The defense ministry said Tuesday it will directly investigate the death of an Air Force officer who died of apparent suicide, allegedly after suffering harassment by a colleague, amid criticism the military failed to properly respond to the victim's call for support. In March, the female master sergeant stationed in the western city of Seosan was sexually harassed by the man surnamed Jang inside a car on their way back to the base after a private gathering that she was forced to attend, accor

Defense June 1, 2021

President Moon Jae-in called Tuesday for new Prosecutor-General Kim Oh-soo to play a role in his administration's tumultuous drive to reform the state prosecution service. Presenting Kim with a letter of appointment during a Cheong Wa Dae ceremony, Moon said he expects him to "play a great role in transforming the prosecution to become a fair organization that meets the people's expectations," according to presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee. Kim, a veteran prosecutor, served as

Politics June 1, 2021

The foreign ministry called in a senior Japanese diplomat Tuesday to lodge a protest after a map on the Tokyo Olympic website showed South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo as part of Japanese territory. Lee Sang-ryeol, director-general for Asia and Pacific affairs, was expected to express regrets when he meets with Hirohisa Soma, deputy chief of mission at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, later in the day, ministry spokesperson Choi Young-sam said. "We will strongly protest Japan's unf

Foreign Affairs June 1, 2021

South Korean carmakers' sales rose 41 percent last month from a year earlier on strong overseas demand amid a quicker-than-expected recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and a lower base effect, industry data showed Tuesday. The country's five carmakers -- Hyundai Motor Co., Kia Corp., GM Korea Co., Renault Samsung Motors Corp. and SsangYong Motor Co. -- sold a combined 608,430 vehicles in May, up from 432,621 units a year ago, according to data from the companies. Their domestic sales fell 13

Mobility June 1, 2021

Unification Minister Lee In-young reiterated his commitment Tuesday to resume a long-suspended tourism project to North Korea's Mount Kumgang when he met with the head of Hyundai Group, which used to run tours to the scenic mountain. "We remain unwavering in our commitment to push ahead with projects like allowing individual tours to Mount Kumgang as soon as the coronavirus situation improves," Lee said during the meeting with Chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun of Hyundai Group. Lee voiced ho

North Korea June 1, 2021

At a long-term care hospital in this city just south of Seoul, an elderly woman in a pink-toned blouse sat on a bed stroking her husband's face for the first time in 16 months. The two had been together for around 70 years before the husband was admitted to the hospital and COVID-19 restrictions forced them apart early last year "I couldn't see you even if I wanted to," the 87-year-old husband, surnamed Lee, said, as his eyes teared up. "When you miss your love, look at her pic

Social Affairs June 1, 2021

Cho Ju-bin, the mastermind of a notorious online sex blackmail ring, had his sentence commuted by an appeals court Tuesday. The Seoul High Court sentenced him to 42 years, down three years from the original sentence, on charges of violating laws to protect minors from sexual abuse, operating a criminal ring and concealing criminal proceeds. While the accused ran an "unprecedented" online criminal ring to exploit "countless" young victims and inflicted "irreversible&quo

Social Affairs June 1, 2021

Seoul police said Tuesday they have recently cracked down on more than 520 drug trafficking suspects on charges of distributing, selling or buying drugs over the dark web using cryptocurrencies. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said 521 suspects -- 49 distributors and sellers of smuggled drugs and 472 drug buyers and users -- were apprehended and 13 of them were placed under arrest. The suspects are accused of using cryptocurrencies and the dark web to buy and sell cannabis and other banne

Social Affairs June 1, 2021

South Korean stocks advanced for the third consecutive day Tuesday on the back of strong economic data that fueled investor appetite for risk. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 17.95 points, or 0.56 percent, to close at 3,221.87 points. Trading volume was moderate at about 1.4 billion shares worth some 15.1 trillion won ($13.7 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 577 to 272. Foreigners sold a net 37 billion won, while

Market June 1, 2021

SsangYong Motor Co. said Tuesday its sales rose 6 percent last month from a year earlier on increased exports of its SUVs. SsangYong Motor sold 8,750 vehicles in May, up from 8,254 units a year earlier, the company said in a statement. Exports more than quintupled to 3,854 units last month from 711 a year ago, but domestic sales fell 35 percent to 4,956 units from 7,575 over the cited period, the statement said. From January to May, its sales fell 19 percent to 31,660 units from 39,206 units

Mobility June 1, 2021

Renault Samsung Motors Corp. said Tuesday its sales fell 13.3 percent last month from a year earlier due to weak domestic demand. The South Korean unit of Renault S.A. sold 10,348 vehicles in May, down from 11,929 units a year earlier, the company said in a statement. Domestic sales tumbled 56.2 percent on-year to 4,635 units last month in the face of toughening competition with other brands. Exports rose more than fourfold to 5,713 units over the cited period as the automaker shipped 4,247

Mobility June 1, 2021

An additional case of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) has been confirmed in South Korea, bringing the total caseload to five, health authorities said Tuesday. The 8-year-old boy tested positive for the COVID-linked syndrome in April and has since recovered from the illness, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The boy was hospitalized after being infected with COVID-19 earlier this year. After fully recovering, he was released in early Febr

Social Affairs June 1, 2021

South Korea has confirmed 202 more cases of COVID-19 variants, including 168 local infections, health authorities said Tuesday, amid concerns that the spread of more transmissible virus strains may further complicate the country's fight against the pandemic. Of the newly confirmed variant cases, 170 were the Britain-originated strain, followed by 24 Indian variant cases and eight South African ones. There was no additional case of the virus strain from Brazil, according to the Korea Disease Con

Social Affairs June 1, 2021

The defense ministry will launch an interagency task force to come up with measures to improve troops' living conditions after a series of complaints over poor meal quality and other inconveniences, officials said Tuesday. The quality of military meals has emerged as a hot issue after active-duty soldiers uploaded photos showing poor quality meals on a Facebook page serving as an anonymous bulletin board for troops, leading to Defense Minister Suh Wook issuing an apology. Those under COVID-19

Defense June 1, 2021

A total of 65 South Koreans who arrived from India last month on special flights have tested positive for the new coronavirus, health authorities said Tuesday. Of 2,171 people who returned home from the pandemic-ravaged country, 3 percent were confirmed to have been infected with COVID-19 as of Sunday, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). South Korea has airlifted its nationals from India 13 times via special flights since May 4 after the South Asian country bec

Social Affairs June 1, 2021