Unification minister urges N. Korea to immediately return detained S. Koreans home

Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho on Friday called on North Korea to "immediately and unconditionally" send a detained South Korean missionary and five other nationals back home, condemning the North's yearslong arbitrary detention as grave human rights violations. South Korea's top point man on North Korea issued a rare statement marking 4,000 days after missionary Kim Jung-wook was arrested in Pyongyang in 2013. He was sentenced to hard labor for life on charges of spying fo

PoliticsSept. 20, 2024

S. Korea, US to hold regular defense talks to discuss deterrence against NK threats

South Korea and the United States will hold regular defense talks next week to discuss ways to strengthen security cooperation against North Korean nuclear and missile threats, the South's defense ministry said Friday. The 25th Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) is set to be held in Seoul on Monday and Tuesday for discussions on an array of security alliance issues ahead of the annual Security Consultative Meeting, which takes place annually in the fall. South Korea's Deputy M

Diplomatic CircuitSept. 20, 2024

Yoon's office rejects ex-president's call for reconsidering unification policy

The presidential office on Thursday rejected former President Moon Jae-in's call for reviewing its approach to unification with North Korea, saying the previous government's dialogue-focused peace initiative is "unrealistic." A senior presidential official who accompanied President Yoon Suk Yeol on a trip to the Czech Republic made the remark after Moon criticized the Yoon administration's hard-line policy on North Korea and called for efforts to ease inter-Korean tensio

PoliticsSept. 20, 2024

Seoul chastises predatory pricing claims over Czech nuclear export deal

PRAGUE -- The presidential office denounced claims by opposition parties that the South Korean consortium, which became a preferred bidder to build at least two nuclear power units in the Czech Republic in July, had proposed an extremely low bidding price that could waste taxpayers' money following a rise in construction costs. The administration instead claimed that the pricing of the South Korean consortium, led by the state-run Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power, was made at a reasonable level. It

PoliticsSept. 20, 2024

Presidential office rejects liberal agenda of peaceful existence of two Koreas

PRAGUE -- President Yoon Suk Yeol's office on Thursday denounced liberal politicians' emphasis on the peaceful coexistence of two Koreas, reiterating the conservative administration's goal of achieving ultimate peace through reunification as enshrined in the "Unification Doctrine" in August. Contrasting reunification of the separated nations with coexistence, an official of the South Korean presidential office said in Prague on condition of anonymity that the peaceful reunification of

PoliticsSept. 20, 2024

Leaders of S. Korea, Czech Republic agree to discuss nuclear energy push

PRAGUE -- President Yoon Suk Yeol and Czech President Petr Pavel agreed to strengthen diplomatic, economic and security ties between the two countries, at a time when South Korea is working to finalize the contract with Czech authorities over its 24 trillion won ($18 billion) nuclear export deal. "(To jointly counter global crisis and threats of authoritarianism), our two countries have decided to bolster cooperation in key areas including politics, economy, culture, technology, diplomacy a

PoliticsSept. 20, 2024

3.9 magnitude earthquake hits northwestern N. Korea: KMA

A 3.9 magnitude earthquake struck North Korea's northwestern province bordering China on Thursday, which is believed to be a natural one, the South Korean weather agency said. The quake struck an area 7 kilometers northeast-east of Ryongrim in Jagang Province, at 7:41 p.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. The epicenter was at a latitude of 40.54 degrees north and a longitude of 126.75 degrees east, the KMA said. The quake is believed to have occurred naturally, it adde

Social AffairsSept. 19, 2024

Parliamentary subcommittee passes bill to toughen punishment for digital sex crimes against teens

A parliamentary subcommittee passed a bill Thursday that calls for tougher punishment for digital sex crimes using deepfake technologies against children and teenagers. During a subcommittee legislative review session, the National Assembly's gender equality and family committee made the bipartisan decision to pass the revision of the act on the protection of children against sex crimes. The proposed bill calls for sentencing of at least three years imprisonment for blackmailing young people usi

PoliticsSept. 19, 2024

Number of ER patients drops 32% during Chuseok holiday

The number of patients who visited hospital emergency rooms dropped 32 percent during the Chuseok holiday, the health ministry said Thursday, assessing that there were no major disruptions in emergency care. A prolonged walkout by trainee doctors had fueled concerns about potential disruptions at hospital emergency rooms during the holiday, prompting the government to ask patients with mild illnesses to visit community hospitals. The average number of patients who visited emergency rooms stood a

Social AffairsSept. 19, 2024

Yoo Ah-in cleared of sexual assault allegation due to lack of evidence

Charges have been dropped and the case closed against actor Yoo Ah-in for alleged sexual assault, due to insufficient evidence, local police said Thursday. Seoul Yongsan Police Station decided not to transfer the case to the prosecution. The police had begun an investigation on July 15 after the 38-year-old actor was accused of sexually assaulting a man in his 30s in an officetel flat in the district. The police had questioned the plaintiff and Yoo, but stated they could not find sufficient evid

Social AffairsSept. 19, 2024

FM Cho to attend UN General Assembly in New York next week

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul will fly to New York next week to attend the annual United Nations General Assembly, where he is expected to discuss key international issues and highlight South Korea's efforts toward sustainable peace, his office said Thursday. During the six-day visit starting Monday, Cho will deliver a keynote speech at the general debate of the high-level gathering to reaffirm South Korea's commitment to ensuring global peace and prosperity, foreign ministry spokespers

Foreign AffairsSept. 19, 2024

Average of 127 children, disabled and dementia patients reported missing daily

An average of 127 missing persons reports involving children are filed each day in Korea, government data showed Thursday. The data also reveal that more than 70,000 adults disappear every year, with over 1,000 of them being found dead. According to data from the National Police Agency, submitted to Rep. Han Byung-do of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, 73,423 children under the age of 18 were reported missing from 2021 to 2023. In the same period, 23,950 people with intellectual, a

Social AffairsSept. 19, 2024

Assembly passes special counsel bill to probe first lady

South Korea's National Assembly on Thursday passed three contentious bills pushed ahead by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, including one that mandates a special counsel probe into multiple allegations against first lady Kim Keon Hee. The special counsel probe bill passed 167-0 by the opposition-led parliament during Thursday's plenary meeting is an updated version of the one vetoed by President Yoon Suk Yeol in January. The previous version focused on appointing a specia

PoliticsSept. 19, 2024

Heavy rain to fall nationwide over weekend, but warmer fall expected

Rainfall reaching up to 250 millimeters will fall nationwide from Friday afternoon, bringing an end to the prolonged summer weather in South Korea, said the Korea Meteorological Administration on Thursday. The atmosphere above the Korean Peninsula was covered by the Tibetan and North Pacific high-pressure systems, resulting in unprecedented heat waves and tropical nights during Chuseok, Korea’s traditional mid-autumn festival to wish for a good harvest. According to the KMA, the continued

Social AffairsSept. 19, 2024

Korean hospitals get cancer recognition, but Seoul dominates

Hospitals in South Korea, recognized among the world's best, are predominantly concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area, showing a significant disparity in healthcare accessibility and quality between the capital area and the rest. According to Newsweek's World's Best Specialized Hospitals 2025 rankings, seven South Korean medical institutions have secured spots in the top 100 for cancer treatment or oncology, which is a subspecialty of medicine dedicated to the investigation,

Social AffairsSept. 19, 2024

Digital system helps victims access information on cases

The Ministry of Justice announced Thursday the official launch of an electronic system that offers victims of criminal cases and authorities investigating the cases unlimited access to case information. This digitalized criminal procedure system allows efficient viewing of the case details and ensures confidentiality and operational efficiency, according to the Justice Ministry. Through this online portal, named "Next-Generation Korea Information System of Criminal Justice Service," in

Social AffairsSept. 19, 2024

Bill proposes stricter limits on work hours for child idols, actors

A bill has been introduced to lower the weekly working hours for underage entertainers, as related concerns such as young entertainers' health issues remain unaddressed. On Sept. 11, Rep. Kim Jun-hyuk of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea proposed a revision to the Popular Culture and Arts Industry Development Act to reduce the working hours of juveniles working in cultural industries, and apply different working hour caps for different ages. The revision would cap weekly working

PoliticsSept. 19, 2024

NK newspaper 'unusually' silent on new missile tests: Seoul

While North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency, primarily targeting international audiences, reported missile test launches under Kim Jong-un's supervision on Thursday, the country's primary domestic newspaper unusually omitted the coverage. Kim supervised the tests of tactical ballistic missiles fitted with "super-large" warheads and modified cruise missiles on Wednesday, according to the KCNA. But the Rodong Sinmun, North Korea’s most widely circulated

North KoreaSept. 19, 2024

Yoon to meet Han after Czech trip to discuss medical reform

President Yoon Suk Yeol will meet the ruling People Power Party leadership next week to seek a breakthrough in the ongoing stalemate with the medical circle over the expansion plan, his office said Thursday. The meeting, set for Tuesday, will be an "occasion for broad communication" where the presidential office and the party's leadership will come together "to review the public sentiment" during the Chuseok holiday and discuss reform agendas, including medical reforms

PoliticsSept. 19, 2024

Man signaling car breakdown run over by distracted driver

The South Korean police said Thursday that a man, who had been signaling to other drivers to go around his car after it broke down in a tunnel, was run over and killed by another driver who was temporarily distracted and did not see him. Officials are investigating a 20-something-year-old man for causing the accident at 4 a.m. on Wednesday, which fatally injured a man in his 40s, whose car had broken down. The younger man told investigators that he had been occupied with his smartphone's

Social AffairsSept. 19, 2024