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1. Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol was released from custody Friday after a court accepted his request to cancel his arrest over his short-lived imposition of martial law. Yoon filed the request with the Seoul Central District Court last month, claiming his indictment over the martial law declaration was illegal. 2. The defense ministry said Friday a total of 31 people, including 17 civilians, h...

1. The ruling and opposition parties held a meeting on Thursday to discuss pending bipartisan issues on pension reform, a supplementary budget, and a special semiconductor law. 2. Military officials and fire authorities said Thursday that fifteen people were injured after two Air Force KF-16 fighter jets mistakenly dropped eight air-to-surface bombs over a village in Pocheon during live-fire drill...

1. The South Korean government announced Wednesday its plan to create a fund worth 50 trillion-won, or roughly 34-point-4 billion U.S. dollars, to support the semiconductor, rechargeable battery, bio, artificial intelligence and other advanced industries as part of efforts to bolster South Korea's industrial competitiveness. 2. The Unification Ministry said Wednesday that South Korea's humanitaria...

1. During a closed-door gathering held prior to a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Cabinet members agreed unanimously that the appointment of Constitutional Court Justice nominee Ma Eun-hyuk requires further consideration. Choi is expected to further delay the appointment of Ma. 2. South Korea on Tuesday launched its first alternative stock trading system, named Nextrade, bringing a 12-hour trading sys...

1. The Korea Meteorological Administration lifted heavy snow advisories that had been issued for the east coast and mountainous areas of Gangwon Province on Monday morning. 2. U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Saturday to launch an investigation into the impact of lumber and timber imports on America's national security. A White House official mentioned South Korea as he st...

1.The ruling People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party’s special parliamentary committee meeting scheduled for Friday was canceled after the latter refused to attend, stating they cannot recognize Acting President Choi Sang-mok as a legitimate negotiating partner. 2.Acting President and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok on Friday called on the new U.S. administration to take South K...

1. The Constitutional Court ruled Thursday that acting President Choi Sang-mok's decision to withhold the appointment of a court justice last year is an unconstitutional act, infringing upon the right of the National Assembly. 2. Statistics Korea reported Wednesday that the number of babies born in South Korea increased for the first time in nine years in 2024. The total fertility rate also re...

1. During his final statement before the Constitutional Court on Tuesday, impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol said he will focus on revising the Constitution if reinstated, suggesting he could step down before the end of his single, five-year term. 2. The ruling People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party agreed Wednesday to establish a special parliamentary committee on pension refo...

1. The final hearing of President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial opened Tuesday in his absence amid keen attention on what the president will say in his last arguments to defend his short-lived imposition of martial law. 2. The fire headquarters of South Chungcheong Province said Tuesday that at least four workers were killed, and six others injured, after a bridge collapsed at a highway co...

1. President Yoon Suk Yeol’s lawyers visited the president at the Seoul Detention Center on Monday to make last-minute preparations, with just one day left until the final hearing in his impeachment trial. 2. Most medical schools in South Korea have decided to proceed with their scheduled academic calendar and begin classes in March, despite the slow return of medical students who took a leave of...

1. The Constitutional Court said Thursday that the final hearing of President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial will be held on February 25th, increasing the likelihood a verdict will be delivered in mid-March. 2. South Korea's industry ministry said on Thursday it has provisionally decided to impose anti-dumping tariffs up to 38 percent on Chinese steel plate imports after an investigatio...

1. Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared for the first preliminary hearing of his criminal trial Thursday on charges of leading an insurrection, making him the nation's first sitting president to stand criminal trial. The preliminary hearing took place at the Seoul Central District Court at 10 a.m. and ended in just 13 minutes. 2. Acting President Choi Sang-mok revealed Thursday that the...

1. The Constitutional Court held the first hearing for Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's impeachment trial on Wednesday. The Constitutional Court stated that it would determine the date of the ruling after deliberation and notify both parties accordingly. 2. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration said on Tuesday it had agreed to hold more talks with Russia on ending the war in Ukraine af...

1. The Constitutional Court held the ninth hearing of President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial Tuesday. Deliberations have entered their final phase and the tenth hearing is scheduled for Thursday. 2. South Korea's acting President Choi Sang-mok on Tuesday said the government plans to roll out a record 360 trillion won, or roughly 250 billion U.S. dollars, worth of trade policy financin...

1. President Yoon Suk Yeol’s legal team on Sunday rebutted opposition party lawmakers’ claim that martial law troops cut off power to part of the National Assembly at Yoon’s orders in the early hours of December 4. 2. Speaking at a panel session during the Munich Security Conference in Germany on Saturday, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul affirmed that South Korea has "no doubts" about the U...

1. The Constitutional Court said Friday it will hold a 10th hearing for President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial on February 20th. During the 10th hearing, the testimony of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and others will be conducted. 2. U.S. President Donald Trump announced Thursday a comprehensive plan to impose reciprocal tariffs against nations that charge duties on imports of American goods, w...

1. President Yoon Suk Yeol and other witnesses including National Intelligence Service Director Cho Tae-yong, on Thursday appeared for the eighth, and likely final hearing of President Yoon’s impeachment trial. 2. The Ministry of Economy and Finance on Thursday reported that South Korea's cumulative fiscal deficit reached 81 trillion won, or roughly 56 billion U.S. dollars, as of November last...

1. The National Assembly will hold a three-day interpellation session starting Wednesday. Lawmakers will question government ministers about politics, foreign affairs, unification and security on Wednesday; the economy on Thursday; and education, society and culture on Friday. 2. South Korea's Fair Trade Commission said Wednesday that it has launched a reinvestigation into allegations that the...

1. Former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min and National Security Adviser Shin Won-sik testified for the seventh trial of President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial on Tuesday. 2. U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation Monday specifying that a 25 percent tariff will apply to all steel imports from South Korea, Japan, the European Union and many other nations starting on March 12. 3. P...

1. The Constitutional Court on Monday held its second hearing on the constitutionality of Acting President Choi Sang-mok’s decision to defer the appointment of justice nominee Ma Eun-hyuk to the nine-member bench. 2. The Korea Development Institute said Monday in a monthly economic assessment report that South Korea’s economy is faced with increased downside risks due to an anticipated global trad...

1. Kwak Jong-keun, former chief of the Army Special Warfare Command, testified Thursday during the sixth formal hearing of Yoon's impeachment trial that the people Yoon ordered to be removed from the National Assembly were lawmakers, not agents, a claim that Yoon again rejected. 2. Global credit appraiser Fitch Ratings said Thursday it has reaffirmed South Korea's sovereign rating at &quot...

1. During the sixth formal hearing of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment trial on Thursday, Army Colonel Kim Hyun-tae testified he had been ordered to seal off and secure the National Assembly building during martial law. Former chief of the Army Special Warfare Command Kwak Jong-keun is also set to testify. 2. According to data from the Bank of Korea on Thursday, South Korea's current acco...

1. The National Assembly’s Special Committee investigating impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol’s insurrection charges on Wednesday visited the Seoul Eastern Detention Center to interrogate former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, but failed to do so after Kim refused. 2. According to data from Statistics Korea on Wednesday, South Korea’s Consumer prices, a key gauge of inflation, rose 2.2 percent on-y...

1. Two former military commanders and a former intelligence official testified Tuesday at President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment trial. This marked the trial’s fifth formal hearing. 2. U.S. President Donald Trump agreed Monday to pause anticipated impositions of tariffs on Canada and Mexico for a month. The last-minute agreement came amid growing fears of higher U.S. consumer prices, supply chain d...

1. The Constitutional Court postponed its ruling Monday on the constitutionality of acting President Choi Sang-mok's decision to withhold the appointment of a ninth justice, Ma Eun-hyuk, who was recommended by the opposition, to the bench. 2. U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday ordered 25% tariffs on Mexican and most Canadian imports and 10% on goods from China, starting on Tuesday, kickin...