South Korea

World News

Samsung Offices Raided In An Investigation Involving A Dressage Horse

9:18pm November 08, 2016

by Elise Hu

The manufacturer is suspected of giving as much as $3 million in secret to support the equestrian training and Olympic dreams of the daughter of a close adviser to President Park Geun-hye.

Opening credits of the South Korean television show, "The Fourth Republic." The actors pictured portray a shadowy cult figure (left) and Korea's future president.

S. Korean President's 'Rasputin' Was Once Part Of A Soap Opera Storyline

10:10pm November 07, 2016

by Elise Hu

A 1990s' "K-Drama" now seems oddly prescient.

World News

Massive Protests Hit Seoul Over Leader's Ties To Mysterious Confidante

10:26am November 05, 2016

by Bill Chappell

One day after South Korea's President Park Geun-hye issued a new apology over one of the most bizarre political scandals in recent memory, demonstrators call for her resignation.

Choi Soon-sil appears at the Seoul Central Prosecutors' Office on Monday.

Her Job At Risk, S. Korea President Reshuffles Cabinet As Scandal Widens

11:11pm November 02, 2016

by Elise Hu

President Park Geun-hye replaced her prime minister and finance chief amid a growing scandal that involves a secret adviser with ties to a mysterious religious cult.

Queue Listen Now

Anti-government protesters demonstrate as Choi Soon-sil, a confidante of South Korean President Park Geun-hye, appears at the Seoul Central Prosecutors' Office on Monday.

Pressure Mounts On S. Korean President Over Her Spiritual 'Puppetmaster'

11:16am November 01, 2016

by Elise Hu

President Park Geun-hye's approval rating has plummeted to 10 percent as investigators dig deeper into her ties with a woman whose family claimed to channel voices from the leader's dead mother.

Queue Listen Now

A woman walks past an ad for the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone at the company's flagship store in Seoul.

In S. Korea, Samsung's Recall Troubles Come At An Already Crucial Moment

12:47pm October 18, 2016

by Elise Hu

In Samsung's home country, the conglomerate was already feeling the heat in more ways than one.

Queue Listen Now

World News

U.S. Flies Bombers Over South Korea In Show Of Force To North Korea

11:03am September 13, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

On Friday, North Korea conducted its strongest-ever nuclear test, raising tensions in the region. The U.S. has responded with a display of military power meant to warn the North and soothe the South.

Containers are stacked at the Hanjin Incheon Container Terminal on Sept. 3 in Seoul. South Korea's Hanjin Shipping company declared bankruptcy Aug. 31.

World News

Container Ships Stranded At Sea After South Korean Company Goes Bankrupt

7:10pm September 08, 2016

by Jackie Northam

Dozens of giant container ships are bobbing around the oceans with no place to dock, after a South Korean shipping company went bankrupt. The stranded cargo may include as many as 500,000 containers.

Queue Listen Now

North Korean restaurants, like this one in Vientiane, Laos, are run by the North Korean government as a way to earn hard currency. North Korea and Laos have had good relations for many years, but South Korea is trying to make inroads as well.

World News

Laos: A Remote Battleground For North And South Korea

5:40pm September 07, 2016

by Elise Hu

Laos is in the interesting position of remaining aligned with the increasingly-shut out North Korea and forging closer ties with South Korea and the U.S.

Kim Su-an plays a little girl trying to get to her mother on an ill-fated train.

S. Korea's Hit Zombie Film Is Also A Searing Critique Of Korean Society

8:25am September 01, 2016

by Elise Hu

The film's themes reflect the strains of modern Korea: distrust of government and institutions, disdain for corporate leaders and a sense everyone's in it for themselves.

Queue Listen Now