Korea to establish presidential committee to manage economic security

Number of international students down from pre-pandemic levels but optimism grows for more face-to-face learning in spring semester

Ahn, former CEO of security giant AhnLab, tops list with 197 billion won

South Korea plans to evacuate its citizens from Ukraine within a couple of days in an additional operation amid growing fears of a Russian invasion, the foreign ministry said Monday. A total of 281 Korean nationals, including diplomatic staff, are staying in Ukraine as of Monday, and about 100 plan to leave the nation by Tuesday, it noted. "The government is urging Korean nationals to leave Ukraine as soon as possible via available flights or land routes as a Level 4 travel advisory was iss

South Korea's military on Monday reported 308 additional COVID-19 cases, raising the total caseload among its domestic personnel to 8,945. The new cases included 178 from the Army, 80 from the Air Force, 17 from the Navy, 13 from units under the direct control of the defense ministry and 12 from the Marine Corps. There were also five cases from the ministry, two from the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command and one from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Currently, 3,566 military personnel are under t

The campaigns of main opposition presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol and minor candidate Ahn Cheol-soo clashed Monday over the right way to merge their campaigns, with Yoon's side rejecting Ahn's proposal of a public opinion survey. Ahn of the centrist People's Party proposed the merger with Yoon of the conservative People Power Party (PPP) on Sunday, with less than a month to go until the March 9 election. Ahn said the two sides should field a single candidate to take on ruling

Nationwide furor over horse-killing stunt may be start of protection for animal actors

Yoon's top adviser emphasizes new role for government in economic recovery

Scheme could tackle inequality, promote fairness, Lee’s top adviser says

Main opposition candidate rents a public train for regional tour, promises prosperity of Honam region

Main opposition presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol has found himself in hot water after a photo of him putting his feet on a train seat sparked criticism that his gesture indicated a lack of public etiquette and courtesy. The photo of Yoon resting his legs was uploaded by Lee Sang-il, an aide to Yoon, on his Facebook page Sunday, apparently trying to show a glimpse of the candidate's time on a visit to cities in the southwestern Honam region on a campaign train. The People Power Party (PPP) re

An empty residential property in Daegu, North Gyeongsang Province is drawing throngs of visitors in recent days following reports that it would soon be the home of the impeached President Park Geun-hye, who is currently in hospital. Park’s close aide and lawyer Yoo Young-ha reportedly signed a contract to purchase the property in Ssanggye-ri, Dalseong County, for around 2.5 billion won ($2.08 million). It consists of a main building with two stories and one basement level as well as thr

Ahn Cheol-soo of the centrist People's Party reported the most wealth among South Korean presidential candidates, the National Election Commission (NEC) said Monday. Ahn, an entrepreneur-turned-politician, reported his personal assets to be worth 197.99 billion won ($165 million), the biggest amount among the 11 presidential candidates who finished candidacy registration with the NEC on Sunday. Main opposition People Power Party presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol declared the second most wealt

South Korea is keeping close tabs on North Korea's nuclear and missile activities, the unification ministry said Monday, following a news report that the secretive nation seems to be operating related facilities at its Yongbyon complex. "With regard to North Korea's nuclear and missile activities, including Yongbyon, (we) have been closely tracking and monitoring (them) on the basis of close South Korea-US coordination," ministry spokesperson Lee Jong-joo said at a press briefing. Olli

The education ministry is considering requiring kindergarten and elementary students to take rapid COVID-19 tests at home before going to school twice a week starting next month, officials said Monday. "We're conducting discussions while leaving various possibilities open, including a measure to have students go to school after tests at home," a ministry official said. Schools are bracing for the new semester next month amid the rapid spread of omicron, which has recently driven up the