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  • Politics

    PM says gov't should put top priority on reining in inflation

    Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said Thursday the government should focus on reining in inflation, after data showed that the country's consumer prices rose at the fastest pace in 30 months last month due to the lingering impact of the Middle East conflict. Despite easing tensions in the Middle East, the government should not let its guard down as the economy is still facing challenges, such as high oil prices and a weakened Korean won, Han said while presiding over an emergency economic response meeting on her second day in office. "More than anything else, we should make it our highest priority to concentrate on managing prices," Han said. "We should put in maximum efforts to stabilize prices, such as monitoring the prices of items closely related to people's livelihoods in real time and swiftly carrying out supply measures in a bold manner." Han said the government should also prepare measures in advance for economic cooperation with the Middle East, including restoring machinery and auto exports to the region and contributing to post-war recovery efforts. Earlier in the day, data from

    2 MIN READBy Yonhap
    PM says gov't should put top priority on reining in inflation
  • South Korea

    Yongsan revamps website to better serve int'l visitors, foreign residents

    2 MIN READBy Lee Kyung-min
    Yongsan revamps website to better serve int'l visitors, foreign residents
  • Politics

    Gov't to consider easing regulations to deploy drones in wildfire battles

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Gov't to consider easing regulations to deploy drones in wildfire battles
  • Politics

    Lee proposes golf meeting with opposition lawmakers: PPP officials

    1 MIN READBy Yi Whan-woo
    Lee proposes golf meeting with opposition lawmakers: PPP officials
  • Education

    KAIST workshop to showcase AI agents for HBM design automation

    1 MIN READBy Lee Kyung-min
    KAIST workshop to showcase AI agents for HBM design automation
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Law & Crime

Ex-President Yoon, wife reunite in court after 9 months

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, met in a courtroom on Tuesday in their first reunion since July when Yoon was placed under custody over his failed martial law bid. Kim, who has also been jailed since August over various corruption charges, appeared at the Seoul Central District Court to testify in her husband's trial on charges that he violated the Political Funds Act by accepting free opinion poll results ahead of his election in March 2022. As she entered the room, propped up by correctional officers, Yoon fixed his gaze on her. When she took an oath and sat down, he smiled faintly with his mouth closed. The former first lady was dressed in her typical attire for court appearances, consisting of a black suit and a white shirt, with her hair pulled back in a ponytail. In response to more than 40 questions from special counsel Min Joong-ki's team, she said she would not testify and mostly sat in her seat, slightly hunched and looking downward. During the 30-odd minutes that Kim was questioned, Yoon watched her most of the time, and when she stood up to leave, sm

Apr 14, 2026By Yonhap
Ex-President Yoon, wife reunite in court after 9 months
Law & Crime

Arrest warrant sought for student over knife attack on teacher

Police on Tuesday applied for an arrest warrant against a high school senior detained on charges of attacking a teacher with a knife at a school in the central city of Gyeryong the previous day. The student, whose identity has been withheld, is accused of stabbing the 30-something male teacher with a knife multiple times at their school in Gyeryong, about 165 kilometers south of Seoul, at 8:44 a.m. Monday. The student immediately fled the scene but turned himself in to the police later. The teacher sustained non-life-threatening injuries to the jaw and shoulders and underwent surgery. The police suspect that the student planned the attack in advance due to resentment, as he had middle school conflicts with the teacher, who was recently reassigned to his high school. The student is said to have complained that the teacher was particularly harsh on him during middle school and refused to attend school.

Apr 14, 2026By Yonhap
Arrest warrant sought for student over knife attack on teacher
Environment & Animals

Spring or summer? Korea’s April heat set to last another week

Unseasonably hot, summer-like weather has swept across South Korea in mid-April, with daytime temperatures nearing 30 degrees Celsius and breaking records in several regions. Weather officials say the heat, driven by warm and humid southeasterly winds, is expected to persist for about a week, raising concerns that spring heat is becoming a “new normal” due to climate change. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on April 14, temperatures in Cheongpyeong, Gyeonggi Province, reached 29.7 degrees Celsius at around 3 p.m. the previous day. Around the same time, Seoul recorded 27.4 degrees, the highest so far this year. The figure was the highest temperature ever recorded on that date in Seoul since weather observations began in 1907. It was about 10 degrees higher than the seasonal average high of 17.3 degrees Celsius for the period between 1991 and 2020. On April 14, Seoul again saw unusually high temperatures of 27.8 degrees at 3 p.m., the second-highest on record for the date, following 2024. Similar record-breaking highs were reported nationwide, including in Wonju, G

Apr 14, 2026By Hankookilbo
Spring or summer? Korea’s April heat set to last another week
Campus

Urban designer sees green space as antidote to social isolation

Kookmin University held its 662nd Thursday Special Lecture at its academic conference hall Thursday afternoon, featuring Sung Jong-sang, dean of the Graduate School of Environmental Studies at Seoul National University, as the guest speaker. Sung delivered a lecture titled "'Outside + Everyday Life' Is the Answer: Creating Healthy, Happy Cities Through Green Spaces," exploring the relationship between the urban environment and human wellbeing. Drawing on a range of case studies, he examined how everyday outdoor spaces shape individual happiness and social connection. Sung said that gardens should be seen not merely as landscaping features but as “conduits and catalysts” for human connection. Citing the White House garden as an example of a space used to give children new experiences and foster relationships, he said such places can serve as settings for human encounters and personal growth rather than as ends in themselves. Apartment landscaping must go beyond aesthetics to become a catalyst for community life, Sung said, arguing that urban greenery should be treated as a tool for f

Apr 14, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Urban designer sees green space as antidote to social isolation
Politics

PHOTO 50 days until local elections

Officials review voting procedures and promotional materials at the office of the Daegu Metropolitan Election Commission in Seo District, Daegu, Tuesday, with 50 days to go until the June 3 local elections. Early voting will be held May 29 and 30. Yonhap

Apr 14, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji
[PHOTO] 50 days until local elections
South Korea

Asian scholars condemn US foreign policy as threat to sovereignty

A coalition of Asian intellectuals and civil society activists issued a sharp rebuke of U.S. foreign policy, warning that recent actions signal a dangerous erosion of international law and national sovereignty. The group Asia Without Borders, in a statement Tuesday, said recent developments under the Trump administration — including the military intervention in Venezuela, remarks about Greenland as a purchasable territory and military actions involving Iran — reflect a broader shift toward power-driven geopolitics. The statement was signed by 325 participants, including 260 from Korea and 65 from other Asian countries. The signatures were collected between Feb. 16 and April 6. The group said these actions are not isolated but are part of a wider regression that places national interest above international norms and multilateral cooperation. The coalition warned that such trends risk normalizing what it described as the “commodification of sovereignty” and the “militarization of humanitarianism,” raising concerns that these concepts could reshape global political behavior. At t

Apr 14, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Asian scholars condemn US foreign policy as threat to sovereignty
Society

Gwanghwamun Square monument to honor Korean War allies faces questions over timing, procedure

A row of white construction fences now cuts through the center of Gwanghwamun Square, covered with renderings of stone columns and the pledge, “We will not forget the sacrifice of 22 countries that fought for liberal democracy.” Behind the fences and “authorized personnel only” signs, workers are racing to finish a new monument that the Seoul Metropolitan Government says will honor the country’s Korean War allies — even as critics question whether the project has been pushed through heedlessly in one of the city’s most symbolic public spaces. The “Garden of Gratitude,” under construction near the statue of King Sejong, will feature a series of tall stone structures representing each of the 22 nations that dispatched combat troops or medical units under the U.N. flag during the 1950–53 conflict. City officials say the site, inspired by the ceremonial “present arms” rifle salute, is meant to become a signature landmark where Koreans and international visitors can pause to remember allied sacrifices and South Korea’s transformation from a war-torn nation to one of

Apr 14, 2026By Jung Min-ho
Gwanghwamun Square monument to honor Korean War allies faces questions over timing, procedure
Others

Korea ranks 3rd globally in key AI models, securing top spot for patents

Korea is strengthening its position among the world’s leading players in artificial intelligence (AI), ranking third in notable AI models released last year and first in patents per capita, according to a new report from Stanford University. The Ministry of Science and ICT said Monday that the AI Index 2026 report from Stanford University’s Human-Centered AI Institute ranked Korea third in notable AI models last year, with five, trailing the United States with 50 and China with 30. The ranking marks a rise from fourth place the previous year, putting Korea ahead of countries such as Canada, France and the United Kingdom, each of which produced one model. Korea also ranked first globally in AI patents with 14.31 per 100,000 people, maintaining its top position for a second consecutive year. Luxembourg came next at 12.25, followed by China at 6.95 and the United States at 4.68. The report also highlighted Korea’s broader adoption of artificial intelligence, ranking the country fourth in industrial robot installations, with 30,600 units. China led with 295,000 units, followed by Japan

Apr 14, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Korea ranks 3rd globally in key AI models, securing top spot for patents
Defense

Military to seek to acquire 11,000 commercial drones for training this year

The military will seek to acquire some 11,000 commercial drones for training by the end of this year, the defense ministry said Tuesday, as part of efforts to better utilize the cost-effective weapon system. Under the plan, the ministry plans to open the bid this week for potential manufacturers and accept proposals at the end of May. It aims to sign the final contract in July following relevant verification procedures, the ministry said. The plan is part of the ministry's "500,000 drone warrior" project, aimed at helping all conscripts familiarize themselves with drones while enhancing the military's combat power. Given that the ministry aims to purchase drones equipped with key parts built with homegrown technology, the ministry anticipated the project to also help nurture the domestic drone manufacturing industry. Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back proposed the project in September, saying such a project will not only strengthen the military's drone operation capabilities but also help troops work in relevant industries after their service.

Apr 14, 2026By Yonhap
Military to seek to acquire 11,000 commercial drones for training this year
Campus

Kookmin Univ. project wins gov't backing to engineer food-grade yeast

Kookmin University said Tuesday that the Ministry of Science and ICT had selected a new synthetic biology project aimed at stabilizing future food supplies, backing research to engineer food-grade yeast for precision fermentation. Professor Park Yong-cheol of the university’s department of integrative biotechnology was chosen for the 2026 Basic Research Program’s core research category, overseen by the ministry and supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea. The project focuses on developing a genetic toolkit for Candida utilis, a food-grade yeast, and applying it to produce key food materials through precision fermentation. The initiative aims to establish technologies for the stable domestic production of food ingredients such as proteins and amino acids, while addressing supply instability linked to climate change. Park’s team plans to design modular genetic components to enable genome editing and strain improvement of the yeast, laying the groundwork for scalable and efficient production of food resources. “The goal is to develop core technologies that can ensure a

Apr 14, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Kookmin Univ. project wins gov't backing to engineer food-grade yeast
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