Leaders condemn NK troops' presence in Russia

The number of foreign nationals residing in South Korea long-term has increased to an all-time high, reaching almost 2.5 million last year, according to official data presented by the Ministry of Interior and Safety on Thursday. As of Nov. 1, 2023, there were a total of 2,459,542 foreign nationals staying in Korea for at least three months. According to the Interior Ministry -- which defines foreign residents as those without Korean nationality, those who have obtained Korean citizenship but are

Rapper-singer Jessi apologized Wednesday following heavy backlash after a fan was assaulted by a man who was with her at that time. In a statement posted to her Instagram account, the Korean-American singer expressed regret and apologized. “I deeply apologize to the victim and his family for causing pain,” she said. “From the moment the incident happened until now, I have hurt many, including the victim, and left them feeling betrayed and angry due to my wrong actions, attitude

NIS says North Korean trash balloons not linked to activist leafleting

A man is being considered for commendation after intervening in an assault against a convenience store clerk, local media outlets reported Thursday. According to the local broadcaster YTN, the attack occurred at a convenience store in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The suspect, identified only as a foreign national in his 20s, attempted to buy a bottle of soju but the store clerk in his 60s repeatedly refused to sell it, citing that the suspect needed an ID to

1992 Supreme Court ruling defined tattooing as 'medical service'

Uzbekistan’s newly appointed Ambassador to South Korea Alisher Abdusalomov expressed hopes for expanded economic, academic and tourism cooperation during a courtesy visit to Herald Media Group on Wednesday. “It’s very interesting to hear the concerns of Korean companies and CEOs when doing business overseas at (The Herald's) Global Business Forum,” Abdusalomov said, sharing his memories of attending Herald Media Group’s biannual forum held last year. Herald Med

The Seoul city government announced a campaign to promote standardized foreign-language names for Korean foods on Thursday, aiming to boost culinary tourism by providing accurate translations for international visitors. The initiative, in collaboration with the Seoul Tourism Organization and the Korea Food Service Industry Association, runs until Nov. 1 and focuses on correcting mistranslations of famous Korean dishes. Foreign tourists often encounter baffling translations on menus, including no

A young man on the run for allegedly dodging his mandatory military service survived a fall from a building while trying to evade prosecutors, officials said Thursday. The suspect, in his late 20s and wanted for violating the Military Service Act, was visited at his home in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province by officials from the Namyangju Branch of the Uijeongbu District Prosecutors' Office at around 12:40 p.m. on Monday. One investigator knocked on the door while the other was standing by outsi

Asiana Airlines has started direct charter flights from Incheon to Cairo, according to the Egyptian Embassy in South Korea at an event Wednesday. Hosted by Egyptian Ambassador to Korea Khaled Abdel Rahman, the event showcased tourism and culture with presentations from travel agencies from Korea. In his address, Rahman applauded the cooperation of Asiana Airlines and major South Korean tour operators such as Hana Tour, Mode Tour, Verygood Tour and Yellow Balloon Tour. "The message we want t

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — US and South Korean officials said Wednesday that there’s evidence North Korea has dispatched troops to Russia in a potential escalation of the nearly 3-year-old war with Ukraine. If the soldiers’ goal is fighting with Russia in Ukraine, it would be the first time a third country puts boots on the ground in the war. Other countries on both sides of the divide have sent military aid, including weapons and training: Iran has supplied Russia with drones, and W

The main opposition Democratic Party plans to push for the passage of a bill calling for a special counsel probe into allegations involving first lady Kim Keon Hee at a parliamentary plenary session next month, an official said Thursday. The DP has previously voted for two similar bills, only to see them scrapped in revotes conducted following President Yoon Suk Yeol's vetoes. A DP official told Yonhap News Agency that a new bill is likely to be reviewed in the legislation and judiciary par

North Korea is building unidentified structures on an eastern inter-Korean road that it blew up last week, a source said Thursday, amid heightened cross-border tensions over the North's border activities. Last Tuesday, North Korea blew up sections of the eastern Donghae Line and the western Gyeongui Line, just north of the border, days after vowing to cut off all roads and railways linked to the South and build front-line defense structures. Since the explosions, South Korea's border s

NATO countries have confirmed evidence that North Korea has sent troops to Russia, an alliance spokeswoman said Wednesday, warning it would be a major escalation if they head to Ukraine. "Allies have confirmed evidence of a DPRK troop deployment to Russia. If these troops are destined to fight in Ukraine, it would mark a significant escalation in North Korea's support for Russia's illegal war and yet another sign of Russia's significant losses on the front lines," Farah

A Seoul court has approved the process to find a new owner for e-commerce platforms TMON and WeMakePrice placed under court-led rehabilitation since early September after failing to make payments to vendors using their platforms, an official said Wednesday. The Seoul Bankruptcy Court has selected the EY Hanyoung accounting firm as the lead manager for the process to sell the e-commerce platforms to help resolve the massive payment delays, the court's appointed custodian, Jo In-cheol, told Y