WASHINGTON, May 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korean boy group BTS arrived in Washington on Sunday for a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden for discussions on ways to address anti-Asian hate crimes. Six members of the septet arrived at the Dulles International Airport where dozens of fans waited to welcome them on what will be their first-ever visit to the White House on Tuesday. The six were, however, ushered out of the airport via a special exit by airport authorities due to safety concerns, according to informed sources. One of the group's seven members, Jungkook, reportedly arrived in the U.S. on Saturday. The White House said the global K-pop phenomenon will join Biden to discuss "Asian inclusion and representation, and to address anti-Asian hate crimes and discrimination which have become more prominent issues in recent years." The U.s. has seen a sharp increase in hate crimes targeting Asian American communities since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago.

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By Kim Han-joo SEOUL, June 16 (Yonhap) -- A 41-year-old man was sentenced to 25 years in prison Thursday for brutally killing one of his employees by inserting a 70-centimeter rod into the victim's rectum. The Seoul Western District Court found the man, only identified by his surname Han, guilty of murdering the employee at a children's gym in Seoul with the plastic stick, which ruptured his organs and caused his death in December of last year. "Severe punishment is inevitable as his crime is bizarre and brutal, and he did not have any kind of respect for the victim," the court said in the ruling. The prosecution earlier sought a life sentence for Han. Han killed the victim in his 20s at the facility he owns in northwestern Seoul on Dec. 31, after being irritated by the employee's unspecified behavior. An autopsy showed a perforation in the anterior wall of the victim's rectum and further ruptures in organs, including the heart and the liver. khj@yna.co.kr

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SEOUL, May 31 (Yonhap) -- South Korean actress Park Shin-hye gave birth to her first child, a son, on Tuesday, approximately four months after marrying actor Choi Tae-joon. The globally followed K-drama actress and her newborn are in good health, her management Salt Entertainment said. The 32-year-old actress announced her pregnancy in November 2021, and married 30-year old Choi in January this year. The two have been together since 2017. The actress made her first appearance in a music video in 2003 and has starred in a number of TV shows and films, like the romance series "Stairway to Heaven" (2003) and the zombie thriller film "#Alive" (2020). She rose to international stardom with her role in the smash hit romance "The Heirs" (2013). Choi has continued his acting career in many TV series, including the historical romance "Flower of the Prison" (2016) and the mystery thriller "Missing 9" (2017), since his small screen debut in 2001. jwc@yna.co.kr

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By Song Sang-ho SEOUL, June 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States fired eight ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Monday in response to North Korea's missile launches the previous day, according to the South's military. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the allies launched the ground-to-ground Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles starting at 4:45 a.m. for around 10 minutes. On Sunday, the North shot eight short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) from four different locations into the East Sea following a South Korea-U.S. naval exercise last week involving an American aircraft carrier. "The South Korea-U.S. combined firing of the ground-to-ground missiles demonstrated the capability and posture to launch immediate precision strikes on the origins of provocations and their command and support forces," the JCS said in a press release. "Our military strongly condemns the North's series of ballistic missile provocations and seriously urges it to i

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By Yoo Jee-ho SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korean player Lee Hyun-jung has gone undrafted in the world's top basketball league, coming up short in his quest to become the second player from the country to be selected. Lee's name was not among the 58 called during the annual draft in the National Basketball Association (NBA), held in Brooklyn on Thursday (local time). The 21-year-old had declared for the draft in April after completing his junior season with the Davidson College Wildcats. Lee had also signed on with BDA Sports Management, which represents, among others, Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic. Lee, a 6-foot-7 wing, had been hoping to become just the second South Korean to be drafted in the NBA, after the retired center Ha Seung-jin, the 46th pick by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2004. Lee had been considered a fringe second-round candidate, and suffering a foot injury during a workout with an NBA team a week before the draft likely didn't help his stock.

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(ATTN: UPDATES with comments in paras 16-23, new photos) CANNES, France, May 28 (Yonhap) -- South Koreans Park Chan-wook and Song Kang-ho were named Best Director and Best Actor, respectively, at this year's Cannes Film Festival on Saturday. It is the first time in the country's cinema history that Korean films have taken home two titles at a time at the world's most prestigious film festival. At the awarding ceremony for the 75th edition of the festival held at Palais Lumiere in Cannes, Park received the prize given to best film director for his romance "Decision to Leave." It is his third prize given by Cannes, following the Grand Prix, the second-highest prize at the festival, for his thriller "Oldboy" in 2003 and the Jury Prize, the No. 3 honor, for the horror "Thirst" in 2009. And Park became the second South Korean director to win in the category, following renowned filmmaker Im Kwon-taek for the historical drama "Chihwaseon" in 2002. In his acceptance spe

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(ATTN: UPDATES with pre-recording schedule for TV music program in paras in paras 11-15) SEOUL, June 7 (Yonhap) -- K-pop supergroup BTS will make a highly anticipated return to the music scene Friday with an anthology album titled "Proof." The group will drop the album compiling the group's nine-year-long activities since its debut at 1 p.m. on Friday in South Korea, which is midnight U.S. EST, apparently with the U.S. market in mind, according to the local music scene. It will be the band's first physical album since it released the single CD with "Butter" and "Permission to Dance" last year. The forthcoming album depicts the past, present and future of BTS as a top K-pop group that is about to begin its 10th year this month. Last month, BTS unveiled the track list for the anthology album via its social media accounts. [https://youtu.be/E-5qN-w44So] The album, which consists of three CDs, will have a total of 48 tracks, including three new songs -- "Yet To Come,"

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SEOUL, June 12 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Sunday expressed full support for Russian President Vladimir Putin, the country's state media reported, despite international condemnation for his invasion of Ukraine. The Russian people have "achieved great successes in accomplishing the just cause of defending the dignity and security of their country ... while braving all sorts of challenges and hardships," Kim said in a message to Putin on the occasion of the Russia Day holiday, according to North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency. "The Korean people extend full support and encouragement to them." Kim's apparent reference to the unprovoked attack against Ukraine as a "just cause" for defending Russia's security is the latest sign that illustrates decades-old close bilateral ties between the two countries. Pyongyang has recently stressed its close ties with Moscow despite growing criticism from the international community on the Russian invasion of U

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SEOUL, June 22 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. is expected to announce mass production of 3-nanometer semiconductors next week, sources said Wednesday, beating its foundry rival TSMC in advanced chipmaking process. The next-generation 3nm chips will be built on the Gate-All-Around (GAA) technology, which Samsung said will allow up to 45 percent area reduction while providing 30 percent higher performance and 50 percent lower power consumption, compared with the existing FinFET process. The South Korean tech giant showcased its 3nm chips to U.S. President Joe Biden last month when he visited Samsung's Pyeongtaek complex, the world's largest semiconductor facility located some 70 kilometers south of Seoul. TSMC, the world's largest contract chip manufacturer, said it will begin mass production of 3nm chips in the second half of the year. The two companies have been in fierce competition to outperform each other by bringing the most advanced and efficient chips to

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(ATTN: UPDATES with more details in paras 2, 6) By Song Sang-ho SEOUL, June 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States fired eight ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Monday in response to North Korea's missile launches the previous day, according to the South's military. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the allies launched the ground-to-ground Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles from an eastern coastal region in Gangwon Province starting at 4:45 a.m. for around 10 minutes. On Sunday, the North shot eight short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) from four different locations into the East Sea following a South Korea-U.S. naval exercise last week involving an American aircraft carrier. "The South Korea-U.S. combined firing of the ground-to-ground missiles demonstrated the capability and posture to launch immediate precision strikes on the origins of provocations and their command and support forces," the JCS said in a press release. "Our military

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