Lisa of Blackpink is signaling a comeback as a solo artist.
The singer uploaded a clip on social media and posted a notice on her website on how to “pre-save” her new release. It will be her first release in almost three years since her solo debut album “Lalisa” was released in September 2021.
In April, the singer signed a deal with American record label RCA Records for her global solo career.
Exports in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector in May jumped by over 30 percent for the second consecutive month.
According to the ICT ministry on Sunday, ICT shipments totaled 19-point-05 U.S. dollars last month, up 31-point-eight percent from a year earlier.
The on-year growth, which rose to 33-point-eight percent in April, has stayed above 30 percent for the second straight month.
Exports of semiconductors increased 52-point-four percent on-year, while shipments of displays rose 15-point-three percent and mobile phones increased ten-point-eight percent.
By country, exports to China jumped 35-point-three percent on-year, while those to the United States and the European Union rose by 20-point-seven and 21-point-three percent, respectively.
ICT imports also increased two-point-four percent on-year to eleven-point-48 billion dollars, resulting in a trade surplus of seven-point-57 billion dollars.
Amid speculation that Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Pyongyang on Tuesday, Seoul and Beijing will hold the “two plus two” talks of their senior foreign and defense officials on the day.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Monday that the ‘Korea-China Diplomatic and Security Dialogue’ will be held Tuesday in Seoul, led by first vice foreign minister Kim Hong-kyun and Chinese vice foreign minister Sun Weidong.
During defense talks, Lee Seung-beom, director general for international policy at the Ministry of Defense will hold talks with Zhang Baoqun, the deputy chief of the International Military Cooperation Office.
The foreign ministry explained that the two countries will exchange opinions on issues of mutual interest, such as bilateral relations, Korean Peninsula issues, and regional and international issues.
The two plus two talks were agreed upon during the bilateral meeting between President Yoon Suk Yeol and Chinese Premier Li Qiang on the sidelines of the Seoul-Tokyo-Beijing trilateral summit held last month.
The government announced it will reduce fuel tax cuts from next month.
According to Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok on Monday, the fuel tax cut will be extended until August 31, but the tax rate will be slightly adjusted beginning on July 1.
The tax cut rate for gasoline will be adjusted from the current 25 percent to 20 percent, while the tax rate cut for diesel and liquefied petroleum gas(LPG) will be adjusted from the current 37 percent to 30 percent.
This means consumers will pay roughly 40 won, or around three U.S. cents more per liter of gasoline and diesel, while LPG users will pay 12 won or less than a cent more per liter.
Minister Choi said the government will decide whether to extend the fuel tax cuts by considering inflation and oil price trends after August 31.
Robert Bosch GmbH, a parent company of Bosch Cambodia Co Ltd and a world-leading engineering and technology firm headquartered in Germany, agreed to send a regional envoy to examine the possibilities of opening its factory in the Kingdom.
The commitment was made on Thursday during the meeting between Sun Chanthol, Deputy Prime Minister and First Vice-Chairman of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) and Alexander Weichsel, Commercial Plant Manager of Bosch in Nuremberg, Germany.
The Deputy Prime Minister is on a mission trip to the European Union (EU), leading the delegation to attract foreign investments into the Kingdom’s priority sectors from June 9-18.
During the discussion, Chanthol told Weichsel that the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) encouraged the private sector to explore investment opportunities that emerged in the country including agriculture, agro-industry, automobiles, electronic, renewable energy and tourism industries.
Noting the company’s potential, he urged Weichsel to consider choosing Cambodia as a prime location to expand the production chain, supplying to other Southeast Asia countries.
The Bosch Manager gave a positive response, promising to send the company representative based in Singapore and Vietnam to examine in detail aimed at opening the new factory in the Kingdom.
Later in the day, the Deputy Prime Minister also met Christiane Riefler-Karpa, Managing Director of Memmert GmbH, a company developing and manufacturing laboratory equipment.
During the meeting, the Mememrt working group presented their business activities and the production sites in Southeast Asia countries, modernising the art of production facilities to manufacture the appliances economically and in an environmentally friendly manner
Later the Managing Director guided Chanthol and the delegation to inspect the factory and the production hall in which the technology used by the company did not harm the environment.
Memmert GmbH is also a leading company in the development and production of high-quality laboratory equipment with over 90 years of experience and currently exported to over 160 countries around the world.
The mission trip to Germany was accompanied by Suon Sophal, Deputy Secretary General of the Cambodian Investment Board (CIB) of CDC, Hun Lak, Secretary General of the Cambodian Oknha Association (COA), Kuon Thida, President of Orienda International Hospital and Peou Rithjayasedh, Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
Ly Khun Thai, Vice President of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce (CCC) told Khmer Times, “Germans generally invest in projects that have a clear master plan such as a suitable location for the project implementation, the competitive market in the industry and research on future risks.”
He said Khmer businessmen who want to operate their business along with Germans should prepare a clear development plan so that foreigners have the confidence to cooperate and invest in those projects.
Khuon Phon Rattanak, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, received Ülkü Kocaefe, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to the Kingdom of Cambodia, on June 14, 2024, at the Ministry.
The Secretary of State and the Ambassador expressed their deep satisfaction with the fruitful outcomes of the official visit of Sok Chenda Sophea, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, to Turkey from May 28–29, 2024.
The meeting reviewed and followed up on progress made on key initiatives discussed during the Deputy Prime Minister’s visit.
Both sides also expressed their strong commitment to not only continue these efforts but also explore new areas of cooperation.
Anchor: Medical professors at four hospitals affiliated with Seoul National University(SNU) have indefinitely suspended from Monday patient treatment and surgeries, excluding the treatment of serious and emergency patients. Concerns are rising that the current medical vacuum will worsen as more medical institutes, including other university hospitals and private practices, are set to join the Korean Medical Association in collectively suspending patient treatment on Tuesday.
Our Bae Joo-yon has more.
Report: Medical professors at Seoul National University(SNU) Hospital, SNU Bundang Hospital, Seoul Metropolitan Government SNU Boramae Medical Center and SNU Hospital Healthcare System Gangnam Center began an indefinite walkout on Monday.
An emergency committee of the four hospitals’ medical professors urged the government on Sunday to scrap the administrative measures imposed on trainee doctors who have taken collective action in protest of the government’s decision to hike admissions at medical schools.
Roughly 520, or some 55 percent of medical professors at the four hospitals, are estimated to have stopped offering outpatient services.
The committee assessed that treatment at the four institutes will decrease by around 40 percent and the surgery room operation rate will slip from 63 percent to the 30 percent range.
The Korea Alliance of Patients Organization, meanwhile, called on the doctors to scrap the suspension of services.
Concerns that the current medical vacuum will worsen are growing as members of the Korean Medical Association(KMA) are set to shut down their clinics on Tuesday.
The KMA, mostly representing doctors in private practice, unveiled a set of demands for the government on Sunday, saying it would reconsider Tuesday’s planned suspension if the government agrees to reconsider the admissions quota hike. They also demanded the government revise a policy package on essential medicine and retract all administrative orders against trainee doctors and medical students.
The government refused the association’s calls, saying it is inappropriate to make policy demands with an illegal suspension of medical services as a precondition.
The government added that it could consider seeking claims for damages for losses suffered by hospitals due to the collective suspension of medical services.
Bae Joo-yon, KBS World Radio News.
Cambodia will host the regional playoffs of Davis Cup tennis tournament for the first time next month, and fans are invited to attend one of the world’s most popular and exciting tournaments at Morodok Techo National Stadium.
The Tennis Federation of Cambodia, Tennis Cambodia, is inviting everyone to come watch the playoffs to mark this historic milestone. All events at the tournament are open free to the public.
As an added enticement, the federation will be giving away a variety of prizes to fans who attend. They include Tennis Cambodia merchandise like hats, towels, t-shirts, bags, water bottles and mugs.
One of the lucky fans attending the Cup will win the top prize – a brand new Honda Wave motorbike courtesy of Tennis Cambodia.
What’s more, the federation is also giving away a free four-night stay at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel.
Tennis Cambodia wants to thank ABA Bank, RMA Cambodia, Tennis Cambodia for Kids – Switzerland, Advance European Medicare Center (AEMC), Pharmacie de la Gare, ADV Tennis, Courtyard by Marriott, V-Active and Nineswing for supporting this historic event.
The 2024 Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group IV Playoff Event starts on July 8 through 13.
The tournament features eight countries: Cambodia, Iraq, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
The group event is divided into two pools, each with four teams. The top team in each pool plays off against the nation finishing second in the other pool. The nations finishing in third place in each pool play a relegation match against the nation finishing fourth in the other pool.
Matches progress through a round-robin format, with two singles matches and one decisive doubles match.
“Hosting the Davis Cup is undoubtedly fulfilling our ambition for bringing tennis to a larger audience in Cambodia. We will field young players for the Cambodian national tennis team in the Davis Cup playoff, and we believe that our chances are still good,” Tep Rithivit, secretary general of Tennis Cambodia told Khmer Times.
“And I believe that the Khmer crowd is particularly patriotic. They are quite proud, and they are learning more about tennis. We rely heavily on the crowd to support our players,” Rithivit added.
In April, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced that Cambodia would host the 2024 Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group IV Playoff Event, demonstrating Tennis Cambodia’s impressive progress in the region.
Jin of BTS has been discharged Wednesday, finishing up 18 months of mandatory military service.
Fellow bandmates RM, J-Hope, V, Jungkook, and Jimin took the day off from their military service to greet the first member to complete their military service.
Fans of Jin and BTS had banners and balloons celebrating the event, instead of waiting for the artist in person. Earlier, the boy group’s agency Bighit Music had asked fans to refrain from visiting the site so as to prevent any safety accidents.
Jin was the first member of the k-pop group to enlist, joining the army in December 2022.
The singer will meet with fans from Thursday, attending the ‘2024 Festa,’ an event marking the 11th anniversary of the group’s debut, at Jamsil Arena.
