Controversies surrounding first lady Kim Keon Hee are likely to top the agenda at the upcoming second meeting between the leaders of the ruling People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party, observers said Sunday. People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon and Democratic Party Rep. Lee Jae-myung recently agreed to hold a second round of talks, following up on their first official meeting in early September. The date for the second meeting, however, is yet to be announced. The agreeme

Yoon administration seeks to replace parenting-related terms with more positive language

The “K-Respect” campaign, launched by Seoul-based civic group Sunfull Foundation to promote respect for all cultures, has reached the United States, bringing Korean and US leaders together at two recent events. The first event, held at the Northern Illinois University in DeKalb on Oct. 18, saw the US university’s faculty members, officials and alums gather to mark the campaign’s first declaration in the US. Joan Phillips-Hernandez, dean of the NIU's College of Busi

Young South Koreans entering the workforce increasingly find themselves taking on "irregular" jobs -- positions that fall outside traditional full-time employment, the latest government data shows. Four out of 10 workers aged 15-29, primarily first-time, entry-level job seekers, now hold irregular positions, marking the highest level since the government began tracking these statistics in 2003, Statistics Korea reported Sunday. Irregular employment encompasses a broad category of nonst

S. Korean, US defense chiefs to meet in Washington; gov’t to brief NATO, EU this week

Thousands of people, including grieving families, gathered Saturday at Seoul Plaza to commemorate the second anniversary of the Itaewon crowd crush, a tragedy that claimed 159 lives -- most of them young adults -- during Halloween celebrations on October 29, 2022. Organized by the 10.29 Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Committee and estimated to have drawn around 5,000 participants, the ceremony began at 6:34 p.m., the exact time of the first emergency call from Itaewon that night, hours befor

KIRA head rejects dialogue unless med school expansion plan dropped, doctors' working conditions improved

More than 1,700 digital sex offenses at schools reported since 2021

A new Korean War memorial opened at a high-profile museum in Georgia earlier this week to commemorate allied troops' sacrifices and their spirit that underpins the evolving alliance between South Korea and the United States, Seoul officials said Saturday. The National Infantry Museum Foundation hosted a dedication ceremony for the Korean War Memorial at the museum in Columbus on Thursday, with the attendance of some 200 people, including veterans of the 1950-53 conflict and their families

Incheon Airport witnessed a heartfelt reunion on Friday afternoon as Darragh Hannan and Jee Won Ha, sisters separated at birth and raised worlds apart, met face-to-face for the first time. The two, adopted as infants—Hannan in the US and Ha in Belgium—recently discovered their full sibling connection through a MyHeritage DNA test, sparking this life-changing encounter. Hannan, adopted in Minnesota shortly after her birth in 1986, grew up in a loving and supportive home. Ha, on the

A 38-year-old civil servant, who died just two months after being hired, was found to have been bullied at the workplace by a superior, according to the findings of a provincial audit Thursday. The North Chungcheong Province audit office concluded that the deceased, identified only by the surname Kim, was subjected to an excessive workload and inappropriate treatment by his immediate superior at the Goesan Country Office. As a result, the provincial office requested the county office to enforce

  President Yoon Suk Yeol called for all-out measures to protect Korean nationals amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, the presidential office said Saturday. Earlier in the day, Israel launched a series of airstrikes against Iran in return for the Islamic Republic's ballistic missile barrage on Israel earlier in the month. "The top priority is to protect Korean nationals (in Iran and Israel), and all necessary measures should be drawn up to prepare for worsening situations

North Korea lambasted South Korea and the United States on Saturday for staging a joint air exercise, accusing Washington of driving the Korean Peninsula into an "uncontrollable" situation. The Freedom Flag exercise kicked off this week to run through next Friday, with the air forces of South Korea and the US, as well as Australia, participating. The two-week joint drill, which is taking place for the first time, replaces regular large-scale air exercises between South Korea and the

North Korea's foreign ministry said Friday any alleged deployment of North Korean troops to Russia would align with international law, making the first official comment over the issue. A senior official from North Korea's foreign ministry said in a statement issued through the Korean Central News Agency if international media's reports about North Korea's troop dispatch were accurate, such action would "comply with international law and norms." The official respon

The foreign ministry on Friday submitted a questionnaire to the United Nations human rights office, urging North Korea to disclose the whereabouts of South Korean detainees. The document was submitted to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights ahead of the Universal Periodic Review on North Korea, scheduled for next month, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The UPR is a mechanism requiring each UN member state to undergo a peer review of its human rights