S. Korea-US summit fact sheet could be released Fri.: sources

A joint summit document on trade and security between Seoul and Washington could be released as early as Friday, sources said Thursday. Ruling party officials, who are familiar with the matter, said the two countries were fine-tuning the joint fact sheet, which outlines the outcome of the Oct. 29 summit talks between President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump, and were reviewing when to announce it. Kang Hoon-sik, the presidential chief of staff, addressed the matter, saying "Discussi

Nov. 13, 2025

Lee signals sweeping overhaul to revive economic growth

President Lee Jae Myung called for structural reforms across key sectors to boost South Korea’s slowing economy, with a particular focus on regulatory and financial reforms, according to the presidential office, Thursday. “The most urgent challenge facing the Republic of Korea today is to reverse the decline in our potential growth rate,” said Lee during Thursday’s meeting, referring to Korea by its official name. “To do that, bold, structural reform is essential.” During a meeting held with sen

Nov. 13, 2025

Suneung discounts roll out nationwide as students celebrate the end of exam season

Suneung, the daylong college entrance exam that serves as the culmination of a high school senior’s academic journey, is finally over. To mark the end of months of grueling preparation, retailers and service providers nationwide are rolling out special promotions for test-takers. Students must bring their ID and test identification slip, issued by the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation, to qualify for the benefits. "Test-takers! You've put in so much effort! To repay you for your hard

Nov. 13, 2025

Acting chief likely to address allegations of Justice Ministry pressure

Acting Prosecutor General Noh Man-seok, who offered to resign amid growing objections to the prosecution's decision not to appeal a ruling in the Daejang-dong development corruption case linked to the president, is expected to address whether his decision was influenced by the Justice Ministry. The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office said Noh will attend a closed-door retirement ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Friday, during which he has indicated he will explain his stance on the decision. The announcement came

Nov. 13, 2025

Truck plows into Bucheon market, killing at least 2

Two people were killed and 18 were injured as of Thursday afternoon after a truck veered off the road and crashed into a traditional market in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, earlier in the morning. According to police and fire authorities, the incident occurred at 10:55 a.m., when a truck driven by a man in his 60s suddenly shot forward and rammed into a restaurant inside the market and nearby stalls. Authorities dispatched around 20 emergency vehicles and 60 personnel to the scene after receiving

Nov. 13, 2025

[GBF] S. Korea’s defense industry pivots toward aerospace and unmanned technologies

South Korea’s defense industry is accelerating its transformation from a conventional arms producer into a technology-driven aerospace and unmanned systems powerhouse, signaling a new phase in the nation’s industrial and strategic evolution, an official at one of the country’s top arms exporters said Wednesday. At the Global Business Forum hosted by Herald Media Group in Seoul on Wednesday, Kim Dong-hyun, head of the Land Systems Business Group at Hanwha Aerospace, outlined plans to channel the

Nov. 13, 2025

2026 Suneung mirrors push to curb reliance on private education

South Korea’s most consequential academic ritual ended Thursday, under unusually warm conditions, as more than half a million students sat for the College Scholastic Ability Test, or Suneung. The 2026 Suneung marks the second year under the government’s policy of eliminating “killer questions,” referring to ultradifficult problems that go far beyond the high school curriculum and require university-level concepts to solve, with critics arguing that they deepen reliance on private tutoring. At a

Nov. 13, 2025

Russia, N. Korea sign two accords to deepen media cooperation

Russia and North Korea signed two parallel agreements this week on media and public information cooperation, extending their deepening strategic alignment and signaling tighter coordination in their external and public communications. The Committee on Public Information, North Korea's state publicity and media-oversight organ, and Russia’s Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media inked an agreement on cooperation in mass media and public information, North Korea’s state-run

Nov. 13, 2025

The storm before the calm: A day before Suneung, cheer rallies echo around Korea

On Wednesday morning, epic cheers echoed across high schools in Korea the day before Suneung, the nation’s annual College Scholastic Ability Test. Suneung is a nine-hour exam that is taking place today, bringing the nation to a near-standstill as students sit for the test that will shape their futures. In support, 10th and 11th graders cheered for seniors taking the test the next day. Joongdong High School stands out every year for its powerful, synchronized cheer rallies. The event, which begin

Nov. 13, 2025

As Korean youth exit restaurant jobs, foreign students step in — and grow essential

As young Koreans increasingly avoid part-time service jobs, international students are filling the gap, working in restaurants across South Korea to keep kitchens running and dining rooms staffed. Despite wages that can reach 15,000 won per hour ($10.20), employers say it’s harder than ever to hire local workers for roles like waiting tables or assisting in kitchens. Instead, part-time job listings are drawing students from abroad, many of whom are juggling their studies with shifts in cafes, ea

Nov. 13, 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

Lee's chief of staff to depart for UAE for talks on economic ties

President Lee Jae Myung's chief of staff is set to depart for the United Arab Emirates on Thursday for a trip aimed at discussing expanding bilateral economic cooperation, presidential officials said. Kang Hoon-sik, who also serves as a special envoy for strategic economic cooperation, is expected to meet senior UAE officials to discuss ways to deepen economic cooperation in areas of defense, artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies. "Kang plans to discuss ways to establish a stra

Nov. 13, 2025

'He was drinking at the table next to us': Replacement driver booked for DUI

A substitute driver hired to take a car owner home is under investigation by police after speeding and driving under the influence, police said Wednesday. The suspect, in his 50s, was a designated driver for hire, typically hired by people who want to get home in their own cars after drinking. The Incheon Jungbu Police Station said it booked the suspect without detention at 2:20 a.m. on Oct. 25. The driver picked up the client and his car in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, and drove 40 kilometers to

Nov. 13, 2025

Expert calls S. Korea's nuclear-powered sub acquisition 'possible' but 'long road'

An expert on Wednesday described South Korea's push to acquire nuclear-powered submarines as a "possible" yet "challenging" undertaking, as he pointed to an array of hurdles, including US licensing procedures, nuclear proliferation concerns and relations with China, to name a few. James Kim, director of the Korea Program at the Stimson Center, touched on potential challenges that Seoul might face on its path to acquiring conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines, during a forum hosted by

Nov. 13, 2025

G7 top diplomats reaffirm commitment to 'complete' denuclearization of N. Korea

The top diplomats of the Group of Seven countries Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to the "complete" denuclearization of North Korea and denounced the recalcitrant regime's advancing nuclear and ballistic missile programs. The chief diplomats of the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Britain, Japan and the High Representative of the European Union issued a joint statement after they met under Canada's presidency in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, on Tuesday and Wednesday. "We stro

Nov. 13, 2025