S. Korea to send military aircraft to evacuate nationals from Middle East

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday directed the immediate dispatch of military aircraft to evacuate nationals from the Middle East as tensions escalated rapidly with intensified clashes between Israel and Iran as well as its backed militias Hezbollah and Hamas. "The president emphasized that protecting South Korean nationals in Israel and the Middle East is of utmost importance and instructed that all necessary measures be taken," his office said in a statement issued fo

Foreign AffairsOct. 2, 2024

Court confirms sentence for rapper who attempted to evade national service

A South Korean rapper who pretended that his mental illness had worsened in order to shorten his mandatory national service will be subject to a suspended prison term, the country's top court confirmed Wednesday. Announcing the ruling, which it said was made last month, the Supreme Court upheld a 14-month sentence, suspended for two years, for the rapper Nafla, who was convicted last year of violating the Military Service Act and the Criminal Act, specifically for obstructing the performanc

Social AffairsOct. 2, 2024

Russian ambassador hopes for improved ties with Seoul

Georgy Zinoviev, the Russian ambassador in Seoul, told South Korean lawmakers on Wednesday that although the relations between the two countries were going through a difficult time, he believed they would improve in the future. “I would like to take this opportunity to say that even though South Korea and Russia are going through a rough patch at this moment, I believe there is still a lot of potential for expanding cooperation and resuming dialogue in the future,” he said, speaking

PoliticsOct. 2, 2024

Scalpers using macros to resell Byeon Woo-seok, Lim Young-woong tickets busted

South Korean police have caught scalpers in their 20s and 30s for using macro tools to illegally buy performance tickets for popular stars like Lim Young-woong and Byeon Woo-seok, then reselling them at premium prices. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said on Tuesday that they had apprehended seven individuals, identified as college students, job seekers and soldiers, who used automated macro programs from 2021 until August of this year to snatch highly sought-after tickets and resell them o

Social AffairsOct. 2, 2024

N. Korea may revoke 1991 Inter-Korean Basic Agreement in parliament: Seoul

North Korea may revoke the Inter-Korean Basic Agreement, which has served as a pivotal foundation for the development of inter-Korean relations and efforts toward peaceful reunification for more than three decades, during its parliamentary session scheduled for next week, the Unification Ministry in Seoul said Wednesday. The potential action aligns with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's public declaration that the two Koreas are engaged in relations between "two hostile states" lo

North KoreaOct. 2, 2024

Temperatures drop by more than 10 C as fall officially begins

Following nationwide rain Tuesday, South Korea experienced chilly fall weather Wednesday morning, as temperatures dipped by up to 10 degrees Celsius compared to the previous day accompanied by strong winds, said the Korea Meteorological Administration. According to the KMA, the influx of cold air from the northwest and strong winds resulted in Wednesday morning lows 5 C to 10 C lower than the previous day in the central region, comprising the Greater Seoul area -- Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Pro

Social AffairsOct. 2, 2024

AI textbook bubble could burst, expert warns

In a move toward digital education, South Korea is set to introduce artificial intelligence-powered textbooks into its schools starting in March next year. This initiative, which will begin with third and fourth graders in elementary schools and first-year students in middle and high schools, has sparked mixed reactions. Some view it as a true "education transformation," or even a "revolution," others simply as a new tool. Neil Selwyn, a professor at Monash University in Melb

Social AffairsOct. 2, 2024

Diablo 4 sells for under 1,600 won, possibly due to error

A handful of South Korean gamers were treated to an unintended limited-time offer for the popular computer game Diablo 4 on Wednesday, when its publisher inexplicably put it on sale for 1,575 won ($1.20) for less than an hour in the wee hours of the morning. The short-term price for the standard edition of the action role-playing game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment was posted at the company's Battle.net website some time before 3 a.m. It reverted to its initial price of 6

Social AffairsOct. 2, 2024

North Korean trash balloons cross border day after Seoul military parade

North Korea once again sent another wave of balloons carrying trash toward the South on Wednesday, the day after a massive military parade was held in Seoul to commemorate the Armed Forces Day. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said at around 5:19 a.m. that North Korea was flying objects believed to be trash balloons, which may move toward Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province given the wind direction. The JCS advised residents of the affected areas to be wary of falling objects an

DefenseOct. 2, 2024

[Hello India] India’s Sarang Festival kicks off featuring classical Hindu dance

The 10th edition of India’s Sarang Festival in Korea, an annual cultural exchange event hosted by the Indian Embassy in Korea, kicked off Tuesday, featuring an hour long dance performances. The festival's title, "sarang," means "love" in Korean and "diversity" in Hindi, reflecting cultural significance for both nations. This year's Sarang Festival began with a Kuchipudi performance by renowned artist Sreelakshmy Govardhanan, with the group set to per

Foreign AffairsOct. 2, 2024

Yoon vetoes three bills, including special probe targeting first lady

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday endorsed Cabinet motions demanding parliamentary reconsideration of three opposition-led bills, including one calling for a special counsel probe into first lady Kim Keon Hee's allegations. It marked the 11th time that Yoon has exercised his veto power since taking office in May 2022, and a total of 24 bills have been rejected amid ongoing tensions between the opposition-controlled National Assembly and Yoon. The most disputed bill calls for an independe

PoliticsOct. 2, 2024

S. Korea to enhance market monitoring over Middle East crisis

Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok said Wednesday the South Korean government will stay vigilant against heightened tensions in the Middle East following Iran's massive missile attack on Israel, vowing to enhance market monitoring and devise responses. Iran fired a barrage of around 180 ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday (local time), in what Tehran said was retaliation for the recent killings of top Hezbollah and Hamas officials, according to foreign media reports. Israeli Prime Minister

PoliticsOct. 2, 2024

N. Korea sends more trash balloons toward S. Korea: JCS

North Korea sent what appeared to be trash-filled balloons toward South Korea on Wednesday, the South's military said, in the first such launch in 10 days. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the North launched the balloons, warning they may float toward Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province. Since late May, the North has launched more than 5,000 balloons carrying trash on over 22 occasions in retaliation against anti-Pyongyang leaflets sent to the North by North Korean defectors and activ

North KoreaOct. 2, 2024

[Graphic News] Mobile phone spam hits record high

Mobile phone spam in South Korea reached a record high through August, despite ongoing government efforts to curb unwanted messages and advertisements, parliamentary data showed. From January to August, 280.4 million spam messages and calls were reported or detected by the Korea Internet & Security Agency, up 68 percent from the same period last year, according to the data submitted to the National Assembly by KISA. This year’s figure through August already represent 95 percent of

Social AffairsOct. 2, 2024

S. Korea to attend NATO defense ministers' meeting for 1st time

BRUSSELS (Yonhap) -- South Korea and three other Indo-Pacific partners of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization will attend the upcoming defense ministerial meeting for the first time later this month, NATO's chief said Tuesday. New NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the defense ministers of South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, collectively known as IP4, were invited to the meeting scheduled for Oct. 16-17 in Brussels. "I look forward to welcoming them and forging a sh

Foreign AffairsOct. 1, 2024

[Photo News] Armed Forces Day

A grand military parade took place in central Seoul on Tuesday in celebration of South Korea's Armed Forces Day. The parade showcased diverse forces, including around 5,000 military personnel and 340 pieces of equipment, marching along a 1.5-kilometer stretch from Sungnyemun to Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul for an hour from 4 p.m. For the parade, military personnel and vehicles carrying weapons and soldiers traveled from Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, to the parade ven

DefenseOct. 1, 2024

Abuse against emergency room staff rises 21% in 3 years: data

South Korean emergency room medical staff have experienced increasing instances of physical and verbal abuse in recent years, government data showed Tuesday. Doctors or nurses were subject to abuse from patients at emergency rooms 707 times in 2023, up from 602 in 2022 and 585 in 2021, according to Ministry of Health and Welfare data submitted to Rep. Kim Mi-ae of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. Of the 707 cases for last year, 457 were related to verbal abuse. Physical violence

Social AffairsOct. 1, 2024

Yoon warns North Korea against nuclear attack attempt

President Yoon Suk Yeol said the Kim Jong-un regime would face its destruction should it attempt a nuclear attack at the Armed Forces Day ceremony on Tuesday, in a warning accompanied by a rare showcase of powerful weapons targeting North Korea. “If North Korea ever tries to use a nuclear weapon, it will be met with a decisive and overwhelming response from our armed forces and alliance with the US. And that will be the day its regime ends,” he said. The warning from the president ca

PoliticsOct. 1, 2024

Seoul mayor suggests shift in immigration policy

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon called for a paradigm shift in South Korean immigration policy, highlighting the importance of adopting more inclusive visa policies to tackle demographic challenges. "With a total fertility rate of just 0.7 and the elder population set to surpass 20 percent next year, the potential workforce crisis looms large," said Oh at the Foreign Residents and Migration Policy Forum hosted by the city government. Inclusive visa policies can help keep diverse international r

Social AffairsOct. 1, 2024

Man calls 119, found dead 1 week later because officials went to wrong place

A Busan man living by himself was recently found dead in his home, after the emergency workers he had called for failed to track him down due to an error in their GPS system. According to local media reports Monday, the victim in his 50s called the 119 emergency hotline on Sept. 8 to report that he was experiencing severe health issues. He notified the operators of his specific address, including the name of the residential-commercial building he was in and the unit number. But the rescue work

Social AffairsOct. 1, 2024