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  • North Korea says it tested underwater nuclear attack drone

    North Korea says it tested underwater nuclear attack drone

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    North Korea said Friday it had tested a purported underwater nuclear attack drone in response to a combined naval exercise between South Korea and the United States and Japan this week, as it continues to blame its rivals for raising tension in the region. The alleged drone test came days after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared he would scrap his country’s long-standing goal of a peaceful unification with South Korea and that his country would rewrite its constitution to define South Korea as its most hostile foreign adversary.

    Tension on the Korean Peninsula is at its highest point in years, with Kim accelerating weapons demonstrations and threatening nuclear conflict and the U.S. and its Asian allies responding by strengthening their combined military exercises.

    The test was not of a nuclear device but rather of an “underwater self-explosive drone,” according to Shin Jong-woo, a military expert at the Seoul-based Korea Defense and Security Forum. Shin called it a “navigation test for their battery-powered underwater suicide drone,” adding that North Korea was testing how the drone would perform over long distances and long periods of time.

    haeil-2-korea-underwater-nuclear-drone.jpg
    An image taken from video broadcast by North Korean state TV shows what appears to be the North’s Haeil-2 nuclear-capable underwater attack drone being driven through Pyongyang during a military parade on July 27, 2023.

    KRT/Reuters


    Shin noted that North Korea had tested the Haeil-2 Unmanned Underwater Nuclear Attack Boat between April 4 and 7 of last year. CBS News senior foreign correspondent says the weapons is something like a cross between a rocket and an unmanned submarine — but capable, the North Korean regime says, of carrying a nuclear warhead.

    The test in the spring of 2023, according to North Korean state media, saw the drone cruise about 600 miles underwater over the course of three days before test detonating a non-nuclear warhead at sea.

    North Korea’s alleged nuclear attack drone is among a broad range of systems demonstrated in recent years as Kim expands his arsenal of nuclear-capable weapons. South Korea’s military has insisted the North has exaggerated the capabilities of the drone, which is supposedly designed to carry out strikes on enemy vessels and ports.

    haeil-2-north-korea-underwater-nuclear-drone.jpg
    Images broadcast on North Korean state TV show what it claimed to be a test of the country’s Haeil-2 nuclear-capable underwater attack drone, said to have been carried out in early April, 2023.

    KRT/Reuters


    The North’s military said it conducted the test in the country’s eastern waters in response to the U.S., South Korean, and Japanese naval drills, which wrapped up its three-day run Wednesday in waters south of Jeju island.

    “Our army’s underwater nuke-based countering posture is being further rounded off and its various maritime and underwater responsive actions will continue to deter the hostile military maneuvers of the navies of the U.S. and its allies,” the North’s Defense Ministry said in a statement.

    “We strongly denounce the U.S. and its followers for their reckless acts of seriously threatening the security of the DPRK from the outset of the year and sternly warn them of the catastrophic consequences to be entailed by them.”

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  • North Korea scraps agencies managing relations with South as Kim Jong Un cites hostility with rival

    North Korea scraps agencies managing relations with South as Kim Jong Un cites hostility with rival

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    North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits Korean People’s Army Air Force headquarters on the occasion of Aviation Day in North Korea, in this picture released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on December 1, 2023.

    KCNA | Reuters

    North Korea has abolished key government organizations tasked with managing relations with South Korea, state media said Tuesday, as authoritarian leader Kim Jong Un said he would no longer pursue reconciliation with his rival.

    North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said the decision to abolish the agencies handling dialogue and cooperation with the South was made during a meeting of the country’s rubber-stamp parliament on Monday.

    During a speech at the assembly, Kim blamed South Korea and the United States for raising tensions in the region. He said it has become impossible for the North to pursue reconciliation and a peaceful reunification with the South.

    He called for the assembly to rewrite the North’s Constitution in its next meeting to define South Korea as the North’s “No. 1 hostile country.”

    Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are at their highest point in years after Kim in recent months ramped up his weapons demonstrations. The United States and its allies Seoul and Tokyo responded by strengthening their combined military exercises and sharpening their nuclear deterrence strategies.

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  • Middle East braces for chaos as Iran and West square up

    Middle East braces for chaos as Iran and West square up

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    Western warplanes and guided missiles roared through the skies over Yemen in the early hours of Friday in a dramatic response to the worsening crisis engulfing the region, where the U.S. and its allies are facing a direct confrontation with Iranian-backed militants.

    The strikes against Houthi fighters are a response to weeks of fighting in the Red Sea, where the group has attempted to attack or hijack dozens of civilian cargo ships and tankers in what it calls retribution for Israel’s military offensive in Gaza. Washington launched the massive aerial bombardment of the group’s military stores and drone launch sites in partnership with British forces, and with the support of a growing coalition that includes Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, Canada, South Korea and Bahrain.

    Tensions between Tehran and the West have boiled over in the weeks since its ally, Hamas, launched its October 7 attack on Israel, while Hezbollah, the military group that controls much of southern Lebanon, has stepped up rocket launches across the border. Along with Hamas and Hezbollah, the Houthis form part of the Iranian-led ‘Axis of Resistance’ opposed to both the U.S. and Israel.

    Now, the prospect of a full-blown conflict in one of the most politically fragile and strategically important parts of the world is spooking security analysts and energy markets alike.

    Escalation fears

    Houthi leaders responded to the strikes, which saw American and British forces hit more than 60 targets in 16 locations, with characteristic bravado. They warned the U.S. and U.K. will “have to prepare to pay a heavy price and bear all the dire consequences” for what they called a “blatant aggression.”

    “We will confront America, kneel it down, and burn its battleships and all its bases and everyone who cooperates with it, no matter what the cost,” threatened Abdulsalam Jahaf, a member of the group’s security council.

    However, following the overnight operation, Camille Lons, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said there may now be “a period of calm because it may take Iran some time to replenish the Houthis stocks” before they are able to resume high-intensity attacks on Red Sea shipping. But, she cautioned, their motivation to continue to target shipping will likely be unaltered.

    The Western strikes are “unlikely to immediately halt Houthi aggression,” agreed Jonathan Panikoff, a former U.S. national intelligence officer for the Near East. “That will almost certainly mean having to continue to respond to Houthi strikes, and potentially with increasing aggression.”

    “The Houthis view themselves as having little to lose, emboldened militarily by Iranian provisions of support and confident the U.S. will not entertain a ground war,” he said.

    Iran also upped the ante earlier this week by boarding and commandeering a Greek-operated oil tanker that was loaded with Iraqi crude destined for Turkey, intercepting it as it transited the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel, the St. Nikolas, was previously apprehended for violating sanctions on Iranian oil and its cargo was confiscated and sold off by the U.S. Treasury Department. Its Greek captain and crew of 18 Filipino nationals are now in Iranian custody, with the incident marking a sharp escalation in the threats facing maritime traffic.

    Israeli connection

    Washington and London are striving to distinguish their bid to deter the Houthis in the Red Sea from the war in Gaza, fearful that merging the two will hand Tehran a propaganda advantage in the Middle East. The Houthis and Iran are keen to accomplish the reverse.

    The Houthi leadership claims its attacks on maritime traffic are aimed at pressuring Israel to halt its bombing of the Gaza Strip and it insists it is only targeting commercial vessels linked to Israel or destined to dock at the Israeli port of Eilat, a point contested by Western powers.

    “The Houthis claim that their attacks on military and civilian vessels are somehow tied to the ongoing conflict in Gaza — that is completely baseless and illegitimate. The Houthis also claim to be targeting specifically Israeli-owned ships or ships bound for Israel. That is simply not true, they are firing indiscriminately on vessels with global ties,” a senior U.S. official briefing reporters in Washington said Friday.

    Wider Near East crisis

    The Red Sea isn’t the only hotspot where American and European forces and their allies are facing off against Iran and its partners.

    In November, U.S. F-15 fighter jets hit a weapons storage facility in eastern Syria that the Pentagon says was used by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Shia militants it supports in the war-torn country. The response came after dozens of American troops were reportedly injured in attacks in Iraq and Syria linked back to Tehran.

    Israel’s war with Hamas has also risked spreading, after a blast killed one of the militant group’s commanders in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, earlier in January. Hezbollah vowed a swift response and tensions have soared along the border between the two countries, with Israeli civilians evacuated from their homes in towns and villages close to the frontier.

    All of that contributes to an increasingly volatile environment that has neighboring countries worried, said Christian Koch, director at the Saudi Arabia-based Gulf Research Center.

    “There’s a lot at stake at the moment and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and others are extremely worried about further escalation and then being subject to retaliation,” he said. “Now, the danger of regional escalation has been heightened further, which could mean that Iran will get further involved in the conflict, and this is a dangerous spiral downwards.”

    While long-planned efforts to normalize ties between the Saudis and Israel collapsed in the wake of the October 7 attack and the subsequent military response, Riyadh has pushed forward with a policy of de-escalation with the Houthis after a decade of violent conflict, and sought an almost unprecedented rapprochement with Iran.

    “Saudi Arabia has had one objective, which is to prevent this from escalating into a wider regional war,” said Tobias Borck, an expert on Middle East security at the Royal United Services Institute. “It has attempted over the last few years to bring its intervention in the war in Yemen to a close, including through negotiations with the Houthis and actually from all we know from the outside, [they] are reasonably close to an agreement.”

    The Western coalition is therefore a source of anxiety, rather than relief, for Gulf States.

    “Saudi Arabia and UAE are staying out of this coalition because mainly they don’t want to have the Houthis attack them as they had been for years and years with cruise missiles,” said retired U.S. General Mark Kimmitt, a former U.S. assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs. However, American or European boots on the ground are unlikely to be necessary, he added, because “our capabilities these days to find, fix and attack even mobile missile launchers is pretty well refined.”

    Far-reaching consequences

    At the intersection of Europe and Asia, the Red Sea is a vital thoroughfare for energy and international trade. Maritime traffic through the region has already dropped by 20 percent, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Slaars, the joint commander of French forces in the region, told reporters on Thursday.

    According to data published this week by the German IfW Kiel institute, global trade fell by 1.3 percent from November to December, with the Houthi attacks likely to have been a contributing factor. 

    The volume of containers in the Red Sea also plummeted and is currently almost 70 percent below usual, the institute said. In December, that caused freight costs and transportation time to rise and imports and exports from the EU to be “significantly lower” than in November.

    In one indication of the impact on industrial supply chains, U.S. electric vehicle maker Tesla said Friday it would shut its factory in Germany for two weeks.

    Around 12 percent of the world’s oil and 8 percent of its gas normally flow through the waterway, as well as hundreds of cargo ships. Oil prices climbed more than 2.5 percent following the strikes, fueling market concerns of the impact a wider conflict could have on oil supplies from the region, especially those being shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, linking the Persian Gulf with the Indian Ocean and the world’s most important oil chokepoint. 

    The Houthi attacks on the Red Sea, one of the world’s busiest waterways, have already caused major shipping companies, including oil giant BP, to halt shipments through the Red Sea, opting for a lengthy detour around the Cape of Good Hope instead. 

    According to Borck, the impact on energy prices has been limited so far but will depend on what happens next.

    “We need to look for two actors’ actions here. One is the Houthis, how they respond, and the other one is, of course, looking at how Iran responds,” he said. While Tehran has the “nuclear option” of closing the Strait of Hormuz altogether, it’s unlikely to do so at this stage. 

    “I don’t think the Strait of Hormuz is next. I think there would be quite a few steps on the escalation ladder first,” he added.  

    But Simone Tagliapietra, an energy expert at Brussels’ Bruegel think tank, warned that a growing confrontation with Iran could lead to tougher enforcement of sanctions on its oil exports. The West has turned a blind eye to Tehran’s increasing sales to China in the wake of the war in Ukraine, which has relieved some pressure on global energy markets. 

    A crackdown, he believes, “could see global oil prices rising substantially, pushing inflation higher and further complicating the efforts of central banks to bring it under control.”

    However, Saudi Arabia and the UAE could help compensate for such a move by ramping up their own production — provided they’re willing to risk the ire of Iran.

    Gabriel Gavin reported from Yerevan, Armenia. Antonia Zimmermann from Brussels and Jamie Dettmer from Tel-Aviv.

    Laura Kayali contributed reporting from Paris.

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    Gabriel Gavin, Antonia Zimmermann and Jamie Dettmer

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  • South Korea Finally Passes Historic Ban on Dog Meat Industry

    South Korea Finally Passes Historic Ban on Dog Meat Industry

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    After decades of deliberation spanning multiple administrations, South Korea’s parliament on Tuesday unanimously passed a special bill to outlaw the dog meat industry—a move welcomed by animal rights advocates both domestic and worldwide.

    The ban, which was passed on Tuesday with 208 votes in favor, none against, and two abstentions, will take effect after a grace period of three years. Starting in 2027, those who breed, butcher, distribute, or sell dog meat for human consumption may be jailed up to three years or fined up to 30 million won ($22,800).

    “This ban marks a significant turning point in South Korea’s attitude to animal protection,” Sangkyung Lee, a campaign manager at Humane Society International said in a statement on Tuesday. “While dog meat is only eaten by a very small proportion of the population, millions of dogs had to endure unimaginable pain and suffering.”

    Activists estimate that nearly one million dogs are factory farmed and killed for human consumption in South Korea every year. Government statistics show that there are over 1,000 dog farms and about 1,600 restaurants selling dog meat dishes.

    South Korea’s dog meat trade has been the subject of heated national debate. While only a small minority of the East Asian nation’s 52-million-person population still partakes in the centuries-old practice of eating dog meat, public backlash fueled by animal cruelty concerns has sharpened over the years.

    In a survey on the issue conducted in December and published on Monday by a local animal rights group, 93% of respondents said they had no intention of eating dog meat—with no significant difference in responses between those who own pets and those who don’t. 

    The bill still needs South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s final approval, which is all but certain: Yoon and his wife, who own six pet dogs themselves and whose love for animals is widely known, have been outspoken champions of a dog meat ban. Yoon’s ruling People Power Party had previously aimed to introduce a ban by the end of 2023. 

    However, previous proposals were stymied after vehement opposition from dog meat farmers and sellers, who have even scuffled with police during protests and in November threatened to sic their dogs on lawmakers in Seoul.

    Read More: South Korean Farmers Threaten to Release 2 Million Dogs in Protest of Dog Meat Ban

    Authorities will now require dog farmers and business owners to submit plans to reduce and eventually close their businesses. The bill passed Tuesday also offers subsidies to support those whose livelihoods will be affected by the ban, to ease their transition out of the dog meat industry. Still, the ban has been met with frustration from dog farmers, who are expected to organize further protests and file an appeal to the constitutional court.

    “We are overjoyed by this change and thank lawmakers and local activists who have worked tirelessly to see this become a reality despite the dangers and pushback,” Fleur Dawes, the communications director of In Defense of Animals, a U.S.-based animal protection organization, said in a statement. Together with its local partner Jindo Love Rescue, the group rescues dogs from South Korean farms and places them in homes in the U.S. and Canada. “During the phaseout period, we will continue our vital work to save as many innocent lives as we can,” said Dawes.

    Dog meat, traditionally considered a local delicacy in parts of Asia, has been slowly outlawed in the region, including in Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines, and some cities in China and Indonesia. South Korea’s latest addition to the list feels like a surreal victory for campaigners in the country. 

    “This is history in the making. I never thought I would see in my lifetime a ban on the cruel dog meat industry in South Korea, but this historic win for animals is testament to the passion and determination of our animal protection movement,” JungAh Chae, the executive director of Humane Society International/Korea, said in a statement. “While my heart breaks for all the millions of dogs for whom this change has come too late, I am overjoyed that South Korea can now close this miserable chapter in our history and embrace a dog friendly future.”

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    Koh Ewe

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  • We Got Lucky With the Mystery Dog Illness

    We Got Lucky With the Mystery Dog Illness

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    In late July 1980, a five-month-old Doberman pinscher puppy in Washington, D.C., started throwing up blood. It died the next day at an animal hospital, one of many pets that suffered that year from a new illness, parvovirus. “This is the worst disease I’ve ever seen in dogs,” a local veterinarian told The Washington Post, in an article describing the regional outbreak. It killed so fast that it left pet owners in disbelief, he said.

    The world was in the middle of a canine pandemic. The parvovirus, which was first recognized in 1978, can live for months outside the body, spreading not just from animal to animal but through feces, sneaking into the yards of dog owners via a bit of excrement stuck to the bottom of a person’s shoe. It quickly traveled across countries and continents, infecting thousands and possibly millions of dogs in the late ’70s and early ’80s. Essentially every dog alive at the time caught it, Colin Parrish, a virology professor at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, told me. And untold numbers  died: A single Associated Press report from August 1980 mentions the city of Chicago losing 300 dogs by July of that year, and South Carolina losing more than 700 in just two months.

    A vaccine was quickly developed, but with doses in short supply, the outbreaks dragged on for years. Today, puppies are routinely vaccinated for parvovirus, and the 1978 canine pandemic has faded from public consciousness. Since then, no outbreak has unfolded on that scale, even as dogs have become more integrated into American households. Few people stay up at night worrying about what might happen if a new and devastating disease did appear. Yet, for a moment at the end of last year, it seemed like one might have.

    In late 2023, veterinarians started noticing something odd. They’d seen an uptick in cases of dogs sick with respiratory symptoms responding poorly to antibiotics. Some would develop severe pneumonia quickly and die. Soon, cases of this suspected illness started popping up in states across the country. Around Thanksgiving, media reports began warning dog owners about a “mystery dog illness” spreading nationwide.

    Many experts now suggest that there probably was no “mystery dog illness.” More likely, some mix of previously known illnesses were surging around the same time. Still, the case is not entirely closed, and the prospect of a deadly new disease has left dog owners fearful and jumpy: How much should they worry? Could that seemingly normal cough in the family pet actually be something much more dangerous?

    And if a new disease had started a modern dog pandemic, the world’s first in almost 50 years, what would have happened next is not entirely clear. Unlike humans and livestock, companion animals do not have sophisticated, coordinated infrastructure dedicated to monitoring and managing their diseases. The technology and science might exist to fight a dog pandemic, but any response would depend on what kind of illness we found ourselves dealing with—and whether it could infect humans as well.

    Because dogs don’t interact with one another as much as humans do, dog transmission networks are different from ours. They see one another on walks, in day cares, or in dog parks. Some might travel between states or even between countries, but many just stay in their backyard. Their cloistered networks make it hard for some viruses to move among them. In 2015 and 2016, outbreaks of a nasty canine flu called H3N2, which was traced to a single introduction in the United States from South Korea, never reached full pandemic status. “I just remember seeing so many of these pretty sick dogs, like every day,” Steve Valeika, a veterinarian and infectious-disease specialist in North Carolina, told me. “And then it just stopped.” Most of his cases were from one boarding facility.

    A disease such as parvo, which can spread without direct contact, has a better chance of circulating widely. But even then, authorities could respond quickly, maybe even quicker than in 1978. The same mRNA tools that led to the speedy development of a COVID vaccine for humans could be used in a dog pandemic; the ability to test for dog diseases has improved since parvovirus. Information travels that much faster over the internet.

    Read: COVID drugs are a miracle cure for cats

    Still, as companion animals, dogs and cats fall into an awkward space between systems. “There is no CDC for dogs,” Valeika said. “It’s all very patchwork.” Typically, animal disease is managed by agricultural agencies—in this country, the USDA. But these groups are more focused on outbreaks in livestock, such as swine flu, which threaten the food supply, the economy, or human safety. If an outbreak were to emerge in companion animals, veterinary associations, local health departments, and other dog-health groups may all pitch in to help manage it.

    The dairy and pig industries, for example, are far more coordinated. “If they said, ‘We need to get all the players together to talk about a new emerging disease issue on pigs,’ that’d be easy. They’d know who to call, and they’d be on the phone that afternoon,” Scott Weese, professor in veterinary infectious diseases at the University of Guelph, in Canada, explains. Organizing a conference call like that on the topic of a dog disease would be trickier, especially in a big country like the United States. And the USDA isn’t designed around pets, although “it’s not that they don’t care or don’t try,” he said. (The USDA did not respond to a request for comment.) No one is formally surveilling for dog disease in the way government agencies and other groups monitor for human outbreaks. At base, monitoring requires testing, which is expensive and might not change a vet’s treatment plan. “How many people want to spend $250 to get their swab tested?” Parrish asked.

    Dogs aren’t human. But they are close to humans, and it is easy to imagine that, in a dog pandemic, owners would go to great lengths to keep their pets safe. Their closeness to us, in this way, could help protect them. It also poses its own risk: If a quickly spreading dog disease jumped to humans, a different machinery would grind into gear.

    If humans could be vulnerable and certainly if they were getting sick, then the CDC would get involved. “Public health usually takes the lead on anything where we’ve got that human and animal side,” Weese told me. These groups are better funded, are better staffed, and have more expertise—but their priority is us, not our pets. The uncomfortable truth about zoonotic disease is that culling, or killing, animals helps limit spread. In 2014, after a health-care worker in Spain contracted Ebola, authorities killed her dog Excalibur as a precaution, despite a petition and protests. When the woman recovered, she was devastated. (“I’ve forgotten about everything except the death of Excalibur,” she later told CNN.) Countries routinely cull thousands of livestock animals when dealing with the spread of deadly diseases. If a new dog-borne pathogen threatened the lives of people, the U.S. would be faced with the choice of killing infected animals or dedicating resources to quarantining them.

    A scenario in which pet owners stand by while their dogs are killed en masse is hard to imagine. People love their pets fiercely, and consider them family; many would push to save their dogs. But even in a scenario where humans were safe, the systems we’ve set up might not be able to keep pets from dying on a disturbing scale. Already, there’s a nationwide shortage of vets; in a dog-health emergency, people would want access to emergency care, and equipment such as ventilators. “I am concerned that we don’t have enough of that to deal with a big pandemic as it relates to pets,” Jane Sykes, a medicine and epidemiology professor at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and the founder of the International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Diseases, told me.

    Congress has mandated that the CDC, USDA, and Department of the Interior, which oversees wildlife, work on strengthening “federal coordination and collaboration on threats related to diseases that can spread between animals and people,” Colin Basler, the deputy director of CDC’s One Health Office, wrote in an email statement. A new, deadly canine disease would almost certainly leave experts scrambling to respond, in some way. And in that scramble, pet owners could be left in a temporary information vacuum, worrying about the health of their little cold-nosed, four-legged creatures. The specifics of any pandemic story depend on the disease—how fast it moves, how it sickens and kills, and how quickly—but in almost any scenario it’s easy to imagine the moment when someone fears for their pet and doesn’t know what help will come, and how soon.

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    Caroline Mimbs Nyce

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  • South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung stabbed, local media reports

    South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung stabbed, local media reports

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    South Korean opposition party leader Lee Jae-myung was attacked on Tuesday while talking to reporters in the port city of Busan, Yonhap news agency reported.

    Images aired on South Korean television channels showed Lee on the ground as someone pressed a handkerchief on his neck.

    Video on social media appeared to show a man wearing a blue paper crown lunging at Lee and hitting him with something in the neck as Lee was speaking to a crowd of reporters. Lee then appeared to collapse as multiple people, including cameramen, crowded around him.

    In videos shared on social media, the crown the attacker was wearing appeared to read, “I’m Lee Jae-myung,” according to The Associated Press.

    One witness told a local television station the attacker told Lee he was a supporter and that he wanted his autograph, AP reported. He then used a knife-like weapon and stabbed Lee in the neck, the witness said, according to AP.

    Lee was conscious as he was taken to hospital, and the unidentified assailant was arrested at the scene, Yonhap reported.

    Busan’s emergency office said Lee was visiting the construction site of a new airport, AP reported.

    Chief of the Democratic Party, Lee lost to conservative Yoon Suk Yeol in a tight presidential race last year.

    President Yoon expressed “deep concern” about the attack, his spokesperson said.

    A former child factory worker who suffered an industrial accident as a teenage school drop-out, Lee rose to political stardom partly by playing up his rags-to-riches tale.

    But his bid for the top office has been overshadowed by a string of scandals.

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  • South Korean opposition leader stabbed in neck, rushed to hospital

    South Korean opposition leader stabbed in neck, rushed to hospital

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    DEVELOPING STORY,

    Lee Jae-myung was attacked as he spoke to reporters during a visit to the southeastern port city of Busan.

    South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung has been rushed to hospital after he was stabbed in the neck during a visit to the southeastern port city of Busan.

    Lee, who heads the main opposition Democratic Party, was stabbed on the left side of his neck during a question and answer session with journalists on Tuesday morning, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported.

    Citing witnesses, it said the suspect had approached Lee for an autograph and pretending to be a supporter. He then attacked him with a weapon that was between 20 and 30 centimetres (7.9 – 11.8 inches) long.

    The unidentified man was arrested at the scene, the agency added.

    Pictures in South Korean media showed Lee lying on his back on the ground with his eyes closed, as officials crowded around him and one pressed a cloth against his neck.

    Yonhap said the politician was bleeding, but remained conscious.

    Lee, who had earlier toured the site of a new airport under construction on Busan’s Gadeok Island, ran for the presidency in 2022, but lost out to conservative Yoon Suk-yeol.

    Yoon said Tuesday’s attack was unacceptable and called for an immediate and thorough investigation.

    Born into a poor farming family, Lee entered politics when was elected mayor of Seongnam, a satellite city of Seoul, in 2010. He worked in a factory to put himself through night school and become a human rights lawyer.

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  • Kim gifting Mercedes cars to pals – and no one knows how he's getting them

    Kim gifting Mercedes cars to pals – and no one knows how he's getting them

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    KIM Jong-un is said to be giving top end Mercedes cars to members of his inner circle – but no one knows how he is getting them.

    The North Korean dictator clearly isn’t short of cash despite ruling over an impoverished nation as he has been splashing out on a slew of fancy cars.

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    Cabinet Premier Kim Tok Hun seen arriving for a meeting in a stretch Mercedes limo on December 27, 2023Credit: KCTV
    South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ride in a car parade in September 2018 in Pyongyang

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    South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ride in a car parade in September 2018 in PyongyangCredit: Getty
    Kim drives off after a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in September 2023

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    Kim drives off after a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in September 2023Credit: AP

    The purchases would make him in breach of UN sanctions.

    Kim, 39, has recently been seen riding around in four new foreign vehicles, including an armoured Mercedes Maybach S560 sedan, which would cost at least £179,000, other luxury Mercedes-Benz, Lexus SUVs and Ford vans, according to the Seoul-based NK News.

    He has also been seen in a Rolls-Royce Phantom, in the past.

    Mystery though surrounds just how Kim managed to get his hands on the vehicles and into North Korea.

    The country has been restricted by severe United Nations sanctions in an attempt to curb the escalation of the communist regime’s nuclear weapons and missile programme.

    Despite those sanctions, the regime has been able to smuggle in luxury items, including flash watches, designer bags and clothes as well as expensive alcohol, all enjoyed by Kim and his Pyongyang cronies.

    Japanese cops last week foiled an attempt to smuggle a $70,000 Lexus into North Korea via Bangladesh, according to the Asahi Shimbun.

    Police reportedly raided a car dealer who had allegedly claimed that Singapore was the vehicle’s final destination, breaking the Japanese Customs Act.

    Despite huge swathes of the country in poverty and going hungry, Kim likes to show off his wealth and his liking for expensive, flashy items, including yachts, jet skis as well as fancy, high-end cars.

    In 2018, he put on a grand show of riding to a historic meeting with the South Korean president in a black Mercedes limousine, flanked by a dozen bodyguards jogging along side.

    Last weekend, state TV channel KCTV showed footage of Kim arriving in a new S650 sedan at the National Meeting of Mothers, where he gave a speech stating the importance of having children and bringing them up to love the regime, according to NK News.

    Accompanying him was a convoy of Lexus and Toyota SUVs, some of which had been fitted out with new police lights and other emblems.

    Despite the US and its allies carrying out surveillance operations to try to prevent sanction breaches, luxury cars and other top-end goods appear regularly in the country.

    It’s thought a new route used by Russian cargo ships heading to North Korea’s Rason, on the country’s northeast coast, is thought to be facilitating the latest shipments.

    What you get for your money

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    What you get for your money

    According to a 2019 report by the Washington-based Centre for Advanced Defence Studies, Pyongyang’s ability to smuggle vehicles through China, South Korea and Japan showed how it was also able to supply its nuclear weapons programme.

    The centre said last week it had identified 17 vessels registered to Pacific nations that it believed were linked to “illicit” North Korean oil supply chains.

    Kim is surrounded by a dozen security guards during talks in 2018 with South Korea

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    Kim is surrounded by a dozen security guards during talks in 2018 with South KoreaCredit: AFP or licensors
    Even North Korean cops drive around in Mercedes

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    Even North Korean cops drive around in MercedesCredit: Getty

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    Jon Rogers

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  • 2024 is the ‘year of globetrotting,’ travel expert says. Here are some of the hot spots

    2024 is the ‘year of globetrotting,’ travel expert says. Here are some of the hot spots

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    Tokyo, Japan.

    Matteo Colombo | DigitalVision | Getty Images

    When it comes to travel abroad, popular destinations like London, Paris and Rome always seem to top the wish list for Americans.

    But many travelers are looking beyond those mainstay cities for trips in 2024. Interest in major Asian hubs, off-the-beaten-path locales in Europe and other areas has surged, experts said.

    “It’s clear that 2024 is shaping up to be the year of globetrotting,” Airbnb wrote last month.

    More from Personal Finance:
    U.S. passport delays have eased — but aren’t yet back to normal
    New Europe travel requirement delayed again, to 2025
    A controversial hack to save on plane tickets carries a ‘super big risk’

    Broadly, overseas travel is hot: Searches for international flights are up 13% year-over-year, even though prices are about 10% higher, according to Steve Hafner, CEO of Kayak, a travel website.

    “Americans are looking to go abroad,” Hafner said. “They’ve done the domestic stuff the last couple years.”

    Here are the trending destinations for Americans in 2024.  

    1. Asia takes the crown again

    Hong Kong

    Kanchisa Thitisukthanapong | Moment | Getty Images

    Americans flocked to the Asia-Pacific region in 2023 — and that love affair is poised to continue in the new year.

    Tokyo and Seoul, South Korea, respectively rank as the No. 1 and 2 trending international hot spots next year among U.S.-based travelers, according to travel app Hopper.

    Kayak data shows a similar trend. Its top five hot spots are in Asia: Hong Kong; Shanghai; Taipei City, the capital of Taiwan; Tokyo; and Osaka, Japan, respectively.

    For example, searches for Hong Kong and Shanghai are up 355% and 216%, respectively, year-over-year, according to Kayak. (The travel site analyzed search traffic among Americans from March 16 to Sept. 15 this year, for travel planned in 2024, and compared it to the same period last year.)

    Kyoto, Japan

    Sw Photography | Stone | Getty Images

    Japan also ranks highly among non-U.S. travelers: Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo are among the top 24 worldwide destinations next year, according to Airbnb data.

    Asian nations were among the slowest to ease border closures related to the Covid-19 pandemic. Now that they’re open again, tourists are unleashing a pent-up wanderlust, experts said.

    “People couldn’t travel there, and now they are making it up,” said Sofia Markovich, a travel advisor and founder of Sofia’s Travel.

    China reopened its borders in January 2023, “one of the last places” to do so, Hafner said.

    Japan reopened to tourists starting in June 2022. There are other factors driving increased interest to that nation, like a historically strong U.S. dollar relative to the Japanese yen (and other currencies), which gives Americans additional buying power, and more flights from budget airlines, Hafner said.

    Search traffic for Japan has more than tripled for trips during the first nine months of 2024 relative to the same period in 2023 — a larger increase than any other nation, Airbnb said.

    Americans are looking to go abroad. They’ve done the domestic stuff the last couple years.

    Historically, Tokyo has “hands down” been the most popular city for Americans to visit in Asia, said Hayley Berg, lead economist at Hopper. Now, demand is “even greater” than usual, she said.

    Tourists may also pay a hefty premium to fly to Asia next year: “Good deal” prices for airfare to the continent is $1,204 for 2024, on average — 45% more than 2019, a much larger increase relative to other continents, according to Hopper.

    2. Going off the beaten path in Europe

    Stockholm, Sweden.

    Leonardo Patrizi | E+ | Getty Images

    Overcrowding in the traditional European hubs is driving an influx of tourists to generally less-frequented areas, experts said.  

    For example, Stockholm, Sweden; Budapest, Hungary; Helsinki, Finland; and Prague, Czech Republic, respectively rank seventh to 10th on Kayak’s list of trending destinations abroad.

    Copenhagen, Denmark, is No. 4 on Hopper’s 2024 hot spot ranking. Prague and Edinburgh, Scotland, are No. 7 and No. 8, respectively.

    “People are really discovering the off-the-beaten path places,” Markovich said. “Because your Paris and your Rome and London and Barcelona are just too crowded. And experienced travelers want to get away from that.”

    She recommends “a lot” of Scandinavian travel since it’s “so unspoiled by overtourism.”

    The Salisbury Crags in Holyrood Park, Edinburgh, Scotland.

    Andrew Merry | Moment | Getty Images

    Additionally, Finland became a member of the NATO military alliance in 2023, driving more awareness of the nation among Americans, Kayak’s Hafner said.

    Cities like Budapest and Prague have always been popular but not to the extent of some European tourist magnets, Markovich said.

    One of those typical magnets — Paris — is poised for an additional burst this year: The City of Light is hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics.

    The business behind budget airlines like Ryanair and Spirit

    Demand for flights to Paris — and for nearby cities — during the Olympics has more than doubled versus this time last year, according to Hopper data.

    Lower relative prices for some lesser-known spots in Europe are also likely attracting people, Berg said, especially since average flights to Europe overall are 5% more expensive in 2024 versus 2023, at $717, Hopper data shows.

    3. The Atlantic tropics over the Caribbean

    Tenerife, the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands.

    Faba-photograhpy | Moment | Getty Images

    Although places like Cancun, Mexico, remain popular as warm-weather beach destinations, Americans are increasingly turning to Atlantic tropical vacations over the Caribbean, said Hopper’s Berg.

    “This is something new this year that we started seeing emerge” and the trend “will definitely continue” in 2024, she said.

    For example, Tenerife, the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands, and Funchal, the capital of Portugal’s Madeira archipelago, ranked No. 9 and 10, respectively, on Hopper’s international trend list. Both are located off the West African coast.

    People are really discovering the off-the-beaten path places.

    Sofia Markovich

    travel advisor

    Though not on the Atlantic, Málaga, a Mediterranean port city on the Costa del Sol in southern Spain, ranked sixth on Kayak’s list. The Andalusian city gets about 300 days of sunshine a year, on average, and, according to one recent report, is the No. 1 city in the world for expats.

    Search interest there is up 60% year-over-year, Kayak data shows. And that’s following a year in which Málaga was already “overrun,” Hafner said.

    “I think that word has gotten out,” he said.

    4. Canada’s ski mountains are having a ‘renaissance’

    A ski slope at Grouse Mountain in Vancouver, Canada.

    Daisuke Kishi | Moment Open | Getty Images

    Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal in Canada ranked third, fifth and sixth, respectively, on Hopper’s international trend list for 2024.

    Winter tourism likely plays a big role, Berg said.

    “We’ve seen a real renaissance of Canadian ski destinations,” she said. “They’re rivaling a lot of European ski destinations.”

    Plus, air travel to Canada is generally about a third of the price of a trip to Europe, Berg added.

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  • High Korean Bitcoin Premiums Signal Strong Retail Investor Activity: CryptoQuant

    High Korean Bitcoin Premiums Signal Strong Retail Investor Activity: CryptoQuant

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    CryptoQuant’s recent analysis points to an interesting trend in the crypto market, specifically the overheating of the Korean premium.

    The high values of the Korean premium are interpreted by the on-chain intelligence firm as a potential indicator of strong buying pressure from Korean retail investors.

    While a high Korean premium might be interpreted as a sign of bullish sentiment, this index is also frequently used to identify potential price tops.

    Overheated Korean Bitcoin Market

    The Korea Premium Index (KPI) holds significant importance as a key indicator for tracking changes in the cryptocurrency landscape. This index, gauging the ‘Kimchi Premium,’ offers valuable perspectives into market sentiment within South Korea, a notably active player in the global cryptocurrency markets.

    A higher KPI signals a bullish sentiment, indicating increased buying pressure that drives crypto prices higher on South Korean exchanges compared to international platforms. On the other hand, a lower KPI reflects a bearish market sentiment, suggesting diminished buying pressure and the potential for heightened selling activity.

    However, it is also important to understand that the Korea Premium Index is also used to identify price tops. CryptoQuant detailed that this is done with the help of two key factors: immediate access to cash for coin purchases on exchanges by Koreans and the prevalent Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) hype in the market.

    Notably, the current 14-day moving average for the Korean Premium Index mirrors the levels observed during the peak of the Bitcoin price cycle in the fourth quarter of 2021. This historical parallel raises questions about whether the current market conditions could lead to a similar outcome.

    “We are very curious to see if the Korean Premium Index will provide important clues to price tops this time too.”

    South Korean Traders Spark Surge in Volume

    South Korea has emerged as one of the most important contributors to the unexpected surge in digital asset market volume in the latter part of the year. In November alone, their market share surged to approximately 13%, representing a substantial leap from the 5.2% recorded at the beginning of the year in January.

    Chung Hochan, the Head of Marketing at CryptoQuant, attributed it to the notable absence of a futures market catering to retail investors in South Korea. This absence has spurred retail investors in the country to actively explore significant leverage opportunities within the crypto market, with a particular focus on altcoins.

    The heightened interest and engagement in altcoins, fueled by the absence of futures trading options, have played a pivotal role in the remarkable expansion of the altcoin market, setting it apart from other traditional investment assets.

    SPECIAL OFFER (Sponsored)

    Binance Free $100 (Exclusive): Use this link to register and receive $100 free and 10% off fees on Binance Futures first month (terms).

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  • Stock Futures Rise, Dollar Weakens in Thin Trading: Markets Wrap

    Stock Futures Rise, Dollar Weakens in Thin Trading: Markets Wrap

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    (Bloomberg) — US equity futures edged higher while the dollar extended losses as trading resumed after the Christmas holiday amid investor expectations for earlier and deep interest rate cuts next year.

    Most Read from Bloomberg

    Stocks in Asia were mixed in a thin trading session with markets including Hong Kong, New Zealand and Australia shut. Emerging Asian currencies rose, with South Korea’s won and Taiwan dollar leading gains against a weak dollar that fell to its lowest level in almost five months.

    Some on Wall Street are positioning for further stock gains ahead as the session kicked off the start of the “Santa Claus rally” — a seasonal trend where equities tend to climb into the first few days of the new year. The S&P 500 notched an eight-week winning run on Friday — the longest in more than five years on signs price pressures in the US were easing. Ten-year US Treasury yields slid two basis points to 3.88%.

    “As for emerging markets in Asia, ‘silent night’ says much, given that there isn’t particularly inspired trading, with Wall Street equivocating ahead of Christmas,” said Vishnu Varathan, head of economics and strategy at Mizuho Bank. “It looks like a case of averting the China drag and hanging on to earlier Santa rallies being the best case for Boxing day – boxing in risks.”

    Stocks fell in mainland China, with the benchmark CSI 300 Index headed for its first drop in four sessions, as investor sentiment remains weak even after the authorities softened their stance following a move last week to tighten curbs on the videogame industry.

    Elsewhere, Singapore dollar was little changed after core inflation edged lower in November, giving the central bank room to extend its monetary-policy pause next month to support the economy.

    Japan’s auction of two-year sovereign debt saw tepid investor appetite, sending a gauge of demand to the weakest in a year, amid speculation the central bank will end negative interest rates in 2024. Its labor market remained relatively tight in November, keeping pressure on employers to boost wages in order to fill positions.

    The benchmark Topix index traded within tight ranges after Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda’s speech on Monday that suggested he’s in no hurry to end the ultra-easy monetary policy.

    “With the Nikkei 225 at high levels, year-end selling to lock in profits and losses is likely to weigh on the upside,” says Hideyuki Ishiguro, senior strategist at Nomura Asset Management.

    In the corporate world, Chinese gaming shares outperformed the benchmark after a number of companies announced plans to repurchase their shares following news of the latest government curbs on the sector. Cathie Wood last week made her first purchase of shares in LY Corp. in over a year, indicating a possible shift toward more positive sentiment on the operator of Yahoo! Japan and popular messaging app Line.

    Iron ore futures hit $140 a ton, highest in 18 months as traders keep a close eye on China’s steel outlook for the next year. Oil rose slightly after posting the largest weekly gain in more than two months, with shipping disruptions in the Red Sea in focus after a spate of Houthi attacks against vessels in the vital waterway.

    Geopolitical tensions still remain front of investors minds into the new year as tensions in the Middle East look set to increase. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said Israel will pay a price for killing a senior commander of its Revolutionary Guard in air strike in Damascus on Monday. The US accused Iran at the weekend of an attack on a tanker in the Indian Ocean.

    READ: Israel Sees Defense Spending Climbing $8 Billion as War Rages

    US Growth Resilience

    Global markets have been buoyed in recent months as traders bet major central banks including the Federal Reserve will aggressively cut interest rates next year as inflation falls. Bond yields have tumbled while the S&P 500 is nearing a fresh record.

    Data released last week showed signs of resilience in US growth while the Fed’s preferred underlying inflation metric barely rose in November. Additional reports Friday showed consumers were also gaining conviction that inflation in the world’s largest economy was on the right track despite a bumpy housing market recovery.

    That helped cement investor expectations for earlier and deeper interest rate cuts next year, despite pushback from several Fed policymakers. Swaps traders are betting interest rates will be eased by more than 150 basis points in 2024, double the Fed’s forecast.

    Read more: Fed’s Preferred Inflation Gauges Cool, Reinforcing Rate-Cut Tilt

    Key events this week:

    • BOJ releases summery of opinions from December meeting, Wednesday

    • China industrial profits, Wednesday

    • Norway retail sales, Wednesday

    • Japan industrial production, Thursday

    • South Korea industrial production, Thursday

    • Thailand trade, Thursday

    • Mexico unemployment, Thursday

    • Bank of Portugal releases quarterly report on banking system, Thursday

    • South Korea CPI, Friday

    • Spain CPI, Friday

    • UK nationwide house prices, Friday

    • Brazil unemployment, Friday

    • Chile unemployment, Friday

    • Colombia unemployment, Friday

    Some moves in major markets:

    Stocks

    • S&P 500 futures rose 0.1% as of 6:30 a.m. London time

    • The Shanghai Composite fell 0.7%

    • Nasdaq 100 futures rose 0.3%

    • Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was little changed

    Currencies

    • The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index fell 0.1%

    • The euro rose 0.2% to $1.1025

    • The Japanese yen was little changed at 142.25 per dollar

    • The offshore yuan was little changed at 7.1467 per dollar

    • The Australian dollar rose 0.3% to $0.6816

    • The British pound rose 0.1% to $1.2707

    Cryptocurrencies

    • Bitcoin fell 2% to $42,674.63

    • Ether fell 1.9% to $2,229.68

    Bonds

    • The yield on 10-year Treasuries declined two basis points to 3.88%

    • Japan’s 10-year yield advanced two basis points to 0.630%

    • Australia’s 10-year yield was unchanged at 4.01%

    Commodities

    • West Texas Intermediate crude rose 0.3% to $73.75 a barrel

    • Spot gold rose 0.5% to $2,064.35 an ounce

    This story was produced with the assistance of Bloomberg Automation.

    –With assistance from Akemi Terukina.

    Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

    ©2023 Bloomberg L.P.

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  • The Bequeathed Trailer Reveals Netflix’s Upcoming Thriller Series

    The Bequeathed Trailer Reveals Netflix’s Upcoming Thriller Series

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    The Bequeathed trailer reveals the upcoming Korean thriller series, in which ominous events begin to unfold once a family’s burial ground is passed down. The project hails from Yeon Sang-ho, who directed Train to Busan and created the hit Netflix series Hellbound.

    Check out The Bequeathed trailer below (watch more trailers):

    What’s The Bequeathed about, when does it premiere, and who is in it?

    The Bequeathed debuts globally on January 19. It centers on Seo-ha (Kim Hyun-joo). She receives sudden word that her uncle, her father’s younger brother, has died. She inherits the family gravesite, given that she’s his only remaining relative. But things get complicated when her half-brother Young-ho (Ryu Kyung-soo) approaches her. He argues for his share of the estate. Days later, cops arrive to investigate a series of mysterious murders that occur nearby.

    Kim Hyun-joo‘s other credits include Hellbound, Undercover, and Watcher. Ryu Kyung-soo is known for Glitch, Hellbound, Broker. The cast also includes Park Hee-soon (A Model Family, My Name) as the police detective Choi Seong-jun. Park Byung-eun (Kingdom, Eve) also stars as Choi’s younger colleague and the squad chief.

    The series is co-created by Min Hong-nam, Hwang Eun-young, and Yeon. It’s based on the webtoon of the same title written by Kang Tae-kyung and illustrated by Jonoon and Rido. The Bequeathed is produced by Wow Point and RedPeter Films (Peninsula, Another Child, Psychokinesis, Train to Busan).

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    Abdullah Al-Ghamdi

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  • US warns North Korea against nuclear attacks

    US warns North Korea against nuclear attacks

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    WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States has warned North Korea that any nuclear attack against the nation or its allies “is unacceptable and will result in the end of the (Kim Jong) Un regime,” a joint US-South Korean statement said on Saturday.

    “The U.S. side reiterated that any nuclear attack by the DPRK against the ROK will be met with a swift, overwhelming, and decisive response,” the statement said.

    The second U.S.-Republic of Korea Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) convened in Washington on Friday for talks on nuclear deterrence as part of a commitment by the two countries to share more insight into planning in the event of conflict with North Korea. Pyongyang has developed and tested a range of ballistic missiles that can reach targets in South Korea, Japan and the U.S. mainland.

    Kim Tae-hyo, South Korea’s deputy national security adviser said on Friday that North Korea may test-launch an intercontinental ballistic missile this month, which was considered a nuclear threat regardless of its range because it can carry a nuclear warhead.

    The third NCG will be convened in Korea next summer.

    (Reporting By Lucia Mutikani and Steve Holland; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Diane Craft)

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  • 'World's sexiest footballer' Cho Gue-sung: 'I get chased down the street in Korea now'

    'World's sexiest footballer' Cho Gue-sung: 'I get chased down the street in Korea now'

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    There can’t be many footballers who have gone from playing for a military team to the cover of Vogue in a few months.

    But that’s just one of the ways South Korean striker Cho Gue-sung’s life has changed in the last year or so.

    Last year was a decent one for Cho. He joined Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, one of Korea’s top teams, in 2020 but took a while to find his feet. He had been a defensive midfielder until only a few years before, moving up front to take better advantage of his 6ft 2in (188cm) height and pace, but he was still relatively young in the position.

    As Korean players sometimes do, he used his mandatory period of military service as a bit of a reset, and to help improve his physical condition. He joined Gimcheon Sangmu — a team comprised of players on military service that was in the second tier at the time — on loan from Jeonbuk, where he rediscovered his form and started scoring goals again, which helped them win promotion.

    He earned a call-up to the national team too and, by the latter half of the year, he had returned to his parent club, finished as joint-top scorer in the K League 1 (level with Joo Min-kyu) and established himself as one of the main forward options for South Korea as the World Cup in Qatar approached.


    Cho in action at the World Cup last year (Khalil Bashar/Jam Media/Getty Images)

    Even then, though, he was relatively low-key — “insignificant”, in his own words, mainly known by Korean football fans but not too many beyond that.

    But then came the World Cup, and everything was different.

    “There have been so many changes in the last year,” Cho, 25, tells The Athletic now, employing considerable understatement. “But I have enjoyed them.”

    In Qatar, Cho was brought into the South Korea team for their second game, against Ghana, and he scored twice despite his team losing 3-2. But it was during the first game against Uruguay — in which he only played 16 minutes as a substitute — when the madness began.

    go-deeper

    That’s when people started to notice that he was, for want of a more elegant phrase, smoking hot. Shots of him sitting on the sidelines and warming up went around social media at pace, proving that if the internet is good at nothing else, it’s disseminating images of very attractive people.

    TikTok was flooded with clips celebrating his beauty, videos of Cho doing such outrageously saucy things as walking down the side of a football pitch and sitting with his arms folded. It didn’t seem to matter what he was doing; the internet seemed to find even his most banal activities devastatingly sexy.

    Before the tournament, he had about 20,000 Instagram followers. That shot up to about 1.6million during the World Cup, and peaked at about 2.7m after it. It didn’t seem to matter that he barely posts on it; any images of his broad shoulders and razor cheekbones were worth the follow.


    Cho at a Louis Vuitton show in January (Han Myung-Gu/WireImage)

    The story was that he had to turn his phone off for most of the tournament because dealing with notifications had become a full-time job, although Cho plays that down. “It’s been a bit exaggerated,” he says. “I already turned off my notifications (before the World Cup) so I could focus on the tournament.”

    There was a danger that sudden celebrity and sex-symbol status could interfere with his focus, but Cho claims that the only pressure was self-imposed.

    “There weren’t any obstacles during the World Cup. I was only focusing on football. I usually don’t care about people’s high expectations, but I put a lot of pressure on myself, which became a bit of a burden.”

    Cho enamoured himself yet more to the watching public by briskly telling off Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo for not departing the pitch quickly enough when substituted in their final group game.

    South Korea got through the groups but were knocked out in the round of 16, losing 4-1 to Brazil. Their World Cup was over, but things were only just beginning for Cho.

    He became just the fifth man and the second sportsperson to ever appear on the cover of Vogue Korea, shot in moody black and white, holding a football but having carelessly forgotten to put a shirt on. His celebrity skyrocketed.

    He was sought after for TV appearances, guesting on a Korean show called I Live Alone, which is designed to go behind the scenes of a celebrity’s life and is, apparently, not as bleak as its title suggests, and also the popular quiz show You Quiz on the Block.

    He reached the level of celebrity where his personal grooming choices caused great furore. In September, pictures of his hair in cornrows sparked a lengthy internet debate. A poll saw him voted him the second-most desirable Korean male celebrity, behind only actor Song Kang. And, of course, speculation about his personal life became rampant, with a spike in stories linking him with assorted models and celebrities during and after the World Cup.

    Cho seemed to deal with all of this relatively well, even though he did occasionally find it quite alarming. South Korea played a couple of games in the UK in September, and he couldn’t escape the attention there either.

    “Since I became more famous, many people have recognised me. People were even recognising me when I travelled to London with the national team — that was really surprising.”


    The forward celebrates scoring against Ghana at the World Cup (Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

    Not so surprising is being spotted out and about back home, but it sounds like he’s in ‘causing a minor riot in a local coffee shop’ territory, even when he tries to go out in disguise. “When I am back in Korea, I wear a hat and a mask but people still recognise me,” he says. “One time, people started chasing me down the street. That was crazy.”

    Thirsty members of the public weren’t the only people chasing him. After his goals for Jeonbuk and his performances in Qatar, the offers from people who wanted him for his goals rather than his looks came flooding in.

    Cho, though, took his time. “In the winter transfer window, there were many offers from a lot of different clubs, but I waited until the summer. There were several unofficial offers, from England and Scotland. But once I made my decision, I stuck with it.”

    Leicester City, Watford and Celtic were said to be among the many teams interested but, in the end, he made the perhaps slightly surprising choice to sign for Midtjylland in Denmark, who picked him up for a relatively modest £2.6million ($3.27m).

    It’s tempting to wonder if he picked Denmark because, after his explosion of celebrity and inability to walk down the street without causing an incident back home, it is slightly more understated in terms of attention.

    He says that wasn’t a factor, though. “I wasn’t afraid of the media attention, but I only wanted to focus on football. I wanted a club where I would start in every game. I was sure that Midtjylland could offer me that. Midtjylland was the most interested, so that’s why I picked them.”

    Luckily, he knows a few people who have been in similar situations who can offer him advice on how to deal with the sudden fame. Regardless of how well-known Cho becomes because of his looks, it’s unlikely he will reach the god-like status of his international captain Son Heung-min.

    Cho has benefited from a mentor, too — another countryman who became an icon in South Korea and was faced with the delicate decision of choosing the right club when moving to Europe.

    “Park Ji-sung is a director of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, my old club,” Cho says. “He didn’t give me advice in terms of how to deal with fame, but he gave me a lot of advice about moving to Europe, about building a new life there. He told me to choose a team where I knew I would play, because that’s what he did when he moved to PSV Eindhoven.”

    It looks like Cho made a shrewd choice. Midtjylland are top of the Danish Superliga as they break for the winter, and he has eight goals in 16 league games.

    Who knows whether his footballing achievements will ever quite square with his levels of fame, but Cho doesn’t seem to be overthinking it.

    “I consider how I lead my everyday life and being happy now, rather than looking to the future. I don’t think about that yet.”

    (Top photo: Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images)

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    The New York Times

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  • U.S. F-16 fighter jet crashes off South Korea, pilot ejects and is rescued

    U.S. F-16 fighter jet crashes off South Korea, pilot ejects and is rescued

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    A U.S. F-16 fighter jet crashed Monday off South Korea during a routine training exercise after experiencing “an in-flight emergency,” the U.S. military said, adding the pilot ejected and was rescued.

    The incident involving an F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 8th Fighter Wing happened early Monday over the Yellow Sea, the U.S. Air Force said in a statement.

    “The pilot ejected the aircraft. The pilot has been recovered by Republic of Korea Maritime Forces, awake and in stable condition,” the statement said, adding he would be evaluated further back at base.

    “We are grateful for the safe recovery of our Airman by our ROK Allies and that the pilot is in good condition,” said Col. Matthew C. Gaetke, the 8th Fighter Wing’s commander, according to the statement.

    The USAF said the cause of the in-flight emergency was unknown.

    “The incident will be thoroughly investigated,” it said, adding that the pilot’s name and further word on his condition wouldn’t be released.

    South Korea’s defense ministry declined to comment.

    In May, a U.S. F-16 jet crashed during a routine training exercise in a farming area south of Seoul, South Korea. The pilot ejected safely and the accident caused no other casualties.

    Washington is Seoul’s most important security ally and has about 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea to help protect it from nuclear-armed North Korea.

    In neighboring Japan, the U.S. military announced last week that it was grounding its fleet of V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft following a deadly crash that killed eight U.S. airmen.

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  • U.S. Fighter Jet Crashes in Sea off South Korea

    U.S. Fighter Jet Crashes in Sea off South Korea

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    An American F-16 fighter jet crashed into the Yellow Sea off the southwestern coast of South Korea during a training exercise on Monday.

    The crash was first reported by South Korea’s news agency Yonhap. It comes as separate recovery efforts remain underway after another U.S. Air Force aircraft crashed off Japan’s coast last month.

    The unidentified F-16 pilot ejected from the aircraft before the crash and was recovered by South Korean maritime forces “awake and in stable condition,” said a statement released by the U.S. Air Force’s 8th Fighter Wing, which was in charge of the jet. 

    “We are grateful for the safe recovery of our Airman by our ROK Allies and that the pilot is in good condition,” Col. Matthew C. Gaetke, commander of the 8th Fighter Wing, said in the statement, using the acronym for the Republic of Korea. 

    According to the U.S. military, the pilot is being returned to Kunsan Air Base in South Korea, where he will receive further evaluation, though authorities said that neither his name nor details about his condition would be released. 

    The cause of the accident was not immediately known but would be “thoroughly investigated,” the U.S. Air Force statement said, adding that the further details will only be shared when the investigation is concluded. 

    South Korean authorities have not commented on the crash.

    The incident on Monday comes less than two weeks after a U.S. Osprey aircraft crashed off the coast of Japan, killing all eight crew members on board. Seven bodies have been recovered as of Sunday. In May, another F-16 crashed into farmland near South Korea’s Osan Air Base during a routine training exercise. That pilot also ejected safely and no civilian casualties were reported.

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    Koh Ewe

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  • US F-16 fighter jet crashes during training flight in South Korea

    US F-16 fighter jet crashes during training flight in South Korea

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    A US fighter jet has reportedly crashed during a training in South Korea.

    The pilot reportedly ejected before the F-16 fighter jet crashed.

    1

    A US Air Force F-16 fighter jet has reportedly crashed during a training exerciseCredit: Getty

    Reuters reported that the crash occurred near the US Air Force base in Gunsan, citing Yonhap news agency.

    The single-engine jet reportedly crashed into the Yellow Sea.

    The nature of the crash wasn’t immediately known.

    It is unclear if anyone else was on board the jet.

    The U.S. Sun has reached out to the Gunsan Air Force base for comment.

    The base is located at the Gunsan Airport, about 3 hours and 15 minutes south of Seoul.

    Gunsan Airport lies on the western coast of South Korea.

    Osan Air Base is the other major base in South Korea.

    The earliest version of the jet, the F-16A, was introduced in 1979.

    There have since been several other models.

    As of September 2021, the US Air Force had a total inventory of 1,017 F-16C/D fighter jets, according to its website.

    It is not yet clear what model was being flown by the pilot involved in the crash.

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    Caitlin Hornik

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  • I'm Addicted To Squid Game: The Challenge

    I'm Addicted To Squid Game: The Challenge

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    When Hwang Dong-hyuk’s Squid Game debuted on Netflix in 2021, it took the world by storm, literally. The story follows 456 financially struggling competitors – especially gambling addict Seong Gi-hun – who use strategy and luck to compete in common South Korean children’s games for 456 billion won 45.6 (that’s $38.2 million USD). The twist? If you fail a game, you die, and only one person can win.

    Squid Game quickly became the platform’s most-watched series – nominated for 14 Primetime Emmys. And actors O-Yeong Su, Lee Jung-Jae, and HoYeon Jung received SAG and Golden Globe awards for their performances. Despite being a fully-subtitled show, it had such a cultural impact that Mr. Beast created his own live Squid Games (sans death)…and then, Netflix of course couldn’t resist releasing Squid Game: The Challenge.

    456 contestants come together to compete for $4.56 million reward in iconic challenges like Red Light-Green Light, carving a shape out of dalgona (honeycomb candy) without cracking it, marbles, and jumping over the Glass Bridge. It’s the largest cash prize in gameshow history, enough to make people do the unthinkable. And while I wasn’t sold at first, the controversy surrounding the show is enough to get me to tune in.

    Controversy Behind Squid Game: The Challenge

    Now that players have been eliminated from the games, we’re getting the bigger picture of what went on during production. Contestants reported eating under 1,000 calories per day, which makes sense considering the one meal we saw them eat was a leftover-sized container of rice and egg. Temperatures were so cold that one contestant suffered from hypothermia, while others were using lubricated condoms in lieu of chapstick.

    The iconic green tracksuit uniforms (which must be returned to producers after elimination) were not enough to keep the competitors warm, especially during Red Light-Green Light…where they filmed over
    nine hours, staying frozen in place for up to 45 minutes at a time. Time goes much quicker when you watch, which is why one contestant caught fire for not being able to hold a squat (now we know she is a modern-day warrior.)

    @curiouslymedia What it was ACTUALLY like being on Squid Game: The Challenge #squidgame #squidgamethechallenge #netflix #reallifesquidgame ♬ original sound – Curiously

    The editing of the show itself has caused its own issues. And thanks to social media, contestants are sharing their own version of
    Squid Game: The Challenge. While a series villain like Ashley may have appeared selfish for refusing to step forward during Glass Bridge for Trey, reports have indicated that Trey blindly jumped tiles on his own accord.

    It’s a dystopian show – inherently creepy in its message that people will quash any natural, nurturing instincts just to achieve financial freedom. You slowly watch these people go insane, building mistrust amongst themselves and against the producers, the all-knowing Big Brother voice, and eerily always-in-character guards. And now that we’re taking a peek into what it’s like inside the Games, you can understand how someone would lose their mind.

    I can confirm that this gameshow is the ultimate entertainment for viewers, and the controversy behind the conditions only fuel the fire. This show has everything: betrayal, likable characters, despicable characters, and moments that will make you hold your breath and scream at your television like it’s the Super Bowl.

    Who Will Win Squid Game: The Challenge?

    It’s the season finale of the games tonight, December 6, when we find out which of the three finalists – Player 287, Mai; Player 451, Phill; or Player 16, Sam – will win the coveted cash prize.

    It’s also been reported that the show has been renewed for a second season, so you know we’ll be tuning in.

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    Jai Phillips

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  • North Korea’s Kim calls for military readiness against any provocations

    North Korea’s Kim calls for military readiness against any provocations

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    SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for the military’s readiness to respond to any provocation by enemies, state media said on Friday, after Pyongyang vowed to deploy stronger armed forces and new weapons on its border with the South.

    Visiting the air force headquarters on Thursday to mark the country’s air men day, Kim rolled out operational strategic guidelines to improve the military’s readiness and war capabilities, KCNA news agency said.

    The visit was followed by a stop at a fighter wing where the pilots staged an air show, it said.

    “(Kim) highly evaluated the pilots’ tight readiness to perform air combat missions without a glitch regardless of any unfavourable settings,” KCNA said.

    North Korea last week successfully launched its first reconnaissance satellite, which it has said was designed to monitor U.S. and South Korean military movements.

    The United States and its allies have strongly condemned the launch as a violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions. Pyongyang has said it would launch more satellites, calling it an exercise of a right to self-defence.

    South Korea has suspended part of an inter-Korean military deal in response to the satellite launch and stepped up surveillance along the heavily fortified border with the North, to which Pyongyang responded by vowing stronger armed forces and new weapons along the border area.

    The United States on Thursday targeted North Korea with fresh sanctions over the satellite launch, designating foreign-based agents it accused of facilitating sanctions evasion.

    (Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi; Editing by Richard Chang)

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  • North Korean Hackers Pose as South Korean Government Officials to Steal Crypto

    North Korean Hackers Pose as South Korean Government Officials to Steal Crypto

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    South Korean law enforcement revealed that hackers from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), also known as North Korea, impersonated government agencies and journalists in South Korea to steal crypto.

    The hackers were said to employ email phishing techniques to carry out the dubious act on unsuspecting victims.

    DPRK Hackers Reportedly Focused on Stealing Crypto

    The South Korean National Police Agency said that North Korean hackers seemed to target people’s crypto assets, stating that the rogue actors stole information from nearly 1,500 victims between March and October 2023, the majority of whom came from the private sector, while about 57 of them were either retired or incumbent government officials.

    According to authorities, the attackers posed as officials from the National Health Insurance, the National Pension Service, the South Korean National Police Agency, and the National Tax Service to send phishing emails with clickbait to recipients.

    The victim’s computer will be infected with malware if they open the scam email or click on an attached file, which enables the hackers to steal personal data and information.

    Furthermore, the police noted that the attackers seized user IDs and profiles belonging to 19 people to gain access to their cryptocurrency trading accounts. While there was no mention of the exact assets that were stolen or their value, South Korean law enforcement said it would double down efforts to combat the illegal cyber activity.

    “The police will work closely with relevant institutions and agencies to continuously track down North Korea’s cyber attacks and breaches to prevent losses.”

    Lazarus Group’s Crypto Stash Valued at Almost $60 Million

    As previously reported by CryptoPotato, North Korean hackers linked to the infamous Lazarus Group were targeting blockchain engineers with a new macOS malware. The hackers used a Python program pretending to be a crypto arbitrage bot to infiltrate their systems.

    Lazarus Group is responsible for some of the biggest hacks in the crypto industry, including the attack on CoinEx resulting in the loss of about $55 million.

    The DPRK-backed hacking group currently holds nearly $60 million worth of cryptocurrencies, with bitcoin (BTC) making up the majority of the stash valued at $56.15 million. Other crypto holdings include ETH, BNB, BUSD, and AAVE.

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    Anthonia Isichei

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