President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday asked the US defense chief to arrange bilateral consultations to establish “effective” extended deterrence mechanisms which could dispel South Koreans’ concerns over North Korean nuclear threats. In return, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin pledged to make every effort for combined defense to clear up South Korea’s doubts over the credibility of the US security commitment and nuclear assurances, senior presidential secreta

Seoul, Washington to facilitate real-time sharing of NK missile data with Tokyo

  Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Tuesday South Korea might lift short-term visa restrictions on entrants from China earlier than a new deadline set by the end of February if convincing evidence of declining COVID-19 spread is given. The decision could be made depending on the virus situation here as Korea has just eased indoor mask mandate and both China and Korea had family gatherings to celebrate Lunar New Year holiday. "(The government and health experts) can start reviewing plans

Growing calls for South Korea’s independent nuclear buildup, a discussion that had left the country more divided than united, now offer policymakers latitude to widen the nuclear debate, experts said Tuesday as South Korea steps up efforts for a more powerful military to contain North Korea. President Yoon Suk Yeol and Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup met with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Seoul on Tuesday while Foreign Minister Park Jin and his US counterpart, Antony Blinken, will mee

Facilities in South Korea which temporarily detain foreigners subject to deportation have been gradually improved compared to the past, but are still short of fully protecting human rights, the Korean Bar Association and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said as they wrapped up a joint investigation. Since October last year, a special committee on refugees and foreigners under the KBA conducted in-depth interviews with foreigners and employees at several Immigration Processing Center

Residents of Daehyeon-dong, Daegu opposing the construction of a mosque in the area will hold another “meat feast” on Thursday, despite the Supreme Court's earlier ruling that enabled the project to continue. The “Daegu Anti-Mosque Committee,” residents against a mosque in their neighborhood, said Monday they will hold a protest where they will consume boiled pork and beef soup. The town adjacent to Kyungpook National University became a hot spot for conflict after t

More and more young Koreans stuck on college admission exam for years, never mind mental health

An arrest warrant is being sought after four individuals accused of operating a spy ring for North Korea, according to a Seoul court on Tuesday. The Seoul central district court opened a hearing at 3 p.m. to determine whether to issue an arrest warrant requested by prosecutors for the four accused spies for North Korea. The court may take longer than a day to make a decision on the prosecutors’ request for a warrant of arrest, which was filed Monday. The request for their arrest comes more

Liberals in their early 20s are more likely to use Twitter, while conservatives in the same age group prefer Facebook, according to a local study released Tuesday. Two out of 5 South Koreans aged between 19 and 24 are on their smartphones for more than five hours a day, according to an online poll of 2,214 people of this age group conducted in July last year by the state-funded National Youth Policy Institute. They mostly use YouTube, KakaoTalk, Instagram and Facebook and come across a lot of fa

Top diplomats from South Korea and Indonesia pledged to forge a closer friendship and stronger partnership during a talk held online and in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday. The year 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Korea. Speaking to attendees gathered at the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, who attended the event online, called for closer friendship and partnership, including in building a greener and more sustain

'Now is time to ditch anti-foreigner sentiment'

Pangovernmental policies cited as instrument for pushing up score by 1 point

The Yongsan District Office said Tuesday that it would operate a Korean-language counseling center in February to assist people who are suffering from trauma after the Itaewon disaster. The center will provide mental and psychological evaluations, counseling and additional group sessions if necessary. Every Wednesday, a psychiatrist from Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital will visit to provide counseling sessions. "Merchants and residents near Itaewon are being hit hard by the depressi

New Indian ambassador to Korea says evolving bilateral ties, consistent policies makes India lucrative investment destination for Korean companies