South Korean games companies reacted angrily on Sunday to the World Health Organization’s decision to officially recognize gaming disorder as a disease.A committee comprising 88 organizations, including the labor union of Korea’s biggest game company Nexon, opposed the decision saying it would “deprive a child’s right to play,” as decreed in Article 31 of the United Nation’s Convention on Rights of the Child. “We will do everything in our power to resist

One Navy officer was killed and four others were injured Friday in an accident involving a destroyer that returned home after a mission in waters off Somalia.The accident occurred at 10:15 a.m. at a naval base in the southern port city of Jinhae when a rope used to connect the 4,400-ton Choi Young destroyer to the dock snapped with a bang for an unknown reason, according to officials. A welcoming ceremony was being held at the time at the port to mark the safe return of the vessel that had been

President Moon Jae-in replaced vice ministers of diplomatic, defense and inter-Korean affairs simultaneously on Thursday amid a stalemate in the peace-building process and efforts to resolve a history dispute with Japan. He appointed Cho Sei-young, chancellor of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, as first vice foreign minister, according to Cheong Wa Dae.He is "a diplomat well-versed in Northeast Asia, especially Japan (issues) ... (He) is expected to lead the innovation of the Ministry

South Korea's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae has found the diplomat suspected of leaking the phone talks between President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump to a lawmaker earlier this month, an official said Wednesday. Earlier this month, Rep. Khang Hyo-shang of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party said Moon asked Trump during the phone conversation to visit South Korea immediately after his May 25-28 trip to Japan, citing an unnamed diplomatic source in the US."We have conf

Crested ibises, an endangered bird, were reintroduced to the wild in South Korea on Wednesday, 40 years after the species went extinct on the Korean Peninsula.Forty crested ibises, which were bred in captivity at the Crested Ibis Restoration Center, were released into the wild of Upo Wetland in Changnyeong of South Gyeongsang Province, 350 kilometers southeast of Seoul.The Ministry of Environment and local governments organized a release ceremony for the birds at the wetland, just in time for Wo

Two massive leaks of chemical vapor at Hanwha Total Petrochemical’s factory in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, have affected around 650 people, local authorities said Tuesday.The company, a 50:50 joint venture of Hanwha General Chemicals and French energy giant Total, faces allegations of attempting to cover up the leakages that occurred at around 11:45 a.m. on May 17 and 5:40 a.m. the next day.“There were no reports on the accident until the city government called to confirm the first leak,

Concerns rise over ‘mutual destruction’ between taxi industry and ride-hailing services

A video released by the police to refute public criticism of a female police officer’s handling of violence has proved counterproductive, as more criticism has emerged, this time citing the video.Guro Police Station on Friday disclosed a two-minute video footage showing two police officers confronting drunk men on Monday night on the street in Daerim-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul.(Video released by Guro Police Station)On Wednesday, a shorter version of the video uploaded online by a citizen had s

A memorial service was held in Gwangju on Friday to remember the victims of a 1980 pro-democracy uprising in the southwestern city.Hundreds of bereaved family members and relatives attended the memorial service held at the May 18th National Cemetery in Gwangju, about 330 kilometers south of Seoul, on the eve of the 39th anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement. (Yonhap)At the traditional Korean memorial service, Gwangju Mayor Lee Yong-seop and other local dignitaries delivered ad

A South Korean man who was abducted in Libya last year has been released, Cheong Wa Dae announced Friday.The 62-year-old worker at a local firm was taken hostage by a group of around 10 armed militants on July 6.The man, identified only by his surname, Joo, was freed unharmed on Thursday (Seoul time), according to Chung Eui-yong, head of the presidential National Security Office.(Yonhap)Chung said the government of the United Arab Emirates played an active role in the release, as Crown Prince Mo

Seoul and Washington are discussing the relocation of their combined forces command, the commander of the ROK-US Combined Forces Command, Gen. Robert Abrams, said in a statement Thursday, following media reports that he had suggested relocating the command’s headquarters in Yongsan to the United States Forces Korea’s Pyeongtaek base.  ROK-US Combined Forces Command in Yongsan, Seoul (Yonhap)“At the appropriate future time, ROK and US government leadership will announce an alliance decision on th

Renault Samsung Motors Corp. and its labor union said Thursday they have reached a tentative agreement over wages and working conditions, possibly ending their drawn-out labor dispute that was feared to undermine the automaker.The union said its members will vote on whether to accept the deal on Tuesday.The company and the union began negotiations in June last year to sign a wage and collective agreement deal.  (Yonhap)The company has wanted to maintain a certain output level at the plant by sec

Police said Wednesday that they are set to refer a senior police officer to the prosecution on charges of abuse of power for allegedly pulling strings for Burning Sun, the nightclub owned by former Big Bang member Seungri. (Yonhap)The police, having dispatched some 150 officers for the investigation and targeted some 50 people over the past three months, are facing criticism that they conducted a slipshod probe and protected their own. Announcing the results of their probe into the embattled clu

Rep. Oh Shin-hwan was elected floor leader of the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party Wednesday, facing the task of resolving an internal strife over whether to place key reform bills on a fast-track.Oh, a two-term lawmaker, beat Rep. Kim Song-sik in a vote by party members. He will replace Rep. Kim Kwan-young and serve a one-year term.Kim expressed his intent to step down from the post last week, about 40 days before his term was set to end in late June. (Yonhap)The minor party has been embroile

A South Korean woman rescued from militants in Burkina Faso, West Africa, returned to Korea on Tuesday. The woman, whose identity has been withheld, returned from Paris aboard an Asiana Airlines flight. Korean woman (center) and French nationals rescued from militants speak to the media at a French military airbase on Saturday. YonhapShe was met by a joint investigation team consisting of personnel from the National Intelligence Service and other concerned government organizations. According to