Putin, N. Korea's Kim start summit talks amid concerns over deepening military cooperation

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un began summit talks in Pyongyang on Wednesday, Russian news media reported, amid concerns about deepening military cooperation. Putin arrived in North Korea early Wednesday morning in his first trip to the reclusive country in 24 years, as Russia, under international sanctions over its war with Ukraine, has been bolstering military and other cooperation with North Korea. Putin and Kim started their summit talks at the Kumsusan P

North KoreaJune 19, 2024

[Graphic News] Jamsil overtakes Gangnam as Seoul’s busiest subway station

Jamsil Station on Seoul’s Subway Line No. 2 has replaced Gangnam Station of the same line as the capital’s busiest station, with over 150,000 passengers using the station per day, Seoul Metro said. Jamsil Station in southeastern Seoul served a daily average of 155,229 passengers in the first four months of this year, compared with Gangnam Station with a daily average of 151,607 passengers, according to Seoul Metro’s analysis of traffic at all stations on Line Nos. 1-9. Gangna

Social AffairsJune 19, 2024

Putin arrives in Pyongyang for summit with Kim

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Pyongyang on Wednesday in his first trip to North Korea in 24 years as he is set to hold a summit with leader Kim Jong-un in a show of their deepening relations. Putin began his state visit to Pyongyang early Wednesday morning (Korea time), amid growing concerns that burgeoning bilateral defense cooperation would help prop up Russia's war operations in Ukraine and enhance North Korea's weapons programs to the detriment of regional and global

North KoreaJune 19, 2024

Police request arrest warrant for company commanders over recruit's death

CHUNCHEON -- Police on Tuesday requested arrest warrants for two Army company commanders over the death of a trainee soldier following a session of demanding disciplinary training last month, officials said. The suspects are accused of ordering a disciplinary session for six recruits at a unit in Inje County, 126 kilometers northeast of Seoul, on May 23, in violation of relevant training rules, resulting in the death of one conscript. The soldier was taken to a civilian hospital after collapsi

Social AffairsJune 18, 2024

Defense minister discusses arms cooperation with Romanian presidential official

South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik on Tuesday met with a Romanian presidential official in Romania and discussed expanding bilateral defense and arms cooperation, Shin's office said. Shin held talks with Ion Oprisor, Romania's presidential adviser on national security, during his visit to the East European country to bolster strategic partnership in the defense area, the defense ministry said. Oprisor expressed hope for deepening ties in defense and the arms industry, noting Ro

DefenseJune 18, 2024

Landmines kill, hurt North Korean soldiers deployed for ‘barren border’ project

North Korean soldiers have been injured and killed in landmine explosions on their side of the demilitarized zone that divides the Korean Peninsula, the South Korean military said Tuesday. “The North Korean military is pushing ahead with the DMZ operations despite a series of fatal explosions of landmines,” an official at South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff told reporters. The JCS said its closed-circuit TV captured smoke near the sites where the landmines are believed to have

DefenseJune 18, 2024

[Contribution] Remembering Otto Warmbier: Legacy of curiosity, injustice, pursuit of accountability

By Won Jae-chun, professor of International Law and Director of International Law, Handong Global University Otto Warmbier, an American college student whose life was tragically cut short after his imprisonment in North Korea, remains a poignant symbol of youthful curiosity and the stark realities of international injustice. As we commemorate his life and reflect on his legacy, we are reminded of the importance of seeking truth, justice, and accountability. Life full of promise Otto Warmbier was

North KoreaJune 18, 2024

Research center for Israel studies opens in Seoul

A research center dedicated to Israeli studies opened Tuesday under the Seoul National University, becoming the first such academic institution in South Korea. Amb. Akiva Tor, Israeli envoy to South Korea, said in an opening ceremony on this day that the center’s launch “marks an auspicious beginning.” Israel Education Research Center will be “the first academic center in Korean higher education dedicated to the study of Jewish civilization and Israeli society,” he

PoliticsJune 18, 2024

S. Korean, Chinese senior officials convene in Seoul amid Putin's NK trip

South Korea and China held a high-level diplomatic and security dialogue on Tuesday in Seoul, elevating the talks from the director-general to the vice-ministerial level based on an agreement between their leaders, reflecting an atmosphere of thawing ties. The "Korea-China Foreign Policy and Security Dialogue" commenced at 3 p.m. for the first time since 2015 at a critical juncture, coinciding with the first day of Russian President Vladimir Putin's two-day visit to Pyongyang, his

Foreign AffairsJune 18, 2024

Korean students outperform OECD peers in creative thinking

South Korean students showed a high level of creative thinking, outperforming on tests that compare the capability of generating original ideas among 15-year-olds around the world, a survey showed Tuesday. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development released the Program for International Student Assessment results Tuesday, in which South Korea ranked first to third among 28 OECD countries and second to fourth among 64 countries in "creative thinking." PISA is a study of 1

Social AffairsJune 18, 2024

[From the scene] Patients left stranded as local clinics shut down

Choi Jung-hwa, a woman in her 30s, discovered a notice of service suspension Tuesday at the internal medicine clinic she regularly visited in Nowon-gu, northern Seoul, for heartburn treatment. Although she was aware of the ongoing monthslong confrontation between the government and doctors over expanding medical school quotas, she had not anticipated it would disrupt her access to medical care. "I didn't expect that even this local clinic where I have been treated would be closed,"

Social AffairsJune 18, 2024

Putin's state visit to North Korea sets stage for elevated ties

The leaders of Russia and North Korea are set to sign a "treaty on a comprehensive strategic partnership" that could elevate the bilateral ties to a new level possibly in the fields of military, technology and economy upon President Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea for the first time in 24 years on Wednesday. The Russian president signed a presidential decree to "accept the proposal" of the Foreign Ministry in Moscow on signing a comprehensive strategic partnership

North KoreaJune 18, 2024

S. Korea plans support for workers who cover for colleagues with kids

South Korea's Cabinet approved a bill Tuesday to reward employees taking up the duties of coworkers who work reduced hours for child care with government subsidies. Effective on July 1, the revision will allow the government to make up for the employers' compensation to employees who handled the tasks of co-workers who, for example, leave the workplace early for child care purposes. Moreover, parents of young children who work two hours fewer than the regular working hours every day in

Social AffairsJune 18, 2024

Putin expected to visit Liberation Tower, attend concert in Pyongyang

Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit a monument honoring the former Soviet war dead, attend a concert and have tea with his North Korean counterpart during his first visit to Pyongyang in 24 years, reports said Tuesday. As Putin is scheduled to arrive in the capital on Tuesday evening, most of the main events, including meetings with Kim, are to be held Wednesday, Russia's state-run news agency Tass said, citing Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov. The Russian leader is set to visit

Foreign AffairsJune 18, 2024

No older people allowed: Daegu gym triggers controversy

The "no-someone zone" controversy has flared up in Daegu, where a hotel has become embroiled in debate due to its new fitness center policy, which is to ban those aged 76 or up from signing up as members. Local media outlets on Tuesday reported that the allegedly four-star hotel in Suseong-gu, Daegu has decided to ban those 76 and up from signing up to use the gym, starting July 1. According to the new policy, those 76 or older will only be able to use the gym if they sign two consent

Social AffairsJune 18, 2024

Seoul to invest W650b in universities for city competitiveness

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will invest 650 billion won ($471 million) over the next five years to help universities train students with the skills needed for the next generation of industries, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said in a press briefing Tuesday. “With a goal to make Seoul one of the top five global cities (in the Global Cities Index), the city government aims to boost the city’s global competitiveness by boosting the competitiveness of universities in Seoul, by helping to

Social AffairsJune 18, 2024

Korea's largest doctors' group begins full-scale strike despite warnings

Thousands of doctors affiliated with the largest coalition of neighborhood practitioners in South Korea launched a full-scale, one-day strike on Tuesday, despite the government's return-to-work order and threat to disband the organization. The Korean Medical Association, representing some 140,000 doctors, mostly self-employed practitioners, pleaded to the public that it is the "last chance" to salvage the nation's health care from the brink of collapse. Some 50,000 people wer

Social AffairsJune 18, 2024

Zoo-born lion’s first moment outdoors captured in photos

A lion that was born and kept in the basement cell of an indoor zoo for its whole life experienced what it feels like to be outside for the first time on Monday. According to Yonhap News Agency and officials at Spavalley, a theme park in Daegu, the male lion appeared bewildered at first and hesitated, but he soon began to explore his new home of around 500 square meters of land -- more than 10 times the size of the previous indoor cell. The lion also met his lifelong female lion companion, whi

Social AffairsJune 18, 2024

Octogenarian killed by man falling from apartment

Two people died when a man who fell from an apartment building in Busan landed on top of another man, police said Monday. According to Busan Sasang Police Station, a man in his 50s fell from the 15th-floor unit of an apartment complex in Sasang-gu, Busan, at around 7 a.m. on June 15. He landed on another man in his 80s who was walking by. The younger man died instantly. The older man received treatment at a nearby hospital, but died the next day. It is unclear why the man fell, as the initial

Social AffairsJune 18, 2024

S. Korea has far more unmarried men than women: study

As South Korea faces a falling marriage rate, a recent government study showed that the unmarried male population here outnumbers its female counterparts by nearly 20 percent. According to the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs report released Monday, unmarried South Korean men outnumbered unmarried women by 19.6 percent in 2021, with the imbalance in gender ratio being more pronounced outside of metropolitan areas. The report used Statistics Korea data on those born between 1970, 1

Social AffairsJune 18, 2024