North Korea is selling fireworks that look like its intercontinental ballistic missiles, according to its state broadcaster Korean Central Television. In a news report broadcast late Sunday, the KCTV said more than 90,000 fireworks in 20 different types were being sold at a shop in Pyongyang. One of the workers at the shop said in the interview with the state broadcaster that the latest range of fireworks that they carry included ones that were modeled after Hwasong, the name of the ICBM series

The South Korean army said Monday its chief of staff Gen. Park An-su met with his US, Japanese and Australian counterparts during his eight-day trip to the US, for talks on North Korea deterrence. At the annual Land Forces Pacific Symposium in Hawaii on May 14-16, Park participated in a panel discussion alongside the commanding general of the US Army Pacific Gen. Charles Flynn, Gen. Yasunori Morishita of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force and Lt. Gen. Simon Stuart of the Army Australia. The

Yonsei University said Monday that it will conduct safety inspections of a dormitory on its Seoul campus, responding to rumors of a possible collapse that caused several tenants to vacate the building over the weekend. Several students of the prestigious school evacuated the building over the weekend after an anonymous post on the Yonsei University page of the online college student community Everytime claimed that the dormitory "seems to be tilting." The post included a photo showing

Starting Monday, an identity verification process has been mandated for those wishing to receive national health insurance benefits for medical services in South Korea. The recent revision to the National Health Insurance Act came into effect, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, as patients are required to carry a certified form of identification with them when they visit medical facilities. Those who do not must pay the entire medical fee, even if they are subscribed to the Nationa

President Yoon Suk Yeol is facing calls from multiple opposition leaders to stop vetoing bills, as the fate of a bill mandating a special counsel to probe alleged state interference in an investigation into the death of a young Marine is to be determined later this week. Yoon, who has just passed two years in office, has already used the presidential power to veto nine times, only the second-most of all South Korean presidents since President Syngman Rhee took office in 1948. The main opposition

The first 100 Filipino domestic workers will arrive in Seoul as early as September, with observers saying they are expected to earn at least 1.5 million won ($1,135) per month, in line with this year's minimum wage, according to South Korea's Labor Ministry, Monday. The Ministry of Employment and Labor said that the Philippine government posted a job notification earlier this month for 100 Filipino domestic workers willing to work in Seoul. The notification followed a wrap-up of discus

Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Special Act on Promotion and Support for Saemangeum Project Proposed by Rep. Lee Won-taeg (Democratic Party of Korea) ● The Saemangeum Project, launched in 1989, is an ongoing national project designed to develop an economic hub for business and tourism. Unlike the Gadeokdo New Airport Construction Project, which has progressed swiftly due to being exempt from preliminary feasibility surveys, the Saemangeum Project has faced delays in business promotion be

A global summit on artificial intelligence to be co-hosted by South Korea and Britain this week will present global AI governance principles to foster innovation, safety and inclusivity, the two nations' leaders said Monday. In a joint opinion article, President Yoon Suk Yeol and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the upcoming AI Seoul Summit aims to build on the conversation from the first AI Safety Summit held in England last November to address risks and triumphs of the fast-evolvin

Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong called for junior doctors who left worksites for months to return to hospitals by Monday, while urging the medical community to resolve a protracted standoff over the government's medical reform through dialogue. The latest appeal by Cho came as a Seoul appellate court last week rejected an injunction filed by the medical community to block the government's plan to increase the medical school admission quota, paving the way for authorities to proceed with

North Korea threatened Monday to take powerful deterrent action against what it claims is the US nuclear threat, denouncing Washington for its recent subcritical nuclear test. The US carried out a subcritical nuclear test in Nevada last week, the third of its kind under President Joe Biden. The US said it was designed to collect "essential data" about its nuclear warheads. An unnamed spokesman at the North's foreign ministry said North Korea cannot but reconsider the measures necessary

Data from Statistics Korea has shown that the number of multiple jobholders, who engage in one or more side jobs, is rapidly increasing, particularly among the younger generations and those in their 40s. For the first quarter of this year, the number of employed individuals who have engaged in side jobs increased by 22.4 percent (101,000) compared to the same quarter last year, reaching a total of 552,000 people. Although multiple jobholders in the workforce are not yet prominent, the growth t

South Korea on Sunday withdrew its plan to ban foreign businesses from selling goods for cross-border shopping without South Korea's safety certifications just three days after the government mapped out the plan to protect its consumers. Lee Jeong-won, second vice minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, said in a briefing in Seoul on Sunday that it is not true that the government was seeking a "preemptive all-out ban on cross-border shopping of 80 items," adding the

Ex-president’s assessment of North Korean leader sparks criticism from ruling party

Presidential office urges universities to "swiftly complete process"

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Sunday unveiled plans to open a detached, private lodging facility on a bridge of Han River that will offer guests stunning views of the river and city skyline through its windows. According to the municipal government, the planned structure, referred to as a "scenic hotel," is slated to open in July and will claim the title of the world's first lodging facility built on a river bridge. Inside the self-contained structure, which used to be a co