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President's timeline for office move hits security snags

As President Lee Jae-myung pushes ahead with his ambitious plan to relocate the presidential office back to the historic Cheong Wa Dae complex, questions are mounting over the feasibility of completing the move within his stated 100-day timeline, particularly amid burgeoning security concerns. Experts are sounding the alarm, emphasizing the critical need for meticulous preparations. They cite a new generation of security threats, from increasingly sophisticated drones to the evolving risks posed by artificial intelligence, which necessitate comprehensive defensive strategies that might challenge a rapid transition. The concern is that a hasty move could compromise national security and the safety of the president, potentially creating vulnerabilities in a volatile geopolitical landscape. Full-scale discussions on relocating the presidential office are underway, as the new administration launched a dedicated task force on the first day of Lee's term. Efforts to return the office to Cheong Wa Dae are rapidly gaining momentum. The task force is led by Lee Jung-do, former presidential secret

Jun 9, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
President's timeline for office move hits security snags

Seoul sees surprising surge in births and marriages

After years of decline, Korea's capital is experiencing a notable demographic shift, with Seoul recording a yearlong rise in marriages and births, marking 12 consecutive months of growth, according to new data from Statistics Korea. In March, the city welcomed 3,786 newborns, an 8.7 percent increase from the same month last year, representing the highest monthly figure in three years. This upward trend in births has been consistent in the capital since April of last year, when a 9.7 percent year-on-year rise first signaled a potential turnaround in the nation's stubbornly low birthrate. The number of marriages is also on the rise in the capital. In March, 3,814 couples tied the knot in Seoul — a 20 percent increase from the same month last year — marking the 12th consecutive month of year-on-year growth. The upward trend began in April 2023, when marriages surged by 27.8 percent. While the capital’s total fertility rate remained among the lowest in the world at just 0.55 in 2023, the recent rise in marriages has nudged that figure upward. In the first quarter of this year, Seoul’

Jun 8, 2025By Park Ung
Seoul sees surprising surge in births and marriages

Over 10 mil. people travel between Korea and Japan in first 5 months in 2025

More than 10 million air passengers traveled on routes between Korea and Japan in the January–May period, despite the strengthening yen, the transport ministry said Sunday. A record 11.25 million passengers flew between Korea and Japan during the first five months of the year, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a press release. The figure represents a 10.7 percent increase from the 10.16 million recorded during the same period last year and a 19.8 percent rise from the 9.39 million in the first five months of 2019, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted the airline industry. Industry officials said that years of a weak yen and the expansion of budget carrier flights to Japan have helped stimulate pent-up travel demand in recent years. They expect demand to continue rising in the second half, with the number of air traffic between the two countries likely to exceed last year's total of 25.14 million. The yen continued to rise to an average of 999.96 won in April from 927.97 won in January. But the Japanese currency turned lower last month to 962.2

Jun 8, 2025By Yonhap
Over 10 mil. people travel between Korea and Japan in first 5 months in 2025

Ulsan bus drivers end 19-hour strike after reaching wage deal

Unionized bus drivers in the southeastern city of Ulsan have ended their 19-hour strike after reaching an agreement with bus operators on a wage hike plan, officials said Sunday. The bus drivers and six bus companies reached a compromise late Saturday, capping months of wage negotiations and rounds of mediation sessions that began in March. Under the agreement, drivers will receive a 10.18 percent increase in total wages, which includes incorporating regular bonuses into base pay and granting three days of paid summer leave, among other benefits. All bus services had resumed by early Sunday. Ulsan does not have a subway system, and buses are the city's only form of mass public transit. The bus drivers walked off the job early Saturday as the wage talks had failed to reach a breakthrough. The strike, the first such collective action since May 2019, suspended 80 percent of the city bus services, causing major inconvenience to commuters in the industrial city.

Jun 8, 2025By Yonhap
Ulsan bus drivers end 19-hour strike after reaching wage deal

Recovery operations under way following drilling rig collapse at Yongin construction site

Authorities continued recovery operations Friday at a railway construction site in the city of Yongin after a heavy drilling rig toppled into a nearby apartment building. The accident occurred at 10:13 p.m. Thursday, when a drilling rig, which is a heavy construction machine used for boring into the ground, crashed into a 15-story apartment building at the Indeokwon–Dongtan railway construction site in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. The rig, measuring 44 meters in length and weighing 70.8 tons, had been on standby since completing work last Saturday. According to the provincial disaster headquarters, the land ministry, the national railroad authority and local governments have conducted safety inspections and launched recovery efforts at the scene. Three cranes have been mobilized to dismantle the collapsed rig, a process expected to take five to seven hours. The rig is currently leaning against the apartment building, with visible damage to the exterior wall and balcony windows on the top floor. Following the accident, about 150 residents from 60 households were evacuated. Two residents wer

Jun 6, 2025By Yonhap
Recovery operations under way following drilling rig collapse at Yongin construction site

Unionized bus drivers in Ulsan poised to begin strike

Unionized bus drivers in the southeastern city of Ulsan will go on strike this weekend, union officials said Friday, as talks with management over a wage hike broke down. The collective action is expected to affect some 80 percent of the 889 buses that run on 187 routes across the city, beginning with the first buses scheduled for 4 a.m. Saturday. Ulsan city officials plan to expand alternative transportation means, such as taxis, and notify the public should the planned strike proceed as planned. The planned strike comes as unionized bus drivers and their management have failed to narrow their differences over revamping the wage system despite holding more than a dozen meetings since March. Unionized bus drivers in Ulsan last staged a strike in May 2019.

Jun 6, 2025By Yonhap
Unionized bus drivers in Ulsan poised to begin strike

For Koreans facing conscription, 99/105 score still falls short for Air Force entry

For Song Hyun-woo, a 26-year-old with a neatly styled, slicked-back haircut and a distinct, well-groomed mustache, the path to fulfilling his mandatory military service turned into an unexpected ordeal — a sharp departure from the rite of passage that every able-bodied South Korean man has undertaken since the 1950–53 Korean War. Following the advice of a friend already serving, Song embarked on a meticulous quest to accumulate application points. He took the TOEIC English proficiency test, donated blood regularly and even joined a KakaoTalk open chatroom — a virtual forum where prospective recruits trade tips on gaining certifications and qualifications to boost their chances of entering the Republic of Korea Airforce. Last September, his efforts culminated in a score of 95 out of 105 for Air Force conscription — just one point below the threshold, resulting in his rejection. Undeterred, he applied again, this time choosing a more physically demanding specialty in hopes of earning additional points. But the outcome was even more disheartening: although he had raised his score

Jun 6, 2025By Park Ung
For Koreans facing conscription, 99/105 score still falls short for Air Force entry

Survey shows adults more open, teens less tolerant in Korea

A new government survey has revealed a complex and diverging trend in Korea's social fabric: While multicultural acceptance among adults has rebounded for the first time in a decade, openness has simultaneously declined among minors. The report further showed a consistent pattern, indicating that a greater frequency of interaction with migrant communities correlated directly with elevated levels of acceptance among respondents. Nevertheless, even as the survey signaled broader societal progress, nearly half of those polled indicated that the government's initiatives for promoting the social integration of immigrants remained insufficient. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on Thursday released the results of the 2024 National Multicultural Acceptance Survey, based on responses from 11,000 adults and teenagers across the country. Launched in 2012, the government survey is held every three years to gauge public attitudes toward multiculturalism. The findings play a key role in shaping national policies on social integration. According to the survey, the multicultural acceptance sc

Jun 6, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Survey shows adults more open, teens less tolerant in Korea

Teachers demand tougher penalties for student who assaulted teacher with baseball bat

Teachers’ unions are calling for stronger legal protections and harsher penalties after a shocking assault in which a middle school student in Suwon attacked a teacher with a baseball bat, fracturing the teacher’s ribs during class. The Gyeonggi Teachers’ Union issued a statement on Wednesday, denouncing the incident as evidence that “teacher authority has collapsed beyond repair.” The union said it was especially alarming that the assault took place just five days after the teacher started at the school, and that it was sparked not by ongoing conflict but by dissatisfaction with a teaching method. The incident occurred on May 30 at a middle school in Suwon, when a student attacked a male teacher in his 50s with a baseball bat, saying he was dissatisfied with the way the class was being conducted. The teacher, who suffered broken ribs and other injuries, is currently receiving medical treatment. “The fact that a student used a baseball bat to attack a teacher shows that schools are no longer safe for educators,” the union said, urging immediate action. The union outlined a li

Jun 5, 2025By Hankookilbo
Teachers demand tougher penalties for student who assaulted teacher with baseball bat
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