President Lee Jae Myung called Wednesday for South Korea and five Central Asian nations to forge a “new Silk Road,” seeking to harness their complementary strengths to build a broader economic partnership spanning trade, industry and infrastructure. Speaking at the Korea-Central Asia Business Summit in Seoul, Lee drew on more than a millennium of exchanges between Korea and Central Asia to argue for taking their relationship into a new phase. The business gathering followed the inaugural Korea-C

South Korea and five Central Asian countries on Wednesday laid the foundations for a lasting partnership at their first-ever summit, adopting the Seoul Declaration to institutionalize their ties and map out a shared vision for the next 30 years. President Lee Jae Myung presided over the gathering, which focused on the future direction of Korea-Central Asia cooperation and ways to strengthen partnerships in innovation, prosperity and connectivity. The Seoul summit was the first time the leaders o

In just four years, 369 foreign workers died in workplace accidents in Korea, government data showed Wednesday, prompting a ruling party lawmaker to call for stronger safeguards at high-risk workplaces. The figures, covering 2022 through the first quarter of 2026, were compiled from workers’ compensation cases approved by the Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service. The Ministry of Employment and Labor then submitted the findings to Rep. Shin Jeong-hoon of the Democratic Party of Korea.

Seoul ranked seventh among 139 cities in the latest Global Financial Centers Index, rising one notch from the previous report, the Seoul city government announced Wednesday. The capital has ranked among the world’s top 10 for the fourth consecutive year. Published jointly by London-based consultancy Z/Yen Group and the China Development Institute, the Global Financial Centers Index compares the competitiveness of major financial hubs worldwide. The index is published twice a year, in March and S

Sanctions workaround: North Korea had an estimated 35,600–101,280 workers in at least 17 countries in 2025, generating roughly $450 million–$800 million despite UN restrictions on overseas labor. China leads hosting: China was estimated to host 20,000–70,000 North Korean workers, concentrated in border provinces and industries including garments, fisheries, electronics and IT. Russia expands role: Russia hosted about 15,000–30,000 workers by the end of 2025, with deployments spanning constructio

President Lee Jae Myung and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov agreed Wednesday to elevate their countries' comprehensive partnership across a range of fields. Lee's meeting with Japarov was the last in a series of one-on-one summits he held with the leaders of all five Central Asian countries beginning Monday, ahead of the inaugural Korea-Central Asia summit later Wednesday. Lee and Japarov "held broad discussions on ways to strengthen bilateral relations and expand substantive cooperation," accord

President Lee Jae Myung called on South Korea and Central Asia to open a new 30-year chapter in their partnership, saying their complementary strengths could help each side meet the challenges ahead. For the first time, the leaders of all five Central Asian countries gathered for the inaugural Korea-Central Asia summit in Seoul on Wednesday to map out a broad vision for the region’s partnership with South Korea. Joining Lee in Seoul were Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyzstan Pre

JEJU CITY — After 15 minutes of sailing through rolling waves, the boat approached a lone box-shaped platform standing in the sea off Jeju Island’s west coast. Measuring 32 meters long and 23 meters wide, the concrete structure is anchored in water about 15 meters deep. It is the core of a wave energy test site operated by the Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering. Researchers here are testing whether electricity generated at sea can be converted into hydrogen, providing a way

SEOGWIPO, Jeju Island — Jeju must move beyond expanding wind and solar capacity by building the infrastructure and industries needed to put its clean power to work, Gov. Wi Seong-gon said Tuesday. Jeju aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2035, 15 years ahead of Korea’s national target. Since taking office July 1, Wi has put climate policy at the center of his administration, creating the island’s first deputy governor post dedicated to climate and the economy. During an interview with a media

South Korea and Tajikistan established a comprehensive partnership Wednesday, elevating bilateral ties as Tajik President Emomali Rahmon made the first visit by a Tajik leader to Seoul in 11 years. President Lee Jae Myung and Rahmon held a bilateral summit at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul ahead of the first summit between South Korea and the five Central Asian countries. Rahmon’s visit comes as the two countries approach the 35th anniversary next year of establishing diplomatic relations in 1992. Seong

An online petition calling for the abolition of visa-free entry for Chinese nationals, along with tighter immigration screening, has drawn more than 60,000 signatures in under three weeks. According to the National Assembly’s public petition board, the petition posted on Aug. 31 had surpassed 60,000 signature as of Wednesday. Under the petition system, any petition that gathers at least 50,000 signatures within 30 days of posting is forwarded to a standing committee for review. The petition was

South Korean prosecutors have asked police to reinvestigate the death of a woman who received an incompatible blood transfusion at a Seoul hospital in 2024, after police closed the case without charges last month. The Seoul Northern District Prosecutors’ Office asked the Seongbuk Police Station to conduct further inquiries, saying additional facts needed to be established before the case could be concluded. Police plan to reopen the investigation. The woman, in her 50s, was taken to the emergenc

South Korea aims to introduce medication abortion for pregnancies of up to nine weeks by the end of March 2027, beginning with a two-year period in which doctors would prescribe and dispense the drugs at major hospitals, the government said Wednesday. If the necessary safeguards are subsequently established, the system would switch to doctors issuing prescriptions and independent pharmacies dispensing the medication. Prime Minister Han Seong-sook announced the phased plan at a government policy

When someone leads a blessed life, Koreans often say that person must have accumulated much virtue in a previous life. From Goguryo through Silla, Baekje and Goryeo, Buddhism stood at the center of Korean spiritual life. Royal and aristocratic families sent children into monasteries, while monks served not only as religious figures but also as scholars and social leaders. Yet Buddhist temples in the northern half of the Korean Peninsula have endured repeated trauma over the past five centuries.

After a violent movie trailer frightened children at a screening of "Teenieping: Legend of the Whale Heartstone" in Seoul last month, South Korea's film-rating authority is taking steps to prevent age-inappropriate trailers from being shown before children's films. According to local media reports Wednesday, the Korea Media Rating Board plans to separately identify trailers requiring extra caution and share the information with theater operators. The decision came after the board held talks with