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Anti-Yoon farmers stage rally with tractor-laden trucks

A group of farmers calling for President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment rallied with tractor-laden trucks in ern Seoul on Tuesday. The Korean Peasants League members drove the trucks onto Namtaeryeong pass and were set to travel to Dongsipjagak near Gyeongbok Palace in downtown Seoul before staging a rally near Gwanghwamun gate in the evening. Initially, the group had planned to mobilize 20 tractors and 50 1-ton trucks, but a court ruling the previous day limited the scale to 20 trucks only. Police reportedly have no legitimate grounds to block the entry of trucks loaded with tractors. In response, right-wing YouTubers opposing Yoon's impeachment gathered at Namtaeryeong pass to block the march into Seoul. No clashes were reported as police separated the two groups, but some members of the farmers' group faced off with police officers trying to minimize congestion on roads. During the rally, the farmers' group shouted slogans, like "Tractor march is justified" and "Dismiss insurrection leader Yoon Suk Yeol." The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency deployed some 1,700 riot police from 27 units, wh

Mar 25, 2025By yonhap
Anti-Yoon farmers stage rally with tractor-laden trucks

414 Korean writers including Han Kang call for Yoon's impeachment

A group consisting of 414 Korean writers, including Nobel Prize-winning author Han Kang, issued a statement on Tuesday urging the Constitutional Court to uphold the impeachment against President Yoon Suk Yeol. The statement, titled “A One-line Statement by Writers Calling for Yoon Suk Yeol’s Removal,” includes contributions from notable figures such as novelists Eun Hee-kyung, Kim Yeon-su, Kim Ae-ran and Chung Bora; poets Kim Hye-soon, Kim Sa-in, Oh Eun and Hwang In-chan; and literary critic Shin Hyeong-cheol. They criticized the delay in the Constitutional Court's ruling, saying, “The verdict on Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached over the illegal Dec. 3 martial law declaration, is being unjustifiably postponed.” Han Kang wrote, “I believe in the inviolable values of life, freedom and peace. Removal (of Yoon) is an act of defending these universal values.” Eun Hee-kyung said, “I want to live in a democratic society,” while Jeong Bo-ra declared, “Punish the traitor and build an equal society.” Kim Yeon-su expressed hope, writing, “May this time next week be a night fu

Mar 25, 2025By KTimes
414 Korean writers including Han Kang call for Yoon's impeachment

60% of reclusive youth in Korea have considered suicide: survey

Six out of 10 socially withdrawn and reclusive youth in Korea have thought about taking their own lives, according to the results of the government’s first-ever nationwide survey on the topic. The study also found that 70 percent of these young people expressed a desire to escape their current isolation. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on Tuesday released the results of a survey conducted with the National Youth Policy Institute, focusing on people aged 9 to 24 nationwide. The research was conducted from January to October last year. Socially withdrawn and reclusive youth are defined as individuals without intellectual disabilities or mental disorders who spend most of their time inside their rooms or homes, do not participate in school or work and have little to no social interaction outside their families. Those who remain in this state for more than three months are classified as socially withdrawn or reclusive. Out of 19,160 respondents, 12.6 percent were classified as socially withdrawn and 16 percent as reclusive. The self-reported life satisfaction score among this gr

Mar 25, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
60% of reclusive youth in Korea have considered suicide: survey

Military deploys 5,000 personnel, 146 helicopters to combat wildfires

The military has deployed some 5,000 service members and 146 helicopters to help combat wildfires raging in Korea's southeastern regions since last week, the defense ministry said Tuesday. Since Friday, wildfires have ravaged multiple southeastern counties, including Sancheong, burning more than 14,000 hectares of woodland and leading to 15 casualties, including four deaths. The ministry said it is actively supporting efforts to extinguish the wildfires, deploying helicopters for the fifth straight day. As of Tuesday, it had also provided 95,000 gallons of fuel for non-military helicopters battling the blaze. "While maintaining the military's readiness posture, (we) will protect the lives and property of the people by actively mobilizing military assets to national disaster sites," the ministry said. (Yonhap)

Mar 25, 2025By yonhap
Military deploys 5,000 personnel, 146 helicopters to combat wildfires

Seoul unveils 10 premier tour products to boost travel

In response to changing global travel trends and a growing number of individual travelers visiting the nation's capital, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has intensified its efforts to promote high-quality tourism experiences through a new initiative called the Seoul Quality Tour Program. The program aims to develop and showcase tourism products that highlight Seoul's rich cultural heritage, including its local cuisine and popular K-content like K-pop and K-dramas, to attract international visitors. According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the demand for immersive cultural experiences, including K-pop concerts and visits to drama filming locations, has been steadily growing. In 2023, the proportion of tourists coming to Korea for cultural experiences rose to 16 percent, up from 12.7 percent in 2019. Moreover, the travel preferences of visitors in their 20s and 30s have diversified. While culinary tourism remains a major attraction, visitors also enjoy exploring shopping districts, traditional palaces and historic sites. Seoul was also named the No. 1 destination for sol

Mar 25, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Seoul unveils 10 premier tour products to boost travel

Wildfires becoming uncontrollable in Uiseong

Wildfires in the southeastern county of Uiseong appear to be getting out of control due to unpredictable strong winds and extremely dry weather, government officials said Tuesday, citing a gradual drop in the area's fire extinguishing rate. The forest area affected by the wildfires in Uiseong, about 180 kilometers southeast of Seoul, increased by over 4,000 hectares overnight to 12,699 ha as of early Tuesday morning, despite all-out firefighting efforts by authorities. According to the Korea Forest Service, Uiseong's fire extinguishing rate has moved backwards over the past day, dropping from 60 percent on Monday evening to 54 percent as of 9 a.m. Tuesday. A combination of unpredictable strong winds and extremely dry weather is hampering firefighting efforts there, the officials said. As the forest fire is protracted, the fatigue of firefighters appears to be building up, they said, noting a firefighter from the Sangju Fire Station was rushed to a hospital Monday afternoon after showing symptoms of dizziness and vomiting during a firefighting operation in Uiseong. Authorities plan to mobi

Mar 25, 2025By yonhap
Wildfires becoming uncontrollable in Uiseong

No. of Koreans viewing marriage as a must inches up in 2024: report

The proportion of Koreans who consider marriage essential edged up last year, a government report showed Tuesday, reflecting a more positive perception of marriage in a country struggling with a demographic crisis. In a biennial social survey, 52.5 percent of Koreans aged 13 and older viewed marriage as a necessity in 2024, marking a 2.5 percentage-point increase from two years earlier. The figure had been on a steady decline since 2010, except for a brief uptick in 2020. The report also showed that 68.4 percent of respondents said having children is necessary after marriage, up 3.1 percentage points from two years earlier. Separate data showed that 222,422 couples tied the knot last year, a 14.9 percent increase from the previous year, marking the steepest annual rise since the agency began compiling related statistics in 1981. In 2024, the number of newborns increased for the first time in nine years. The total fertility rate — the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime — also rebounded, rising to 0.75 from 0.72 a year earlier. The agency cited improv

Mar 25, 2025By yonhap
No. of Koreans viewing marriage as a must inches up in 2024: report

Motorcyclist swallowed by sinkhole found in cardiac arrest

A motorcyclist swallowed by a large sinkhole in Seoul was found dead Tuesday, officials said. The 20-meter-wide and 20-meter-deep sinkhole abruptly appeared Monday at an intersection near an elementary school in Gangdong Ward, eastern Seoul, at 6:29 p.m., swallowing the motorcycle driver and injuring another vehicle driver, who passed over the section just before its collapse. "The man, in his 30s, was found in a state of cardiac arrest at 11:22 a.m.," a fire official at Gangdong Ward said in an on-site briefing to the press. The man was found about 50 meters away from the sinkhole, according to the official. During overnight search operations, authorities discovered a mobile phone, presumed to belong to the motorcyclist, in the sinkhole at 1:37 a.m. before finding the motorcycle about two hours later, approximately 30 meters away from where the sinkhole formed. Authorities resumed search operations with heavy equipment at 7:00 a.m. Due to the safety concerns from the sinkhole, four schools in the area — Seoul Daemyeong Elementary School, Hanyoung Middle and High Schools, and Hanyoung Fo

Mar 25, 2025By yonhap
Motorcyclist swallowed by sinkhole found in cardiac arrest

Acting president calls for protecting people's safety, national interest amid trade war

Acting President Han Duck-soo called on the government Tuesday to ensure people are safe and the national interest is secured amid the global trade war triggered by the United States. Han made the remark during a Cabinet meeting, the first since he was reinstated as acting president after the Constitutional Court overturned his impeachment the previous day. "The repercussions of the U.S.-triggered trade war are dealing a serious blow to the world, and the difficulties of people's livelihoods, as well as small merchants and the self-employed, are growing increasingly due to sluggish domestic demand and rising inflation," the acting president said. "Our calling at this moment is to protect people's safety, secure the national interest from the trade war and swiftly draw up solutions to national issues through cooperation with the National Assembly." Han said he will make every effort to navigate the "tariff storm" initiated by the U.S. by tapping into his past experience in trade and foreign policy, and actively work with both the ruling and opposition parties to provide relief to the cris

Mar 25, 2025By yonhap
Acting president calls for protecting people's safety, national interest amid trade war

Wildfires burn about 15,000 ha of woodland in southeastern regions

Wildfires raging in southeastern Korea over the past several days have burned 14,694 hectares of woodland, caused 15 casualties, including four fatalities, and left more than 3,300 people displaced, the government said Tuesday. Acting Interior Minister Ko Ki-dong announced the latest extent of forest fire damage at a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters in Seoul, saying the firefighting efforts are impeded by strong winds, dry weather and other inclement conditions. The government will mobilize all available resources, including 110 helicopters and 6,700 personnel, on Tuesday to contain the wildfires in Sancheong, Hadong and Gimhae, all in South Gyeongsang Province; Uiseong of North Gyeongsang Province; and Ulsan's Ulju district, Ko said. Firefighters had contained an average of 88 percent of the wildfires in the five regions as of 7 a.m. Tuesday, the minister said, adding efforts will also be made to prevent the blaze from spreading to residential areas. Local governments have also implemented various safety measures, such as blocking roads and evacuati

Mar 25, 2025By yonhap
Wildfires burn about 15,000 ha of woodland in southeastern regions
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