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Just tap the screen: Police discreetly rescue callers reporting dating violence
A police officer who received a silent emergency call recognized that the caller was in danger and guided her to use nonverbal signals to request help, according to the National Police Agency. On Tuesday, the NPA released a video highlighting a recent case handled by the Jeju Provincial Police Agency, in which a victim of dating violence called the 112 emergency hotline but was unable to speak. Senior Patrol Officer Kim Hye-jin, who responded to the call, suspected a foul play and told the calle
April 30, 2025 -
US Navy secretary to visit HD Hyundai Heavy, Hanwha Ocean to explore shipbuilding cooperation
US Secretary of the Navy John Phelan was set to visit South Korea's leading shipbuilders, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. and Hanwha Ocean Co., Wednesday, according to industry sources, as Washington seeks to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the sector under President Donald Trump. Phelan, on a two-nation Asia trip also involving Japan, plans to visit HD Hyundai Heavy's headquarters in Ulsan, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, and Hanwha Ocean's shipyard in Geoje, also in the southern re
April 30, 2025 -
Korea's 'pandemic hero' joins Lee Jae-myung's presidential campaign
Jung Eun-kyeong, former director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, joined the presidential campaign staff of the Democratic Party of Korea candidate Rep. Lee Jae-myung. Jung, 59, the former head of the KDCA garnered nationwide fame for the agency's response to the recent pandemic induced by the COVID-19. Time magazine in 2020 named her one of the 100 most influential people of the year, as then-President Moon Jae-in commended her contributions to the nation's antivirus efforts.
April 30, 2025 -
Senior US diplomat reaffirms US support for Japan's efforts to address NK abduction issue
A top US diplomat on Tuesday reaffirmed the United States' support for Japan's efforts to address the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea decades ago, a State Department spokesperson said. The reaffirmation came as Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau met a visiting Japanese delegation, including Rep. Furuya Keiji, the head of Japan's Parliamentary Association on Abduction Issues, and family members of the abductees. "He reaffirmed US support for Japan in achieving an imm
April 30, 2025 -
Wildfires partially reignite in Daegu
Wildfires reignited in parts of the southeastern city of Daegu, prompting authorities to resume firefighting operations after sunrise on Wednesday, officials said. The fire, which began Monday afternoon on Mount Hamji in northern Daegu, about 230 kilometers southeast of Seoul, was extinguished nearly 23 hours later on Tuesday afternoon after scorching 260 hectares of land and forcing more than 2,000 people to evacuate. On Tuesday evening, however, the fire reignited on parts of the mountain. The
April 30, 2025 -
Trump signs proclamation easing impact of auto part tariffs on US-assembled cars
US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation Tuesday to give two-year auto part tariff relief to companies that assemble cars in the United States, amid the automotive industry's growing concerns over the ramifications of new levies. The proclamation came after the Trump administration started imposing 25 percent tariffs on imported automobiles on April 3, with 25 percent duties on certain auto parts set to come no later than Saturday. It outlined a measure to reduce duties on imported auto p
April 30, 2025 -
Trump Jr. arrives in Seoul for meeting with biz leaders amid tariff concerns
Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of US President Donald Trump, arrived in Seoul on Tuesday for a meeting with around 20 business leaders from South Korean conglomerates, industry sources said. The two-day trip by Trump Jr., his first to South Korea since his father's inauguration in January, comes at the invitation of Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin. Per sources, Trump Jr. arrived at Gimpo International Airport, western Seoul, in his private jet at around 6:25 p.m. Tuesday. It had been s
April 29, 2025 -
Supreme Court to deliver final verdict on Lee Jae-myung Thursday 3 p.m.
The Supreme Court of Korea announced Tuesday that it will deliver its verdict on Lee Jae-myung’s election law violation case Thursday at 3 p.m. The Democratic Party of Korea presidential contender's ruling is set to come 10 days before the official presidential candidate registration deadline on May 11, which is earlier than many had anticipated. Lee’s case, which was initially assigned to a panel of four justices, was referred to the grand bench on April 22. Chief Justice Jo Hee-de had decided
April 29, 2025 -
Over half of single parents in bottom 20% income group: study
A substantial number of single parents in South Korea have low financial instability and far less time to spend with their children than two-parent households, a study by a state-funded research institute showed Tuesday. As of 2021, 31.4 percent of all households with one parent and at least one unmarried child were in the bottom 10 percent in terms of household income, according to research by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs. Another 20 percent were in the second-lowest bracke
April 29, 2025 -
Monthly rentals hit record 64.6% of Seoul housing leases as 'jeonse' system fades
Monthly rental contracts now make up nearly 65 percent of all new housing leases in Seoul, reaching a record high as South Korea’s traditional lump-sum rental system, "jeonse," continues to disappear. According to the latest data by the Supreme Court’s Integrated Registration Information System, Seoul registered 233,958 residential lease contracts between January and March this year. Of those, 151,095 — roughly 64.6 percent — were monthly rental deals, the highest share since data collection beg
April 29, 2025 -
Myung Tae-kyun investigated in election interference scandal
Myung Tae-kyun, accused of fabricating polls to influence the candidacies of conservative political figures, was summoned for questioning Tuesday morning, in a widening investigation into his alleged corrupt ties with the former presidential couple and current Seoul mayor. The pollster's summons to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office suggests the investigation into his alleged ties with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol and former first lady Kim Keon Hee is approa
April 29, 2025 -
Korea to host 2nd APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting on Jeju Island
South Korea will host the second high-level preparatory meeting for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation on the southern island of Jeju, where it will present detailed plans for advancing discussions on key deliverables — AI cooperation and a joint response to demographic shifts, the Foreign Ministry in Seoul said Tuesday. The second Senior Officials’ Meeting, a high-level consultative body for discussions among APEC member economies, and related meetings will be held from May 3 to 16, during w
April 29, 2025 -
Main blaze of Daegu wildfire extinguished after 23 hours
Fire authorities battling another wildfire in Daegu brought it under control around 1 p.m., Tuesday, 23 hours after the blaze was reported to have broken out. According to the Korea Forest Service, the fire, which began at 2:01 p.m. on Monday at Hamjisan, was declared to be largely extinguished on Tuesday, affecting 260 hectares of woodland -- equivalent to 364 soccer fields. Though no casualties have been reported so far, the blaze prompted the evacuation of some 2,000 residents in nearby areas
April 29, 2025 -
Fire agency aims for faster on-site dispatch times
The National Fire Agency announced a set of measures during a press briefing Tuesday to allow for quicker dispatch of fire authorities to sites needing urgent response nationwide, according to the “8-minute peak arrival theory.” Fire authorities in South Korea have referred to the 8-minute peak arrival theory for rapid response to sites where fires need to be distinguished over the last five years. According to the theory, it takes about eight minutes after a fire breaks out for all objects at t
April 29, 2025 -
Acting President Han vetoes bill limiting acting presidents' authority to nominate justices
Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Tuesday vetoed a bill that sought to limit an acting president’s authority over the composition of the Constitutional Court, including a ban on the direct nomination of three justices. During the Cabinet meeting, Han said he was sending back the bill that sought to amend the Constitutional Court Act, which had been pushed through the National Assembly by the Democratic Party of Korea on April 17. "The amendment contains elements that conflict w
April 29, 2025