The conflict between the minister of justice and the main opposition party took another turn on Thursday, with the minister openly demanding an apology over allegations raised against him. "As a victim of false news, I demand a sincere apology and responsible actions from the Democratic Party of Korea," Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon said through a statement earlier in the day. Han was referring to claims made by the Democratic Party's Rep. Kim Eui-kyum that he and President Yoon

Seoul's First Vice Foreign Minister's talks with his Japanese counterpart during Tokyo trip have gone "in-depth" on the issue

The 20th century was a terrifying era of war not only in the West, but also in East Asia. The East-West conflict during the Cold War that dominated decades of the late 20th century after World War I and II maintained a balance of power under the cloak of ideological confrontation, but there was a blatant armed conflict on one side of the Earth at the same time. East Asia, where Korea and Vietnam are located, is in fact the region where the Cold War was the ‘hottest.’ Even if the Cold

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell below 40,000 on Thursday, breaking an upward trend that had continued for the past two days. The country reported 34,987 new COVID-19 infections, including 55 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 25,431,105, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. Thursday's tally is a 5,855 drop from the previous day, but slightly higher than the past seven day average, KDCA data showed. The country reported 26 deaths, bringing the death tol

Jo Sang-jun, a deputy director of the National Intelligence Service known as a confidant of President Yoon Suk-yeol, has resigned from the post for health and personal reasons, the agency said Thursday, dismissing news reports linking his move with a possible internal rift over personnel affairs. Jo's resignation, tendered on Tuesday and accepted by Yoon the same day, had sparked rampant speculation on why he quit only a few months after assuming the job and just a day before he was due to atten

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Thursday that South Korea will increase its funding to help developing nations mitigate the impacts of climate change. South Korea "will strongly support developing nations' efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and respond to climate change," Han told a conference on sustainable dialogue in the pan-Pacific region. Han said South Korea will increase its overseas aid on climate finance and expand its funding for the Green Climate Fund, an inter

North Korea has completed building an ice cream factory in Pyongyang as instructed by leader Kim Jong-un, its state media reported Thursday, amid an economy faltering under global sanctions. A ceremony was held the previous day to celebrate the construction of a "modern" ice cream production base in the center of Taesongsan, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. Jon Hyon-chol, the North's vice premier and head of the economic policy office of the ruling Workers

WASHINGTON -- A nuclear test by North Korea would constitute a "grave escalatory action" that will be met by serious consequences, a state department spokesperson said Wednesday. Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson for the department, insisted the US has a "number of tools" to hold North Korea accountable for any future provocations. "A seventh nuclear test, should it happen, would constitute a grave escalatory action and seriously threaten regional stability, in

‘If we don’t treat every death as a failure of our programming, we don’t fix things in real time’

The number of drug arrests made against foreign nationals in South Korea has increased much faster than the foreign population, a study has found, with the nature of the offenses also becoming more serious. According to a study by the Criminal Investigation Institute, a research center at the Korean National Police University, the number of drug arrests made against foreigners reached 2,335 in 2021, up from 359 cases in 2012. That is a 6.5-fold increase, while the foreign population rose just 35

Late-night taxi fares will increase in December

Former S. Korean commanders say South Korea should develop latent capacity to produce nuclear weapons

The Ministry of Justice announced comprehensive countermeasure plans to deal with young offenders, including lowering the maximum criminal minor age from 14 to 13, Wednesday. Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon said at a press conference at the Justice Ministry on Wednesday that the aim was not rigid adherence to discipline or lowering the age standard in itself. "It is for the reformation of juvenile offenders and protection for victims," he said. At present, offenders aged over 10 and und

Seoul, Tokyo, Washington tighten bond as Pyongyang ramps up military provocation

Police have launched an investigation into an online seller who put up a hat allegedly worn by BTS member Jungkook for 10 million won ($6,981) on an online flea market platform. According to Seoul Seocho Police, the seller has turned himself or herself in to a police station in Gyeonggi Province on Oct. 18 after the attempted sale caught public attention for its potential unlawfulness. In South Korea, a person who obtains a lost property must report it to the police. If the person keeps it or