President Yoon Suk-yeol has denied the controversy surrounding his use of vulgar language during his recent US trip, saying the incorrect reports damage South Korea's alliance with the US and put people in danger. On his way to work on Monday morning, Yoon responded to the controversy, “Damaging the alliance with reports that are different from the facts is putting the people at risk." He added, "The rest of the related stories should be clarified more clearly first, such

A hospital's refusal to operate on a human immunodeficiency virus-positive patient was ruled as discrimination, the state human rights watchdog said Monday. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea announced that it had recommended the hospital, which was not named, to provide training sessions for employees about the treatment of patients with HIV and come up with measures to prevent recurrence. Earlier in June last year, the HIV/AIDS patient filed a petition to the NHRC after the hos

Some 150 Iranians and Koreans took to the streets on Sunday, in solidarity with the widespread protests in Iran sparked by the death of a young Kurdish woman while in Iranian police custody. The protesters gathered at Teheran Street in southern Seoul, a road that was named after the Iranian capital to celebrate the two countries’ friendship. Participants chanted the name of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old Kurdish woman who died in the custody of Iran's "morality police" for all

A Busan court issues arrest warrants for the suspects

Bilateral exercises aim to demonstrate allies’ strong will to counter N. Korean provocations, says S. Korea Navy

The meeting between President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida took place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly after much controversy and led to few immediate results. While Seoul's presidential office touted the meeting as “meaningful,” some critics say the bilateral meeting was unnecessary and that it has put Yoon in a more difficult position. Yoon told reporters on the way to his office Monday morning that Seoul-Tokyo relations were a complicat

Cross-border cargo trains between North Korea and China have resumed operations after a five-month hiatus, China’s Foreign Ministry confirmed Monday. The confirmation came after South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported that a freight train loaded with supplies was seen departing from the Chinese border city of Dandong and crossing the China-North Korea Friendship Bridge into Sinuiju in North Korea on Monday morning. Wang Wenbin, a spokesman at the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said C

The National Education Commission will finally be launched, after two months of hiccups, but concerns over its legitimacy remain. The education committee will be launched two members short, with 19 members. The committee is tasked with deliberating on long-term education policies for the country, from national education curriculum to college entrance measures. While the committee will decide on mid- and long-term education goals and policies, the Education Ministry will work on the de

Lacking faith in traditional media, more people turn to YouTube for political news despite flimsy verification process

Was that Kim Jong-un’s daughter on TV? North Korean watchers are zeroing in on a girl who appeared on the reclusive state’s national TV during a recently televised event, saying she could be Kim Jong-un’s only daughter, Ju-ae. The UK's Daily Mail first reported about the child among a pack of preteen children attending the anniversary of the founding of North Korea from a broadcast of the Korea Central Television. It cited a self-proclaimed North Korean analyst of InDPRK.c

In letter to late official’s son, Salmon expresses support

President Yoon Suk-yeol saw his approval rating dip slightly at the end of last week, a survey showed Monday, after he was caught on video using foul language during a visit to New York. In the poll of 2,533 voters conducted by Realmeter from Monday to Friday last week, 34.6 percent positively assessed Yoon's job performance, up 0.2 percentage point from the previous week. Yoon's disapproval rating was 62.2 percent, down 1 percentage point. Yoon's approval rating, however, showed

The death toll from an outlet mall fire in the central city of Daejeon has risen to seven, officials said Monday, as a search is under way to determine whether there are any other victims. The blaze is believed to have started from the basement parking lot at Hyundai Premium Outlet in Daejeon, about 160 kilometers south of Seoul, at 7:45 a.m. and spread quickly on cardboard boxes, sending dark smoke filling the entire floor, according to witnesses and survivors. Two men, one in his 50s an

President Yoon Suk-yeol has expressed concern that a potential military conflict between China and Taiwan could raise the likelihood of North Korea's provocations, making clear the "top priority" of the Seoul-Washington would lie on dealing with Pyongyang. Yoon made the remarks when asked whether he would support the United States coming to Taiwan's military defense if China were to attack the island, which Beijing regards as part of its territory. "In the case of milita

Guryong Village, a shantytown in Gangnam, becomes a symbol of wealth divide in Seoul