South Korea becomes 14th country to allow enlisted female sailors to serve on submarines

South Korea reported 193 cases of malaria during the first seven months of this year, showing a similar trend to last year when the number was the lowest in 26 years, data showed Friday. According to statistics from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Gyeonggi Province and others, 193 cases of the mosquito-borne disease were confirmed from January to July this year. This compared with 195 cases recorded during the same period last year. By month, they were four cases in January, one

A ruling party lawmaker quit the party's Supreme Council on Friday amid speculation it could lead to the party switching to a collective leadership system from the one-man leadership of acting chairman Kweon Seong-dong following the embarrassing disclosure of his texts with President Yoon Suk-yeol. Rep. Bae Hyun-jin of the People Power Party said she will step down as a council member, saying the party has failed to live up to people's expectations for the past 80 days since the inaugu

President Yoon Suk-yeol's approval rating fell to a new low, going below 30 percent for the first time, amid soaring inflation and controversy over personnel appointments, a poll showed Friday. In the poll of 1,000 voters nationwide conducted by pollster Gallup Korea between Tuesday and Thursday, 28 percent said Yoon was doing well on state affairs, while 62 percent gave a negative assessment. It was the first time that Yoon's approval rating has sunk below 30 percent since he took office in May

South Korea's Navy has decided to allow female sailors to serve on submarines for the first time, starting in 2024, its officials said Friday, a move to broaden their military roles amid prospects of troop shortages caused by the country's low birthrate. The Navy made the decision during Thursday's key policy meeting, making South Korea the world's 14th nation with a personnel assignment policy enabling female service members to join the submarine crew, according to the armed

The unveiling ceremony of the Wall of Remembrance at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC was held on Wednesday, with names of 43,808 fallen heroes of the 1950-53 war displayed on the lengthy black granite board. The ceremony was held on the very day the Korean War came to a close 69 years ago. High-profile officials from South Korea and the US, as well as 2,000 citizens gathered to honor and lay flowers for those whose names are on the wall. 

　The number of South Korean and foreign migrants fell at the fastest-ever pace last year as the COVID-19 pandemic restricted cross-border movements, data showed. 　The number of international migrants, or those who stay in South Korea for more than 90 days, declined 347,000, or 28.1 percent, on-year to 887,000, according to the data from Statistics Korea. 　The data is calculated based on cross-border movements of both South Korean nationals and foreigners, excluding short-term visitors. 　It m

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases stayed below 90,000 for the second consecutive day Friday but were sharply up from a week ago, in an upward trend in the curve amid a resurgence in the virus. The country added 85,320 new COVID-19 infections, including 439 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 19,620,517, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Friday's tally is slightly down from the previous day's 88,384 but about a 20 percent jump from a week earlier

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said his country's ties with China, "sealed in blood," will further develop for generations to come as he marked the anniversary of the armistice that halted the 1950-53 Korean War, state media said Friday. On Thursday, Kim visited the Friendship Tower in Pyongyang and paid tribute to the fallen Chinese soldiers that fought in the war, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The Korean War armistice was signed July 27, 1953, a little over three years

WASHINGTON -- US Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Paul LaCamera stressed the importance of strengthening the US-South Korea alliance Thursday, one day after the countries marked the 69th anniversary of the signing of the armistice that halted the 1950-53 Korean War. The four-star US general insisted the alliance provides the "strategic depth" and "legitimacy" to deal with any global challenges, including North Korea. "I see an opportunity for the alliance to extend its

North Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases fell to a low single-digit figure, according to its state media Friday. The number of people who newly showed symptoms of fever over a 24-hour period until 6 p.m. the previous day stood at 3, the state-run Korean Central Broadcasting Station said, citing data from the state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters. It did not provide information on whether additional deaths have been reported. The total number of fever cases since late April had

WASHINGTON -- The United States remains firmly committed to the defense of South Korea, a state department spokesperson said Thursday, hours after North Korea warned South Korea that it may face "annihilation." Ned Price said the US also remains open to engaging in dialogue with Pyongyang, but that the reclusive regime continues to remain unresponsive to US overtures. "We have a vital interest in deterring the DPRK, defending against provocation or use of force, limiting the reach

WASHINGTON -- A senior White House official visited South Korea this week to discuss ways to enhance the countries' cooperation in countering cybercrimes committed by actors such as North Korea, the White House National Security Council (NSC) said Thursday. Anne Neuberger, deputy national security advisor (DNSA) for cyber and emerging technologies, traveled to Seoul from Monday through Wednesday, according to NSC spokesperson Adrienne Watson. "During her meetings with Korean counterpar

The main opposition Democratic Party on Thursday announced that it shortlisted three candidates, including the party's former presidential candidate, Rep. Lee Jae-myung, for its new chairperson.  Rep. Park Yong-jin and Rep. Kang Hoon-sik were also shortlisted as candidates seeking to be the DP's new leader, the party said, without disclosing the number of votes they received.  Lee told reporters his shortlisting "understands that our DP means to become a competent alternative p

Yoon expresses strong will to strengthen ties with ASEAN