Allies say 1953 mutual defense treaty extends to cyber, space threats

South Korea and the United States have, for the first time, explicitly confirmed that cyber and space threats to either country could trigger mutual defense actions under their bilateral treaty signed in 1953, which forms the basis of their military alliance. The commitment was outlined in a joint statement following the South Korea-US '2+2' foreign and defense ministerial meeting held Thursday in Washington, notably amid rising concerns over deepening security cooperation between Russia and Nor

North KoreaNov. 1, 2024

Yoon's approval rating falls to 19%, all-time low: survey

President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating has fallen to 19 percent, the lowest level since he took office in May 2022, a recent poll by Gallup Korea showed Friday. According to the pollster's survey, conducted on between Oct. 29-31 on 1,005 people aged 18 and older, the positive assessment of the president's performance, which remained at 20 percent in the previous surveys taken in the second week of September and the fourth week of October, respectively, dropped to a new record

Social AffairsNov. 1, 2024

No typhoons recorded in S. Korea for the first time in 7 years

For the first time since 2017, South Korea did not experience a typhoon landfall this summer, a stark contrast to the powerful storms that hit the country in the past two years, the Korea Meteorological Administration said Friday. Typhoon Khanun in 2023 caused floods and forced some 14,000 people to evacuate and Typhoon Hinnamnor in 2022 caused 14 casualties and six injured, as well as 244 billion won ($177 million) in property damages. In contrast, Typhoon Krathon approached South Korea from th

Social AffairsNov. 1, 2024

Chief prosecutor in first lady's Dior bag scandal resigns

The chief prosecutor of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, who was overseeing the Dior bag scandal involving first lady Kim Keon Hee, has expressed an intent to resign, further deepening the leadership vacuum within the organization. Song Chang-jin, one of the chief prosecutors at the CIO submitted his resignation earlier this week for personal reasons, according to the legal community on Friday. If accepted, the resignation will leave the CIO with just two of its se

Social AffairsNov. 1, 2024

Med students' requests for academic leave likely to be approved by this month

The academic leave requested by protesting medical students who left classrooms since February to oppose the Korean government's drastic quota hike in medical school admissions will likely be finalized by this month, while some schools are cautious in granting the approval, according to education authorities Friday. The move comes after the Education Ministry on Tuesday decided to allow medical schools the freedom to grant the leave to encourage medical students' return and normalize d

Social AffairsNov. 1, 2024

Controversial US YouTuber faces travel ban, police investigation

South Korean police have intensified their investigation into Johnny Somali, a US YouTuber known here for his controversial and disrespectful antics while traveling in Korea. Somali, whose real name is Ramsey Khalid Ismael, is under investigation for obstruction of business and alleged drug use. A travel ban has been imposed to prevent him from leaving the country while the investigation proceeds, according to police. The Seoul Mapo Police Station said Friday that Somali was under investigation

Social AffairsNov. 1, 2024

Korean serial killer 'haunted by victims' ghosts' in prison, TV show reveals

A former corrections officer has revealed new details about Yoo Young-chul, one of South Korea's most notorious serial killers, including his claims of being haunted by the ghosts of his victims in prison. Yoo, now 54, was convicted of killing 20 people in Seoul between September 2003 and July 2004. His targets included wealthy seniors and sex workers who provided in-call services. Though he initially confessed to 26 murders, the court confirmed 20 deaths in his 2005 trial. New informatio

Social AffairsNov. 1, 2024

Govt. to designate 3 cities as nation's first 'hydrogen complexes'

The government said Friday it will designate three cities as the nation's first hydrogen-specialized complexes and support their growth into hydrogen industry hubs. The designation comes after the three cities -- Donghae and Samcheok of Gangwon Province and Pohang of North Gyeongsang Province -- passed preliminary feasibility surveys to carry out hydrogen cluster projects, the government said following a meeting of the government-led Hydrogen Economy Committee. The Donghae-Samcheok project

PoliticsNov. 1, 2024

N. Korea says it successfully test-fired new Hwasong-19 ICBM

North Korea said Friday it successfully test-fired the new Hwasong-19 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) the previous day, with its leader Kim Jong-un saying the country has secured an "irreversible" status of developing delivery means of nuclear weapons. Guided by Kim, North Korea carried out a "crucial" missile test that set milestones in "perpetuating the absolute superiority" of the country's armed forces, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

North KoreaNov. 1, 2024

Some 8,000 N. Korean troops in Russia's Kursk region, expected to enter combat in 'coming days': Blinken

As many as 8,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia's western front-line Kursk region and are expected to enter into combat "in the coming days," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday, warning that they would become "legitimate" military targets. Blinken made the remarks during a press conference after he, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun held their "two-plus-two&q

North KoreaNov. 1, 2024

S. Korea conducts 1st interagency field training against space debris risks

South Korea on Thursday conducted its first interagency field training exercise aimed at coping with potential hazards from space debris, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. The exercise, organized by the JCS, was conducted at the Air Force's 20th Fighter Wing, attended by relevant agencies, including the Korea Aerospace Administration and the National Fire Agency, officials said. Under a scenario of space debris falling on South Korean territory, participating agencies and the military

DefenseOct. 31, 2024

Uzbek delegate stresses multidimensional ties between S. Korea and Uzbekistan

Relations between South Korea and Uzbekistan have climbed to new heights, with the two sides continuing to set new milestones as bilateral ties mature, Uzbek Ambassador to South Korea Alisher Abdusalomov said at the Global Business Forum in Seoul on Wednesday. In the forum’s sixth weekly session held Wednesday, the delegate explained the strong partnership that Seoul and Tashkent have fostered since Uzbekistan declared independence in 1991 and the two countries' establishment of dip

Diplomatic CircuitOct. 31, 2024

S. Korea discloses airstrike drills against mobile missile launcher after NK ICBM launch

South Korea's military said Thursday it staged airstrike drills against a mock mobile missile launcher earlier this week in an apparent warning against North Korea's latest firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The drills took place Wednesday at a training ground in Taebaek, 181 kilometers east of Seoul, as part of the ongoing Freedom Flag air exercise with the US, a day before North Korea launched an ICBM into the East Sea. Hours after the launch, the Joint Chiefs

North KoreaOct. 31, 2024

Chinese police ranked 2nd in N. Korean enforced disappearances: report

Chinese police rank as the second-largest force after North Korea's secret police in arresting and facilitating the enforced disappearances of North Koreans, according to a report released by a human rights organization Thursday. The Seoul-based nonprofit Transitional Justice Working Group released findings based on data from 66 cases involving 113 North Korean victims of enforced disappearance. The data was collected through in-depth interviews with 62 North Korean escapees in South Korea

North KoreaOct. 31, 2024

At UN, allies warn NK troops risk becoming 'cannon fodder'

South Korean and US envoys delivered a stark rebuke to Kim Jong-un’s regime in an unusually tense meeting at the UN Security Council on Wednesday, warning that North Korean soldiers deployed against Ukraine could "return in body bags." The sharp, intentionally undiplomatic rhetoric underscored the allies' deepening alarm over Pyongyang’s expanding military alliance with Moscow, which has escalated from arms transfers to the actual deployment of North Korean forces -- a

Foreign AffairsOct. 31, 2024

Opposition accuses Yoon of favoritism, election meddling

South Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Thursday accused President Yoon Suk Yeol of favoritism and unlawful interference in the 2022 by-election, disclosing a private call between Yoon and his former political consultant Myung Tae-kyun. The party claims the recording reveals Yoon’s involvement in election matters while serving as the incumbent president. In the May 2022 phone recording disclosed to media by the Democratic Party, Yoon, then the president-elect, told

PoliticsOct. 31, 2024

Group cancels scattering leaflets in NK amid security risks

A South Korean activist group called off its plan to launch balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang leaflets to the North across the heavily fortified frontier on Thursday after facing local opposition and police prevention due to potential security risks to residents. Choi Sung-ryong, head of the Association of the Families of Those Abducted by North Korea, announced that the organization would cancel its decision to scatter propaganda leaflets in the North during a press conference held at the Nati

Social AffairsOct. 31, 2024

KDCA designated as WHO partner for pandemic response

Recognized for combating the COVID-19 pandemic and its key role in building global cooperation to respond to infectious diseases, officials said Thursday that the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency has been designated as the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Pandemic Preparedness and Response. The recognition comes nearly eight months after health authorities here and the WHO agreed in March to enhance cooperation in pandemic preparedness and response, as well as cont

Social AffairsOct. 31, 2024

5 days to US election, North Korea fires ICBM with longest flight yet

North Korea fired what could be a new intercontinental ballistic missile toward the sea east of the Korean Peninsula on Thursday, a day after South Korean defense intelligence authorities warned of Pyongyang preparing to stage large-scale provocations in the run-up to the US presidential election. The missile flew for approximately 86 minutes, the longest time of any North Korean missile to date, traveling about 1,000 kilometers before falling into the waters between North Korea and Japan, accor

DefenseOct. 31, 2024

Ruling party calls for swift revision of espionage laws

The ruling People Power Party called Thursday for a swift revision of espionage laws to outlaw spying not only for "enemy countries" but for all "foreign countries." PPP leader Han Dong-hoon issued the call during a Supreme Council meeting days after a South Korean national was found to have been detained by China on espionage charges while working for a Chinese chipmaker. "Because the espionage law applies only to North Korea, in the event that a Chinese national is sus

PoliticsOct. 31, 2024