Ian Werther

Iran’s newly identified supreme leader, Ayatollah Moztaba Hamenei, delivered his first official message on state television, signaling a hardline stance toward the United States and Israel. In the address broadcast on the 12th local time, he asserted that Tehran should keep using as leverage the blockade of the Strait

A South Korean journalist’s claim about a supposed “prosecution drop” deal involving President Lee Jae-myung has sparked a fresh round of political controversy after remarks on a popular YouTube program on March 10. On that program, Jang In-su, a reporter formerly with MBC, alleged that a senior government official

Oil prices jumped to their highest level since 2022 after Iran reaffirmed plans to keep the Hormuz Strait closed, triggering a broad spike in global oil markets. Brent crude rose to close at $100.46 a barrel, up $8.48, or about 9.2%. U.S. West Texas Intermediate finished

South Korea is implementing its first “oil price ceiling” since the 1997 liberalization of fuel prices, as tensions in the Middle East and the broader U.S.–Iran conflict push domestic pump prices higher. The measure will take effect from 0:00 on the 13th, after publication in the official

Musinsa is opening its second shoe-focused flagship, Musinsa Kicks Seongsu, in Seoul’s Seongsu-dong on December 19, the company said on December 12. The new store follows the January 9 opening of Musinsa Kicks Hongdae in Mapo, marking the brand’s first two offline footgear destinations as it expands its

Starting midnight on the 13th, South Korea will implement an oil price ceiling, the first such measure since the 1997 move to liberalize prices. The cap targets the wholesale prices refiners pass to gas stations, with any losses absorbed by government subsidies. Under the scheme, refiners will be barred from

A Seoul civic group filed complaints with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency against broadcaster Kim Eo-jun and MBC reporter Jang In-soo, accusing them of spreading false information that prosecutors would drop an indictment in President Lee Jae-myung’s criminal case in exchange for prosecutorial reforms. The group said that the

Nine people have been implicated in a fraud and drug case tied to indoor screen-golf centers in the Seoul metropolitan area. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said two ringleaders were detained and sent to prosecutors, while seven accomplices were indicted without detention. The group targeted wealthy‑looking players and ran

HS Hyosung Advanced Materials has delivered a carbon-fiber prosthetic leg to Park Chan-jong, a member of South Korea’s national Para-cycling team. The company said a delivery ceremony was held on the 11th, and it announced the arrangement on the 12th. Park Chan-jong lost his left leg in a 2022

South Korea’s privacy watchdog announced sizable penalties against Lotte Card on March 12 for a data breach that affected about 2.97 million customers, including 450,000 whose resident registration numbers were exposed. The Korea Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) levied 9.62 billion won in fines plus 4.