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  • Politics

    Lee proposes golf meeting with opposition lawmakers: PPP officials

    President Lee Jae Myung has proposed a golf meeting with senior lawmakers from the People Power Party (PPP) as part of an effort to improve communication with the opposition, PPP officials said Thursday. They said a senior presidential official called three-term PPP lawmaker Shin Sung-bum in mid-June and invited him to join the president for a round of golf. The official said the meeting was intended to give Lee an opportunity to hear candid views and criticism from opposition lawmakers. The presidential office did not confirm the report. Shin, nevertheless, said, "I received a call from a senior Cheong Wa Dae official inviting me to play golf with the president." "The official said the purpose was for the president to meet opposition lawmakers and listen to their criticism," the lawmaker added. Shin said he declined the invitation because he does not play golf, but welcomed the idea. He added that he told the presidential official it would be worthwhile for the president to meet opposition lawmakers and hear their views on pending issues, including concerns over the government's handling

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

    Special counsel indicts ex-JCS chief over martial law involvement

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Special counsel indicts ex-JCS chief over martial law involvement
  • Law & Crime

    Gov’t ramps up crackdown on ‘salt farm slavery’

    2 MIN READBy Jung Min-ho
    Gov’t ramps up crackdown on ‘salt farm slavery’
  • Education

    Hate speech seeps into Korean classrooms

    3 MIN READBy Bahk Eun-ji
    Hate speech seeps into Korean classrooms
  • Society

    Hanwha Aerospace explosion likely occurred while cleaning explosive waste: police

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Hanwha Aerospace explosion likely occurred while cleaning explosive waste: police
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Defense

Korea, US navies staging regular rescue drills

Korea and the United States launched their regular rescue training drills earlier this week aimed at enhancing interoperability between their navies, the South's Navy said Thursday. The Salvage Exercise (SALVEX), which kicked off Monday for a five-day run, is under way in waters off Changwon, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, according to the Navy. The drills brought together troops from the Navy's Sea Salvage and Rescue Unit (SSU), the ROKS Tongyeong salvage and rescue ship, and the U.S. Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit. Notably, the Australian Clearance Diving Team and a special rescue unit of the Korea Coast Guard joined the exercise for the first time this year, working together with the Navy to strengthen their joint rescue capabilities. During the drills, the troops conducted underwater search missions while aboard the rescue ship and engaged in scuba training to search for the missing under a simulated sinking ship scenario. The joint exercise is aimed at enhancing rescue operations capabilities in peacetime and during war, and strengthening interoperability between the navies.

Apr 9, 2026By Yonhap
Korea, US navies staging regular rescue drills
South Korea

Inclement weather disrupts flights at Jeju airport

Heavy rain and strong winds lashed Jeju Island on Thursday, disrupting flights to and from the southern resort island. According to the Korea Airports, 82 domestic flights (42 departures and 40 arrivals) and six international flights (three departures and three arrivals) were canceled as of 9 a.m. amid wind shear and strong wind warnings issued for Jeju International Airport. In addition, 23 domestic flights (seven departures and 16 arrivals) were delayed, the corporation said, adding two other flights departing from Seoul and Shanghai, China, respectively, were unable to land on the island and returned. As of 9 a.m., all passenger ferries traveling between Jeju's main island and surrounding islands, such as U Island, Gapa Island and Mara Island, were suspended. The Korea Meteorological Administration said rain is expected across the country from Thursday morning to Friday morning, with Jeju and the southern coastal regions, in particular, affected by heavy rain accompanied by thunder, lightning and gusts of wind. The expected precipitation is 20 to 60 millimeters for the Seoul metropolit

Apr 9, 2026By Yonhap
Inclement weather disrupts flights at Jeju airport
Defense

Korea, US to begin joint Freedom Flag air drills this week

Korea and the United States will launch their large-scale air exercise this week, the South's Air Force said Thursday, in efforts to strengthen their interoperability and survivability in joint operations. The semiannual drills will kick off at an air base in the southwestern city of Gwangju on Friday and run for two weeks, incorporating defensive counter air, air interdiction and close air support training programs, according to the armed service. The South will mobilize an array of fighter jets, including the F-15K, KF-16 and F-35A, KA-1 light attack aircraft, transport planes such as the KC-330 as well as the E-737 Peace Eye. The U.S. Air Force's F-16 and RQ-4 Global Hawk as well as the U.S. Marines' F/A-18 and MQ-9 Reaper will join the drills. This year's exercise will be led by the Korean side as Seoul seeks to achieve the handover of wartime command from Washington by 2030 and will focus on verifying capabilities to conduct combined operations, the Air Force said. The drills will also aim to verify and supplement integrated mission concepts of fourth- and fifth-generation fighter j

Apr 9, 2026By Yonhap
Korea, US to begin joint Freedom Flag air drills this week
Global Community

Korean professor reelected as member of UN rights body

A Korean professor has been reelected as a member of a U.N. committee monitoring social and human rights compliance, the foreign ministry said Thursday. Lee Joo-young, a research professor at Seoul National University Human Rights Center, will serve another four-year term starting 2027 on the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR), the ministry said in a release. The CESCR, consisting of 18 human rights experts, is a U.N. body that monitors how countries implement the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Korea jointed the covenant in 1990. Lee was among nine members elected for the 2027–30 term, alongside an Indian expert representing the Asian region.

Apr 9, 2026By Yonhap
Korean professor reelected as member of UN rights body
South Korea

Singer-actor Cha Eun-woo says he has paid off taxes related to evasion allegations

Singer and actor Cha Eun-woo said Wednesday he has paid off all taxes at the center of allegations that he engaged in large-scale tax evasion. Cha, who is currently carrying out mandatory military service, took to social media to provide an update on the controversy and apologize again. "I sincerely apologize for causing disappointment and confusion to many people, including my fans, with the recent tax controversy surrounding me," he wrote. "I respect the National Tax Service's procedures and outcome, and have paid all the related taxes so that the confusion does not continue." In January, Cha was reported to have been notified by the tax service of additional income tax assessments exceeding 20 billion won (US$13.6 million), raising suspicions of tax evasion. He apologized at the time and promised to cooperate with the tax authorities. "As I have received the love and support of many people, this issue hits me more heavily and deeply," Cha wrote Wednesday. "If there was anything that I didn't properly take care of, that responsibility also falls on me. I will not evade it by saying 'I d

Apr 9, 2026By Yonhap
Singer-actor Cha Eun-woo says he has paid off taxes related to evasion allegations
Society

K-pop greenwashing betrayal: 6,667 tons of plastic waste driven by merchandising

Major Korean K-pop agencies are accused of greenwashing when promoting digital "smart albums," while maintaining aggressive marketing tactics that force fans to bulk-buy physical CDs to access fan events. Since 2021, the top four domestic entertainment companies — HYBE, SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment and JYP Entertainment — have produced 6,667 tons of disposable plastic. This volume equals the weight of roughly 4,445 mid-size cars. The primary source of this waste is the traditional compact disc. Manufacturers use polycarbonate to press CDs, a material that takes about 100 years to decompose naturally. If the discs are landfilled or incinerated, they release greenhouse gases and pollutants. In response to criticism, the industry introduced smart albums that allow listeners to access music via near field communication (NFC) technology or QR codes. However, an investigation by the Hankook Ilbo into 58 albums with CD-less options released by the four major agencies last year revealed a systemic reliance on physical media. With the sole exception of BTS member J-Hope's "Charm of Hope

Apr 9, 2026By Hankookilbo
K-pop greenwashing betrayal: 6,667 tons of plastic waste driven by merchandising
Law & Crime

Court dismisses North Jeolla governor's injunction request over party expulsion

A court on Wednesday dismissed an injunction request by North Jeolla Province Gov. Kim Kwan-young to suspend his expulsion by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. Kim was expelled from the party last week amid allegations that he handed out cash to 20 people, including local council members and public servants, at a restaurant in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, last November. The governor, who is seeking reelection in the upcoming June local elections, filed for an injunction against the expulsion, as well as an injunction to suspend the primary race for the North Jeolla governorship. But the Seoul Southern District Court dismissed both requests Wednesday, saying that based on the submitted documents, it is difficult to conclude the party's measure was procedurally unlawful or excessively harsh. With the dismissal of the injunction against party expulsion, it is also difficult to grant an injunction to suspend the primary race, the court said. Kim has said he handed out a total of 680,000 won ($450) to the 20 people, ranging from 10,000 won to 100,000 won per person, to use as chauffeur f

Apr 8, 2026By Yonhap
Court dismisses North Jeolla governor's injunction request over party expulsion
Society

Korea faces unexpected medical supply shortages amid Iran war

Fears of shortages in syringes and IV packaging materials as a result of the U.S.-Iran war are spreading through Korea’s healthcare sector, prompting authorities to urge medical providers to refrain from stockpiling. Frontline clinics and pharmacies, however, say there is little left to hoard, warning that prolonged supply disruptions could hamper patient care, with local clinics typically holding about a week’s worth of supplies and pharmacies around two weeks’ worth. The Ministry of Health and Welfare said at a briefing Tuesday that measures had been put in place to ensure a stable supply of IV packaging materials over the next three months. “Panic buying is the biggest threat to the stability of medical supply distribution, and unfair business practices will be punished without exception,” Health and Welfare Minister Jung Eun-kyeong said, signaling a swift investigation if price fixing, collusion or production cuts are detected. Medical providers on the front lines are already struggling to secure essential medical supplies as the U.S.-Iran war drags on. Surging oil prices h

Apr 8, 2026By Hankookilbo
Korea faces unexpected medical supply shortages amid Iran war
Global Community

Undocumented Thai worker to receive state support after air gun assault

A Thai worker who suffered internal injuries after his employer allegedly fired a jet of high-pressure air into his body at a factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, is expected to receive state protection and industrial accident compensation, in a case now testing Korea's treatment of undocumented laborers. According to government officials, the worker, in his 40s, was working bent over a table at a metal-plating factory on Feb. 20 when the employer approached him and allegedly pressed an air gun against his bottom area before pulling the trigger, causing his abdomen to swell rapidly and leaving him struggling to breathe. The man was first taken to a local hospital and then transferred to Ajou University Hospital in Suwon, before finally undergoing surgery at Osan Hankook Hospital the next day. During this period, the employer allegedly kept urging him to return to Thailand. He is still in recovery. The worker entered the country in 2011 under the Employment Permit System (E-9), but became undocumented after his visa expired in July 2020. The case triggered widespread public outrage ove

Apr 8, 2026By Jung Min-ho
Undocumented Thai worker to receive state support after air gun assault
Global Community

Lee meets with ex-Japan PM Ishiba, thanks for support of mending ties

President Lee Jae Myung met with former Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Wednesday, highlighting the former prime minister's efforts in restoring "shuttle diplomacy" and mending frayed bilateral ties. Lee hosted the luncheon meeting at Cheong Wa Dae for Ishiba, who stepped down last September and was succeeded by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi amid a domestic political crisis. "I am grateful that the Korea-Japan relations became considerably more stable while you were in office and that bilateral cooperation between the two countries has since progressed well," Lee said. "With a broad interest in global issues, you played a significant role," he added. Ishiba expressed his appreciation to Lee for hosting the luncheon, saying he gave utmost priority in advancing the bilateral ties with Korea during his one-year term. "Although one year was a short term, I valued the development of the Japan-Korea relations the most in the context of diplomacy," Ishiba said. Lee and Ishiba first met at the Group of Seven summit in June last year shortly after Lee took office. The two leaders

Apr 8, 2026By Yonhap
Lee meets with ex-Japan PM Ishiba, thanks for support of mending ties
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