Korea Daily News (November 27, 2024)

Push for Free High School Education: The Democratic Party is moving to pass a bill for free high school education, addressing Korea’s unique situation as the only OECD country where families bear the cost of high school education.
Discussion on Extending Retirement Age: Han Dong-hoon of the People’s Power Party proposed a reform to extend the retirement age in response to rapid aging in Korea.
Broadcasting Act Amendment Passed: The National Assembly’s Science and Technology Committee passed an amendment to the Broadcasting Act to integrate KBS subscription fee collection.
Ruling Party Office Raid: Prosecutors raided the People’s Power Party headquarters. Party leader Han Dong-hoon expressed willingness to cooperate within the legal framework.
Opposition Emphasizes Free Education: Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party stated, “Korea must change as it is the only OECD country where individuals pay for high school education.”

Increase in Busan-Based Companies: The number of Busan companies among the top 1,000 by revenue increased to 31, up by three from 2022.
Stricter HUG Requirements: The HUG housing guarantee tightened its eligibility criteria, leading to an average deposit decrease of 35.29 million KRW.
BYD to Enter Korean Market: Chinese electric vehicle company BYD announced its official entry into the Korean market in January 2024.
Gold Price Surge: Gold prices reached 119,590 KRW per gram, sparking increased interest in gold investments.
Lower Interest on Parking Accounts: Interest rates on short-term parking accounts dropped significantly as financial institutions adjusted to a declining rate environment.
Venture Firm Award: Bagelcode recorded 106.2 billion KRW in revenue last year and received the ‘Venture Billion-Won Company’ award.

Seoul Subway Strikes and Heavy Snow: Subway strikes and snowfall disrupted morning commutes.
Public Support for Single Parenthood: 30% of Koreans support single parenthood, with increased attention following actor Jung Woo-sung’s announcement.
Dismantling of Power Lines in Kaesong: Observations suggest North Korea is dismantling power lines in the Kaesong Industrial Complex.
Subway Crime Arrests: Police arrested a group involved in stealing and selling phones from subway passengers.
Homeless Support Activities: Sampyo Group celebrated its 58th anniversary with community donation drives.

Collaborative Robot Partnership: Cas and Neuromeka signed an agreement to collaborate on robotics technology.
Vietnam Smart City Construction: Daewoo E&C began construction on the second phase of the Starlake Hanoi Smart City project.
Korea & Company Award Ceremony: The company recognized outstanding cases of innovation and challenges at the 2024 Proactive Awards.
Automated Chicken Frying Robot: BBQ introduced robots to improve cooking efficiency across its franchise stores.
New Electric Ranges Released: Kyowon Wells launched two new high-power electric range models.

Lineage2M 5th Anniversary Update: Introduced a new class, ‘Soul Breaker,’ and conquest content.
Path of Exile 2 by Nexon: Enhanced growth systems and action content.
New Character in Honkai: Star Rail: HoYoverse announced the release of ‘Sunday,’ a highly anticipated new character.
OpenAI Criticism: Artists criticized OpenAI for allegedly exploiting free labor through its Sora early access program.
Launch of Visual Novel Game: Smilegate released a motion visual novel game titled ‘Witch OnLive.’
Collaboration with Nano Machine: Com2us partnered with the popular webtoon ‘Nano Machine’ for its game ‘Soul Strike.’
Valorant Esports Roadmap for 2025: Riot Games announced its esports plans for Valorant, featuring expanded leagues.
Ragnarok Origin Update: New area ‘Doram Kingdom’ and additional classes were added.
World of Tanks Blitz Event: Collaborated with Deadmau5 for a year-end promotional event.

UK’s Anti-Smoking Law: A bill aimed at banning youth cigarette sales passed the UK’s House of Commons.
Canada Run Tour Launch: A marathon-themed travel package was unveiled in Vancouver.
Global Smart City Evaluation: Busan was recognized as a top global smart city for fostering AI and quantum computing industries.

Enhanced Fine Dust Management: The government refined its forecasting system and planned to close aging coal power plants.
East Sea Gas Field Drilling Approved: Drilling operations are set to begin next month, with results expected in mid-2024.
Heavy Snow Warnings: Snow is expected in most areas nationwide, with some regions under heavy snow advisories.

Apartment Subscription Competition: An apartment in Chungcheong-do recorded a peak subscription ratio of 8:1.
New Town Reconstruction: Thirteen sites, covering 36,000 housing units, were selected for priority redevelopment.
Cheongju Office Contracts Begin: Won Construction began leasing contracts for Cheongju Technopolis.

Gold Price Surge: Gold prices reached 119,590 KRW per gram, sparking interest in gold investments.
Parking Account Interest Cuts: Banks and securities firms significantly reduced short-term account interest rates.
Rising Popularity of AppTech: Reward-based app usage like KB Pay and quiz apps gained traction among users.

Hong Sang-soo Awarded: His film ‘In Water’ won the Best Picture Award at the Gijón International Film Festival in Spain.
Goo Hye-sun Returns: The actress resumed her YouTube channel activities and announced a new song.
Napko Project Musical: A musical about an independence movement espionage operation premiered.
BTS Manager Change: BigHit Music appointed Shin Sun-jung as its new CEO.
Actor Jung Woo-sung’s Controversy: The actor faced ongoing public interest regarding his single parenthood and relationship rumors.

Food Additive Recall: The Food Ministry recalled snacks containing non-compliant food additives.
Support for Developmentally Disabled: Dream With Ensemble partnered with Severance Hospital to help disabled adults gain independence.
Stricter Health Insurance Rules: Insurance requirements for foreign family members tightened.

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