South Korea's defense ministry has selected a successful bidder in its project to acquire and install electromagnetic wave detectors around the THAAD missile defense base in a southeastern county, officials said Sunday. The ministry is to receive the delivery of eight electromagnetic wave detectors by April 28, 2023, under a promise made to residents in Seongju, 217 kilometers southeast of Seoul, home to an advanced US missile defense system called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense. Five

After zeroing in on police leadership, the special investigation team set up by the National Police Agency to look into the causes behind the Itaewon tragedy that took the lives of at least 157 people, is now looking into the response of related authorities. The division said Sunday it will bring in officials from the Yongsan-gu Office and Seoul Metro to testify to how they responded to the tragedy. The team deems that the Yongsan-gu Office failed its duty for disaster control as a local gover

President meets with Japanese, Chinese leaders on sidelines to discuss NK issues

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- President Yoon Suk-yeol will hold a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the sidelines of regional gatherings in Cambodia on Sunday, his office said. A presidential official told reporters the summit was fixed Saturday, as both leaders are in Phnom Penh to attend various summits involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The two sides agreed on the need for a summit given the importance of security cooperation in the wake of North

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- President Joe Biden is formally kicking off his participation at a conference of southeast Asian nations on Saturday, looking to emphasize the United States' commitment in the region where a looming China is also working to expand its influence.   Biden's efforts at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit are meant to lay the groundwork ahead of his highly anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping _ the first face-to-face encounter of Biden's pr

PHNOM PENH -- President Yoon Suk-yeol on Saturday voiced hope for a swift reactivation of trilateral cooperation mechanisms among South Korea, China and Japan.   Yoon made the remark during a summit involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and South Korea, China and Japan, known as the ASEAN Plus Three, which brought together the leaders of nine ASEAN countries, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.  "South Korea will pla

South Korea's new coronavirus cases stayed above 50,000 for the third consecutive day Saturday amid concerns of a possible resurgence in the winter. The country reported 54,328 new COVID-19 infections, including 58 from overseas, bringing the total to 26,145,764, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The latest tally is up from 40,903 a week ago and 37,312 two weeks ago, according to the authorities. The country added 46 deaths from COVID-19, bringing the death toll to 2

The death toll from the crowd crush in Seoul‘s Itaewon neighborhood increased by one to 157, authorities said Friday. The additional victim is a soldier who was pronounced brain dead and donated his organs. A total of 131 South Koreans and 26 foreigners were killed during the crowd surge in the popular nightlife district of Itaewon on Oct. 29, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters said. Funeral procedures of 130 South Koreans were completed and the bodies of 23 f

Park Byung-hwa, a serial rapist, was released from prison on Oct. 31 and lives in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. Several restrictions have been added to ease residents' anxiety, but calls for eviction still continue. The Suwon District Prosecutors' Office said Thursday that the court had passed the prosecution's request for additional measures to extend Park Byung-hwa's curfew. The original curfew was from midnight to 6 a.m., and the court’s order added three additional h

Song Sang-hyun, the former president of the International Criminal Court, said Friday that South Korea should endeavor to expand its efforts to further the implementations of liberal values. At Friday’s symposium commemorating the foundation established in his name -- the Song Sang-hyun Foundation for International Justice, Peace and Human Rights -- Song said that the post-World War II international order of liberal democracy was faced with “new challenges, crises.” “N

The police special investigation team for the Itaewon disaster is still looking into a number of suspicions and rumors, amid criticism that the investigation is heading in the wrong direction, freeing government authorities from responsibility. Kim Dong-wook, spokesperson for the investigation team said on Friday that they have been examining the suspicion surrounding the Yongsan Police Station intelligence team’s report that warned of danger before the disaster. The report, which included

A Yongsan police officer under investigation in connection to the Itaewon tragedy was found dead Friday. The officer, identified by the surname Jeong, faced allegations that he was involved in deleting a report proposing concerns about safety measures during Halloween period. Jeong, 55, was found dead at his home in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul at 12:45 p.m., Friday. Family members found Jeong and reported it to the police. Jeong reportedly sent a message implying suicide to some colleagues the previous da

A Seoul court on Friday approved the extradition of a woman believed to be the mother of two children whose bodies were found in suitcases in New Zealand in August. The Seoul High Court made the decision, and the woman, known as a South Korean-born New Zealand citizen in her 40s, is said to have consented to her extradition to the South Pacific nation. She was arrested in Ulsan, 307 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in mid-September after local police had tracked her down at the request of New Zeal

President Yoon Suk-yeol left Friday for Cambodia, the first of the two destinations where the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the G-20 summits will be held. Upon his arrival in Phnom Penh, Yoon will attend the South Korea-ASEAN summit. On Saturday, Yoon is scheduled to join a ASEAN Plus Three summit, where leaders from South Korea, Japan, China as well as ten other nations will join. During the summit, President Yoon, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese Premier Li Keqi

Neighbors use pig heads to protest Islamic house of worship's construction