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Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo declares bid for opposition leader
Ahn Cheol-soo, a four-term lawmaker of the main opposition People Power Party, announced his bid to become the leader of the conservative party Tuesday. Ahn, considered a non-mainstream lawmaker of his party, made the announcement during a press conference at the National Assembly, three weeks after abruptly resigning as head of the PPP's innovation committee amid clashes with the party leadership over his push for a personnel reshuffle. "I will become the leader of a party driven by reform whic
July 29, 2025 -
Drugs seizures jump ninefold in H1: customs
The amount of illegal drugs seized reached an all-time six-month high in the first half of the year, with international drug rings increasingly turning their eyes to Asia amid tightening border controls in the United States, the customs agency said Tuesday. South Korea cracked down on 617 trafficking cases involving a combined 2,680 kilograms of illegal substances in the January-June period, according to the Korea Customs Service. The number of cases increased by 70 percent from the same period
July 29, 2025 -
South Korea aims to make preschool free for all children by 2027
South Korea will begin offering free education and child care to all 5-year-olds by subsidizing preschool institutions from July, as a step toward the government's plan to make preschool education universally accessible by 2027. The Ministry of Education announced Tuesday that the Cabinet had approved a 128.9 billion won ($92.6 million) allocation for the second half of the year. It aims to support approximately 278,000 children aged 5 who are enrolled in either kindergartens or day care centers
July 29, 2025 -
Trump reaffirms Seoul-Washington alliance; NK repudiates nuke talks
US President Donald Trump highlighted the need for US armed forces to work together with the South Korean military in an "ironclad alliance" for peace on the Korean Peninsula in a statement released Monday to mark Korean War veterans day. The comments came as Pyongyang put out a statement Tuesday stating that personal ties between the leaders of the North and the United States were "not bad," but rebuffing any talks on Pyongyang's denuclearization. In the presidential statement to mark the Natio
July 29, 2025 -
Ruling bloc to raise corporate tax, reversing Yoon-era cut
South Korea’s ruling bloc on Tuesday outlined plans to raise the corporate tax rate and expand the scope of capital gains taxation, signaling a U-turn from policies aimed at tax relief under the previous conservative Yoon Suk Yeol administration. Following a policy consultation held at the National Assembly in Seoul, the government and the ruling Democratic Party said they had agreed to raise the top corporate tax rate from the current 24 percent to 25 percent — the same level as in 2022, before
July 29, 2025 -
FM Cho seeks stronger trilateral cooperation with US, Japan
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun headed to Tokyo on Tuesday to advance trilateral cooperation with the US and Japan, amid mounting pressure faced by Seoul as the deadline for tariff negotiations with the Donald Trump administration fast approaches. “By visiting Japan first (ahead of the US), we plan to go beyond improving South Korea-Japan bilateral relations and improve trilateral cooperation among South Korea, US and Japan, while upgrading our overall foreign policy to align with the Lee Jae Myung ad
July 29, 2025 -
South Korea's population stagnates despite number of foreign residents topping 2 million
South Korea's population showed almost no growth in 2024, as an increase in foreign residents was offset by a continued decline in the number of Korean nationals, according to government data released Tuesday. The data also highlighted the country's aging population, with nearly 1 in 5 South Koreans now aged 65 or older. In its annual census data, Statistics Korea reported that the total population reached 51.8 million as of Nov. 1, 2024. This was an increase of just 31,000 from the previous yea
July 29, 2025 -
S. Korea in talks to launch NATO defense consultative body in September
South Korea is in talks with NATO to launch a working-level defense consultative body as early as September, through which it would seek to expand opportunities for local defense firms to enter the European market. The inaugural session of the consultative body is being discussed for late September in Brussels, Belgium, with final arrangements still being coordinated by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration and NATO, according to an official at the arms procurement agency on Tuesday. Th
July 29, 2025 -
Mother reunited with daughter 54 years after she went missing
A 61-year-old woman who went missing over half a century ago has been reunited with her mother, who never gave up hope of finding her, according to local police Tuesday. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Tuesday shared the story of the woman surnamed Jo, who vanished in August 1971 at the age of 7 while traveling by bus to her aunt’s house in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Jo's mother, surnamed Jang, only learned of her daughter's disappearance after her sister -- Jo's aunt -- told her in person
July 29, 2025 -
Off-duty fireman puts out restaurant fire
A firefighter with nearly 30 years of experience recently extinguished a fire at a restaurant he was visiting while on vacation. Fire Capt. Gwon Chan-ju of the Pocheon Fire Station was leaving a restaurant in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, at around 8 p.m. on Saturday when he heard a popping noise and saw smoke coming from the building, according to local media reports. He immediately reported the fire to the 119 emergency services before picking up a fire extinguisher to contain the flames. Gwon al
July 29, 2025 -
Seoul to take down 59-year-old Seosomun Overpass next month
The Seosomun Overpass, once a driveway passing through the heart of Seoul, is slated for demolition over safety concerns. The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Tuesday that it is scheduled to remove the flyover, located in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, by gradually closing its roads starting from Aug. 17. According to the city government, one lane of the overpass connecting the City Hall and Chungjeongno Station of Line No. 2 will initially be closed. The opposite lane westward will subsequently be
July 29, 2025 -
HPV-linked throat cancer on the rise among Korean men
Throat cancers linked to the human papillomavirus are on the rise among South Korean men, according to a local expert on Tuesday. Park Jun-wook, a head and neck cancer specialist at the Catholic University of Korea’s Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, said the rising trend underscores the importance of raising awareness about HPV-related cancers and the need for vaccination among men. HPV is widely known as the leading cause of cervical cancer, and in Korea, the HPV vaccine has traditionally been consid
July 29, 2025 -
Campaign to call migrant workers by name spreads in southwest
Regions across the southern part of Korea are joining a growing campaign to encourage calling migrant workers by their names, rather than using disrespectful terms such as “ya” (hey). The campaign is part of broader efforts to promote a culture of respect toward residents with diverse ethnic backgrounds. The initiative was launched by the Jeollanamdo Contingent Workers Center, a human rights group based in South Jeolla Province. Since last year, the center has worked with local corporations and
July 29, 2025 -
Mother letting child sit in driver’s seat sparks backlash in Korea
A photo of a young boy sitting in the driver’s seat of a car stopped at a traffic light has sparked controversy online in South Korea, local media reported Tuesday. According to reports, a post titled “(My boy) really likes to take the wheel” appeared Saturday on a large online community for mothers. It featured a photo of a boy, estimated to be under 10 years old, holding the steering wheel while seated in the driver’s seat. Though the car was at a stop, the gear was in drive. “He’s a boy, so h
July 29, 2025 -
Ex-President Yoon snubs questioning by special counsel in probe into ex-first lady
Arrested former President Yoon Suk Yeol did not appear for questioning by a special counsel team Tuesday over an investigation into various allegations surrounding his wife, former first lady Kim Keon Hee. Yoon, who is currently in custody at Seoul Detention Center, south of Seoul, did not show up at special counsel Min Joong-ki's office for his scheduled appearance over allegations of him and his wife meddling in election nominations. Yoon's side has not submitted any opinions about his non-app
July 29, 2025