"WHO’s criticism of North Korea’s failure to provide more information about its COVID-19 outbreak stands in contrast to the U.N. health agency’s failure to publicly fault China in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic."
Reception for Korean War-participating nations Ambassadors and military attaches of 16 nations that fought for South Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War pose for a photo during a reception hosted by the South Korean Embassy in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, on June 9, 2022, on the occasion of the conflict’s 72nd anniversary. (Yonhap)
I guess animal rights is a pretty safe issue for the highly criticized first lady to come out in public in support of:
First lady Kim Keon-hee, left, and President Yoon Suk-yeol pose with one of their dogs at the presidential office in Seoul, May 29. Screenshot from Facebook account of first lady Kim Keon-hee’s supporters
First lady Kim Keon-hee called for animal rights in her first media interview given since her husband, President Yoon Suk-yeol, took office on May 10.
“Korea and China are the only two economically successful countries that consume dog meat,” Kim said during an interview with local newspaper Seoul Shinmun that was published on Monday. “I believe the universal culture (of not consuming dog meat) should be shared in Korea with other developed countries. Otherwise, it could stoke an anti-Korean sentiment,” Kim said.
To end the practice, Kim said the government could support dog meat traders to transition into new industries, underlining the unsanitary environment in which dogs are raised before being consumed as meat.
“Dog meat is not good for health. Dogs that are raised to be consumed as meat are locked in small cages, where they eat, sleep and defecate all their lives. And some of them are even fed antibiotics,” Kim said. “Ultimately, dog meat consumption must be stopped out of respect for man’s best friend and life.”
Some might suspect China doesn't want to resolve the North Korean nuclear problem because China (1) doesn't want the one thing that keeps North Korea afloat to go away, (2) doesn't want Korean reunification, and (3) wants North Korea to keep distracting the US from Taiwan. https://t.co/LnnTfDYlPv
Harvesting Korean-grown wheat A farmer runs a combine harvester to harvest Korean-grown wheat at a field in the city of Seogwipo on South Korea’s largest island of Jeju on June 10, 2022. (Yonhap)
Considering season 1’s huge success, it is no surprise Squid Game has been renewed by Netflix for a second season:
The global sensation “Squid Game” will return for a second season, Netflix confirmed Monday.
“A whole new round is coming,” director, writer and executive producer Hwang Dong-hyuk said in a letter to fans released by Netflix. “And now, Gi-hun returns. The Front Man returns. Season 2 is coming.”
Gi-hun, played by Lee Jung-jae, is the debt-ridden character who gets involved in a mysterious deadly contest to win 45.6 billion won (US$37.9 million) in prize money in the nine-part series.
Hwang added that Cheol-su, the “boyfriend” of the show’s animatronic doll, Young-hee, will be introduced to viewers in the next season.
Anyone want to buy the McDonalds franchises in South Korea?:
Customers order set menus at a McDonald’s restaurant in Seoul on May 27, last year. Korea Times file
McDonald’s is moving to sell its Korean branches as more companies enter the overly-crowded fast food market here, the company said Friday. The U.S. fast food giant first attempted to dispose of its Korean business back in 2016 but failed to do so as potential buyers opted out, due to high sales prices and other reasons.
Mirae Asset Securities has been selected as a sales manager to find the new owner of McDonald’s Korea, which has seen its profitability deteriorate, despite rising revenue, because of rising wages and higher raw materials costs, amid intensifying competition.
“McDonald’s is looking for a strategic partner in Korea to improve the company’s growth. We are working with an external consulting firm to review various options. We will provide more details on the sell off at the appropriate time,” a McDonald’s Korea official said.
McDonald’s sales in Korea have actually increased from 724.8 billion won ($570.4 million) in 2019 to 867.8 billion won in 2021. This increase is only counting the revenue created from the restaurants McDonald’s Korea directly managed, and if sales created with franchisees are included, the figure reaches over 1 trillion won. It is the largest sales achieved by the American fast food restaurant chain in Korea. Its operating losses reached 44 billion won in 2019, 48.3 billion won in 2020 and 27.7 billion won in 2021.
Various factors are attributable to McDonald’s money-losing business in Korea. Higher delivery service fees here during COVID-19 have increased its business expenses, along with soaring costs of labor and raw materials.
This is not surprising considering how this trucker strike continues to drag out which is all linked to high fuel prices:
South Korean steelmaker POSCO said on Sunday will halt some of its plants in the country due to a lack of space to store finished products, which have not been shipped due to a strike by truckers who are demanding higher pay as fuel prices surge.
POSCO follows automaker Hyundai Motor in cutting production lines as the strike by thousands of truckers disrupted cargo transport at the country’s industrial hubs and major ports.
Traditional bullfighting in S. Korea Two bulls clash during a traditional bullfighting event in the town of Uiryeong, South Gyeongsang Province, southeastern South Korea, on June 10, 2022. The bullfighting reopened after three years due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Yonhap)
