Lee approves final extension of special counsel probe into ex-President Yoon over martial law bid

President Lee Jae Myung has approved the extension of a special counsel investigation into allegations surrounding former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid in December, his office said Friday. The approval was granted the previous day to ensure that the investigation "leads to the settlement of the insurrection and national unity," the presidential office said in a notice sent to reporters, stressing that this is the last extension allowed by law. "The Lee Jae Myung administration

Nov. 7, 2025

1 worker killed, 1 feared dead, 5 trapped in power plant boiler tower collapse in Ulsan

One worker was killed and another was feared dead among the seven still trapped after a boiler tower collapsed at a thermal power plant in the southeastern city of Ulsan, authorities said Friday. The deceased, 44, was pronounced dead around 5 a.m. after going into cardiac arrest while rescue workers tried to pull him out, Kim Jeong-sik, an official at the Ulsan Nambu fire station, told reporters. "A rescue worker injected him with painkillers and took measures to keep him warm, but he eventually

Nov. 7, 2025

Nighttime rescue, search continues for 7 people trapped in power plant boiler tower collapse in Ulsan

A boiler tower collapsed at a thermal power plant in the southeastern city of Ulsan on Thursday, trapping seven workers, with a rescue and search operation under way, authorities said. The collapse was reported at the Ulsan branch of Korea East-West Power Co., a state-run utility company, shortly after 2 p.m. Initially, nine workers had been reported trapped, but two of them were rescued early on and were not in a life-threatening condition. Two more were subsequently spotted, with one of them c

Nov. 6, 2025

Arrest warrant issued for man over office stabbing spree in eastern Seoul

A court issued a warrant Thursday to arrest a man in his 60s accused of going on a stabbing spree at an office in eastern Seoul earlier this week, killing one of three victims. The Seoul Eastern District Court issued the warrant for the man, surnamed Jo, on charges of murder, citing the risk of evidence destruction and flight. Jo is accused of attacking two women in their 50s and 60s, and a man in his 70s, inside the office of a redevelopment cooperative in Cheonho-dong, Gangdong Ward, on Tuesda

Nov. 6, 2025

Rescue efforts underway for 7 workers trapped in tower collapse at Ulsan power plant

A search operation is underway Thursday after a boiler tower collapsed at a power plant in Ulsan, leaving seven workers believed to be trapped under the debris. According to the National Fire Agency, as of 4:30 p.m, two men had been rescued from the wreckage at the Korea East-West Power Co. site. The tower collapsed at around 2 p.m. Two were rescued at 2:23 p.m., and rescue officials located two more amongst the wreckage of the 60-meter tower at around 3:50 p.m. Authorities said five others are

Nov. 6, 2025

Seoul unveils new emissions goal, but neither industry, activists happy

The South Korean government on Thursday unveiled its proposal to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 to at least 50 percent below 2018 levels, according to the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment. The new target, however, quickly drew criticism from both sides: Environmental groups argue it falls short of meeting global climate goals, while industries claim it is unrealistic. The government is likely to face backlash for failing to either strike a responsible balance or build strong soc

Nov. 6, 2025

[Breaking] 7 presumed trapped in structure collapse at Ulsan power plant

A large structure at a power plant in Ulsan collapsed on Thursday afternoon and rescue operators continue to search for six people still believed to be trapped. The collapse occurred at around 2:07 p.m. at the Ulsan branch of the state-run Korea East-West Power Co. Officials have managed to rescue two people so far, and are looking for the remaining seven. More to follow.

Nov. 6, 2025

Jeonbuk’s 2036 Olympic bid seeks to foster K-culture’s industrialization: Gov. Kim Kwan-young

Jeonbuk State’s ambition to host the 2036 Summer Olympics is not just for the province itself, but also reflects a national aspiration to turn the global K-culture boom into a sustainable industry, Gov. Kim Kwan-young told a Seoul forum on Wednesday. “With K-pop, dramas and films enjoying worldwide popularity, we should further diversify and specialize Korea’s cultural sectors as we bid to host the 2036 Summer Olympics, so that we can proudly showcase them to the world when the opportunity comes

Nov. 6, 2025

Seoul to test a new way to work longer: rehiring retirees based on performance, not seniority

South Korea’s capital is trying to solve one of the country’s biggest social challenges: people want to work into their 70s, but their careers usually end in their 50s. A new proposal from the Seoul Institute, a city-funded think tank, outlines an experimental program that would allow older workers to keep working after retirement by being rehired on flexible terms instead of simply extending the legal retirement age. The plan, called “continued-employment system,” would let retirees return to w

Nov. 6, 2025

Proposed Seoul ordinance seeks 'reciprocity' in support for foreign residents

A bill recently submitted to the Seoul Metropolitan Council to apply “reciprocity” to welfare and support programs for foreign residents has sparked controversy over potential discrimination. Thirty-three council members from the conservative People Power Party submitted the proposal on Oct. 20, calling on the city government to “review reciprocity when implementing financial, education, housing and transportation support policies for foreigners.” If passed, the ordinance would only allow foreig

Nov. 6, 2025

Police under fire for not making way for ambulance carrying pregnant woman

South Korean police officers are under fire for not moving out of the way of an ambulance that was carrying an injured pregnant woman, who later died. Dashcam footage from a Busan patrol car revealed Wednesday shows an ambulance with its siren blaring pulling up behind it at around 9 p.m. on Oct. 30. The patrol car remained stationary while a bus in the next lane moved out of the way to make room for the ambulance. It was revealed that the ambulance was carrying an injured woman who had been sev

Nov. 6, 2025

Special counsel raids ex-President Yoon's home over suspicions related to presidential residence relocation

A special counsel team raided the home of former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, on Thursday to investigate favoritism allegations surrounding the 2022 relocation of the presidential office and residence. Investigators from special counsel Min Joong-ki's team launched the raid on seven locations, including the former presidential couple's home in southern Seoul, the office of an exhibition company formerly run by Kim, and the office of an interior company involved in the reno

Nov. 6, 2025

Govt. lowers crisis level for online service outage to 'alert'

The government said Thursday it has lowered the crisis level applied to September's online service outage from "serious" to "alert" following the restoration of more than 95 percent of affected systems. As of 6 a.m., 676 of the 709 government services crippled by a fire at the state data center in the central city of Daejeon had been normalized, bringing the restoration rate to 95.3 percent, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters. "All of the Grade 1 and Grade

Nov. 6, 2025

Korea can't live without dawn delivery. Can it still protect the workers behind it?

“Every night, I place my order after putting my kids to bed. By the time we wake up, the groceries are at the door,” said Seo Min-jung, a 37-year-old working mother in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province. “I don’t know how I would manage mornings without it.” For tens of millions of South Koreans like Seo, ultra-fast overnight delivery is not just a convenience. It’s almost a lifeline. Whether it’s diapers, rice or last-minute school supplies, services like Coupang’s “Rocket Wow Delivery” have made it no

Nov. 6, 2025

From prayers to photocards: The many rituals of Suneung season

With just a week left until South Korea’s College Scholastic Ability Test, or the notorious Suneung, anxiety is mounting nationwide. On Nov. 13, over 550,000 will sit for the grueling eight-hour exam, widely regarded as a life-defining moment that would determine university admissions and, by extension, shape the course of many young Koreans’ futures. A total of 554,174 students, including repeat test-takers, have registered to take the exam, according to the Korea Institute for Curriculum and E

Nov. 6, 2025