A civic group filed a complaint with the state anti-corruption agency Thursday for the second time over a luxury bag scandal involving first lady Kim Keon Hee after the case was dropped last month. The People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy filed the complaint, which included additional evidence of the first lady receiving high-end perfumes and expensive liquors from a Korean American pastor, with the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission. "Since the complaint last year,

The Seoul city government said Thursday it will reinforce traffic signs and road markings on one-way roads as part of safety measures following a deadly car crash that left nine people dead earlier this week. "Although a no-entry traffic sign and a road marking are put up (at the accident site), we plan to reinforce them and install more to make them more noticeable to drivers throughout the day and night," a city official said. On Monday night, a sedan driven by a 68-year-old darted i

The average number of students per elementary school class could fall to single-digit levels in 10 years due to ultralow birth rates, a teachers' group said Thursday. The Good Teachers Movement announced the estimate during a forum held to discuss low birth rates and education reforms, saying the forecast is based on school-age population data that Statistics Korea released in June last year. According to the worst-case scenario, the average number of elementary school students per class co

Parents of players training at the football academy run by the father of South Korean football star Son Heung-min on Thursday dismissed child abuse allegations against him. Son Woong-jung, a former player and director of Son Football Academy, and two of his coaches are under investigation over charges that they had physically and verbally abused a young player. In a joint statement issued Thursday, parents of other players said they had never once heard of or seen any corporal punishment at the

South Korean stocks finished more than 1 percent higher to hit this year's high Thursday as investor sentiment was boosted by revived hopes for a rate cut in the United States and Samsung Electronics' upcoming earnings guidance. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 30.93 points, or 1.11 percent, to 2,824.94. It marked the highest closing price since Jan. 21, 2022, when it finished at 2,834.29. Trade volume was slim at 386.4 million shares worth 12.8 trillion won ($9.26

Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok called for proactive and preemptive responses Thursday to prevent possible massive changes in external circumstances from affecting South Korean exports so as to maintain economic recovery momentum. Choi made the remarks during a meeting of ministers working on external economic issues in Seoul, stressing the need to stay vigilant given growing geopolitical tensions and growing supply chain risks. "A growing number of major countries have put top priority on t

The main opposition Democratic Party on Thursday was poised to push for the passage of a bill mandating a special counsel investigation into the military's response to a Marine's death amid fierce protest from the ruling party. The ruling People Power Party has been staging a filibuster since Wednesday afternoon to block the passage of the bill after it was tabled during the National Assembly's plenary session. The special probe bill calls for a special counsel to look into allega

Members of more than 90 patient advocacy groups staged a rally in central Seoul on Thursday, calling for doctors to end the ongoing walkout that has disrupted public health services for nearly five months. The protest, including members from the Korea Alliance of Patients Organization and the Korean Organization for Rare Diseases, came as trainee doctors have left their worksites since late February, causing disruptions in major hospitals, including cancellations and delays in surgeries. "U

Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun said Thursday the ministry plans to offer 2.7 trillion won ($1.94 billion) in trade finance for exports of electric equipment to foster the sector as a new growth engine. Ahn announced the plan during his visit to the headquarters of HD Hyundai Electric Co. in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, to discuss ways to support the electric equipment industry, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The visit came as the government has been seeking to set str

South Korean stocks got off to a strong start Thursday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street led by hopes for a possible rate hike. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 23.37 points, or 0.84 percent, to 2,817.38 in the first 15 minutes of trading. In the United States, the S&P 500 index and tech-heavy Nasdaq composite rose to hit record highs backed by Tesla and Nvidia amid softening labor data raising hopes for a rate cut by the Federal Reserve. In Seoul, market bellwet

BEIJING -- China's President Xi Jinping said he supports Kazakhstan joining the BRICS bloc, Chinese state media reported on Wednesday, as the group of developing nations mulls further expansion to rival a Western-dominated world order it sees as outdated. Speaking to the press alongside Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev following a meeting in the Central Asian state's capital, Xi encouraged Kazakhstan to "play the role of a middle power on the international stage and make its

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul expressed hope Wednesday that South Korea and Luxembourg will further deepen their relations going forward as the European nation launched its embassy in Seoul, his office said. Cho made the remark during the talks with Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, who doubles as the country's foreign minister, in Seoul, congratulating him on Luxembourg's official opening of its embassy in South Korea, the foreign ministry said. Cho said South Kore

A taxi crashed into a hospital in central Seoul on Wednesday, injuring three pedestrians, police said. The vehicle driven by a man in his 60s plowed into the emergency ward of the National Medical Center in the central district of Jung at 5:15 p.m., leaving three pedestrians injured, one seriously. The other two sustained minor injuries. The taxi also bumped into four other vehicles and damaged parts of the tiled wall of the emergency ward. The driver was almost unscathed and not under the influ

South Korea's top nuclear envoy discussed the deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia in meetings on Korean Peninsula issues with foreign diplomats in Seoul, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. Lee Jun-il, director general for Korean Peninsula policy, invited ambassadors and diplomats from 30 countries to two separate roundtable sessions on North Korean issues on Monday and Wednesday, the ministry said. The participating countries either have a diplomatic presence in

South Korean stocks finished higher Wednesday as investor sentiment was boosted by Federal Reserve chief Jerome Powell's comments for a possible interest rate cut. The local currency traded weaker against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 13.15 points, or 0.47 percent, to 2,794.01, rebounding from the previous session's 0.84 percent drop. Trade volume was slim at 334.2 million shares worth 10.1 trillion won ($7.26 billion), with decliners beating gain