The government decided to provide Sancheong and two other regions affected by wildfires with special grants of financial support to help with recovery efforts, acting President Choi Sang-mok said during a disaster control meeting. "We will urgently provide a special disaster and safety grant of 2.6 billion won (US$177.4 million) to the three wildfire-affected regions," Choi said. The government will also provide 50 million won in disaster relief funds to support evacuees and victims in the south

A record 82 percent of Korean companies rank prior experience as top entry-level qualifier In a telling sign of how much South Korea’s job market has changed, more and more “new hires” are not new at all. Facing a tough economy and limited hiring budgets, Korean companies are increasingly filling entry-level positions with people who already have full-time work experience. Locally, the trend is referred to as "jung-go shin-ip" — which translates to “used-new hire” — an ironic term that captures

Ex-People Power Party chair says his Harvard background makes him ideal counterpart to Trump In 2022, Rep. Lee Jun-seok was in campaign mode, heading the push to get President Yoon Suk Yeol elected. Three years later he is gearing up for another campaign, this time to replace the man he championed. Just days away from turning 40 at the time of writing, Lee would be one of the youngest in South Korean history to launch a presidential bid — if Yoon is removed from office by the Constitutional Cour

Court’s impeachment verdict on Han Monday may serve as a bellwether for Yoon’s fate: observers South Korea faces a critical week, with landmark rulings expected to determine the fates of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, main opposition leader Lee Jae-myung and possibly President Yoon Suk Yeol, which could mark a major political turning point. Suspended Prime Minister Han’s impeachment verdict is set for Monday at 10 a.m., the appeal verdict on main opposition party leader Lee on Wednesday, and the v

4 dead, hundreds evacuated as simultaneous wildfires ravage Korea Simultaneous wildfires that broke out over the weekend across southern parts of South Korea left 10 casualties and over 1,500 residents evacuated from their homes, according to disaster authorities. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters said the blaze, which started in Sancheong, South Gyeongsang Province, Friday, had claimed four lives and injured another six as of Sunday morning. All of the victims were fr

● Updated law: Single-parent Family Support Act What it does: Expands state financial support options for single parents aged 24 or younger Took effect: March 4 Single parents aged 24 or younger are now eligible to receive state financial support to pursue more than one diploma upon returning to education. Previously, young single parents could only receive support for one type of diploma or school equivalency examinations or similar programs. They are now eligible to receive support while takin

A 24-year-old man was sentenced bythe Seoul High Court to seven years in prison for a series of sex crimes, including one that was proven when invetigators found that his attack was reflected on a washing machine lid in security camera footage. An appeals court found the defendant guilty of rape, sexual assault, illegal confinement, and sexual intercourse with a minor. He was also ordered to wear an electronic tracking anklet for seven years after release, and banned from working at facilities f

Local police say a family of three disappeared while on a road trip from the Grand Canyon to Las Vegas Three South Korean travelers who visited the Grand Canyon in Arizona have been missing for 10 days, local news reports said Sunday. According to the Los Angeles Times, a family of three women -- a 33-year-old Lee, her 59-year-old mother Kim, and a 54-year-old younger sister of Kim -- have not been seen since March 13. Coconino County Sheriff's Office in Arizona, which has been investigating the

The case surrounding the 2014 death of 20-year-old conscripted soldier named Yoon Seung-ju will be reviewed by the National Human Rights Commission starting Friday. The so-called "Private Yoon Incident," which occured in April 2014, will be reviewed by the commission's military human rights committee, after Yoon's familly submitted a petition to investigate the case in April 2023. The military initially claimed falsely that Yoon died due to a respiratory obstruction caused by food. But the civil

At least four people were killed, six people were injured and some 1,500 people were evacuated as wildfires fueled by strong winds have scorched areas of the nation's southeastern region, disaster authorities said Sunday. The fire began in Sancheong County, about 250 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Friday and spread to other parts. Of the six people who were injured, five were seriously harmed. All victims were found in Sancheong, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures He

A subway train derailed in Guro-gu, Seoul, at around 7:50 a.m. on Sunday, with no injuries reported as of a 9 a.m., according to railway authorities. Services have been halted in the counter-clockwise direction between Seoul National University (Gwanak-gu Office) and the Hongik University Station. Operations for the trains on the clockwise direction are fully functional. The train, operating on the main section of Seoul Metropolitan Subway Line No. 2, was departing from a depot at Sindorim Stati

SEOUL/CHANGWON--The South Korean government declared a state of national disaster Saturday over massive wildfires in southeastern regions that have claimed four lives. The measure took effect in Ulsan city, North Gyeongsang Province and South Gyeongsang Province as of 6 p.m., the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said. The announcement followed acting President Choi Sang-mok's recommendation to issue the declaration in order to implement comprehensive measures to combat the disaster and aid re

Hundreds of households evacuated in Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province, as strong winds hamper wildfire efforts SEOUL/CHANGWON -- The South Korean government declared a state of national disaster Saturday over massive wildfires that have engulfed Ulsan city and southeastern regions. The measure took effect in Ulsan city, North Gyeongsang Province and South Gyeongsang Province as of 6 p.m., the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said. The announcement followed acting President Choi Sang-mok's r

More villages were placed under an evacuation order Saturday as strong winds impeded firefighting operations against a wildfire that broke out in the southeastern county of Sancheong, officials said. The county office in Sancheong notified residents and visitors in eight nearby towns to immediately evacuate to a safe area at 3 p.m. The move came a day after the county office ordered 213 residents in seven villages hit by the wildfire to evacuate to a nearby research center. A resident in one of

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul met one-on-one with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya on Saturday and agreed to continue exchanges to keep steady the positive momentum in bilateral relations. The two top diplomats reached the agreement during their talks in Tokyo following their trilateral meeting involving Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Cho's talks with Iwaya came just about a month after their previous talks in Germany, and two months after Iwaya's visit to Seoul. "The ministers agreed o