Seoul has posted its 37th tropical night this summer, the most in the city's history, the state weather agency said Saturday. Seoul experienced yet another tropical night phenomenon overnight, setting the highest number in a single year since modern meteorological observation began in the city in 1907, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said. A tropical night refers to a phenomenon when the nighttime temperatures stay above 25 degrees Celsius from 6:01 p.m. to 9 a.m. the followin

Social Affairs Aug. 24, 2024

North Korea on Saturday strongly lashed out at a revised US nuclear strategy plan, vowing to further strengthen its nuclear capability. Earlier this week, The New York Times reported that President Joe Biden approved the revised strategy in March this year to focus on China's growing nuclear threats and prepare for possible coordinated nuclear challenges from North Korea, China and Russia. Biden's approval of the revised strategy, called the "Nuclear Employment Guidance," cam

North Korea Aug. 24, 2024

Prosecutor General Lee One-seok referred the case of first lady Kim Keon Hee's acceptance of a luxury bag to a review committee, his office said Friday, amid controversy over the prosecution team's decision to clear her of the charges. The announcement came as the controversy is growing after prosecutors concluded that anti-graft law violation charges cannot be sought against Kim although she received a Dior bag worth about 3 million won (US$2,255) and other expensive gifts from pastor

Politics Aug. 23, 2024

South Korean stocks ended slightly lower Friday, snapping three consecutive sessions of gains, as investors sat on the sidelines ahead of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speech later in the day. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Indexfell 5.98 points, or 0.22 percent, to close at 2,701.69. Trade volume was moderate at 324 million shares worth 8.1 trillion won ($6.05 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 429 to 428. Foreigners sold a

Market Aug. 23, 2024

TOKYO -- A Korean-ethnic high school in Japan won a prestigious national baseball championship for the first time on Friday. Kyoto International High School defeated Kanto Daiichi High School in the final of the National High School Baseball Championship, better known as "Summer Koshien," by the score of 2-1 in extra innings at Hanshin Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, just west of Osaka. Kyoto International was founded in 1963 as an ethnic institution for students of Korean descent. S

Baseball Aug. 23, 2024

Five Russian university students have arrived in NK for a language program, marking Russian students' first entry to Pyongyang after a four-year hiatus since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang said Friday. The students from MGIMO University of the Russian Foreign Ministry visited the embassy Wednesday, and they will participate in a language program at Kim Il Sung University, the Russian Embassy said on its Telegram account. "We wish MGIMO students

North Korea Aug. 23, 2024

A US senator, known for his close ties to former President Donald Trump, said Thursday that he will visit Seoul next month to attend an annual trilateral economic meeting between South Korea, the United States, and Japan. Sen. Bill Hagerty, who served as the US ambassador to Japan from 2017-2019 during Trump's presidency, plans to participate in the second annual Trilateral Economic Dialogue on Sept. 4 that will bring together private- and public-sector leaders from the three countries. The

Foreign Affairs Aug. 23, 2024

South Korean stocks opened lower Friday after three consecutive sessions of gains as investors cashed in profits ahead of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's speech at the Jackson Hole symposium. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 10.91 points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,696.76 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 0.43 percent lower, with the S&P 500 falling 0.89 percent. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite decreased 1.67 perce

Market Aug. 23, 2024

The chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee anticipated Thursday that Vice President Kamala Harris would pursue the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula as a foreign policy goal should she win the White House in the Nov. 5 presidential election. Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland, a Democrat, made the remarks as questions have lingered over the omission of the denuclearization goal in the recently approved Democratic policy platform, which is expected to help set the tone for Harris' p

Foreign Affairs Aug. 23, 2024

BUCHEON, Gyeonggi Province (Yonhap) -- One person was killed and four others were in cardiac arrest following a fire at a hotel in Bucheon, just west of Seoul, on Thursday, police said. According to the Gyeonggi Province firefighting headquarters, the fire began on the eighth floor of the nine-story hotel at 7:39 p.m. "We're currently putting out the fire and trying to rescue people, so we haven't determined the exact number of casualties," a firefighting official said. "

Social Affairs Aug. 22, 2024

Police said Thursday they have launched an investigation into threatening messages posted on the website of the German Embassy in Seoul. Nearly 100 messages have been posted on the website since Tuesday, including threats to install explosives at the embassy or blow up key facilities, such as Seoul Station and Asan Medical Center, according to Namdaemun Police Station. The texts were written in German, Korean and Japanese, police said. The messages did not indicate when the explosions would take

Social Affairs Aug. 22, 2024

South Korean stocks ended slightly higher on Thursday, extending their winning streak to a third day as investors await more clues over the US rate policy direction amid the Bank of Korea's rate freeze. The local currency gained against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 6.54 points, or 0.24 percent, to close at 2,707.67. Trade volume was moderate at 434 million shares worth 8.83 trillion won ($6.61 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 597 to 283. For

Market Aug. 22, 2024

A Seoul court of appeals, reversing a ruling by a district court, ordered Japan's Nippon Steel Corp. on Thursday to pay compensation of 100 million won ($74,750) to four children of a deceased South Korean victim of Japan's wartime forced labor. The appellate division of the Seoul Central District Court made the ruling in a lawsuit filed by the descendants of the victim, surnamed Jeong, who demanded 200 million won, claiming he was forcibly mobilized to work for the Japanese company�

Foreign Affairs Aug. 22, 2024

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Thursday that South Korea will push to expand free trade agreements (FTAs) with emerging markets in Asia and Africa to boost the export-driven economy and enhance supply chain resilience. Han unveiled the trade policy road map during a ministerial meeting to address challenges from the rapidly changing global trade environment and supply chain disruptions. "We will expand the FTA network in major emerging markets, including Asia and Africa, to support local

Economy Aug. 22, 2024

Police have opened an investigation into a pro-North Korean online media outlet founded by Korean American pastor Choi Jae-young on suspicion of violating the National Security Act, officials said Thursday. Choi, who has made headlines for secretly filming himself handing over a luxury handbag gift to first lady Kim Keon Hee in 2022, reportedly participated in the creation of the media outlet in 2018. The Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency, 33 kilometers west of Seoul, has been investigating an

Social Affairs Aug. 22, 2024