The Korea Herald will co-host a forum on Nov. 13 to unpack the foreign policy, security, economic and trade implications of Donald Trump’s return to the White House for Seoul and the Korea-US alliance, while exploring strategic responses to tackle emerging challenges and seize new opportunities. The timely forum, titled "Alliance after US Election 2024: A Seoul Perspective," will be held at the National Assembly Museum in partnership with the Bipartisan Forum for Advanced Diplo

North Korea is believed to have dispatched thousands of soldiers to Russia to support its invasion of Ukraine, with thousands more anticipated to join by the year’s end, according to South Korean intelligence and military officials. While the National Intelligence Service said in its latest analysis the costs of North Korea stepping into the war seem to outweigh the benefits, other experts in Seoul say Pyongyang can now expect Moscow to have its back in a possible contingency on the Korean

South Korea is mulling banning smartphones in schools, as the government weighs in on a bill proposed by the ruling party that would prohibit students from using personal digital devices during class. According to the National Assembly and education circles on Sunday, Rep. Cho Jung-hun of People Power Party introduced a bill in August to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to restrict the use of smartphones in schools, adding Article 20.3 on guidance on the student's use of cel

Former lawmaker and veteran politician Kim Young-sun, a central figure in allegations that President Yoon Suk Yeol meddled in the June 2022 by-elections, denied accusations that she paid for Yoon's political forecasting and alleged poll manipulation expenses in exchange for the ruling party's nomination to run for her seat in the National Assembly. The prosecution interrogated Kim on Sunday regarding what they consider a violation of the Political Funds Act, namely Kim's wiring of

The number of people consulting with the state-run counseling centers for domestic, sexual abuse and domestic conflicts was the highest on record last year, Ministry of Gender Equality and Family data showed Sunday. A total of 337,171 calls were made in 2023 to the national counseling centers for victims of domestic and sexual abuse, along with other forms of domestic conflicts and crimes such as stalking. The figure was up 15.1 percent from the previous year, according to the ministry's

Gwangju court on Sunday said it has ruled against the parents of a high school student who challenged local education authorities for authorizing the boy's expulsion from a school, after he attacked a classmate with a weapon. The student in question attacked the victim with a stationery knife, which he attached to his hand with a glue, during a class trip to the Uleungdo Island in May of last year. He told police that he was "infuriated" that the victim was kicking his seat, and t

A man was found to have hidden his dead father's body inside a freezer for over a year due to unspecified inheritance issues, local police said Sunday. Officials at the Icheon Police Station in Gyeonggi Province are investigating a man in his 40s for violation of the Article 161 of the Criminal Act, which covers damaging, destroying, concealing or taking possession of a corpse. The suspect turned himself in on Friday to local police, who found the body of the deceased inside the suspect&#

The city of Busan last week presented a certificate of appreciation to three handball players who rescued a driver pinned under the car after an accident. Kim Da-young, Shin Jin-mi and Jeong Ga-hee of South Korea's Division 1 H-League were commended last Thursday for providing assistance in the aftermath of a car accident at around 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 11. The three players found a car that had overturned after colliding with a guardrail in Yangsan city, South Gyeongsang Province, and blocked

Six out of 10 newly hired employees leave their jobs within the first year in South Korea, government data showed Sunday. The report, from the Korea Employment Information Service under the Labor Ministry, shows that only 40.1 percent of wage workers -- those subscribed to employment insurance schemes after being hired -- retained their positions for more than a year as of 2021. The rate of employees staying in their jobs for over a year has been steadily declining, from 42.2 percent in 2021

The National Assembly is set to begin deliberations on the 2025 budget proposal this week, with ruling and opposition parties expected to wrangle over spending on controversial projects. On Monday, the National Assembly is set to begin deliberations on next year's budget of 677.4 trillion won ($509.7 billion), a 3.2 percent increase from the previous year. The ruling People Power Party is expected to advocate the government's focus on discretionary spending due to fiscal deficit, while

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Sunday he will discuss ways to advance the EU's security and defense cooperation with South Korea during his visit to Seoul. Borrell, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, wrote on social media platform X earlier in the day that he arrived in Seoul to co-chair the first Strategic Dialogue with Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul. "Over the past years, we have become even closer partners making signif

North Korea's foreign minister, currently visiting Russia for talks, said the strategic value of her country's relations with Russia holds greater importance in the severe international political landscape, the country's state media reported Saturday. Choe Son-hui made the remarks during her speech at a ceremony unveiling a plaque honoring North Korean founder Kim Il-sung's first official visit to the former Soviet Union, held at Moscow's Yaroslavl Railway Station the pr

Rescued cows inspire mountain village to welcome veganism to boost younger population, tourist numbers

Southern region including Jeju Island to see heavy rainfall over weekend

Cars accelerating out of a driver’s control is a common fear among South Korean drivers, with suspected cases frequently highlighted in the local media. However, a forensic analysis of 364 alleged incidents found no cases with sufficient evidence to confirm sudden unintended accelerations had occurred. In all 321 cases where analysis was possible, drivers had pressed the accelerator – contrary to their claims of hitting the brake. In its report Wednesday, the National Forensic Serv