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N. Korea, Laos' FMs agree to strengthen bilateral ties, cooperation
The foreign ministers of North Korea and Laos have held talks and agreed to strengthen relations between the countries and expand cooperation in supporting each other on the international stage, the North's state media said Thursday. Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui met with her Lao counterpart, Thongsavanh Phomvihane, in Pyongyang following the Lao delegation's arrival in North Korea on Tuesday, according to the Korean Central News Agency. The ministers agreed to further strengthen their countries
Nov. 13, 2025 -
National college entrance exam underway for over 550,000 students
The annual college entrance exam was held nationwide Thursday with the largest number of applicants in seven years due in part to an unusually high birth rate in 2007. The College Scholastic Ability Test, seen as one of the nation's most important academic events, began at 1,310 test centers across the country at 8:40 a.m. and is set to end at 5:45 p.m. A total of 554,174 people have applied for this year's exam, up 31,504, or 6 percent, from last year and the highest figure since 2018, accordin
Nov. 13, 2025 -
6th body recovered at Ulsan power plant
A sixth body was recovered from under a collapsed boiler tower at a thermal power plant in the southeastern city of Ulsan on Thursday, leaving one worker still trapped, firefighting authorities said. The body belonged to a 30-something worker, surnamed Kim, who had been spotted in the debris the same day the 63-meter tower collapsed last Thursday but was unable to be rescued due to a mesh of metals that blocked access. The discovery raises the confirmed death toll to six, with a search still und
Nov. 13, 2025 -
Korea issues travel advisory on Cuba amid infectious disease concerns
South Korea issued Wednesday the lowest travel advisory for Cuba under its four-level alert system amid growing concerns over infectious diseases, the foreign ministry said. The ministry said it imposed a Level 1 travel advisory on the Caribbean nation, effective 9:00 p.m., citing the spread of diseases, such as dengue fever and chikungunya fever, in the region. The government will continue to monitor the situation in Cuba and review the need for any adjustments to the advisory, it added. (Yonha
Nov. 12, 2025 -
Lee wishes good luck to applicants of college entrance exam
President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday wished good luck to applicants taking the college entrance exam, a high-stakes test taken annually by high school students and graduates. Lee posted the Facebook message on the eve of the annual College Scholastic Ability Test, which is regarded as one of the nation's most important academic events. "I wish luck for all of you who possess infinite potential," Lee wrote. "I am proud of each of you who have believed in yourselves and walked this path with perse
Nov. 12, 2025 -
Path of friendship: ASEAN Benches unveiled on Jeju Olle Trail
A vibrant new symbol of enduring friendship between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and South Korea was unveiled Tuesday with the completion ceremony for 10 symbolic ASEAN benches along a picturesque coastal path on Jeju Island. The addition of 10 ASEAN Benches on the ASEAN-Korea Olle, also known as Jeju Olle Trail Route 8, marks an initiative to bolster cultural and tourism exchange, the ASEAN-Korea Centre (AKC) announced at a completion ceremony at Parnas Hotel Jeju. The project was
Nov. 12, 2025 -
Power plant collapse renews calls to ban multilayered subcontracting
Eight of the nine workers killed or injured in last week's boiler tower collapse in Ulsan were found to be employed by subcontractors, reigniting outrage over South Korea’s practice of outsourcing dangerous work as the search for two missing workers continues. According to local media reports, the demolition of the tower at the Korea East-West Power Co. site, which was already underway before the deadly collapse, was carried out through multiple layers of subcontracting. The state-run facility h
Nov. 12, 2025 -
Seoul signs deal with France’s Quandela for quantum tech center
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Wednesday that it signed a memorandum of understanding with French quantum computing firm Quandela to help establish a quantum technology development center in the South Korean capital through a $57 million (80 billion won) investment. According to the city government, Seoul plans to leverage its new partnership to build a quantum industry ecosystem within the city that will “position the city as a global quantum technology hub.” Planned initiatives, i
Nov. 12, 2025 -
Acting prosecutor general offers to resign amid Daejang-dong scandal backlash
Acting Prosecutor General Noh Man-seok offered to resign Wednesday amid mounting unrest within the prosecution over last week's decision not to appeal a court ruling in a high-profile land development corruption case linked to the president. The decision sparked an unprecedented backlash from prosecutors nationwide, who accused the Justice Ministry of pressuring the prosecution not to appeal. The main opposition party also raised suspicion that the presidential office interfered in the decision.
Nov. 12, 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 -
Lee vows greater autonomy for local governments
President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday met leaders of local governments at his office in Seoul, where he promised to give them greater autonomy over governmental budget spending specifically for their needs, stressing a need to bolster local autonomy and foster balanced national growth. In Lee's latest move to place local autonomy as one of his top policy priorities, the liberal administration also suggested ways to increase state subsidies to local governments based on new rules to calculate them
Nov. 12, 2025 -
Kim Dae-jung’s Nobel medal and 1987 protester’s bloodstained clothes recognized as heritage
South Korea will formally preserve two of its most powerful symbols of democracy — the late President Kim Dae-jung’s Nobel Peace Prize and the bloodstained clothes of student protester Lee Han-yeol — as part of the nation’s first-ever “preliminary cultural heritage.” The Korea Heritage Service announced Wednesday that the two items, representing Korea’s struggles and triumphs in modern history, are among 10 selected for the new designation, which was created to protect significant cultural items
Nov. 12, 2025 -
Martial law probe arrests ex-spy chief Cho, ex-PM Hwang a month before deadline
The former spy chief Cho Tae-yong, a key figure in the special counsel’s investigation into ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived martial law declaration, was arrested Wednesday — just a month before the probe’s mandate expires. Later in the day, the special counsel also took into custody former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who served under the Park Geun-hye administration, on charges of inciting insurrection by posting a message on Facebook in support of martial law on Dec. 3. The deten
Nov. 12, 2025 -
Man and woman caught defecating on the walls of Gyeongbokgung
A man and a woman were caught on camera defecating on the stone walls of Gyeongbokgung in central Seoul, local broadcaster JTBC reported Tuesday. Footage showed the man crouching in the bushes while holding toilet paper on Monday, with a woman next to him pulling down her white pants to relieve herself. After a few moments, the woman stood up and walked away, leaving visible stains on her clothing. Shortly after, the man emerged from the bushes. According to the TV program, the incident occurred
Nov. 12, 2025 -
Cafe owner’s sign language greeting warms hearts online
There are countless ways to promote a cafe. But sometimes, all it takes is kindness. On Oct. 19, a short video posted to the official Instagram account of Ediya Coffee’s Ansan Wolpi Hyundai branch captured a small but powerful interaction: a cafe owner serving their drinks to two deaf customers. Noticing that the customers were deaf, the owner greeted them in sign language, saying, “Enjoy your drinks,” when serving. Surprised and touched, one of the customers responded with a smile and a thumbs-
Nov. 12, 2025