South Korea

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North Korea Changes Its Soundtrack at DMZ

With start of Olympics, giant speakers blast music, not propaganda

(Newser) - It seems North Korea has changed its tune. Literally. North Korea has used giant speakers to blast propagandist martial speeches across the DMZ—the stretch of land separating it from South Korea—on a loop for years. Some US military personnel stationed at the DMZ say they can recite the...

The 'Mediocre' Skier Raising Eyebrows at the Olympics

Elizabeth Swaney didn't do any tricks on her halfpipe run, deliberately

(Newser) - On the surface, there's nothing at all ordinary or subpar about a 33-year-old Berkeley and Harvard grad who's competing with the best of the best at the Olympics. Yet Elizabeth Swaney has caused a hubbub in Pyeongchang, after turning in what Digg labels a "hilariously mediocre" ski...

Speedskater for N. Korea Has a Really Rough Race

Jong Kwang Bom crashes—twice

(Newser) - In his defense, Jong Kwang Bom is only 17 and "clearly" had no business lining up to race as an Olympic speedskater for North Korea, per a post at USA Today . But race he did, and things did not end well. Jong fell almost immediately after the start of...

They Were Going for a Medal. Then 'in a Flash, Disaster'

American figure skaters Madison Chock, Evan Bates tumble to the ice during a spin

(Newser) - Olympic figure skaters in Pyeongchang have confronted wardrobe malfunctions and political controversy , but heartbreak is what came for American partners Madison Chock and Evan Bates. Per USA Today , both skaters tumbled to the ice Tuesday during their long program after their skate blades got caught up together during a combination...

After the Race Came the Real Sportsmanship

Japanese speedskater consoles South Korean rival after beating her in 500-meter race

(Newser) - To the victor goes the gold, but to the heartbroken second-place finisher in Pyeongchang's women's speedskating race went the grand gesture. Japan's Nao Kodaira clocked in at 36.94 seconds in the 500-meter race on Sunday—good enough for her first gold medal, her country's second...

After Shaun White&#39;s Glory, He Has to Apologize Twice
After Shaun White's Glory,
He Has to Apologize Twice
The rundown
Feb 14, 2018 10:56 AM CST

After Shaun White's Glory, He Has to Apologize Twice

Snowboarder sorry for belittling harassment lawsuit, dragging flag

(Newser) - Shaun White pulled off the impressive feat of winning a gold medal at his third different Olympics on Wednesday, but subsequent headlines haven't been all flattering for the all-world snowboarder. For one thing, his win has brought renewed attention to a sexual harassment lawsuit brought against him in 2016....

Seconds in, Olympic Skaters Landed in a Very Risque Jam

Yura Min says she was 'terrified' for entire routine after costume hook came undone seconds in

(Newser) - If anyone can relate to Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction , it's figure skater Yura Min. Except as Min skated Sunday in Pyeongchang, it wasn't just a small bit of her costume she feared would come off. Just a few seconds into her Olympic routine with partner Alexander Gamelin,...

NBC Backpedals Over Analyst's Japan Controversy

Analyst praised former occupier Japan as an example for Koreans

(Newser) - NBC continues to suffer fallout from its coverage of the opening ceremony in the Pyeongchang Olympics, with the network issuing an apology on behalf of an analyst who sparked controversy by praising Japan. Joshua Cooper Ramo on Friday called Japan "a country which occupied Korea from 1910 to 1945,...

Kim Jong Un, Trump Cause Scene at Winter Olympics

Well, their impersonators did anyway

(Newser) - President Trump and Kim Jong Un were kicked out of the Winter Olympics opening ceremony Friday, Reuters reports. Or at least that's what it looked like. In fact the two men briefly hassled by security at the main stadium in Pyeongchang were only impersonating the world leaders. “We...

Here's How North Korea Will Keep Olympians From Defecting

Surveillance, intimidation, and loyalty

(Newser) - Over the past 60 years or so, more than 31,000 North Koreans have defected to South Korea. Now, North Korea wants to make sure its delegation to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang doesn't add to that number. CNN has an in-depth report on how North Korea is making...

NBC Calls It Highlight of Opening Ceremony. It Didn't Happen

NBC airs footage from December after drones grounded

(Newser) - An army of high-flying drones expected to light up the sky at the opening ceremony of the Olympics was grounded, the AP reports. Viewers of NBC's tape-delayed broadcast in the US still saw it, but it was a pre-recorded version from a rehearsal. Intel Corp. was expected to launch...

Gay Olympians' Message to VP Pence: 'Eat Your Heart Out'

Instagram post from 2 openly gay athletes references the vice president, #TeamUSGay

(Newser) - The first two openly gay males to compete in the Winter Olympics posed for a celebratory photo after the Games officially kicked off, though the caption had an eyebrow-raising ending. Freeskier Gus Kenworthy posted the pic of himself and figure skater Adam Rippon on Instagram Friday, along with the message:...

'Most Significant Encounter in Years' for North, South Korea

Via his little sister, Kim Jong Un sends invite to South Korean President Moon Jae-in to come visit

(Newser) - A rare invitation to Pyongyang for the South Korean president marked the second day of the North Korean Kim dynasty's southern road tour Saturday, part of an accelerated diplomatic warming that included more handshakes, some Korean liquor over lunch, and the potential shared joy of watching a "unified"...

N. Korea: No Talks With the US During Olympics
It's So Cold
in Pyeongchang
Skis Are Warping
THE RUNDOWN
Feb 8, 2018 5:25 AM CST

It's So Cold in Pyeongchang Skis Are Warping

And US-North Korea relations are just as icy

(Newser) - Vice President Mike Pence is in South Korea for the Pyeongchang Olympics—and he's probably not going to be talking to any North Koreans while he's there. Pence, who will be seated just a few feet away from Kim Jong Un's sister during Friday's opening ceremony,...

Before South Korea's Last Olympics, Mass Murder

Revisiting the 1987 bombing of Korean Air Flight 858

(Newser) - With the Pyeongchang Olympics set to begin Friday, the Washington Post revisits the only other time South Korea hosted the games—and the mass murder that scarred the run-up to it. North Korea lobbied to co-host the 1988 games, which were held in Seoul. Having been turned down, it decided...

Vomiting, Diarrhea Hit the Olympics

And the Winter Games are off to a great start as norovirus goes for the gold

(Newser) - Days before the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics are to begin, organizers are already apologizing, though there's no wolf wandering the Olympic village this time. Rather, an outbreak of norovirus, which causes vomiting and diarrhea, has hit at least 41 of 1,200 private security guards, reports the BBC . Those affected...

Protesters Greet N. Korea Orchestra Ship

Others waved unification flags as ship arrived for Olympics

(Newser) - Protesters waved South Korean flags, tore up drawings of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and blasted loud music from loudspeakers as a North Korean cruise ship pulled into a South Korean port Tuesday with an orchestra set to perform at the Pyeongchang Olympics. They also burned a paper version...

Samsung Heir Walks Free After Surprise Court Decision

Lee Jae-yong spent a year in prison

(Newser) - Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong was freed Monday after a South Korean appeals court gave him a 2.5-year suspended jail sentence for corruption in connection with a scandal that toppled the country's president. The Seoul High Court softened the original ruling against Lee , rejecting most of the bribery charges...

Koreas' Combined Team Makes Its Debut

The women's hockey team loses 3-1, but no one really seemed that bothered

(Newser) - Wearing a powder-blue logo of a map symbolizing peace between the Koreas, the most talked-about team at this year's Olympics finally saw action Sunday in a friendly that drew thousands in a country that never showed much passion for hockey. The North and South Korean women's hockey players,...

S. Korea Hit by Deadliest Fire in More Than a Decade

At least 41 dead in hospital blaze

(Newser) - Less than two weeks before the Winter Olympics open, South Korea has suffered its deadliest fire in more than a decade. At least 41 people were killed and scores more injured, some of them critically, in a blaze at the Sejong Hospital in the city of Miryang, about 170 miles...

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