More than 6,000 people have evacuated their homes as firefighters battle a massive wildfire in eastern coastal areas Saturday. The fire burned an estimated 21,179 acres (8,571 hectares) of woodland in Uljin, about 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul, and its neighboring city of Samcheok as of 1 p.m., according to forest and firefighting authorities. That is more than double the size of woodland reported to have been affected the previous day. The blaze began on Friday morning on a road near a m

The top nuclear envoys of South Korea and the United States condemned Saturday North Korea's latest missile test and vowed to boost coordination during phone consultations, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Earlier in the day, the North test-fired a ballistic missile toward the East Sea from around the Sunan area in Pyongyang, less than a week after a ballistic missile launch, according to the South's military. Noh Kyu-duk, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, a

A US state department spokesperson condemned North Korea's latest ballistic missile launch Friday, calling it a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions. The spokesperson also urged North Korea to refrain from further provocations and engage in sustained diplomacy. "The United States condemns the DPRK's ballistic missile launch," the spokesperson told Yonhap News Agency in an email, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. &

The presidential National Security Council on Saturday condemned North Korea's launch of a ballistic missile and called for Pyongyang to immediately stop acts that raise tensions on the Korean Peninsula. National security adviser Suh Hoon presided over the meeting, shortly after North Korea fired an unidentified projectile, which was later described by the South's military as a ballistic missile, toward the East Sea. NSC members said that North Korea's repeated firing of ballistic missile

North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the East Sea on Saturday, South Korea's military said, just four days ahead of the presidential election here. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the launch from around the Sunan area in Pyongyang at 8:48 a.m. and that the missile flew around 270 kilometers at a top altitude of 560 km. The latest launch, the North's ninth show of force this year, came less than a week after it claimed to have conducted a "reconnaissance satellite&q

South Korea's daily COVID-19 cases stayed above 250,000 for the second consecutive day Saturday, and the daily death count reached another high amid the fast spread of the omicron variant. The country reported 254,327 new COVID-19 infections, including 254,250 local cases, raising the total caseload to 4,212,652, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The daily tally went down slightly from the previous day's 266,853, when the figure hit a record high two days after dail

For Ei Pencilo, the bestselling author of “Spring Revolution,” bringing change to her home country of Myanmar is always on her mind. “From Feb. 1, 2021, to this moment, I never lost contact with Myanmar except when I sleep, because I think it’s my responsibility, during this time I have to do my best and use all my abilities to fight. One day, when the Spring of Myanmar comes, I want to be proud of my efforts without feeling guilty,” the 31-year-old said. A Korea

High-ranking officials will attend Saudi Arabia’s inaugural defense expo

People Power Party Chairman Lee Jun-seok on Friday dismissed rumors of a co-chairmanship with Ahn Cheol-soo as various rumors about Ahn‘s next steps arose since his stepping out of the race. Ahn, the chairman of the minor opposition People’s Party, conceded his candidacy to the People Power Party’s Yoon Suk-yeol on Thursday. There were rumors about Ahn‘s next moves, including one about him possibly becoming a co-chairman of the main opposition once the two parties merg

Record turnout expected from heated race between Lee and Yoon

ULJIN -- A wildfire broke out in the eastern coastal county of Uljin on Friday, prompting authorities to issue a natural disaster alert while trying to make sure the blaze does not pose a threat to a nuclear power plant in the area, officials said. The blaze started on a road near a mountain in the North Gyeongsang Province county, about 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul, at 11:17 a.m. and has been spreading towards the peak of the mountain, according to the Korea Forest Service (KFS). An evacua

Gapyeong, a county of Gyeonggi Province that surrounds Seoul, plans to hold a memorial ceremony commemorating a Korean War (1950-53) battle next month, together with four Commonwealth countries, the county office said Friday. The ceremony slated for April 22 in Gapyeong, 60 kilometers east of Seoul, will be jointly organized with the embassies of Britain, New Zealand, Canada and Australia to honor their fallen soldiers in the Battle of Gapyeong, the office said. It said Gapyeong County head Kim

The military on Friday reported 1,225 additional COVID-19 cases to set a new daily record, raising the total caseload among its domestic personnel to 22,916. The new cases included 766 from the Army, 170 from the Air Force, 110 from the Navy, 90 from units under the direct control of the defense ministry and 80 from the Marine Corps. There were also eight cases from the ministry and one from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Currently, 5,481 military personnel are under treatment. (Yonhap)

About 2,000 restaurant owners and other small merchants sued the government Friday for a total of more than 161 billion won ($133 million) won in damages for losses incurred due to anti-COVID-19 business restrictions before a compensation law was enacted. The association of small businesses representing the businessmen filed the suit with the Seoul Administrative Court, demanding compensation for losses incurred from April 2020 until the so-called pandemic damage compensation law was introduced

South Korea and Australia agreed Friday to enhance cooperation on e-commerce and other digital trade issues during a senior-level dialogue, Seoul's industry ministry said. Kim Wan-ki, chief of South Korea's trade policy bureau under the trade ministry, held a videoconference with Australia's First Assistant Secretary of the foreign and trade department Elisabeth Bowes, and the two sides discussed a wide range of issues on digital trade, including trade norms, standards and the industry's transit