North Korea has sent around 10,000 troops to eastern Russia, which will likely augment Russian forces near Ukraine "over the next several weeks," a US National Security Council official said Monday, as President Joe Biden called the deployment "very dangerous." A NSC spokesperson made the remarks after North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed that North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia's western front-line Kursk region --

North Korea Oct. 29, 2024

FIFA President Gianni Infantino paid a visit to the headquarters of the Korea Football Association in Seoul on Monday. Infantino arrived in South Korea earlier Monday to attend the Asian Football Confederation Annual Awards, scheduled to take place in Seoul on Tuesday evening. The KFA said this was Infantino's first visit to its office since 2017, when South Korea hosted the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Infantino met with KFA President Chung Mong-gyu and other KFA officials. He was briefed on the c

Soccer Oct. 28, 2024

South Korea's defense authorities approved on Monday a plan to build K2 battle tanks with a homegrown transmission system, the state arms procurement agency said. Under the plan endorsed by the Defense Project Promotion Committee, K2 tanks will be equipped with a locally developed power pack, which comprises the transmission and the engine, starting from the fourth batch of production that will be built by 2028, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. "The K2 battl

Defense Oct. 28, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol's foreign policy adviser, Chang Ho-jin, visited Australia on Monday to ask the country to allow South Korean firms to participate in its frigate project, Yoon's office said. In February this year, Australia announced a plan to acquire 11 new frigates for its Navy, with South Korean, Japanese, German and Spanish vessels being mentioned as candidates. On the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Laos early this month, President Yoon met Australian Prime Minister An

Politics Oct. 28, 2024

A Chinese delegation of mid-level provincial government officials is visiting South Korea this week as part of efforts to boost cooperation and exchanges between the two neighboring countries, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday. The delegation, made up of foreign affairs officials representing 16 provincial governments, including the Shandong, Sichuan, Guangdong, Liaoning and Jiangsu provinces, will begin a five-day visit to Seoul and other regions Monday, the ministry said in a release.

Foreign Affairs Oct. 28, 2024

Police said Monday they are intensively cracking down on the sale and wearing of police officer costumes during the Halloween celebrations. The police have been strengthening online monitoring to prevent the indiscriminate distribution and use of fake police uniforms and equipment since last Friday, the Korean National Police Agency said, adding the crackdown continues for two weeks before and after Halloween until Nov. 3. The KNPA said 54 major online retailers and second-hand transaction platf

Social Affairs Oct. 28, 2024

The national human rights watchdog determined Monday that denying rental spaces for a festival for sexual minorities on the grounds of potential conflicts with opposition groups constitutes a discriminatory act. The National Human Rights Commission issued the decision against the Seoul Museum of History and the Seoul city government's public activities support center after they refused to rent their spaces for this year's Seoul Queer Culture Festival, the biggest local festival for les

Social Affairs Oct. 28, 2024

South Korean stocks rose more than 1 percent to hit a two-week high Monday led by a sharp rebound in top-cap Samsung Electronics shares. The Korean won gained against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 29.16 points, or 1.13 percent, to 2,612.43, marking the highest closing price since Oct. 15 when the bourse finished at 2,633.45. Trade volume was slim at 327.6 million shares worth 9 trillion won ($6.5 billion), with winners outnumbering losers 615 to 271. Institu

Market Oct. 28, 2024

Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok vowed Monday to enhance market monitoring and to swiftly respond to excessive volatility under contingency plans amid weaker growth data and global uncertainties, his office said. Choi made the remarks during an economy-related ministers' meeting in Seoul after the gross domestic product expanded 0.1 percent on-quarter in the July-September period, lower than market expectations. "The government will pay extra attention to signs of economic uncertainties

Economy Oct. 28, 2024

The finance ministry said Monday that the government will utilize foreign exchange equalization funds and other resources available while slashing local subsidies to deal with the expected massive tax revenue shortfall this year. The government is projected to collect 337.7 trillion won ($253.41 billion) in taxes in 2024, an 8.1 percent, or 29.6 trillion won, fall from its forecast made in the 2024 budget planning due mainly to weak corporate activities amid an economic slowdown last year, accor

Economy Oct. 28, 2024

Russia is using civilian-plated trucks to transport "mercenaries" from North Korea to frontline areas, Ukraine's military intelligence service reported, amid concerns that North Korean troops might join combat in Russia's war on Ukraine. On Sunday, Russian police reportedly stopped a truck with civilian license plates carrying North Korean military personnel on the Kursk-Voronezh highway, noting that the driver lacked a combat order, according to Ukraine's Defense Intell

Foreign Affairs Oct. 28, 2024

South Korean stocks started higher Monday on gains from semiconductor and battery shares. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 14.75 points, or 0.57 percent, to 2,598.02 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics added 1.61 percent, and its chipmaking rival SK hynix gained 0.75 percent. Leading EV battery maker LG Energy Solution increased 0.86 percent, while Posco Future M surged 3.74 percent. Top carmaker Hyundai Motor went up 0.67 percent, and it

Market Oct. 28, 2024

A massive ticketing delay occurred at bus terminals across the nation Sunday due to malfunctioning of the T-money ticketing system, causing inconvenience for travelers. At 1:06 p.m., the system error occurred at the T-money smart ticketing network and lasted for about two hours, according to T-money, the operator of smart transportation cards. The malfunctioning caused halts in online ticketing at around 140 bus terminals across the nation, including the Seoul Express Bus Terminal in southern Se

Social Affairs Oct. 27, 2024

SEOUL, Oct. 27-- South Korea's presidential office on Sunday held a meeting to discuss the economic impact of Israel's recent attack on Iran, and measures to protect and evacuate its nationals in the Middle East in the event of an emergency. Early Saturday, Israel's military conducted strikes against various targets in Iran, including missile manufacturing facilities, in response to Iran's missile attack earlier this month, according to foreign media reports. The office of

Politics Oct. 27, 2024

A new Korean War memorial opened at a high-profile museum in Georgia earlier this week to commemorate allied troops' sacrifices and their spirit that underpins the evolving alliance between South Korea and the United States, Seoul officials said Saturday. The National Infantry Museum Foundation hosted a dedication ceremony for the Korean War Memorial at the museum in Columbus on Thursday, with the attendance of some 200 people, including veterans of the 1950-53 conflict and their families

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 27, 2024