튼튼이와 씩씩이의 블로그

Japan should not use trilateral summit as leverage Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has reportedly said that he will not attend a trilateral summit among South Korea, China and Japan unless Seoul changes its stance over the issue of compensation for the surviving South Korean victims of forced wartime labor. According to Kyodo News, Tokyo notified Seoul late last month that Suga would not ..

A Berlin district office has withheld its order to remove a statue symbolizing victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery following protests from activists and citizens. The Mitte district office said in a statement Tuesday that the order to remove "The Statue of Peace" by Wednesday was no longer applicable due to an injunction filed by local civic group Korea Verband, which brands itself as a pl..

Time to refrain from traveling around country The health authorities are on high alert over a possible resurgence of COVID-19 infections during the Sept. 30 to Oct. 4 Chuseok holiday. They cannot lower their guard against the pandemic as an increasing number of people are planning to visit tourist destinations across the country during the holiday, raising fears of another wave of coronavirus ca..

Politicians should stop instigating people It is deplorable some ultra-right conservative organizations and politicians are plotting to hold mass rallies on the Oct. 3 National Foundation Day, despite the government's repeated calls to refrain from such gatherings amid lingering COVID-19 infections. Brushing aside fears of the possible spread of the infectious disease, the conservatives are pres..

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe tweeted Saturday that he had visited a shrine viewed by China and both Koreas as a symbol of wartime aggression Abe's visit comes days after his resignation, and was his first in nearly seven years. Abe said on Twitter that he visited the Yasukuni Shrine ''and reported to the souls of the war dead'' that he'd resigned as prime minister. The shrine is con..

In recent years, K-pop has become increasingly visible globally. Foreign-language music has never had an easy time climbing the charts in the U.S., but K-pop was able to have a stronger presence, thanks to its devoted fandom. Now, K-pop has found a better strategy to break through and sustain success in the West: composing songs with English lyrics. BTS wrote history again this month by becoming..

The World Trade Organization (WTO) will kick off the selection process for its new leader this week, with South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee locking horns with candidates from seven other countries. During the first round of the process that will run through Sept. 16, representatives from 164 member states will provide a maximum of four preferences, after which three candidates will be re..

Korea could suffer greater shock from COVIC-19 The country's industrial output edged up slightly by 0.1 percent in July from a month earlier, according to Statistics Korea. The figure appears to be not that bad, given the crippling impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. But looking at domestic consumption, we cannot help but be pessimistic about the overall economic outlook. Retail sales nosedived 6 p..

Conservative main opposition should revamp in earnest The conservative main opposition United Future Party (UFP) will likely adopt the new name “People's Power,” set to be finalized on Wednesday. Political parties in Korea have adopted new names on the occasion of monumental moments ― in party mergers or when in need of revamp. For the UFP to have to change its name three times over the past thr..

K-pop sensation tops Billboard chart Was it just a matter of time? Yes! The seven members of BTS made history by becoming the first Korean artist, either solo or group, to top Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart with the English language song “Dynamite.” The song, recorded to send out a cheerful and hopeful message to people around the globe, found resonance. The billboard charts are not new terri..