Heavy snow blanketed South Korea's capital area for the second consecutive day Thursday, with up to 40 centimeters of snowfall seen in parts of Seoul. A heavy snow advisory was in effect in all of Seoul as the accumulated snowfall reached 40.2 cm in Gwanak Ward and 27.1 cm in Seongbuk Ward. On Wednesday, Seoul saw the heaviest November snowfall since modern weather observations began in 1907, with 16.5 cm of snowfall. The record coincided with the first snow of the season in the city. Traffic wa

The Japanese cities of Osaka, Fukuoka and Tokyo emerged as the top destinations for repeat overseas travel among South Koreans, according to data from Triple, a travel platform run by Interpark. These three destinations accounted for over half of all demand for multiple visits, reflecting strong interest in tourism to Japan. Osaka topped the list with 18.6 percent of respondents reporting at least two visits, followed by Fukuoka (16.6 percent), Tokyo (15.2 percent), Bangkok, Thailand (7.9 perc

More than 50 cars crashed into each other on an icy road in Wonju, Gangwon Province, injuring 11 people as record heavy snow hit the country on Wednesday. The crash occurred at 5:49 p.m. on National Route 409, between Manjong and Simpyeong intersections in Wonju, according to the Gangwon Fire Headquarters. The accident began when a Matiz compact car skidded to a stop on a downhill stretch of a highway. The vehicles that followed were unable to stop because the road was icy and collided in a ch

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said Wednesday he takes "full responsibility" for the controversy over Japan's memorial ceremony for Korean wartime forced labor victims, expressing regret over Tokyo's failure to honor the promises it made to the international community. Criticism emerged after Japan hosted the event for Sado mine forced laborers earlier this week, which failed to properly acknowledge the victims or the site's full history of forced mobilization of labor dur

Seoul subway Line No. 2 was delayed over 20 minutes during morning rush hour due to a conductor taking an urgent toilet break on Monday, according to Seoul Metro. The conductor who was driving a train on the outer lane of the circular route had to leave the train urgently to use the toilet in a station at 8:11 a.m. While an engineer watched the train, the conductor ran down the platform and returned in 4 minutes 16 seconds after using the restroom on another floor. However, the 125 trains follow

President Yoon Suk Yeol met with a delegation from Ukraine led by the country's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov on Wednesday at his office in Seoul, according to Yoon's office. Yoon was quoted by the presidential office as saying that he hoped South Korea and Ukraine could find a practical breakthrough to counter the security threat posed by military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. Yoon's office did not disclose what Umerov said during his meeting with Yoon. Following t

The presidential office on Wednesday expressed concerns about the potential impact of President-elect Donald Trump's proposed tariffs on Korean businesses in Mexico and Canada, vowing proactive measures to address the risks. Sung Tae-yoon, the presidential chief of staff for policy, held an interagency meeting to assess the potential effects of Trump's pledge to levy a 25 percent tariff on all products from Mexico and Canada, along with an additional 10 percent tariff on China. Trump&#

South Korea in September saw the largest on-year increase in the monthly number of childbirths in nearly 14 years, government data showed Wednesday. According to Statistics Korea, 20,590 babies were born in September, which was 1,884 more than the same month in 2023. The on-year increase was the largest since January 2011 percentage-wise, and the most since March of 2015 in terms of the number of babies born. It was the third straight month in which 20,000 or more babies were born, with 20,601 i

The Ministry of Education approved Yonsei University's plan to conduct an additional essay test for natural sciences applicants after the original exam -- part of the 2025 admissions cycle -- was marred by a leaked question. The decision aims to resolve ongoing legal disputes over the leak and stabilize the university’s admissions process. The additional test, scheduled for December 8, comes in response to a court ruling that suspended the results of the original exam after proctors a

Heavy snow warnings were issued across the country as South Korea -- especially the Greater Seoul area and Gangwon Province -- experienced heavy snowfall nationwide, with more expected overnight. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, more than 20 centimeters of snow covered parts of Seoul as of 7 a.m., Wednesday morning. Normally, a warning is issued by the KMA when snowfall is expected to reach above 20 cm within 24 hours. The last time a snowfall warning was issued by the KMA

Several stories of police officers stepping up to provide urgently needed medical attention have been reported across the country this week. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Tuesday that a quick-thinking police officer saved a woman suffering from hypoglycemia by buying candy for her. In a video posted on the SMPA's official YouTube page, the woman can be seen falling to the floor in Geumcheon-gu, Seoul on Nov. 18, shaking and unable to communicate. A police officer from the Seoul

Two student organizations hosted a peace forum and concert at Imjingak, a site near the Demilitarized Zone, the buffer zone between South and North Korea, to commemorate the Korean War and honor its veterans. The groups -- the Mind Shelter Project and Past for Present -- organized the "Youth International Peace Forum and Concert" in the lead-up to UN Veterans International Memorial Day on Nov. 11, building on their inaugural event from last year. The program, themed, "Unforgetting

A joint South Korean-Chinese fraud ring that swindled of 12.2 billion won ($8.73 million) from more than 80 victims in a romance scam has been caught, police said Tuesday. The Busan Metropolitan Police arrested 12 suspects, including a Korean leader in his 20s and a Chinese leader in his 30s, on charges including conspiracy to defraud. Eight additional suspects were charged without detention. According to police, the group recruited South Korean accomplices in their 20s and 30s and flew them to

One in three students in Jeju Province is either overweight or obese, giving the island the highest student obesity rate among regions in South Korea, data shows. Approximately 33.4 percent of students enrolled in Jeju’s elementary, middle and high schools had a body mass index over 23, the threshold for an overweight classification in South Korea, according to an analysis of student health data from 2022 led by the Education Ministry. This was the highest rate nationwide, compared to th

By Nurgali Arystanov Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Republic of Korea Kazakhstan is emerging as a key investment destination in its region, consistently attracting substantial foreign direct investment (FDI) since its independence in 1991. With over $431 billion in FDI to date, driven by investors such as the Netherlands, the US and Switzerland, Kazakhstan is emerging as a promising landscape for foreign companies, including those from South Korea. This robust economic relations

GWACHEON, Gyeonggi Province -- South Korea’s defense acquisition minister said the upcoming US administration under returning President Donald Trump could be an opportunity for the country’s defense industry. Seok Jong-gun, who heads the Defense Acquisition Program Administration in charge of arms exports, told reporters Tuesday that Trump decreasing support to US allies could open up a new market for South Korean defense companies to explore. The minister said he sees Trump presiden

Talk of a constitutional amendment to ease the presidential term limit has reemerged in South Korea, with a new proposal allowing a president to seek reelection. Chyung Dai-chul, a former lawmaker who served five terms until 2004, said Wednesday he would work to let either the legislature or the government finalize their proposal of an amendment to the Constitution by the end of 2025. His proposal will allow presidents to serve a second term, while shortening the length of a single term from fiv

The South Korean government will ease visa requirements for skilled workers, and partially lift hiring limits for foreign national workers in the construction industry, according to the Ministry of Justice on Wednesday. Under what it has dubbed its “New Immigration Policy,” industries can propose bringing in foreign workers for specific needs, with requests assessed by government ministries and a committee of experts deciding on adjustments like workforce quotas. Changes will be made

Citizens will be able to issue a mobile ID card, allowing them to conveniently verify their identity using their smartphones without the need for a physical card. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that starting Dec. 27, citizens aged 17 or older who already hold a national ID card can apply for a mobile resident registration card, a digital initiative for the first time in 56 years since the system was in place. Citizens will have two options to apply for a mobile ID card. The fi

Prosecutors on Wednesday raided the ruling People Power Party headquarters and its offices in western Seoul as part of an inquiry into claims that a self-proclaimed power broker interfered in the conservative party’s 2022 by-election candidate nominations. The Changwon District Prosecutors' Office conducted a search and seizure based on the allegations that Myung Tae-kyun, a self-proclaimed power broker, received around 76 million won ($54,400) from former People Power Party Rep. Ki