The government unveiled a package of measures aimed at addressing long-standing consumer complaints in the wedding industry Thursday, which has often been cited as a significant factor driving up the high costs of marriage. The measures were introduced at an economic ministers' meeting in Seoul, led by Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok, who also serves as the deputy prime minister for economic affairs. "The high costs of wedding services have become a financial burden for young people, an

President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to depart for Peru on Thursday to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, with an eye on a possible meeting with US President-elect Donald Trump during the South America trip. Yoon will travel to Peru from Thursday to Friday for the APEC summit and head to Brazil on Sunday for the Group of 20 (G20) summit slated for the next two days. He plans to use the diplomatic stage to pledge South Korea's active role in global issues and call for internation

Another Korean American won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, a news report said Wednesday, an election that will add to a steadily growing list of Korean American lawmakers in Congress. State Sen. Dave Min, a Democrat, has defeated his Republican rival, Scott Baugh, by a slim margin in the race in California's 47th Congressional District, according to NBC News. It marks his first election to the lower chamber of Congress. "I know many of us are anxious about the future of o

US President-elect Donald Trump officially nominated Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as his secretary of state on Wednesday, calling him a "strong advocate for our nation" and a "true friend to our allies." Trump issued a statement on the nomination of Rubio, known for his hawkish stance on China and Iran, as America's next top diplomat is to face a full plate of foreign policy challenges, including an intensifying rivalry with China, Russia's war in Ukraine and North Kore

President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump met at the White House on Wednesday for the first time since last week's presidential election, with both calling for a smooth transition of power. In the Oval Office, Biden shook hands with Trump and congratulated him on his victory -- a resumption of a post-election tradition that paused in 2020 when Trump refused to concede the election results and did not invite Biden to the presidential office. "Congratulations," Biden said

US President Joe Biden is expected to express "deep concern" over North Korea's troop deployment to Russia during a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping set to take place on the margins of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru this week, a senior US administration official said Wednesday. Biden and Xi are set to meet in Lima on Saturday for what could be their last in-person summit as presidents. The meeting will come as both Seoul and Washington have confirmed

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will hold a trilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru this week, according to Yoon's office and the White House. Yoon is set to depart for Lima on Thursday with the trilateral meeting scheduled for Friday, his office said. The three countries have pushed for the leaders' meeting to build on the progress in three-way cooperation sinc

Travel app Skyscanner has unveiled its Travel Trends 2025 report, capturing tourism insights based on a survey of 20,000 travelers worldwide. According to the report, next year’s key travel theme is predicted to be “shared experiences with others,” in which people will pursue experiences that can be shared with others who have similar interests. Among the survey participants, 1,000 South Koreans shared their preferred travel destinations, favoring shorter flights. Taiwan&rsqu

To ensure the secure administration of the annual national college entrance exam, more than 10,000 police officers will be deployed nationwide, officials said Wednesday. For the Suneung, short for the College Scholastic Ability Test in Korean, set to be held on Thursday, a total of 10,256 officers will manage various tasks, including transporting exam papers, maintaining order at test site entrances, controlling traffic, patrolling nearby areas and ensuring the safe delivery of answer sheets aft

China's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dai Bing has been nominated as the country's new ambassador to South Korea, diplomatic sources said Wednesday. Beijing is conducting its final review of Dai for the ambassador post, with the official announcement expected as early as this week, followed by the procedure to seek consent, or "agrement," from South Korea, the diplomatic sources said. The post has been vacant since former Chinese Ambassador to South Ko

North Korean troops dispatched to Russia have moved to the frontline region of Kursk and are "already engaging in combat" against Ukraine, South Korea's spy agency said Wednesday. "North Korean soldiers dispatched to Russia have moved to the Kursk region over the past two weeks and their deployment to battlefields has been completed," the National Intelligence Service said. It said work is underway to gather and analyze additional intelligence, without providing further

Amid prolonged controversy over excessive fees and a lack of transparency in the wedding industry, the South Korean government said it has mandated changes to contract terms at 18 major wedding planning firms. The Fair Trade Commission on Tuesday said it identified six types of unfair clauses in service agreements across 18 wedding planning companies that received the most consumer complaints over three months. These companies offer package weddings -- popular bundles consisting of pre-wedding s

When reports surfaced that President Yoon Suk Yeol had played golf at a course in northeastern Seoul on Saturday, opposition politicians saw it as an opportunity to pounce. Playing golf has become close to a taboo for politicians in Korea. The exclusive and expensive nature of the sport here means that it is seen as an elite indulgence, rather than a way to unwind or a pastime for ordinary people. As such, public officials who golf are often accused of being out of touch with the general public

Just over half of South Koreans believe getting married is essential, a recent government study showed Wednesday, and a growing proportion of people say it's alright for couples simply to live together without tying the knot. According to Statistics Korea's annual study on Korean society, 52.5 percent of Koreans say people should get married, while 41.5 percent say it is a matter of choice and 3.3 percent say they should remain single. The percentage of those who believe people must

Among half a million CSAT takers, incarcerated teens seek second chance, while disabled students get fair shot