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1.With just one day left until the by-elections to elect four local government heads and the Seoul Superintendent of Education on Tuesday, both the ruling and opposition parties made their final push to win over voters. 2.North Korea on Tuesday blew up roads connected to South Korea once seen as symbols of inter-Korean cooperation as it seeks to cement its animosity toward the South, which it rega...

1.North Korea on Friday accused Seoul of flying drones over Pyongyang airspace to drop anti-regime propaganda leaflets, while Kim Yo-jong warned of “horrible disaster” if it happens again. The Joint Chiefs of Staff declined to confirm the claim and warned the North will see “the end of its regime” if it causes harm to South Koreans. 2.According to Statistics Korea on Monday, the number of female w...

1.South Korean author Han Kang was awarded with the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature Thursday, becoming the first Asian female to be given this prestigious award and the second South Korean Nobel laureate. In a telephone interview with the Swedish Academy, Han said all writers since her childhood had been a source of inspiration to her. 2.President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japan's new Prime Minister Shiger...

1.President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday announced the start of a “comprehensive strategic partnership” between South Korea and the ten-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations at the opening of the South Korea-ASEAN summit Laos. 2.South Korea was elected to the U.N. Human Rights Council for the 2025-2027 term on Wednesday, as Seoul seeks to actively participate in international efforts to addre...

1.At a government ceremony marking the 578th Hangeul Day on Wednesday, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo raised concerns about “indifference to the Korean language” and the excessive use of foreign loanwords, as well as abbreviations and newly coined words, adding that the nation has a duty to further develop the Korean alphabet. 2.President Yoon Suk Yeol said Wednesday a unified, nuclear-free Korean Pe...

1.President Yoon Suk Yeol and Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong held summit talks Tuesday and signed a supply chain partnership arrangement, resolving to enhance bilateral cooperation on supply chains for strategic goods in the energy and biotechnology industries. 2.According to tentative data from the Bank of Korea on Tuesday, South Korea posted a current account surplus for the fourth con...

1.During President Yoon Suk Yeol’s state visit to the Philippines on Monday, the two countries agreed to elevate bilateral relations and form a strategic partnership to enhance cooperation in security, economy, and energy. 2.The 22nd National Assembly on Monday began its first parliamentary inspection of government offices. A total of 17 parliamentary standing committees will conduct audits and in...

1.The North’s state Korean Central News Agency reported Friday about Kim Jong-un's response to President Yoon's Armed Forces Day speech earlier this week. Kim reiterated that he will not hesitate to use nuclear weapons if an enemy attempts to encroach on North Korea’s sovereignty. 2.The National Assembly on Friday voted down three contentious bills put up for a re-vote, including one calling for a...

1.Prime Minister Han Duck-soo vowed Thursday to complete the medical reform, saying the reform drive is an essential choice to ensure the safety of people and protect future generations, at a ceremony commemorating National Foundation Day. 2.South Korean Pianist Lim Yunchan on Wednesday won the prestigious Gramophone Classical Music Award in the piano category, marking the first time a Korean pian...

1.President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday endorsed Cabinet motions demanding parliamentary reconsideration of three opposition-led bills, including one calling for a special counsel probe into first lady Kim Keon Hee's allegations. 2.The Joint Chiefs of Staff said Wednesday that North Korea sent what appeared to be trash-carrying balloons toward South Korea for the first time in 10 days. 3.Iran launc...

1.A ceremony marking South Korea’s 76th Armed Forces Day was held in the Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do Province on Tuesday, featuring the Hyunmoo-5 missile, a centerpiece of the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation. Following the ceremony, a military parade was held near Gwanghwamun. 2.According to data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Tuesday, South Korea's...

1.President Yoon Suk Yeol and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico agreed Monday to elevate bilateral ties and cooperate in carbon free energy industries during a summit earlier in the day in Seoul. 2.According to data compiled by Statistics Korea on Monday, South Korea’s industrial output increased for the first time in four months, advancing 1-point-2 percent in August from a month earlier. Retail...

1.The National Assembly held a plenary session on Thursday and passed 77 key livelihood bills, including measures for punishing deepfake sexual exploitation crimes and extending parental leave. 2.Interior Minister Lee Sang-min on Friday announced government plans to invest 3.3 trillion won, or roughly 2.5 billion U.S. dollars, of its health insurance funding annually over the next five years to re...

1.President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday pledged to support South Korea's ascent to the ranks of the world's top three artificial intelligence powerhouses by 2027 at the inaugural meeting of a presidential committee on the AI industry. 2.The Ministry of Economy and Finance said Thursday that South Korea is expected to face a tax shortfall of nearly 30 trillion won, or about 22-point-6 billion...

1.President Yoon Suk Yeol hosted a dinner meeting with the leadership of the ruling People Power Party on Tuesday. President Yoon discussed the outcome of his recent visit to the Czech Republic, but there is said to be no meaningful discussions on sensitive issues about the medical reform and first lady Kim Keon Hee. 2.South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Monday that the 8th round of neg...

1.President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to host a dinner meeting with the leadership of the ruling People Power Party on Tuesday, including PPP chief Han Dong-hoon, floor leader Choo Kyung-ho and Supreme Council members, for the second time following Han's election in July. 2.According to the Bank of Korea on Tuesday, South Korea's producer price index fell 0-point-1 percent in August from a mont...

1.The Korea Electric Power Corporation said Monday that it plans to freeze electricity rates for the fourth quarter at 5 won per kilowatt-hour. The rate, however, is still subject to an additional adjustment later this year. 2.The Joint Chiefs of Staff on Monday vowed to take “stern” military measures should North Korea “cross the line” with its ongoing trash balloon campaign or inflict serious da...

1.President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday held out the prospect of forging a "nuclear energy alliance" with the Czech Republic, after holding a summit with Czech President Petr Pavel. 2.The United States on Thursday announced sanctions against five entities and one individual -- based in Russia and a Russian-occupied Georgian region -- for their alleged involvement in illicit financial schem...

1.President Yoon Suk Yeol left for Prague on Thursday for a trip focused on ensuring a major nuclear energy project in the Czech Republic. Ahead of his departure, President Yoon expressed confidence in a written interview with Reuters that Korea will clinch the deal despite legal concerns. 2.The U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday lowered its benchmark interest rate by half of a percentage point to...

1.The Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles in a northeastern direction on Wednesday, further raising tensions just five days after North Korea disclosed a uranium enrichment facility. 2.Health authorities said Tuesday that emergency rooms at hospitals nationwide operated smoothly on Chuseok with patient traffic comparable to that of a typical weekend...

1.The government and the ruling People Power Party agreed Thursday to implement financial aid measures to encourage around 8,000 hospitals and neighborhood clinics to accept patients during the upcoming Chuseok holiday, amid a prolonged doctors' walkout. 2.South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Thursday morni...

1.The Korea Meteorological Administration said an unprecedented autumn heat wave is set to reach its peak on Wednesday, as the daytime high was forecast to rise to a record 35 degrees Celsius in Seoul, amid a heat wave advisory issued for almost all regions of the country. 2.According to data from the Korea Customs Service on Wednesday, South Korea's exports rose 24.6 percent on-year in the fi...

1.During a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, President Yoon Suk Yeol said the government will temporarily raise health insurance payments to hospitals for the upcoming Chuseok holiday to better reward their services and to prevent disruptions in emergency medical care. 2.North Korea's state media reported Tuesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has vowed to bolster the country's nuclear cap...

1.The National Assembly will hold a four-day interpellation session starting Monday. During the session, lawmakers are expected to clash over inflation, the health care crisis, a special counsel investigation centering on first lady Kim Keon-hee, and the pension system reform. 2.The Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday that North Korea sent more trash-filled balloons towards South Korea on Sunday, in...

1.President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held talks in Seoul on Friday to discuss ways to deepen bilateral cooperation as Kishida is preparing to leave office. 2.The presidential office is reportedly open to adjusting the medical school admissions quota for the 2026 academic year. The top office is also said to be willing to form a consultative body between the rival par...