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Top prosecutor steps down over Daejang-dong fallout, cites concern over 'rushed reform'
Acting Prosecutor General Noh Man-seok voiced strong concerns over the Lee Jae Myung administration’s prosecution reform plans during his resignation speech Friday, warning of potential impacts on the public. “It is frustrating to see continued focus solely on abolishing the prosecution, without adequate discussion or preparation regarding the inconvenience this could cause the public,” Noh said during a ceremony at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office in Seoul. Although not explicit, his comments si
Nov. 14, 2025 -
Cold snap to grip S. Korea early next week; Tuesday morning to be season's coldest
After a warmer-than-usual weekend, South Korea is bracing for a strong cold snap next week, with the season's coldest morning forecast for Tuesday. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on Friday, this weekend will see average or slightly cooler weather, with daytime highs in Seoul and other major cities reaching 14-16 degrees on Sunday. Cooler conditions are expected to set in from Sunday afternoon, as a low-pressure system currently situated in the north moves in toward the Kore
Nov. 14, 2025 -
Flu season hits early and hard; cases double in a week
Seasonal influenza is spreading rapidly among children and teenagers in Korea, with cases more than doubling in just one week. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Friday, about 51 out of every 1,000 outpatients visiting 300 monitoring hospitals between Nov. 2 and 8 showed influenza-like illness, defined as having a fever of 38 degrees Celsius or higher accompanied by symptoms such as a cough or sore throat. The figure marks a 122.4 percent increase from the previous w
Nov. 14, 2025 -
Gwangju district criticized for using female officials as mayor’s backup dancers
A district office in Gwangju is under fire after eight female civil servants appeared as backup dancers during a performance by Gwangju Buk-gu District Mayor Moon In. The performance took place on Nov. 6 at Donggang University during filming for the KBS program “National Singing Contest,” which drew more than 1,000 audience members. Moon took the stage to sing Yoon Soo-il’s 1985 hit “Apartment,” with the officials dancing behind him. The women, wearing sunglasses and headscarves and holding pomp
Nov. 14, 2025 -
Court again denies arrest warrant for ex-justice minister
A court again denied a warrant Friday to arrest former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae on charges of involvement in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed imposition of martial law. Park has been accused by special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team of playing a key role in an insurrection by calling a meeting of senior justice ministry officials following the martial law declaration Dec. 3, ordering the possible dispatch of prosecutors to a martial law-related organ, directing the Korea Correctional Se
Nov. 14, 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 -
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 -
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 -
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 -
'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 -
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 -
German couple pedals 8,000 km to Busan, discovering humanity one country at a time
When Philipp Springsguth and Maria West set out from their home in Saxony, Germany, in March, they packed lightly but purposefully: five water bottles, two bikes, a tent and the conviction that they could do anything. Eight months and 8,000 kilometers later, the German couple arrived in Busan after cycling through 16 countries, passing through stunning landscapes, including arid plains of Kazakhstan, desert dunes of Afghanistan and bustling cities of China. Speaking to The Korea Herald shortly a
Nov. 13, 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