state visit to the UAE by a South Korean president, according to a statement from Yoon’s office. In total, representatives from approximately 100 South Korean companies traveled with the president, according to his office. Some South Korean firms also agreed to build farms for tomatoes and strawberries in the UAE, a country that relies heavily on imports of agricultural products. Going forward, South Korea “will be a key partner in the global supply chain,” using its expertise in sectors such as semiconductors and steel-making to help stabilize supply chains, he pledged.

North Korea accused the United States and South Korea of provoking tensions on the peninsula. “I think we should focus on the facts not on what North Korea claims.”North Korea didn't release information about the specific missile models test fired last week. North Korea missile launches, unknown location, North Korea, November 2022. “What if North Korea conducted tests to obtain certain data it wanted to verify during the missile development?” Kim asked. Shin said the multiple launches could be a sign that North Korea is racing to prove its capabilities.

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