Trade ministry, ASEAN vow cooperation in digital transition, clean energy

South Korea's trade ministry said Tuesday it has agreed with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to expand cooperation in digital transition, clean energy and other areas. Trade Minister Cheong In-kyo met ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn in Seoul to discuss cooperation on areas of mutual interest, including trade, supply chains and development, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. During the meeting, Cheong noted that the Southeast Asian bloc stands as South

Foreign AffairsMay 28, 2024

National Assembly to hold revote on special counsel probe bill over Marine's death

A bill mandating a special counsel investigation into the military's response to a Marine's death last year will likely be put up for a revote Tuesday at the final session of the current National Assembly. The bill, which was passed by the opposition-controlled parliament early this month and vetoed by President Yoon Suk Yeol, calls for the appointment of a special counsel to look into allegations Yoon's office and the defense ministry inappropriately interfered in the military�

PoliticsMay 28, 2024

UAE president to make state visit to S. Korea

United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will make a state visit to South Korea on Tuesday to discuss ways to expand cooperation in energy, defense and other areas. Mohamed will visit South Korea for a summit with President Yoon Suk Yeol and meetings with business leaders Tuesday and Wednesday. It marks the first state visit to the country by a UAE president. Four Air Force fighter jets will escort the UAE's presidential jet, and Yoon will host a welcome dinner. On Wednesd

Foreign AffairsMay 28, 2024

Turkmenistan honors poet Magtymguly Fragi in Seoul

The Turkmenistan Embassy in Seoul honored Magtymguly Fragi, a prominent Turkmen poet and philosopher, celebrating the 300th anniversary of his birth on May 14. Hosting a conference and exhibition, the embassy showcased Fragi‘s profound impact on Turkmen cultural heritage. Delivering remarks at the event, Turkmenistan Ambassador to Korea Begench Durdyyev heralded the poet and philosopher as a beacon of Turkmen literary tradition and philosophy, who shaped cultural discourse. Turkmenistan ha

Foreign AffairsMay 28, 2024

N. Korea says spy satellite launch failed due to midair blast during first-stage rocket flight

North Korea said Tuesday that its latest attempt to launch a new rocket carrying a military reconnaissance satellite ended in failure due to the midair explosion of the rocket during the first-stage flight this week. The vice general director of the North's National Aerospace Technology Administration said the rocket carrying the satellite, the Malligyong-1-1, exploded after it lifted off from the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground on the country's northwest coast on Monday, according to

North KoreaMay 28, 2024

Foreign ministry shakes up units to bolster strategies, intelligence

The South Korean foreign ministry said Tuesday it revamped its units to bolster regional strategies and intelligence gathering, while downsizing the bureau handling North Korean nuclear issues, in a major shakeup amid the deadlock in nuclear talks with Pyongyang. In March, the ministry announced the reorganization plan centering on downsizing the bureau in charge of North Korean issues and revamping other units, citing the changing diplomatic and geopolitical landscape. Under the new structure,

Foreign AffairsMay 28, 2024

[Graphic News] Decline in adoption continues: Just 229 children find new homes last year

Last year, a total of 229 children found new homes through both domestic and international adoption, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare. This figure marks a decline for the fourth consecutive year, with 150 children adopted domestically and 79 adopted internationally. The cumulative number of adopted children now stands at 249,959. In domestic adoption, 89 girls and 61 boys were adopted, though the proportion of girls saw a slight decrease of 4.9 percent compared to the previous y

Social AffairsMay 28, 2024

South Korea confirms North Korea’s latest spy satellite launch failed

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said a projectile believed to be a North Korean spy satellite was fired toward the west of the Korean Peninsula and landed in the sea after exploding midair late Monday. The projectile, which the JCS identified as “North Korea’s so-called military reconnaissance satellite,” was fired from the North Pyongan Province in a southwesterly direction at around 10:44 p.m. The JCS said some debris from the satellite’s explosion could be ob

DefenseMay 28, 2024

[Herald Interview] Korea, model for Indonesia’s creative economy: minister

Indonesian leader Joko Widodo has asked his administration to learn from the South Korean government's drive to bolster the creative economy as part of the Southeast Asian country's effort to pursue its future growth engine, according to an Indonesian Cabinet member. "President Joko Widodo has tasked us with emulating the Korean government's approach to bolster the creative industry," said Sandiaga Uno, Indonesian minister for tourism and creative economy in a recent int

Foreign AffairsMay 27, 2024

Azerbaijan marks Independence Day, seeks climate action with S. Korea

The Azerbaijan Embassy said it hopes to join hands with South Korea on climate action while marking its Independence Day in Seoul on Wednesday. The annual event commemorates the establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic on May 28, 1918, which ended nearly two centuries of Iranian and Russian rule and marked the restoration of Azerbaijan's statehood. "It (Azerbaijan) was the first republic ever in the entire Muslim world. It granted its female citizens the right to vote, ahead

Foreign AffairsMay 27, 2024

Tajikistan builds solar panel production with Korean investment

Tajikistan, with substantial support from South Korea, started its first solar panel production facility in the Danghara Free Economic Zone on Saturday, according to the Tajik Embassy in Seoul. The project spearheaded by the Korean company Global Solar Wafer, is set to unfold in four stages investing $2 billion and boosting local employment in Tajikistan, the embassy said. The facility is also expected to provide over 8,000 jobs, it added. In a move to woo foreign investment in the country, the

Foreign AffairsMay 27, 2024

Indian embassy to hold festivities for Yoga day

The Indian Embassy in Seoul will hold festivities across the country to celebrate the International Day of Yoga, slated for June 21. The International Day of Yoga was designated by the United Nations General Assembly through resolution 69/131 and received endorsement from a record 175 member states in 2014. Speaking at a press briefing ahead of the 10th International Day of Yoga on Thursday, Indian Ambassador to Korea Amit Kumar introduced yoga as an ancient heritage from India, that embodies th

Foreign AffairsMay 27, 2024

N. Korea decries S. Korea's commitment to 'denuclearization' after trilateral summit

North Korea denounced South Korea on Monday for stating its commitment to denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a joint declaration with Japan and China following their trilateral summit, casting it as a "mockery" of the region and the international community. The North's foreign ministry issued the statement hours after President Yoon Suk Yeol, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese Premier Li Qiang held the trilateral summit in Seoul and reaffirmed their commitm

North KoreaMay 27, 2024

S. Korea to clamp down on 'excessive' use of medical services

Starting July, the government will start charging extra medical fees for those who use the medical services an "excessive" amount. The recent revision of the National Health Insurance Act will kick in on July 1, which means that the current coverage of the state-run health insurance program will be limited to 365 outpatient treatments in a year. Those visiting the hospital more frequently will still be covered by the National Insurance, but will have to pay 90 percent of the medical bi

Social AffairsMay 27, 2024

Violation found in soldier's death during training exercise: Army

A violation of military regulation occurred with a recent trainee soldier's death during a training exercise, an Army official told local media Monday. In a meeting with reporters, the unnamed official confirmed that there "had been a situation that was not in accordance with (military) regulation" during the exercise. The official refused to elaborate, saying the case was still under investigation by the police and the military. According to the Army, the trainee soldier died Sat

Social AffairsMay 27, 2024

China's use of 'denuclearization' in summit statement significant despite dilution: Seoul

The South Korean government on Monday underscored the significance of China's consent to include the phrase "denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" in the joint summit declaration released earlier in the day, given the shifts in the geopolitical landscape including growing US-China rivalry and Beijing's deliberate avoidance of explicitly mentioning the phrase. The joint declaration followed the first trilateral summit in around 4 1/2 years, hosted in Seoul, where South Kor

Foreign AffairsMay 27, 2024

Students inventive effort to return lost credit card goes viral

The story of two students who found a lost credit card and returned it to its owner in a creative way has gone viral. According to a report by a local TV network Jeju International Broadcasting System, on the evening of April 19, a Jeju resident surnamed Han received a text message informing him of a charge of 300 won ($0.2) at a convenience store made with his lost credit card. At that point, he did not even know that it was missing. The next day, he called the card company to report the mi

Social AffairsMay 27, 2024

Financially active women bear fewer children, report finds

Working women or dual-income households in South Korea have fewer children on average than households with a single breadwinner, as child care is disproportionately also done by women, reports showed Monday. Based on household surveys of partners aged 25 to 44, dual-income households had an average of 1.36 children while single-income households had 1.46 children last year, according to Statistics Korea's study of fertility disparities based on economic and social factors. Elite families with a

Social AffairsMay 27, 2024

Main opposition condemns Korea-Japan summit talks as failure

The main opposition party here on late Sunday denounced the latest bilateral talks between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, calling it Yoon’s “declaration of surrender” to Tokyo. The Democratic Party of Korea, in a written briefing released after the conclusion of talks between Yoon and Kishida, criticized the South Korean leader’s decision to recognize the Japanese government’s apparent pressure on Naver to give up its

PoliticsMay 27, 2024

South Korea flies fighters near border over North Korean spy satellite alarm

South Korea on Monday staged an air exercise near the inter-Korean border in response to an announcement from North Korea that it would launch a military reconnaissance satellite within the next seven days. According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, the drills involving some 20 fighter jets -- including F-15Ks, KF-16s and the stealth F-35As -- were carried out in the skies south of the no-fly zone from around 1 p.m. Col. Lee Sung-jun, the South Korean JCS spokesperson, said in a pre

DefenseMay 27, 2024