4 in 10 Dongduk students say school alone should cover protest damage repairs

Four in 10 students at Dongduk Women’s University say the campus damage caused by students protesting against the school’s plan to adopt coeducation should be repaired at the school’s expense, according to local news reports Friday. A survey conducted by the student council on Wednesday showed that 95.2 percent of 725 respondents said the campus needs lacquer coating as part of the restoration. Students cited the overall appearance of the campus, the school’s image and the arrival of new student

Nov. 15, 2025

Highlights from Korea-US joint fact sheet

South Korea and the United States on Friday released a joint fact seet on trade and security agreements, concluding months of negotiations. Here are the key points from the document, agreed upon by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump, unveiled on the webite of the White House. • $150 billion of Korean investment in the US shipbuilding sector • $200 billion in additional "strategic" Korean investment, under an MOU expected to be signed by both countries • Korea's an

Nov. 14, 2025

Boat fire extinguished

A 9.55-ton fishing boat caught fire around 8 a.m. Friday in waters near Daecheon Port in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province, and the fire was extinguished in two hours and 20 minutes. The Boryeong Coast Guard deployed five patrol vessels and other resources to extinguish the fire. All 21 people on board were safely rescued after evacuating to a nearby vessel, authorities said. The police said there were no casualties and that they will investigate the damage and cause of the blaze.

Nov. 14, 2025

5 medical staff sent to court over patient’s death at hospital run by TV personality

Five medical staffers at a hospital operated by psychiatrist and television personality Yang Jae-woong have been sent to court over the death of a patient who was physically restrained, according to local news reports Thursday. Incheon prosecutors detained a doctor in his 40s, not Yang, and indicted four nurses in their 40s and 50s without detention on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death. The charges stem from the death of a woman in her 30s in May 2024 at a psychiatric hospi

Nov. 13, 2025

4 in 10 Koreans are lonely: data

Four in 10 Koreans say they usually feel lonely, and the proportion rises with age, a government survey showed Tuesday. According to a survey of about 34,000 people conducted by the Ministry of Data and Statistics, 38.2 percent of respondents said they feel lonely. That includes 4.7 percent who said they “frequently” feel lonely, along with 33.5 percent who said they “sometimes” do. Respondents replying they do not feel lonely accounted for the other 61.8 percent. The survey found that lonelines

Nov. 12, 2025

K-culture boom: Are Koreans really that creative? Sam Richards says that's the wrong question

Korea’s reputation as a conformist, hierarchical society has long raised questions about its creative potential. How could a country often described as rigid and rule-bound become a global cultural powerhouse, producing works likes "Squid Game," "Parasite" and the worldwide phenomenon of K-pop? For American sociologist Sam Richards, a professor at Pennsylvania State University, the answer lies in the paradox: Korean hierarchy and conformity that have often been criticized as stifling creativity

Nov. 12, 2025

As populations plunge, some rural Korean provinces court overseas Koreans to return

Provincial governments across South Korea are stepping up efforts to attract overseas Koreans in a bid to curb their declining populations, offering a range of living experience programs and support measures. Wonju in Gangwon Province launched a project titled “Experience Living in Wonju” on Oct. 26, inviting participation by Koreans residing in Australia. Twenty participants spent 15 days exploring the region’s culture by visiting Chiaksan National Park and a local history museum. They also att

Nov. 11, 2025

Presidential office may return to Cheong Wa Dae in December: reports

The presidential office in Seoul is likely to be moved from Yongsan-gu back to Cheong Wa Dae in early December, a key campaign pledge by President Lee Jae Myung, local media reported Tuesday. Citing unnamed government sources, the reports said the relocation could occur between Dec. 8 and 14, though the presidential office said that “nothing has been confirmed.” Under the Office of the Administrative Secretary, which was established in June to oversee the relocation, most of the renovation work

Nov. 11, 2025

Prime minister voices objection to high-rise near Jongmyo Shrine

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok has expressed opposition to building a high-rise commercial complex near Jongmyo Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site in central Seoul. In a Facebook post Monday, Kim wrote, “Jongmyo is in distress. After the unimaginable and reckless behavior of Kim Keon Hee was revealed, now the Seoul city government says it will allow high-rise development right in front of it,” referring to the capital city's decision to ease height restrictions in the area. The former first lady

Nov. 10, 2025

Bus union postpones strike plan until after Suneung, talks to continue

The Seoul bus union said Sunday it would postpone its planned strike until after Suneung on Thursday. The union, which had previously threatened to begin a strike on Wednesday, said it will hold additional negotiations on Thursday instead and will not stop work before then. "To minimize public inconvenience, we will do our best to reach a collective agreement and wage deal as early as possible," the union said. On Suneung day, South Korea goes all out to support millions of college entrance exam

Nov. 9, 2025