Latest news with #Jeon
Korea Herald
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Korea Herald
K League's top scorer named to S. Korean squad on verge of World Cup qualification
The leading scorer in the South Korean league has earned his first national team call-up with the country on the verge of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Head coach Hong Myung-bo announced his 26-man squad on Monday for the Taegeuk Warriors' two remaining matches in Group B in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualifiers. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors forward Jeon Jin-woo, who is leading the K League 1 with 10 goals this season, made the national team for the first time at age 25. He has never played for any national team in any age group. Thanks to his breakout performance, Jeon was voted the K League 1 Player of the Month for April. Jeon is the only player on this iteration of the team to be called up for the first time, though three players, including FC Midtjylland defender Lee Han-beom, are looking to collect their first cap after receiving call-ups for earlier matches. He is joined by some familiar faces, including captain Son Heung-min, fresh off a UEFA Europa League title with Tottenham Hotspur, and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Lee Kang-in, whose French club will play in the UEFA Champions League final this weekend. Conspicuous by his absence on the backline is Bayern Munich center back Kim Min-jae, a longtime mainstay for South Korea. He has been battling an Achilles injury for most of the season and also missed two World Cup qualifiers in March. South Korea will face Iraq in the southern Iraqi city of Basra at 9:15 p.m. on June 5. Then South Korea will host Kuwait at Seoul World Cup Stadium at 8 p.m. on June 10. South Korea are leading their group with 16 points on four wins and four draws, three points ahead of Jordan. With the top two teams from each group punching their tickets to the World Cup, South Korea can clinch their spot with at least a draw against Iraq. South Korea have played at every World Cup since 1986 in Mexico. They have had three straight 1-1 draws -- against Palestine in November and then against Oman and Jordan in consecutive matches at home in March. With the two recent draws, South Korea missed out on a chance to qualify for the big tournament early in front of home supporters. (Yonhap)
Pink Villa
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
FIFTY FIFTY's agency ATTRAKT loses defamation lawsuit over SBS documentary on group's contract dispute; here's all we know
The Seoul Southern District Court has ruled against Jeon Hong Joon, CEO of the entertainment label ATTRAKT. The case involved a high-profile defamation lawsuit against the investigative television program Unanswered Questions. The lawsuit stemmed from a 2023 broadcast that delved into the internal fallout between the agency and its former girl group, FIFTY FIFTY. The court concluded that the SBS program's report, which aired in August 2023, did not violate defamation laws. Instead, it found that the information presented in the episode was either demonstrably factual or reasonably derived from verified sources and expert interpretation. As a result, the court dismissed Jeon's claim for roughly 220,000 USD in damages and ordered ATTRAKT to cover all legal fees incurred. The episode in question, titled 'Billboard and Girl Groups – Who Clipped Their Wings?', explored the sudden rupture in the relationship between ATTRAKT and FIFTY FIFTY. The group had made waves internationally after their breakout single Cupid maintained a position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for over 21 weeks. The broadcast attracted major attention for its in-depth exploration of what went wrong behind the scenes during the group's unexpected rise to fame. Central to the program were testimonies from former staff members, the members' parents, and industry experts. Many of whom painted a troubling picture of the agency's internal environment. Interviewees described a lack of transparency in financial dealings and absentee leadership during critical training phases. They also reported incidents where food brought by family members was allegedly thrown away without explanation. According to the families, these occurrences contributed to the mental and emotional strain experienced by the idols. Though ATTRAKT publicly rejected these allegations and maintained they were baseless, the court found credibility in the episode's claims. A key factor was the program's reference to missing revenue in financial settlement documents, an issue the agency later admitted had occurred. Furthermore, the court acknowledged that the broadcast relied not only on personal accounts but also on assessments by tax specialists, academic figures, and governmental data. All these added weight to the producers' defense. In addition, the court criticized the agency's unwillingness to engage with the production team. They noted that more than ten formal requests for interviews were made to Jeon and his representatives, all of which were declined. This lack of response weakened the argument that the program failed to present a balanced view. In a noteworthy comment, 'A lack of full fairness or balance in a broadcast alone does not constitute defamation,' the ruling stated. Earlier in March 2024, South Korea's broadcasting watchdog, the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC), issued an official warning to SBS. This followed the airing of the controversial episode. Over 1,100 viewers had submitted complaints, primarily questioning the fairness and tone of the coverage. However, the warning did not carry legal consequences, and the program has remained on air without further sanction.
Korea Herald
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Star lecturer and outspoken advocate of ex-president quits teaching
Popular Korean history lecturer Jeon Han-gil, who gained infamy in recent months for his public support for disgraced ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol, has retired from teaching. The 54-year-old said earlier this month that his entire life had changed since Yoon's ill-fated martial law imposition and his subsequent impeachment. He said related controversy resulted him being expelled from TV shows and losing his friends, while his pupils expressed their disappointment and his wife had mentioned divorce. "I'm stepping down from the podium (as a lecturer) but it's more of a new beginning than a retirement," he said, vowing to engage in media via his personal news website 1 Way News. Jeon started his 26-year teaching career targeting students preparing for college entrance exams, before switching to those cramming for the state-run civil service exam. He had been among the most popular online lecturers here and had largely refrained from politically charged comments, but since last year has increasingly expressed right-wing views. The most contentious comments of Jeon were related to his support of Yoon, his martial law declaration on Dec. 3, and his public mentions of controversial theories about election rigging. He defended Yoon supporter's Jan. 19 attack against Seoul Western District Court — prompted by the court issuing then-president's arrest warrant — and criticized the Constitutional Court for confirming Yoon's impeachment. Regarding the recent wildfires in March this year that scorched the through southeastern region, he claimed that the fires were "started by North Korea and anti-state powers." He said he was supposed to appear in the Netflix hit series "When Life Gives You Tangerines,' but his scenes were cut, possibly due to the controversies.
Korea Herald
07-05-2025
- General
- Korea Herald
Hanok at crossroads: Embracing changes or staying true to traditions?
Experts discuss how hanok are defined today with expanded design choices Traditions evolve over time, adapting to changing culture and new technologies. Such evolution can be subtle with gradual changes or, at times, dramatic. And hanok, Korean traditional housing, has likewise been evolving. The term hanok, literally meaning 'Korean house,' emerged in the late 19th century to distinguish the existing houses from other buildings in western styles that began to proliferate following the opening of the ports and the steady influx of western influences in diverse aspects of life on the Korean Peninsula, including architecture. 'The meaning of the word 'hanok' itself can go back very far. If you view it broadly, hanok can refer to architecture that accompanies unique traditional features,' said Jeon Bong-hee, professor of architecture at Seoul National University, who classified hanok into five categories. The traditional features include: 'ondol,' the traditional floor heating system; 'cheoma,' eaves of the underpart of the roof; 'chunyeo,' an angle rafter placed diagonally from the top of the corner column; and roof tiling, among others. 'Korean-style apartments are an example of hanok as defined broadly, as most of them are equipped with the ondol system, the traditional heating system that is found exclusively in Korean residential culture,' Jeon said. The ondol system is known to have been invented in the 12th century and spread throughout the Korean Peninsula in the 17th century, according to 'Building Hanok,' published by the National Hanok Center. The heat from the fire of the furnace, 'agungi,' transferred through 'gorae,' the flue channel, warms the 'gudeuljang,' the stone prop. The heat warms up the floor of the room. However, a narrower definition of hanok would define it as a wooden house with traditional architectural features from the Joseon era (1392-1910) and these are the hanok that Koreans are most familiar with, Jeon said. Currently, hanok is legally defined as a 'wooden building with its main structure that consists of columns, beams, Korean-style roof frames, reflecting the traditional style of Korea and its appurtenances," as stated in Article 2 of the Act on Value Enhancement of Hanok and Other Architectural Assets. 'I think the power of tradition lies here -- it naturally accumulates over time, neither being forced nor led by someone to continue or preserve the tradition,' Jeon said. 'The legal definition left room for people to interpret hanok.' Shin Chi-hoo, manager and research fellow at National Hanok Center, said what he values the most in hanok is its nature-friendly qualities, with a high capacity of carbon storage of its wooden structures. 'It also results in less industrial waste compared to apartment buildings that are the dominant residential type in the country, many of which are facing reconstruction these days,' he said. Evolving contemporary hanok In the early 2000s, many city governments began reviving hanok, providing subsidies for building hanok. The reasons for the interest in reviving hanok included continuing the architectural tradition to enhance a city's identity globally, to attract more international tourists. This was the time when several Korean architects stepped forward with their interpretations of hanok, Jeon said. To encourage diverse interpretations of hanok, the Seoul city government recently announced a new hanok policy dubbed 'Seoul Hanok 4.0.' Hanok is most popularly experienced as cafes or accommodations, which has been a trend among younger generations who seek 'healing moments' at a cozy and nature-friendly hanok. Shin observed that such a trend has been around for some 10 years. While Shin views the trend positively -- hanok being consumed as a commercial leisure place -- he pointed to the necessity of having more hanok architecture in public spaces so that more people may experience hanok space on a daily basis. They can be a small pavilion at a park, a school library or a cultural center like the Seoul Namsan Traditional Theater, he said. 'To foster hanok as public spaces and more diverse uses, we need more flexibility and changes are required in building or designing hanok,' Shin said. He said such flexibility includes accepting new technologies, pointing out that a conservative approach to hanok has been one of the reasons traditional architecture has fallen out of favor in the housing market. 'It is absurd that you have to stick with the traditional ways of building hanok when you have developed technology. We need to approach the issue with a flexible attitude to preserve hanok in a contemporary society,' Shin said. He gave an example of joinery, or 'gyeolgu,' the traditional way of joining wood pieces -- cross joint, longitudinal joint and floor joint -- to build the timber architecture. The traditional methods have been replaced with a modern way, using ironware in contemporary hanok to reinforce the solidity in structure, according to him. 'Some changes in methods or structures often face criticism and spur constant debates among experts, leading us to discuss the extent to which we should preserve hanok in terms of construction and design. 'And it is up to architects how they interpret 'Korean tradition' when designing hanok, and how they can integrate long-held values, like the nature-friendly aspect of the architecture. That would be a task for the many architects who design hanok,' he said. Renewed interest in hanok, or traditional Korean houses, is palpable today, demonstrated by the growing number of hanok cultural facilities, cafes, accommodations and homes. While some new hanok architecture espouse the traditional form dating from the Joseon era, hanok buildings that have been adapted to contemporary conditions and lifestyles are also gaining ground. In this series, entitled 'Evolving Hanok,' The Korea Herald explores how hanok continue to evolve to stay relevant to current milieus. — Ed. yunapark@
Korea Herald
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Yoon Suk Yeol's apartment raided over wife's alleged gifts
Prosecutors carried out a search and seizure of the private residence of former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee on Thursday, as part of an investigation into alleged corruption via ties between the former presidential couple and a shaman, Jeon Seong-bae, also known as Geon Jin. Wednesday's raid by the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office is seen as an effort to secure evidence related to Jeon's alleged violation of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, and his alleged connection to the former presidential couple. The prosecution previously investigated a high-ranking Unification Church official, surnamed Yoon, who reportedly claimed that he gave a diamond necklace estimated to be worth 60 million won ($41,976) and an expensive handbag of unknown value to Jeon, allegedly as a gift for the former first lady Kim after then-presidential candidate Yoon won the election in 2022. The prosecution seeks to verify whether and which gifts were actually handed over to Kim. The prosecutors reportedly suspect that the Unification Church official attempted to lobby the former presidential couple through Jeon in order to gain government-led support for the church's business operations in Cambodia. Authorities also obtained a text message in which church official Yoon reportedly sent Jeon a bundle of cash amounting to 30 million won under the pretext of a "prayer fee." Jeon was previously accused of receiving 100 million won from a politician who ran for office during the local elections in 2018. He is believed to have played a role in decision-making and served as a lesser-known leader of Yoon's campaign team, having been brought in without an official appointment. The shaman was found in a now-deleted video recorded in January 2022, where he introduced then-presidential candidate Yoon to campaign staff with friendly physical and verbal gestures at the office of the networking subcommittee. Jeon was reportedly accused of flaunting his personal connections with the former presidential couple to influence business interests as well. Wednesday's raid was the first time the former president and his wife have been subjected to a search and seizure operation. The joint probe team comprising the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials and Korean National Police Agency's National Office of Investigation had attempted to carry out six search and seizure operations of the official presidential office and presidential residence compound in regards to the criminal charges Yoon faces alleging he led an insurrection by declaring martial law Dec. 3. However, each of these attempts were blocked by the Presidential Security Service, which refused to comply, citing military secrets and official confidentiality as reasons for its refusal. The former president's apartment in the Acrovista complex in Seocho-gu is not a location involving classified military secrets or official duties under the Criminal Procedure Act.
