South Korea - The Korea Times

Seoul to promote sustainable use of oceans at upcoming UNOC in Korea: oceans ministry

The oceans ministry said Wednesday it will promote Korea's commitment to the sustainable use of oceans at the United Nations Oceans Conference (UNOC) slated for June 2028. On Tuesday (local time), the U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution at a plenary meeting held in New York designating Korea and Chile as the two host countries of the UNOC. Chile will host a high-level event in 2027, before the main event takes place in Korea the following year, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said in a release. The ministry plans to use the opportunity to promote various technologies, industries and policy initiatives related to the sustainable development of ocean and marine resources. It also signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) for the successful hosting of the event, the ministry added. "We plan to use the event as an opportunity to position Korea as a global oceans powerhouse," Oceans Minister Chun Jae-soo was quoted as saying. Marking its fourth edition, the triennial event will be aimed at supporting the implementation of U.N

Dec 10, 2025By Yonhap

Seoul to promote sustainable use of oceans at upcoming UNOC in Korea: oceans ministry

Morning after heavy snowfall sees slippery roads, multiple pile-ups

The morning rush hour scene in Seoul on Friday was a testament to the previous night's heavy snowfall as people treaded carefully on icy roads and cars collided in multiple pile-ups. The capital city received its first snow of the season Thursday evening, with 4.7 centimeters of snow accumulated in northern Dobong Ward and 4.2 cm in eastern Gangdong Ward as of 8 a.m. Friday. Much of the snow had turned into ice overnight as subzero temperatures persisted, with the mercury in Seoul dropping to minus 6.7 degrees Celsius at 8 a.m. Snowplows sprayed calcium chloride on streets, but commuters heading to work were met with icy roads and congested public transportation. "The way to the bus stop was downhill, so it was very slippery," a 28-year-old office worker surnamed Kim said at a stop near Seodaemun Station. "It was only a 2-minute distance but not easy to walk." Six people were spotted falling in succession on a slippery road near Sinpung Station. Many people held on to rails as they walked down the stairs to catch the subway. Buses arrived late due to slow traffic and departed full, while p

Dec 5, 2025By Yonhap

Morning after heavy snowfall sees slippery roads, multiple pile-ups

Heavy snowfall disrupts evening commute across Seoul, capital region

Heavy snow swept through Seoul and the surrounding metropolitan area on Thursday evening, slowing traffic across the region and prompting authorities to issue heavy snowfall advisories. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said the capital could receive 2 to 6 centimeters of snow overnight, with some parts of Gyeonggi Province seeing snow falling at rates of up to 3 centimeters an hour. Snow quickly made the roads slippery, and traffic slowed to a near standstill at major intersections and highway ramps. Some areas saw delays in snow removal, raising the risk of skidding and minor accidents. Commuters crowded into subway stations to avoid bus delays, while cities in Gyeonggi Province such as Namyangju and Suwon reported similarly difficult conditions as snow piled up through the evening. As the weather worsened, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety activated the government's emergency response headquarters and raised the national heavy snow alert from “attention” to “caution.” Heavy snow advisories were in effect across Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi Province and parts of

Dec 4, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

Heavy snowfall disrupts evening commute across Seoul, capital region

Season's first snow forecast in Seoul

The nation will remain trapped in a cold wave on Thursday, with heavy snow forecast in the Seoul metropolitan area and the eastern province of Gangwon from the afternoon, the state weather agency said. The morning low dropped to minus 9 C in Seoul and 1 to 5 centimeters of snow will fall from the afternoon to the night for the first time this season, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The agency forecast similar amounts of snow in other regions, including Incheon, Gyeonggi Province, Gangwon Province and the northern areas of North Chungcheong Province. Notably, the precipitation will reach 3 to 8 cm in the northern areas of Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces, it said, predicting around 1 cm of snow for some areas in southern provinces and Jeju and Ulleung islands until Friday morning. The cold wave advisory is still in effect in eastern and northern Gyeonggi Province and western Gangwon Province as of Thursday morning. The KMA said temperatures will again remain lower than average on Friday before rising to levels similar to or higher than average beginning Saturday.

Dec 4, 2025By Yonhap

Korea to triple onshore wind power generation by 2030 in bid to achieve carbon neutrality

Korea aims to triple its onshore wind power capacity to 6 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 while lowering generation costs as part of efforts to expand the use of eco-friendly energy and achieve carbon neutrality, the climate ministry said Wednesday. The goal was announced at the inaugural meeting of an intergovernmental task force on accelerating the deployment of onshore wind power, according to the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment. Under the plan, the country will seek to expand the installed capacity of onshore wind power facilities threefold over the next five years from the current level of 2 GW, the ministry said. It also aims to raise the capacity to 12 GW by 2035. The government plans to reduce the generation cost of onshore wind power to below 150 won ($0.10) per kilowatt-hour (kWh) by 2030, down from the current 180 won per kWh. To reach the goal, the ministry said it plans to open bids to distribute 300 domestically manufactured wind turbines over the next five years. It will also provide support for the development of small and medium-sized turbines, as well as technologies

Dec 3, 2025By Yonhap

Korea to triple onshore wind power generation by 2030 in bid to achieve carbon neutrality

Korea picked as IMO's top council member for 13th consecutive time

Korea has been selected as one of the top council members of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for the 13th consecutive time, officials said Friday. Korea was reelected as a category A member of the IMO Council at the U.N. shipping agency's 34th general meeting in London, according to the oceans ministry and the foreign ministry. Category A status is given to 10 states with the largest interest in providing international shipping services every two years through a general vote. Korea has held the status since 2001. Oceans Minister Chun Jae-soo, who is visiting Britain this week, said Korea's election reaffirmed the country's status as a shipping and shipbuilding powerhouse. "By actively reflecting Korea's position in the establishment and revision of international standards, (we) will support strengthening the competitiveness of the shipping and shipbuilding industries," he said.

Nov 28, 2025By Yonhap

Korea picked as IMO's top council member for 13th consecutive time

Ex-spy chief indicted over alleged martial law involvement

Cho Tae-yong, a former chief of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), was indicted by a special counsel team Friday on multiple charges, including alleged involvement in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law imposition. The indictment by special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team came after he was formally put under arrest on Nov. 12 on charges of NIS law violations, dereliction of duty, perjury, destruction of evidence, creation of false official documents and false testimony at parliament, which are all related to the Dec. 3 martial law declaration. Former NIS chief Cho, who was known as a trusted confidant of Yoon, is accused of being involved in the entire situation before and after martial law. The special counsel team suspects that Cho neglected his duties by failing to report the martial law plan to the National Assembly before Yoon's televised address to the nation. He is also accused of failing to report to the National Assembly after receiving a report that martial law troops were out to detain then opposition leader Lee Jae Myung and then ruling party leader Han Dong-hoon. "T

Nov 28, 2025By Yonhap

Ex-spy chief indicted over alleged martial law involvement

Gov't to align emissions trading system with minimum reduction target to ease corporate burden

Seoul will operate its greenhouse gas emission permit trading system in lockstep with the minimum reduction target under its nationally determined contribution (NDC), the government said Tuesday, in a move aimed at minimizing the additional burden on local businesses. The emission permit trading system will be operated under the goal of meeting the baseline NDC target for 2035, which was set at a 53-61 percent reduction in emissions from 2018 levels, according to the industry and climate ministries. The measure was announced at a meeting between the government and the private industry held to discuss a road map for achieving the 2035 target. Following the finalization of the NDC target earlier this month, the business community has expressed concerns that the carbon reduction plan may deal a harsh blow to key industries, such as automobiles, steel and petrochemicals, as they will face higher financial burdens in building carbon reduction facilities and purchasing emission credits. To ease the burden on the private industry, the government also plans to recognize Korean companies' oversea

Nov 25, 2025By Yonhap

Gov't to align emissions trading system with minimum reduction target to ease corporate burden

Paik Jong-won deletes YouTube pledge to halt broadcasts after returning to TV

Paik Jong-won, CEO of Theborn Korea and celebrity restaurateur, has made private the YouTube video in which he announced he would suspend all broadcast activities, prompting speculation that the move signals a clearer return to television. The change comes six months after the video was posted and coincides with the release of new programs featuring Paik. As of Monday, the video titled “I will start again from the beginning,” uploaded in May on Paik’s personal YouTube channel, is no longer publicly viewable. In the original video, Paik said he would suspend all broadcasting activities except for shows already in production. “From now on, I will focus all my passion and energy on the growth of Theborn Korea as a businessman, not a television personality.” At the time, Theborn Korea was under intense scrutiny following controversies over its “Baekham gift set” pricing, alleged farmland law violations and origin-labeling errors. Paik announced his hiatus to concentrate on stabilizing the company. However, Paik returned to television on Nov. 17 with the release of MBC’s new va

Nov 25, 2025By Hankookilbo

Paik Jong-won deletes YouTube pledge to halt broadcasts after returning to TV

Korea to enforce quarantine measures to tackle recent outbreak of bird flu

Korea will bolster quarantine efforts to prevent further spread of avian influenza (AI) during the cold season, authorities said Friday. The Central Disaster Management Headquarters (CDMH) said six cases of highly contagious AI have been confirmed at poultry farms and 10 AI cases among wild birds since the cold season started. The first case was detected at a poultry farm in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, in September. In November alone, four cases of highly pathogenic AI were detected at poultry farms, and seven such cases were reported from wild birds. The CDMH said it has conducted a detailed examination of soil and wild bird feather samples collected from migratory bird habitats, rivers and areas near affected farms, and the findings indicate substantial contamination across such places. According to a survey on winter migratory birds conducted by the environment ministry, 1.33 million birds migrated into the country in November, marking a 111.4 percent increase from the previous month. In light of the situation, authorities plan to strengthen quarantine measures across poultry farms across

Nov 21, 2025By Yonhap

Environment & Animals