Latest news with #Kang
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Is 'K-pop Demon Hunters' just a mashup of popular groups? Director spills the tea!
Ever since the teasers of ' K-pop Demon Hunters ' were shared online, fans from across the globe have come up with their speculations about who inspired the iconic characters of the film. Finally, director Maggie Kang is opening up about the behind-the-scenes deets of the show, from how it was made to who inspired it; she's ready to share it all! Director of 'K-pop Demon Hunters' opens up about the film Maggie Kang, the brains behind the film 'K-pop Demon Hunters', recently opened up about the much-anticipated project and shared some exclusive anecdotes about the film. In an interview with Forbes, Kang talked about how interesting it is to see fans fit their idols into the identities of the characters in the film. 'I think what I like to talk about is that there are so many certain archetypes that every group has. It's fun to see this conversation happening because everyone's picking the right member who fills that archetype and that kind of role and looks for each group,' the director shared. She detailed that while no specific group or idol played a major role in the creation of the film, her upbringing surrounded by groups like H.O.T., Seo Taiji, the Boys, etc., became a major point of influence. Kang and fellow director Appelhans opened up a digital bulletin board Kang also detailed how she and her co-director, Chris Appelhans , opened up a digital bulletin board to add their favourite K-pop stars to draw inspiration from. They then later on gave access to their art department, which brought an interesting influx of different kinds of idols and bands. Who played the inspiration behind 'The Saja Boys'? One of the focal points in the film, the demon group ' The Saja Boys ', came from an amalgamation of a number of popular K-pop groups. The characters were inspired by groups like Tomorrow X Together, BTS, Stray Kids , ATEEZ, BIGBANG, and Monsta X. She shared that while making the characters, she and her team kept in mind the basic idea surrounding the members of the group, i.e., the muscular member, the youngest member, the sweetest member, etc. While the idea of the members took inspiration from K-pop, it was the character 'Mystery' that drew inspiration from anime instead. Kang shared how she was sceptical about the character; however, her team assured her and said, 'Trust us.' Along with this, the character 'Jinu' drew inspiration from Korean actors like Cha Eun Woo and Nam Joo Hyuk , as per Kang. Inspiration behind the demon hunters 'Huntrix' The female K-pop group featured in the film, ' Huntrix ', was inspired by modern-day girl groups. Kang stated in the interview that '[We looked at] ITZY, BLACKPINK, and [TWICE]. Who else? I think it was a lot of mixing.' Model Ahn So Yeon also became a major inspiration behind creating the character of Mira in the film. The director then shared how even though all of the characters were inspired by idol groups, she worked hard on giving them all distinct and unique identifying characteristics. She shared that 'Even with the way we animated them, [they were different and distinct]. With their smile, you'll notice Zoey has more of a heart-shaped mouth when she expresses herself. We wanted Mira to be long and lean because I love that look on a woman. I think that's so beautiful. With Rumi , we leaned into a very classic, beautiful Korean look.' KPop Demon Hunters | Official Trailer | Netflix
Arabian Post
3 days ago
- Business
- Arabian Post
Haru Invest CEO Found Not Guilty of Defrauding Investors
South Korea's Seoul Southern District Court on 17 June acquitted Haru Invest CEO Lee Hyung‑soo of fraud charges linked to the collapse of withdrawal services that triggered investor losses of approximately $650 million. The court determined there was no deliberate intention to mislead the 6,000-plus affected depositors, citing legitimate business activity that merely suffered collapse from contagion stemming from the FTX collapse. Prosecutors had alleged Lee orchestrated a $650 million fraud scheme by misleading investors and misappropriating user funds. They argued that the firm, owned by parent company Blockcrafters, presented itself as secure and sustainable before halting withdrawals in mid‑2023, inflicting financial hardship on users. Nonetheless, the court concluded that while Haru Invest's model carried high risk, it was not inherently deceptive. The court's ruling also cleared the company's co‑CEOs at Blockcrafters, who faced similar allegations. In contrast, Haru's chief operating officer, Kang, received a two‑year prison sentence after being found guilty of embezzlement. The court determined Kang had transferred client funds to his personal accounts, a charge distinct from the fraud accusations directed at Lee and other executives. ADVERTISEMENT Judges noted connections between Haru's difficulties and the broader collapse of the cryptocurrency ecosystem following the FTX failure. They observed that Haru deployed a legitimate yield‑earning model using third‑party counterparties, including B&S Holdings, but that the sudden disruption in liquidity markets amplified losses. There was no evidence, the ruling held, that Lee intentionally misrepresented Haru's operations or risk profile to investors. Concurrently, prosecution testimonials during closing arguments revealed that Haru marketed its platform as capable of delivering annual interest rates exceeding 10 per cent on deposits of Bitcoin, Ethereum and USDT. Investor expectations were inflated, yet those losses, believed to be exacerbated by exposure to over‑leveraged counterparty relationships, were judged to result from systemic failure rather than criminal intent. Throughout the proceedings the defence emphasised Lee's commitment to asset return. Lee personally told the court that investors retained ownership of their crypto assets and that Haru operated legally under custody arrangements. He insisted that financial setbacks resulted from Bernard Bang's mismanagement at B&S, a company entrusted with executing Haru's yield‑earning strategy. The defence maintained that Haru's abrupt withdrawal suspension in June 2023 was a reactive measure to liquidity pressure, not an attempt to defraud. Meanwhile, the court confirmed that Kang, the COO, diverted funds into accounts unrelated to Haru's operations, violating fiduciary responsibility, and meriting his conviction. His sentence reflected the separation in responsibility between him and senior management, who genuinely believed in and operated under a legitimate model. The financial aftermath continues: Haru has appointed an insolvency administrator and launched a creditor claims process affecting thousands of both domestic and overseas investors. According to user‑submitted civil filings, the firm is pursuing recovery of assets tied to the FTX bankruptcy estate, including staking returns and counterparties' restitution. Victims are filing asset‑recognition claims under Korean bankruptcy law, arguing that deposited tokens belong to them and should be returned outside Haru's bankrupt estate. In parallel, appellate proceedings are expected for Kang, whose sentence may be modified as his embezzlement involved funds beyond his legal authority. Lee and his co‑CEOs are also preparing appeals, emphasising that Haru's structure and disclosures conformed with regulations at the time of operation.
Korea Herald
5 days ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
Deputy national security, AI advisers named
President Lee Jae-myung appointed three deputy national security advisers and a senior secretary for artificial intelligence ahead of his trip to Canada to attend the Group of Seven summit, his presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said Sunday. Of the nominees filling the three deputy national security adviser posts under national security adviser Wi Sung-lac, two of them are career diplomats, according to Kang. Kim Hyun-jong, a retired three-star Army general, was selected as Lee's first deputy director of the presidential National Security Office, who will be dedicated to national defense and security strategies. Kim worked as a presidential secretary tasked with national defense reform and an aide to the chief of the Ground Operations Command under the Moon Jae-in government. Lim Woong-soon, South Korea's ambassador to Canada, was picked as the second deputy director of the NSO to handle matters related to South Korea's foreign affairs, overseas Koreans and unification policy. Kang said Lim is in Canada for onsite preparations ahead of Lee's visit. Oh Hyun-joo, South Korean ambassador to the Holy See, was named the NSO's third deputy director to oversee economic security and cybersecurity. Lee also named Ha Jung-woo, head of internet giant Naver's Future AI Center, as the new senior presidential secretary tasked with AI and future technology planning. Ha's work will involve policy related to nationwide adoption of AI, science and technology, population planning and climate change. Kang's announcement means most posts are now filled, but leaves the senior presidential secretaries for civil affairs and civil and social agenda not yet chosen as of Sunday. The civil affairs post is unoccupied as nominee Oh Kwang-soo stepped down last week amid growing controversies over his failed asset disclosures in his past mandatory filings as a senior prosecutor. None of the nominees would join the South Korean delegation led by Lee on a short trip to Canada from Monday to Wednesday, according to the presidential office. Also, according to Seoul, more personnel nominations for the Cabinet will be unveiled shortly after Lee's return to Seoul.
Hans India
5 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
South Korean Prez Lee appoints deputy national security advisers ahead of G7 summit
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has appointed new deputy national security advisers, the presidential office said Sunday, ahead of his first overseas trip to attend the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Canada this week. Kim Hyun-jong, a retired three-star general who formerly served as chief of staff of the Ground Operations Command, was named the first deputy national security adviser, Kang Hoon-sik, the presidential chief of staff, told reporters. Kim, who was previously involved in former President Moon Jae-in's defense reform initiative, is well suited to strengthen South Korea's military capabilities and lead military reform efforts, Kang said. Lim Woong-soon, South Korea's ambassador to Canada, who has been preparing for the G7 summit, was chosen as the second deputy adviser in charge of foreign affairs policy. Oh Hyun-joo, South Korea's first female envoy to the Holy See, was named the third deputy adviser tasked with economic security affairs, Yonhap news agency reported. "President Lee said the upcoming G7 summit will mark the restoration of South Korea's summit diplomacy and negotiations for economic security," Kang said. Lee will travel to Alberta from Monday to Wednesday to attend an expanded G7 session and hold a series of bilateral meetings with leaders of major economies, according to his office. Lee also appointed Ha Jung-woo, the head of the Future AI Center at South Korea's tech firm Naver, as the presidential secretary for artificial intelligence policy, a newly minted position.
Korea Herald
6 days ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
Lee Jae-myung names deputy national security, AI advisers
President Lee Jae-myung nominated three deputy national security advisers and a senior secretary for artificial intelligence ahead of his trip to Canada to attend the Group of Seven summit, his presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said Sunday. Of the nominees filling three deputy national security adviser posts under National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, two of them were career diplomats, according to Kang. Kim Hyun-jong was selected as Lee's first deputy director of the presidential National Security Office, who will be dedicated to national defense and security strategies. Lee is a retired three-star general of South Korea's Army who was formerly an aide to the chief of the Ground Operations Command. Lim Woong-soon, South Korea's ambassador to Canada, was picked as the second deputy director of the NSO to handle matters related to South Korea's foreign affairs, overseas Koreans and unification policy. Kang said Lim is in Canada for onsite preparations ahead of Lee's visit. Oh Hyun-joo, South Korean ambassador to the Holy See, was named the NSO's third deputy director to oversee economic security and cybersecurity. Lee also named Ha Jung-woo, head of internet giant Naver's Future AI Center, as the new senior presidential secretary tasked with AI and future technology planning. Ha's work will involve policy related to nationwide adoption of AI, science and technology, population planning and climate change. Kang's announcement leaves the senior presidential secretaries for civil affairs and civil and social agenda untapped, while filling most of the other posts as of Sunday. The civil affairs aide post is unoccupied as nominee Oh Kwang-soo stepped down last week amid growing controversies over his failed asset disclosures in his past mandatory filings as a senior prosecutor. According to the presidential office, more personnel nominations will be unveiled after Lee's return to Seoul next week.
