From the self-immolation of a Yoon supporter on March 7 to the egging of a main opposition party lawmaker in front of the Constitutional Court Thursday, violence and threats of it have become more frequent with South Korea's political crisis deepening, as suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment verdict continues to be pushed back -- with 108 days having passed since Yoon’s Dec. 3 martial law debacle. On Thursday morning, Rep. Back Hye-ryun of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea

The heads of medical schools nationwide reaffirmed Friday their plans to reverse the annual admissions quota for medical schools to what it was before this year -- 3,058 -- beginning in 2026, assuring medical students who have taken leaves of absence en masse that the government's previous hike plan will be scrapped if they return to the classroom. In a written letter to the students, 40 universities with teaching hospitals assured that the quota would be fixed at 3,058 for next year, down from

South Koreans had the highest rate of dining alone for dinner among G20 nations, according to a recent United Nations report. The World Happiness Report 2025, published Thursday by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, found that South Koreans ate together in the evenings an average of 1.6 days per week between 2022 and 2023. Among the 142 countries surveyed, Korea ranked 135th. It had the lowest rate among G20 nations, along with Japan, where people shared meals 1.8 days per week. I

The South Korean government announced a plan Thursday to allow exemption of travel visas for group tourists from China, in a temporary policy slated for the third quarter of this year to bring more tourists to South Korea. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it will reveal the specific plans for the visa exemption policy sometime in April after assessing public opinion. The ministry also hopes to boost foreign tourism centers by creating theme tourist packages -- such as in sports,

The state-run operator of South Korea's national railroads said Thursday it will consider an overhaul of its ongoing plans to construct a railroad in Gangwon Province, after its route was found to have been tampered with during the planning stage. The Korea National Railway said that it will re-examine from scratch the outlines for the planned 8.13-kilometer railway section connecting the cities of Chuncheon and Sokcho in the province. The decision by the KNR followed controversy after local med

Following suspended South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s arrest on Jan. 15 for his failed martial law attempt in December 2024, first lady Kim Keon Hee allegedly reprimanded the Presidential Security Service for failing to prevent Yoon's arrest, according to news reports, citing evidence obtained by the Korean National Police Agency’s National Office of Investigation. According to Korean-language daily Hankook Ilbo, Kim reportedly criticized personnel from the PSS family department, soon after

Foreign nationals residing in South Korea will be able to handle financial transactions using their digital residence cards from Friday, according to the Ministry of Interior and Safety on Thursday. The move comes two months after the government launched digital residence cards for foreign national residents on January 10. Able to be issued for foreign nationals aged 14 and above in possession of their own smartphones, the digital ID cards could be used for identification purposes in public inst

Prosecutors on Thursday sought a 1-year prison sentence for the daughter of former President Moon Jae-in on charges of driving under the influence and illegally renting out her properties for short-term accommodation. In the first hearing for Moon Da-hye’s trial at the Seoul Western District Court, prosecutors insisted the court hand down a 1-year sentence, citing the severity of the crimes. Prosecutors pointed out her “high” blood alcohol concentration, which was measured at 0.14 percent at the

Court to deliver impeachment verdict for Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Monday at 10 a.m. A mix of fatigue and tension is spreading across South Korea, as protests continue over President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment in an atmosphere of growing frustration. As of Thursday afternoon, the court is yet to announce Yoon's verdict date, more than three weeks since the court’s eight justices began closed-door deliberations on the case. Instead, the court told the press at 3:45 p.m. that it would delive

Prosecutors carried out a search and seizure operation at the residence and office of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon on Thursday, as part of an investigation into alleged corrupt ties between Oh and Myung Tae-kyun, a pollster who allegedly fabricated polls to broker the election candidacies of conservative political heavyweights. Thursday’s raid by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office is seen as an effort to expand the ongoing investigation into multiple election nomination scandals involving

Seoul education chief focuses on inclusive education at early age that can build foundation for future leaders South Korea is facing increasing social polarization, with deepening divides across generational, economic and ideological lines. Gender conflicts, regional disparities and tensions between different socioeconomic groups have intensified, exacerbated by competition-driven education and widening wealth gaps. Amid this fragmentation, Seoul’s Superintendent of Education, Jung Keun-sik, bel

Foreign worker wages in South Korea are rising, with more than twice as many earning over 3 million won per month compared to 2020 More than 300,000 foreign nationals in South Korea now hold a non-professional employment (E-9) visa, surpassing the 300,000 mark for the first time. Meanwhile, nearly four in ten foreign wage earners — 37.1 percent — receive a monthly salary of at least 3 million won (about $2,060), according to the latest findings from Statistics Korea. In comparison, Korean wage e

The Ministry of Justice on Wednesday denied a recent online rumor that a revision of the skilled worker visa system will permit a mass influx of Chinese nationals on a visa-free basis. The rumor is tangentially related to the September 2023 revision of the country's E-7-4 visa issued to skilled foreign workers, a key provision of which is an increase of the yearly quota for holders of such visas from 2,000 to 35,000. The online rumor claimed that large-scale visa-free entry of Chinese nationals

A burglar broke into a fried chicken restaurant overnight, fried some chicken, grabbed a beer, and left without taking anything else. Three days later, the bizarre incident repeated itself. When police caught the culprit, they discovered it was a former staff member, returning for a late-night snack. This case, which took place in Sejong in August last year, gained media attention this week, after a court sentenced the culprit to six months in jail, suspended for one year. The Daejeon District C

Two opposition lawmakers were hit with raw eggs Thursday during an outdoor press conference calling for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol's removal from office. Lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party were holding the press conference outside the Constitutional Court when the eggs were thrown at them from across the road and hit Democratic Party Reps. Back Hye-ryun and Lee Geon-tae. Police launched a search for the perpetrator and formed a task force to investigate the case. "In light