N. Korea’s weapons-grade plutonium inventory up from 50 kg to 70 kg, says S. Korean military

The South Korean government will provide $1 million of humanitarian aid to Syria, a country gravely affected by the Feb. 6 earthquake. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to offer humanitarian aid to Syria, which has no diplomatic relations with South Korea, via the United Nations, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk said in a regular press briefing on Thursday. Alongside Turkey, Syria’s northwest was hit hard by the 7.8 magnitude quake and subsequent aftershocks. Rescue efforts

President Yoon Suk Yeol is expected to meet with his US counterpart, Joe Biden, as early as April for the third time following their November talks in Cambodia as the two allies eye a stronger alliance that could ride out deglobalization prompted by the escalating US-China rivalry. On Thursday, Yoon’s office dismissed a Bloomberg News report that said a White House state dinner was scheduled for late April, saying the Biden administration has not officially corroborated it. The White House

Politician, military leader and ethnic Korean Vitaliy Kim talks about his mission to defend Ukraine and his wish to visit Seoul

Lee compares Yoon to 1980s dictator

The Blue Tree Foundation, an institution for victims of school violence, held a meeting Monday on the sidelines of the 61st Session of the United Nations Commission for Social Development, to discuss the prospect of sustainable development in the era of digital transformation. The 61st plenary session of the UN Commission for Social Development was held online and offline at the UN headquarters in New York from Feb. 6 to Wednesday with the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United

A state reconciliation panel confirmed Thursday that a civilian was shot by soldiers during a military coup 62 years ago, recommending compensation be paid by the state. The victim, who suffered a lifetime of pain from the gunshot wound, has finally been granted the possibility of receiving financial reparation. On May 16, 1961, then-Major General Park Chung-hee led a military coup against former President Yun Po-sun's government. The victim, who is only identified by the surname Cho, was s

A six-year-old boy who was found facedown in a swimming pool in Busan during a 3:1 lesson died Wednesday afternoon, the Busan police said Thursday. The boy had been in critical condition for a week since the accident. The child was found unconscious near a pool ladder at around 7:45 p.m. on Feb. 8, and it was determined that he drowned after his life jacket became stuck between the ladder’s rungs while he was diving into the water. Surveillance camera footage shows the swimming instructo

29 of 31 armed guerillas killed; one captive became a pastor in South Korea

The New Zealand Embassy in Seoul commemorated Waitangi Day at the ambassador’s residence in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Tuesday. Waitangi Day is celebrated as New Zealand's national day to commemorate the first signing of New Zealand's founding document, known as the Treaty of Waitangi, signed between the British Crown and about 540 Maori rangatira on Feb. 6, 1840. The commemoration was followed by a reception to bid farewell to friends in Seoul for New Zealand ambassador to Korea Phillip Turner.

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell below 13,000 on Thursday, logging a marked on-week decline amid a gradual virus downtrend. The country reported 12,519 new infection cases, including 24 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 30,397,720, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. It was a decline from 14,957 cases a day earlier. Compared with the previous week, the latest figure marked about a 15 percent fall. The KDCA reported 22 deaths from COVID-19, putting the deat

WASHINGTON -- South Korea's First Industry Vice Minister Jang Young-jin arrived in the United States on Wednesday for talks on a wide range of issues that he said require close cooperation between the allies. Jang said topics of discussion with his US counterparts will include the Inflation Reduction Act, as well as the US import quota on South Korean steel products. "While negotiating these issues, we will also be discussing technology cooperation," he told reporters shortly afte

WASHINGTON -- The United States considers and is dealing with North Korea issues with the same level of urgency as all other challenges facing the country and its allies, a state department spokesperson said Wednesday. The spokesperson, Ned Price, insisted the US simply did not have the "luxury of being able to prioritize" the challenges. "All of these issues are important," Price told a daily press briefing. "All of these same issues are made of the same plot. All of th

Helping rebuild Turkey following last week’s earthquakes that killed at least 35,000 people is the new priority for South Korea, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday, moving away from the role of first responders to helping Ankara set “long-term recovery goals.” Seoul is to field a second rescue team Thursday night. “It’s all about reconstruction now, rather than rescue,” a senior ministry official told reporters following a multiagency meeting chaired by Forei

Experts call for thorough geological investigation, seismic reinforcement plan and technology monitoring minor changes