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  • Politics

    Justice minister nominee hits back over lobbying allegations

    Justice minister nominee Kim Seung-won said Tuesday, that if he is appointed, he will prevent information about an investigation by the police or prosecution from being “used politically.” His pledge is an apparent counterattack against independent Rep. Han Dong-hoon’s disclosure of probe materials about Kim’s alleged illegal lobbying activities. The justice minister nominee said Han, a former prosecutor, should disclose how he obtained the investigation materials. "If I am given the opportunity to serve as minister, I will correct [the practice of] the political use of investigative information," Kim said in his opening remarks at his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly. Kim, also a two-term lawmaker, was suspected of using his influence to lobby for the approval of a pharmaceutical company's COVID-19 clinical drug trial in October 2021, although prosecutors later suspended the indictment following an investigation. Han brought back the allegation after Kim's nomination was announced. Kim and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) then claimed that Han obtained con

    2 MIN READBy Yi Whan-woo
    Justice minister nominee hits back over lobbying allegations
  • South Korea

    Seoul city bus union to go on strike Wednesday after wage talks fail

    2 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Seoul city bus union to go on strike Wednesday after wage talks fail
  • South Korea

    Consecutive presidential terms? Don't even dream about it

    4 MIN READBy Hankookilbo
    Consecutive presidential terms? Don't even dream about it
  • Defense

    Defense chiefs of Korea, Japan agree on defense cooperation based on 'mutual understanding'

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Defense chiefs of Korea, Japan agree on defense cooperation based on 'mutual understanding'
  • South Korea

    Seoul's city bus union sets 9 pm Tuesday deadline for strike

    2 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Seoul's city bus union sets 9 pm Tuesday deadline for strike
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Law & Crime

Ex-defense minister faces added charge of leaking confidential info in connection with martial law

A special counsel team investigating former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid additionally indicted former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, Saturday, on charges of leaking military secrets. Kim is accused of conspiring with Moon Sang-ho, former commander of the Defense Intelligence Command (DIC), and two other military officers to hand over the personal information of more than 40 DIC personnel to former DIC commander Noh Sang-won, according to the team. The special counsel team believes Kim and Noh planned to use the list to form a special investigation unit that would probe alleged election-rigging in the wake of the Dec. 3 martial law declaration. Kim was first indicted last December for his alleged role in the short-lived imposition of martial law, and again in June for allegedly deceiving the Presidential Security Service, Dec. 2, to be issued a secure phone that he later delivered to Noh. Saturday's indictment is expected to be the last case the special counsel will refer to trial before the team's term expires Sunday.

Dec 13, 2025By Yonhap
Ex-defense minister faces added charge of leaking confidential info in connection with martial law
Society

Why hiring foreign workers is tough in Korea, but easier for Coupang

Coupang, reeling from a sweeping data breach allegedly linked to a former Chinese employee, is drawing fire over its heavy reliance on foreign workers in its IT department. While visa rules remain one of the biggest barriers for Korean companies seeking to hire foreign workers, Coupang faces far fewer restrictions because it is classified as a foreign-invested company with its headquarters in the U.S. The company, widely seen as Korea’s answer to Amazon, is said to have about 1,000 foreign employees in Korea, accounting for roughly 10 percent of its workforce. As a foreign-invested company, the e-commerce giant can navigate visa requirements more easily than domestic firms, giving it access to a broader pool of eligible workers. Korean companies generally rely on the E-7 visa when hiring foreign workers. The E-7 is a work visa granted to foreign nationals with verified professional expertise or specialized technical skills and is divided into 87 job categories, including IT, business management, finance and design. The requirements for this visa are stringent, covering factors such as

Dec 13, 2025By Jung Da-hyun
Why hiring foreign workers is tough in Korea, but easier for Coupang
Society

Last missing worker found dead at collapsed construction site in Gwangju; death toll at 4

The last missing worker in a library construction site accident was found dead Saturday, following the fatal collapse incident that occurred two days ago. The body of the 58-year-old worker, identified by his surname Kim, was discovered at around 11:20 a.m., officials said, bringing the death toll from Thursday's accident to four. Earlier in the day, authorities found the body of another worker, surnamed Ko, at around 1:03 a.m. Two other workers died Thursday, the day the accident occurred. The four victims were identified as technicians affiliated with a subcontractor, all of whom were Korean nationals. Officials suspect the collapse began as workers poured concrete onto the two-story structure's rooftop, with the ground floors falling to the underground level. The library under construction was being built by the Gwangju metropolitan government on the site of a former waste incineration plant in the city some 300 kilometers south of Seoul. Police and labor authorities raided the headquarters of the project's main contractor to seize documents related to the construction to confirm whethe

Dec 13, 2025By Yonhap
Last missing worker found dead at collapsed construction site in Gwangju; death toll at 4
Global Community

Lifestyle vlogger Sissel embraces motherhood in Korea

New mother and YouTuber Sissel is no stranger to self-reinvention. Once a model, skin care brand ambassador, life coach and beauty vlogger, she’s now shifted her focus to a simpler pursuit: building a joyful life on and off camera, with her 1-year-old son, Noa, in tow. Her sunny life mission, she said, is to “never wake up on a Sunday dreading Monday.” That relentless optimism might raise some eyebrows, but she doesn’t mind. She continues to strive for a healthier and happier life for herself and her family. And to the 877,000 subscribers of her YouTube channel, @sisselabs, Sissel embodies a grounded, family-centered version of foreigner success in Korea. A leap of faith Though Sissel’s ideal life plan had her starting a family in her home country, falling in love changed everything. She decided to build a stable life for herself in Korea. When she first arrived in Seoul from Denmark seven years ago, Sissel was far from the established content creator she has grown into today. Jumping into that industry was a self-confessed “chancy” move at a time when foreign creators in K

Dec 13, 2025By Emily Serby
Lifestyle vlogger Sissel embraces motherhood in Korea
Society

Celebrity scandals reignite debate over Korea’s drinking culture

Alcohol-related controversies are once again shaking South Korea’s entertainment industry, with allegations ranging from workplace misconduct to repeat drunk driving cases renewing public scrutiny of a long-criticized celebrity drinking culture. The latest spark came from JTBC’s investigative program, “Scandal Supervisor,” which aired on Wednesday and revisited allegations involving comedian and television host Park Na-rae. According to the broadcast, former managers who met Park recently to discuss a possible settlement over alleged mistreatment claimed she appeared intoxicated during the meeting. The claims quickly ignited backlash online. Netizens flooded social media with reactions such as “She should cut back on drinking regardless of the controversy,” “This is beyond disappointment — it’s worrying,” and “Drinking even in this situation?” Earlier reporting by Dispatch on Dec. 4 said former managers accused Park of repeatedly ordering them to run errands for drinking snacks, clean up after private parties and attend drinking sessions against their will. The a

Dec 13, 2025By Xportsnews
Celebrity scandals reignite debate over Korea’s drinking culture
Others

5 crew members rescued after falling overboard off Jeju's Seogwipo

Five crew members were rescued Friday after falling overboard from a merchant ship sailing off the southwest coast of Seogwipo on Jeju Island, officials said. According to Coast Guard officials, a report was filed at 4:47 p.m. that five crew members had fallen into the sea from the 8,580-ton cargo ship about 33 kilometers southwest of Seogwipo Port. Ten people were aboard the vessel at that time. The Coast Guard immediately dispatched rescue boats and a helicopter to the scene for rescue operations, and all of them, who were aboard a life raft, were rescued safely by around 5:52 p.m. The rescued crew members, all of whom are foreign nationals, were reported to be in stable condition and are being transported to hospitals nearby. Authorities are investigating the cause of the accident, officials said.

Dec 12, 2025By Yonhap
5 crew members rescued after falling overboard off Jeju's Seogwipo
Law & Crime

EXPLAINER Unification Church lobbying probe roils Korean politics

An expanding, politically fraught investigation into alleged illicit ties between the Unification Church and Korean politicians has become one of the farthest-reaching influence-peddling scandals in recent years. The widening probe, led by a special prosecution team headed by Min Joong-ki, has drawn in figures from across the political spectrum — including lawmakers from both the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) — and has unexpectedly extended into President Lee Jae Myung’s inner circle. The scandal threatens to disrupt an already delicate political balance, placing mounting pressure on both major parties to demonstrate transparency and distance themselves from the controversial religious organization. At issue are longstanding allegations that senior officials of the Unification Church — officially named the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification — engaged in systematic lobbying by providing money, campaign assistance or gifts to politicians and government officials. Investigators say the allegations span mult

Dec 12, 2025By Kim Hyun-bin
[EXPLAINER] Unification Church lobbying probe roils Korean politics
South Korea

Top court confirms 6-yr prison term for US military worker in meth smuggling case

The Supreme Court has confirmed a six-year prison term for a U.S. military employee in South Korea for smuggling nearly 7 kilograms of methamphetamine into the country via U.S. military mail, legal sources said Friday. The top court recently upheld a lower court ruling against the U.S. citizen on charges of bringing in 6.8 kilograms of methamphetamine enough for 130,000 people to take simultaneously — into a U.S. military base in Pyeongtaek, about 60 kilometers south of Seoul, in August 2021. The defendant, who also faced charges of possessing and taking cocaine in December 2021, was accused of colluding with an acquaintance in the United States for the scheme. The court rejected the defendant's claims of only accepting a request to lend a U.S. military address and believing the packages contained powdered milk and baby products.

Dec 12, 2025By Yonhap
Top court confirms 6-yr prison term for US military worker in meth smuggling case
Law & Crime

107 nationals repatriated from Cambodia over suspected online scam crimes

Korea has repatriated 107 nationals suspected of involvement in online scam crimes in Cambodia since October, the presidential office said Friday, as part of a sweeping crackdown launched following the death of a Korean student in the Southeast Asian nation. The pan-government campaign began in October to curb a surge in scam crimes targeting Koreans, after President Lee Jae Myung ordered the launch of a special response team to work with the Cambodian authorities to track down suspects, arrest them and bring them back to Korea. As of end-November, the cumulative number of Korean suspects arrested in Cambodia, including those still awaiting repatriation, stood at 154, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung told reporters The crackdown has also led to a sharp decline in reports of Koreans confined or going missing in Cambodia, with the number falling from 93 cases in October to just 17 in November, Kang said. The government pledged to continue taking a tough stance on transnational crimes that threaten the safety of Koreans abroad. "The government will continue take stern, firm action agai

Dec 12, 2025By Yonhap
107 nationals repatriated from Cambodia over suspected online scam crimes
Society

Koreans hesitant to have children amid pricey Seoul life, scarce regional jobs

A shortage of job opportunities is widely cited as the chief driver of falling birthrates and population outflows in towns and smaller cities, underscoring the need for policies that prioritize job creation to slow the demographic decline. A report released Thursday by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs found the trend especially acute in 89 population-decline zones, defined by eight metrics such as the proportion of residents under 14 and those over 65, over the past five years. The report is based on a nationwide survey of 5,000 adults aged 19 to 69 conducted last month. Asked to assess the leading causes of declining birthrates on a five-point scale, respondents identified “a lack of desirable job opportunities” as the top factor, assigning it an average score of 3.61, compared with 3.27 for housing costs and 2.97 for limited child-education facilities. Among respondents in population-decline zones, employment conditions scored even higher in relation to low birthrates, averaging 4.09. The same factor also ranked highest for population outflows, scoring 3.8 overall a

Dec 12, 2025By Park Ung
Koreans hesitant to have children amid pricey Seoul life, scarce regional jobs
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