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Lee orders swift rescue efforts after ferry accident

President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday ordered swift efforts to rescue passengers of a ferry that ran aground off Korea's southwestern coast, the presidential office said. Lee was briefed on the ferry accident during his visit to the United Arab Emirates, shortly after the Coast Guard said the ferry carrying 267 people ran aground near Sinan's Jangsan Island in South Jeolla Province. "Lee immediately instructed the relevant authorities to respond swiftly to prevent any loss of life and to release real-time updates on the rescue operations so that the public can be reassured," the office said in a press notice.

Nov 19, 2025By Yonhap
Lee orders swift rescue efforts after ferry accident

Gov't panel to release interim probe results on Jeju Air crash next month

A government panel investigating the Jeju Air plane crash in late 2024 said Wednesday it will hold a public hearing early next month to announce the interim results of its investigation. The Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB) affiliated with the transport ministry said it will hold the public hearing in Seoul on Dec. 4 and 5 after probing the fatal accident on Dec. 29 last year at Muan International Airport that claimed the lives of 179 passengers and crew members. But the group of bereaved families vowed to boycott and block the public hearing, questioning the neutrality and independence of the ARAIB. A Jeju Air jet from Bangkok erupted into flames after crashing into the localizer's concrete mound as it overshot the runway when it made an emergency belly landing at the airport, South Jeolla Province. The ARAIB said the public hearing, the eighth step of the 12-step aircraft accident investigation process, is intended to confirm the facts investigated so far and conduct technical verification. The hearing will consist of a session on bird strike and localizer facil

Nov 19, 2025By Yonhap
Gov't panel to release interim probe results on Jeju Air crash next month

2 more die in truck crash at Bucheon market

Two more people have died from their injuries after a truck crashed into a traditional market in Bucheon last week, police said Wednesday. A 20-something man and an 80-something woman died Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, raising the death toll from the accident to four, according to the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police. Both had been visitors to Jeil Market in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province when the 1-ton pickup plowed through its narrow passage Thursday morning, killing two women in their 60s and 70s. Another 17 people were injured, but none are in life threatening condition. Police said they plan to transfer the 67-year-old driver to the prosecution this week on charges of causing death under the special law on handling traffic accidents. The driver was found to have moved the truck in reverse before sprinting 132 meters down the passage, crashing into people and stores. Footage from a pedal dashcam showed he had stepped on the gas pedal instead of the brake. The driver reportedly suffers from Moyamoya disease, a rare vascular brain disease. He initially told investigators it did not int

Nov 19, 2025By Yonhap
2 more die in truck crash at Bucheon market

Couple found dead in camping car in Taebaek amid suspected carbon monoxide poisoning

A couple was found dead inside a vehicle connected to a car-camping tent in Taebaek, Gangwon Province, after a passerby reported hearing only the sound of a motor coming from the car with no signs of movement inside. According to police and fire authorities Tuesday, the emergency call came in at 2:36 p.m. from the parking lot near the Yuilsa Trail entrance at Mount Taebaek. The caller reported that a tent attached to a parked vehicle was zipped shut, a motor was running, and no response was heard from the occupants. Rescue personnel arrived on the scene and discovered a man in his 50s and a woman in her 40s inside the vehicle. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. Police said the two, who were married, had been car camping in the Mount Taebaek area the previous night. At the scene, authorities found that a fuel-powered heater had been running inside the vehicle. The windows were shut, and the tent was sealed tightly to the car, creating a confined space. A doctor at Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital said the circumstances “strongly suggest carbon monoxide poisoning.” Police are invest

Nov 19, 2025By Hankookilbo
Couple found dead in camping car in Taebaek amid suspected carbon monoxide poisoning

Korea avoids $216 mil. payment in final Lone Star ruling

The Korean government secured a victory in a protracted international arbitration, successfully nullifying a ruling in an investor-state dispute over the U.S. private equity firm Lone Star's sale of Korea Exchange Bank (KEB), ending a legal battle that has stretched on for more than a decade. Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said Tuesday that the Korean government won a favorable ruling from the annulment committee of the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) in Washington, D.C. “The annulment committee has voided all payment obligations outlined in the Aug. 31, 2022, arbitration award, including the $216.5 million in principal and the interest owed to Lone Star,” Kim said. Kim added that the government’s previously estimated compensation liability of roughly 400 billion won ($272.8 million) has been entirely nullified. The ruling also directs Lone Star to reimburse the government about 7.3 billion won in legal costs within 30 days. In August 2022, ICSID ordered the Korean government to pay Lone Star $216.5 million, plus interest. The ruling a

Nov 18, 2025By Park Ung
Korea avoids $216 mil. payment in final Lone Star ruling

Ex-President Moon launches book channel on YouTube

Former President Moon Jae-in has launched a book channel on YouTube, where he will regularly appear to introduce and talk about books of his choice, the online video-streaming service showed Tuesday. Moon, who led Korea from 2017-2022, appeared on "Pyeongsan Bookstore TV," and recommended several books, including a poetry collection for teenagers. The video footage, uploaded Monday, had hit more than 35,000 views as of late Tuesday afternoon. After leaving office, Moon opened Pyeongsan Bookstore near his residence in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, where he works as the bookstore's keeper. Moon is expected to appear on the YouTube channel on a regular basis to recommend books.

Nov 18, 2025By Yonhap
Ex-President Moon launches book channel on YouTube

Coca-Cola Korea names Lee Jun-yup as new CEO

Coca-Cola Korea has appointed former Procter & Gamble Korea Vice President Lee Jun-yup as its new chief executive, the company said Monday. Lee brings nearly three decades of experience at P&G, where he held senior roles across sales, brand strategy and e-commerce. He began his career in sales in 1997 and later led brand strategy planning and the global customer team at P&G Korea. Starting in 2006, he served in leadership positions overseeing brand strategy and digital commerce in key markets including the United States, Singapore and Japan. Since 2018, he had overseen nationwide sales operations as vice president of P&G Korea. “I am honored to join Coca-Cola Korea as its CEO and will do my utmost in this role,” Lee said in a statement.

Nov 18, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin
Coca-Cola Korea names Lee Jun-yup as new CEO

Over 200 workers at former presidential office face job loss as Cheong Wa Dae closes to public

More than 200 workers employed at Cheong Wa Dae, the former presidential office-turned-public attraction, are facing job insecurity as their contracts approach expiration following the site’s closure to visitors. The workers, responsible for cleaning, landscaping, security and guest services, were hired after the presidential office relocated to Yongsan District during the Yoon Suk Yeol administration and Cheong Wa Dae was opened to the public. Cheong Wa Dae welcomed 8.52 million visitors over the past three years. However, operations were halted in August after the presidential office announced its return to the compound on June 10. Since then, workers have remained at home on unpaid standby, according to the Cheong Wa Dae Foundation, which manages the site under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The foundation subcontracted operations to seven service providers last year, employing a total of 225 workers, including 36 cleaners, 31 facility staff, 60 security guards, 64 guides, 13 landscapers, 13 call center workers and 8 public relations officials. While the Moon Jae-in adm

Nov 18, 2025By Hankookilbo
Over 200 workers at former presidential office face job loss as Cheong Wa Dae closes to public

Dog meat restaurant owners sue government, citing massive compensation disparity

For 40 years, Shin Seung-cheol ran a dog meat distribution company that once recorded annual sales of 5 billion won ($3.8 million) and employed six people. Today, he spends his days selling vegetables at local markets, trying to earn enough to survive. After the passage of the so-called “dog meat ban law” last January, which prohibits the breeding, slaughter, distribution and sale of dogs for food, Shin saw his business collapse. The stress, he said, even led to a cancer diagnosis. His family now runs what remains of the operation. With less than one year remaining in the three-year grace period ahead of full enforcement in February 2027, dog meat distributors and restaurant owners across Korea are preparing for collective legal action. The National Dog Meat Association says it will file administrative lawsuits next month against more than 50 local governments, with approximately 400 participants — representing around 10 percent of the country’s 4,140 relevant businesses. Officials from the association say that despite repeated calls for adequate compensation, the government has

Nov 18, 2025By Hankookilbo
Dog meat restaurant owners sue government, citing massive compensation disparity

Compact car owners cry foul as apartment restricts parking

An apartment complex is drawing criticism after notifying residents that compact cars would be penalized if parked in regular parking spaces, warning that vehicles could be covered with strong adhesive stickers as enforcement. A post titled “Notice banning compact cars from regular parking spaces at an apartment” appeared on the online forum Bobaedream on Nov. 13, showing the notice issued under the name of the complex’s management office director. The announcement, posted last July, said that “despite sufficient compact-only parking spaces available in the underground garage, some compact cars continue to use regular spaces, leading to complaints about a lack of parking for larger vehicles.” It continued, “We will begin monitoring compact car parking. Compact car owners are asked to cooperate.” It also listed the targets, dates and details of enforcement, including attaching highly adhesive stickers to compact cars parked in regular spots beginning the day after the notice was posted. Most online users criticized the policy as unreasonable. “I’d understand if an entire

Nov 18, 2025By Hankookilbo
Compact car owners cry foul as apartment restricts parking
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