Korean, Romanian leaders discuss defense tech, nuclear energy

The leaders of South Korea and Romania agreed to seek bilateral cooperation in diverse fields, particularly with the defense industry and nuclear energy in focus, during a summit held in Seoul on Tuesday. "I hope (Iohannis's visit to Korea) this year could help our discussion related to military equipment and nuclear energy bear fruit," President Yoon Suk Yeol said in the welcoming remarks of the summit. "Today, we can take our bilateral strategic partnership to the next leve

PoliticsApril 23, 2024

S. Korea calls on Japan to confront history amid Yasukuni Shrine visit

The South Korean government on Tuesday expressed regret over the visit of a Japanese minister and more than 90 lawmakers to pay respect at the Yasukuni Shrine, which commemorates those who died in service to Japan over several wars, including war criminals from the World War II period. "The government urges responsible leaders of Japan to squarely face history, and demonstrate through action their humble reflection and sincere remorse for Japan's past," Foreign Ministry spokespers

Foreign AffairsApril 23, 2024

Tension soars as medical professors mull partial strike

Patients in life and limb care are again left to deal with the fallout of the protracted medical standoff as resignations by medical professors due to take effect from Thursday. Concerns over the health care system are also growing as professors were considering reducing work hours and the number of surgeries in a show of protest. Medical professors at eight hospitals affiliated with the Catholic University of Korea’s medical school said Tuesday afternoon that they will submit their resig

Social AffairsApril 23, 2024

Korean woman loses W70m in Elon Musk deepfake scam

A Korean woman was persuaded to invest 70 million won ($50,770) after seeing a deepfake video of what appeared to be Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, according to local reports on Tuesday. Jeong Ji-sun, whom KBS has agreed to refer to by a pseudonym, shared how she became a victim of a romance scam on KBS's "In-Depth 60 Minutes." On the April 19 episode, Jeong opened up about how she first started talking with the con artist, who claimed to be Musk. “I experienced something like

Social AffairsApril 23, 2024

New slogan for DDP unveiled

The Seoul Design Foundation announced Tuesday that it has decided on a new slogan for the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, the first rebrand since opening to the public ten years ago. The new slogan, “Amazing Tomorrow,” will replace the DDP's old slogan, “Dream, Design, Play.” According to the Seoul Design Foundation, the new slogan reflects the foundation’s commitment to delivering experiences that will amaze visitors to the DDP through its exhibitions, futuristic bui

Social AffairsApril 23, 2024

[Community Discovery] Eunpyeong-gu rebrands as nature-friendly, healthy district

Eunpyeong-gu in northwestern Seoul has rebranded itself as a nature-friendly district, as it looks to boost its image and foster a healthy, inclusive community. The district has seen a rise in the number of visits to its parks and green spaces by "those who wish to take a break from their busy city lives,” said Kim Me-kyung, head of the Eunpyeong District Office. Eunpyeong-gu is located near Bukhansan, a mountain boasting popular hiking trails, and the Bulgwangcheon also runs through

Social AffairsApril 23, 2024

Seoul studies W100m cash incentive for each child born

In a bid to bolster abysmal birth rates, South Korea is exploring what would be its most generous incentive ever -- 100 million won ($72,500) in cash per baby born. The state-run Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission on Wednesday commenced a survey to gauge public opinion on the idea. "Through this survey, we plan to re-evaluate the country’s birth promotion policies to determine whether direct financial subsidies could be an effective solution,” the commission said in a

Social AffairsApril 23, 2024

Med professors considering taking day off every week amid prolonged doctors' walkout

Medical school professors nationwide are reviewing taking a day off every week as they have been thinly stretched amid the prolonged walkout by trainee doctors, officials said Tuesday, deepening concerns over further disruptions in the country's health care system. The emergency committee for national medical professors will hold a general meeting later in the day and discuss the potential suspension of all surgeries and treatment for outpatients once a week, according to its officials. Det

Social AffairsApril 23, 2024

US decries latest NK missile launches

The United States condemned North Korea's latest round of ballistic missile launches as a violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions, a State Department spokesperson said Monday. Matthew Miller, the spokesperson, also noted that Pyongyang's provocative activities will be on the agenda for talks that Secretary of State Antony Blinken will have during his trip to Shanghai and Beijing from Wednesday to Friday. On Monday, Pyongyang fired multiple projectiles, presumed to be shor

North KoreaApril 23, 2024

[Graphic News] 77% of young Koreans still financially dependent

A recent survey from the employment platform Catch revealed that around 8 out of 10 Koreans in their 20s and 30s were still economically dependent on their parents. According to the survey conducted on 1,903 job-seekers in their 20s and 30s, 77 percent replied that they were still economically dependent on their parents, and only 23 percent replied that they were independent. At a closer look, 43 percent of the participants replied they still live with their parents and 41 percent said they re

Social AffairsApril 23, 2024

Rebuilding Korea Party leader Cho puts forward 10 demands for Yoon to follow after general elections

Rebuilding Korea Party leader Cho Kuk, known for his vocal criticism of President Yoon Suk Yeol, demanded Monday that Yoon accept a special counsel probe into allegations involving first lady Kim Keon Hee. The demand was among 10 requests that Cho said Yoon should accept in accordance with the public sentiment revealed in this month's parliamentary elections in which Yoon's People Power Party suffered a resounding defeat. "These are the minimum 10 things for President Yoon Suk Yeo

PoliticsApril 22, 2024

FM Cho discusses Mideast crisis with Jordanian counterpart in phone call

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul spoke by phone with his Jordanian counterpart Monday and discussed the situation in the Middle East, including the clash between Israel and Iran and the prolonged conflict in the Gaza Strip, his office said. In the phone talks with Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Hussein Al Safadi, Cho highlighted the need for all parties involved to exercise "restraint" so that the conflict in the Middle East will not escalate any further. Cho stressed that South Kore

Foreign AffairsApril 22, 2024

Minor quake hits off southern island of Jeju

A minor earthquake hit off the southern island of Jeju on Monday, with no damage expected from the tremor in the region, the state weather agency said. The 2.0 magnitude quake occurred at 6:47 p.m. in waters about 51 kilometers off the east of Seogwipo, the southern city on the resort island, the Korea Meteorological Administration said. The epicenter was at a depth of 20 kilometers. The quake is not expected to cause any damage, the KMA said. (Yonhap)

Social AffairsApril 22, 2024

1 killed in car crash at senior welfare center south of Seoul

An elderly woman was killed and three others injured Monday after a car driven by a 91-year-old man rammed into people at a senior community center in a city south of Seoul, police said. The crash happened at around noon at a parking lot in a senior community center in Bundang, when the driver, only identified by his last name Park, was reversing and his vehicle instantly ran over four elderly people who were walking toward the building, the police said. An 80-something-year-old woman was taken

Social AffairsApril 22, 2024

S. Korea, US to initiate early defense cost-sharing talks this week

South Korea and the United States are set to embark on the first round of negotiations for the next defense cost-sharing agreement from Tuesday to Thursday in Honolulu, Hawaii, the Foreign Ministry in Seoul announced Monday. The negotiations will commence nearly 20 months before the current agreement expires in 2025. The upcoming US presidential election in November where President Joe Biden faces a rematch with former President Donald Trump appears to have pushed the two parties toward initiati

Foreign AffairsApril 22, 2024

North Korea fires several short-range ballistic missiles into sea: JCS

South Korea spotted several short-range ballistic missiles fired from North Korea toward the sea west of the Korean Peninsula on Monday. The South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a release that the missiles, the launch point of which is believed to be around Pyongyang, flew for more than 300 kilometers before landing in the sea at 3:01 p.m. The JCS said the missiles were “immediately detected, tracked and monitored” as they were launched and that the related information was &ld

DefenseApril 22, 2024

Chiefs of South Korea’s JCS, US Spacecom meet

Kim Myung-soo, the chair of South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Stephen Whiting, the commander of the US Space Command, met on Monday in Seoul. According to the JCS, Kim and Whiting held a meeting to discuss close two-way cooperation and to enhance South Korea-US alliance’s space capabilities amid growing North Korean threats in space and ongoing military exchanges between Russia and North Korea. North Korea launched its first military reconnaissance satellite in November last y

DefenseApril 22, 2024

Suspect in murder of girlfriend's mugshot, name made public

The personal information of a 26-year-old South Korean man accused of stabbing his girlfriend to death and injuring the victim's mother was released online Monday. Kim Re-a's full name, age and mugshot were posted by the Suwon District Public Prosecutors' Office on its homepage, after its deliberation committee on revealing information of suspects reached a decision earlier this month. The suspect has been indicted on charges of murdering his 21-year-old girlfriend on March 25, an

Social AffairsApril 22, 2024

Yoon renews focus on AI, bio, quantum tech

President Yoon Suk Yeol said Monday that artificial intelligence, biotechnology and quantum technology constitute the three major pillars of South Korea's future economy, renewing his push for breakthroughs in research and development. At a Telecommunication Day celebration held in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Yoon promised during his speech to make South Korea a "top 3 global science technology powerhouse" through massive investment and strategic cooperation with partners in the

PoliticsApril 22, 2024

Yoon seeks rebound, taps 5-term lawmaker as chief of staff

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday named his new chief of staff and senior secretary for political affairs, which observers see as a bid for a breakthrough after the ruling party’s bitter defeat in the April 10 parliamentary elections. It is also an apparent aim to counter snowballing criticism surrounding the lack of communication among the presidential office, the Cabinet and the National Assembly ahead of his planned meeting with the main opposition leader, observers added. In a rare app

PoliticsApril 22, 2024