Democratic Party of Korea proposes bill to suspend trials for president-elects

South Korea’s major liberal Democratic Party of Korea has proposed a bill to suspend criminal trials for president-elects on Friday, the day after the Supreme Court sent a key case involving its leading presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung back to a lower court for a retrial in an unprecedentedly fast-tracked majority decision. Democratic Party lawmakers, including Rep. Kim Yong-min, introduced a proposed amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act that would halt legal proceedings once a defendant

May 2, 2025

Who is S. Korea’s new acting President Lee Ju-ho?

Education Minister and Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs Lee Ju-ho has assumed the role of acing president, following the successive resignations of former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok. Lee will serve in the role until the presidential election scheduled for June 3. With his predecessors in the presidential line of succession stepping down one after another, the education policy expert, as the fourth-ranking official in the presidential line of succession

May 2, 2025

Same 2 Chinese nationals caught taking photographs near Pyeongtaek US military base again

Two Chinese nationals were caught taking photographs near a US military base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, on Wednesday, just two days after being questioned and released for the same activity, officials said. On Monday, the pair had been stopped for photographing military facilities and aircraft near Osan Air Base. At the time, police had said there was no evidence of “anti-state activity” and released them without charges. The same decision was made when the duo were caught taking photogra

April 24, 2025

Doctor sentenced to 16 years for drugging and sexually assaulting patients

The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a 16-year prison sentence for a doctor who illegally prescribed drugs and sexually assaulted multiple women while they were under anesthesia. The court confirmed a lower court’s ruling that sentenced the doctor, surnamed Yeom, to 16 years in prison and a 5 million won ($3,500) fine for violating the Narcotics Control Act and committing rape by intoxication. Yeom’s illegal prescription of narcotics came to light during an investigation into an August 2023 car a

April 22, 2025

Two Chinese nationals caught filming near US military base in Pyeongtaek

Two Chinese nationals were caught filming near a US military facility in Pyeongtaek on Monday, a month after two other Chinese citizens were found photographing aircraft near an air base in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. The security investigation division of the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency said it booked the two without detention on suspicion of violating the Military Facility Protection Act. The suspects took unauthorized photographs near Osan Air Base, also known as K-55, around 9 a.m.

April 22, 2025

Spring flower festivals in full bloom nationwide

Visitors enjoy spring among blooming rape blossoms in a garden at resort Shinwha World on Jeju Island on Saturday. Across the country, spring flower festivals are in full swing, offering a brief but vibrant taste of the season. With spring growing shorter each year, people are flocking to parks and mountains to soak it in before the sudden heat sets in.

April 19, 2025

In S. Korea's shrinking cities, prisons bring hope

TAEBAEK, Gangwon Province -- Kim Kyung-rae, a 60-year-old taxi driver in Taebaek, rarely picks up young passengers. Most of his customers are elderly. But it wasn’t always like this. In the 1970s and 1980s, young, eager job seekers flocked to Taebaek, then a bustling coal-mining town. People would joke that even dog carried 10,000-won ($7) bills, so prosperous was the town. For many, Taebaek was a second hometown. “Now, the city has lost its life,” Kim said. “We used to have 120,000 people back

April 18, 2025

Sinan salt farm owner convicted of forced labor serving on county council: report

A salt farm owner in Sinan-gun, South Jeolla Province, who was convicted of assaulting a worker and withholding 60 million won (approximately $42,200) in wages, is currently serving as a member of the county council, according to local reports Thursday. The individual in question was involved in a notorious forced labor case that drew national outrage in 2014, known locally as the “Sinan salt farm slavery” case. At the time, police rescued two men with disabilities who had been confined, beaten

April 17, 2025

Man behind Gyeongbokgung graffiti sentenced to additional year for money laundering

A 31-year-old man previously convicted of orchestrating graffiti at Gyeongbokgung, the iconic Joseon-era (1392-1910) royal palace in Seoul, has been sentenced to an additional year in prison for laundering criminal proceeds, according to local media outlets. Previously, the man, identified by the surname Kang, was sentenced to seven years in prison in December for inciting two high school students he met via Telegram to deface the historic sites with graffiti promoting an illegal video-sharing w

April 16, 2025

Disney animator Jin Kim unveils whale mascot for children living without parents

Children living without parents in welfare residential facilities in Korea met their very own mascot, a whale named HaNeul, for the first time during a special event held Saturday, at the Seodaemun Natural History Museum in Seoul, organizer Open Arms said Monday. The local nonprofit organization said the mascot was designed by Jin Kim, the renowned Disney animator behind iconic characters such as Olaf from the 2013 film "Frozen" and Moana from 2016's "Moana." Kim collaborated with Open Arms, for

April 7, 2025