NASA officials upbeat about greater space cooperation with S. Korea

Officials of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration expressed expectations for greater space cooperation with South Korea on Thursday, as the two countries are widening the scope of their alliance beyond its longstanding security focus. Mark Clampin, NASA's astrophysics division director, and John Wisniewski, a NASA scientist for the SPHEREx, a future space observatory, attended an event on bilateral space cooperation at the South Korean Embassy in Washington. The event took p

Foreign AffairsMay 17, 2024

Job additions rebound to over 200,000 in April amid rising exports

South Korea added more than 200,000 jobs in April on the back of the marked increase in manufacturing jobs on export growth, data showed Friday. But the number of people who remained unemployed and sought a job surged by the most in more than three years amid demographic changes, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. The number of employed people came to 28.69 million last month, up 261,000 from a year earlier. The country added more than 300,000 new jobs in both January and Februa

Social AffairsMay 17, 2024

N. Korea slams planned S. Korea-US military drills, warns of 'catastrophic aftermath'

North Korea on Friday denounced a plan by South Korea and the United States to stage their joint annual military drills in August, warning that they could face a "catastrophic aftermath" if they carry out the exercise. The Ulchi Freedom Shield by Seoul and Washington is a "nuclear attack exercise" against Pyongyang that will involve state-of-the-art military equipment, including nuclear strategic assets, according to the Korean Central News Agency. In December 2023, South Kor

North KoreaMay 17, 2024

Trump may like to 'solve' N. Korean nuclear problem if reelected: ex-official

Former President Donald Trump may like to "solve" North Korea's nuclear quandary if reelected, a former US official during Trump's presidency said Thursday, noting how to address the issue is "unpredictable." Allison Hooker, former senior director for Asia at the National Security Council, made the remarks, underscoring that leader-level diplomacy with North Korea is the "right " approach given that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is the "top decision

North KoreaMay 17, 2024

[Graphic News] How much do Korean adults read?

A survey by South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism revealed that around 6 out of 10 Korean adults did not read a single book in the past year. According to the survey, only 43 percent of Korean adults read at least one book in 2023. This was a 4.5 percent decrease from the results of the previous survey in 2021, and the lowest it has ever been since periodic surveys on reading began back in 1994. The decrease in book reading was especially pronounced among people aged 60 a

Social AffairsMay 17, 2024

Police raid popera singer Kim Ho-joong's house over hit-and-run suspicions

Police raided famous popera singer Kim Ho-joong's house in Seoul on Thursday over suspicions that he caused a hit-and-run accident while drunk driving last week, officials said. Investigators from Seoul Gangnam Police Station searched Kim's house as well as the home and office of the head of Think Entertainment, an agency representing Kim, to figure out the whereabouts of Kim and his manager following the incident. Kim is suspected of fleeing after hitting a taxi while drunk driving in

PoliticsMay 16, 2024

Russia, China oppose 'military intimidation' against N. Korea by US, allies: report

The leaders of Russia and China issued a joint statement opposing what they call "acts of military intimidation" against North Korea by the United States and its allies, a Russian news report said Thursday. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping issued the statement following a bilateral summit in Beijing, according to Russian news agency TASS. "The parties oppose the acts of military intimidation by the US and its allies that escalate confrontation with

PoliticsMay 16, 2024

S. Korea, China discuss stronger supply chain ties during ministerial talks

South Korea and China discussed ways Thursday of strengthening bilateral cooperation on supply chains of critical minerals and key industry items, Seoul's finance ministry said. The discussions were made during the 18th Korea-China Meeting on Economic Cooperation held virtually between South Korea's Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok and Zheng Shanjie, chairman of China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. It was the fi

Diplomatic CircuitMay 16, 2024

Artwork symbolizing S. Korean abductees in N. Korea on display at garden show

The unification ministry on Thursday unveiled an artwork inspired by three forget-me-nots at a garden show in an effort to raise public awareness of South Koreans detained in North Korea. Earlier this year, the government created an image of three blue forget-me-nots as a symbol of South Korean abductees, detainees and prisoners of the 1950-53 Korean War in hope of their safe repatriation from the repressive regime. The artwork by artist Nanan Kang, comprising a glass greenhouse filled with the

North KoreaMay 16, 2024

Court refuses injunction on medical school expansion

A South Korean appellate court on Thursday rejected an injunction sought by the medical community to halt the implementation of a planned student quota increase at medical schools nationwide. With the obstacles now cleared, the Seoul High Court's ruling allows the government to proceed with its contentious plan to add 2,000 more admission seats at medical schools nationwide, despite facing vehement opposition from doctors and students. This marks the first medical school quota hike in 27 years s

Social AffairsMay 16, 2024

Seoul to launch real-time flood warning system for drivers this July

The Ministry of Environment is set to unveil a new flood warning system tailored for drivers this July after last summer's deadly incident of underground tunnel flooding. "For the first time this year, navigation guidance will be available to help drivers drive safely in low-lying and other hazardous areas when entering flood warning areas or near the discharge points of the 37 dams managed by the Ministry of the Environment," Environment Minister Han Wha-jin said during a press b

Social AffairsMay 16, 2024

Debate on 'no-seniors zones' heats up

The debate has intensified over indoor spaces barring older people, notably sparked by local reports of residents in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province, debating on online forums whether to designate a newly opened public swimming pool as a "no-seniors zone." One commenter posted: “People over 65 use the pool in a very dirty way, such as urinating in the water, and complain a lot, which ruins the atmosphere. Their use should be restricted.” The pool in question, reportedly

Social AffairsMay 16, 2024

S. Korea, Cambodia forge strategic partnership

South Korea and Cambodia officially elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership on Thursday at a summit of President Yoon Suk Yeol and his Cambodian counterpart Hun Manet in Seoul. The announcement came "with full confidence in the future of the bilateral partnership" as the two countries acknowledged that their diplomatic ties have grown stronger over the past few decades, according to a joint statement released Thursday. "Since the reestablishment of relations in 1997

PoliticsMay 16, 2024

Why Korean crime stories typically feature nameless, faceless perpetrators

When opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was stabbed in the neck in a failed assassination attempt in January, the South Korean public remained in the dark about the assailant’s identity, including his name and occupation, until the New York Times disclosed the information. In April, when a Korean NASA engineer was charged in the US with a series of rapes, his name, age and photos were disseminated in US media. But in local media, the Korean suspect was cloaked in anonymity, with his photos

Social AffairsMay 16, 2024

Why is heavy snow falling in mid-May in Korea?

In an unexpected turn of weather events, with snow reaching unforeseen depths and blanketing regions, the national weather agency issued a heavy snow warning for the mountainous areas of northern Gangwon Province as of Wednesday evening. This marked the first time in approximately 30 years -- since 1994 -- that the agency has issued such a warning in mid-May, underscoring the unprecedented nature of this weather event. “While heavy snow warnings have been issued in May in the past, the KMA

Social AffairsMay 16, 2024

New Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office chief vows full-fledged probe into first lady

The new chief of the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office on Thursday pledged to take “all necessary measures” to carry on its ongoing probe into the luxury bag scandal involving first lady Kim Keon Hee, disregarding criticism from the opposition party regarding his appointment. The latest vow comes a few days after the Justice Ministry’s surprise personnel reshuffle announcement on Monday, which replaced the now-former chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Off

PoliticsMay 16, 2024

Seoul weighs establishing first military medical school

South Korea’s Defense Ministry said Thursday it is mulling the establishment of an inaugural military medical school to secure doctors who would serve in the military for at least 10 years in an effort to improve the military medical system and enhance treatment capabilities. "The Defense Ministry has been actively promoting and reviewing measures aimed at enhancing military medical capabilities, including the recruitment of long-term service military surgeons and the specialization o

DefenseMay 16, 2024

KMA and University of Utah Asia Campus agree to fortify educational cooperation

The Korea Military Academy’s Academic Board and the University of Utah Asia Campus agreed to forge educational cooperation to foster global talents and competent officers. The two institutions signed a memorandum of understanding Tuesday at the Korea Military Academy in northern Seoul to cooperate in strengthening English education. The agreement includes plans to develop a course that students from both colleges can attend and to come together to hold English-speaking contests, a KMA offi

Social AffairsMay 16, 2024

'Seatless car' expanded to Seoul Metro's Line 7

Subway cars without seats have been added to Line No. 7 from Thursday. Seoul Metro announced that it removed the seats of a car on one of its Line No.7 trains on a trial basis in an attempt to alleviate congestion inside its trains during peak hours. The move comes four months after such a car was first added to Seoul Metro’s Line No. 4 in January. On Line No.7, the seatless subway car is deployed around 8 a.m. on weekdays, when the lane sees the highest density on the train running throug

Social AffairsMay 16, 2024

First lady to attend luncheon with Cambodian PM in return to public duties

First lady Kim Keon Hee will attend an official luncheon with the visiting Cambodian prime minister Thursday, the presidential office said, marking her return to public duties after she withdrew in December amid corruption allegations. The first lady will join President Yoon Suk Yeol, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and his wife during the luncheon, which will be held at the presidential office following a summit between the leaders. The last time Kim appeared in public was in December when s

Social AffairsMay 16, 2024