Lt. Gen. Ju Il-suk, the former director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s combat readiness inspections, was named Marine Corps Commandant in a reshuffle of general-level officers announced Monday. Ju replaces Lt. Gen. Kim Kye-hwan, who is under investigation for the death of Cpl. Chae Su-geun in July last year. Chae was killed during a search mission for missing victims of heavy downpours in Yecheon, a county in North Gyeongsang Province. Vice Adm. Choi Sung-hyeok of the 1st Fleet Command was

BUSAN -- Delegates from 177 countries gathered in Busan on Monday for the fifth round of negotiations to clinch a deal for a legally binding United Nations treaty to combat plastic pollution, though doubts linger as to whether a final agreement can be reached. From Monday through Sunday, delegates to the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee are expected to finalize a legally binding treaty to address plastic pollution. This initiative emerged from a resolution passed duri

The Ministry of Health and Welfare on Monday expressed its support for a legislative proposal from an opposition lawmaker to mandate anti-smoking warnings on e-cigarette devices. In a written answer to the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee, the ministry said, “In terms of raising awareness of the harms of smoking, it is necessary to display health warnings on e-cigarette devices,” and added it would support the enactment of relevant legal changes. Currently, a

Suwon, south of Seoul, will host the 2024 UNESCO International Forum on the Futures of Education from Dec. 2 to 4, bringing together over 1,800 participants from around the world, including government ministers, international organization representatives, academics and civil society experts. The forum, organized by UNESCO, builds on the organization's 2021 report "Reimagining Our Futures Together: A New Social Contract for Education," which emphasizes the need for equitable and su

The South Korean government is intensifying its efforts to expand Korean language education in elementary and middle schools worldwide, leveraging the growing global interest in Korean literature following author Han Kang's recent Nobel Prize win. The Ministry of Education on Monday unveiled its plan to establish a specialized agency to develop strategies for Korean language education tailored to different countries and regions. The agency will also create localized learning materials and

● Updated law: The Special Act on Supporting Jeonse Fraud Victims and Housing Stability What it does: Allows "jeonse" fraud victims to live in public housing without paying rent for 10 years Took effect: Nov. 11 Punishment: None "Jeonse" is a unique Korean system in which renters give landlords a large returnable deposit instead of paying monthly rent. The system has existed for decades, but in recent years, scammers have taken advantage of the system, refusing to return th

Main opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was acquitted Monday of subornation of perjury, with the Seoul Central District Court ruling him not guilty of allegedly asking a former mayoral secretary to provide false testimony in his favor in late 2018. Last year, prosecutors charged Lee with attempting to persuade a witness to make false testimony in his favor in December 2018, for a court trial over an alleged election law violation. Lee was accused of lying during a televised debate during his campai

The South Korean government on Monday held a memorial to honor the lives and suffering of Korean forced laborers who endured harsh conditions at Sado Island’s gold mines during Japan’s 1910-1945 colonial rule, as relatives of the deceased gathered at the former dormitory where the workers once lived. The decision followed Seoul’s boycott of a Japan-hosted ceremony a day earlier, where Japanese government representative Akiko Ikuina -- who has in the past visited the controversi

South Korea has intelligence that North Korea has suffered losses among its troops dispatched to aid in Russia’s war on Ukraine. The National Intelligence Service on Monday confirmed for the first time North Korean troops fighting Ukraine have been killed and wounded, without providing how many. In a Nov. 20 briefing to the National Assembly, the NIS said North Korean troops were deployed in the Russian province of Kursk near the border with Ukraine, with some participating in battles. Acc

The leaders of South Korea and Malaysia forged a strategic partnership on Monday to bolster cooperation in trade, the defense industry, clean energy and critical materials as they eye the 65th anniversary of diplomatic ties next year. This came as President Yoon Suk Yeol received Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on the occasion of his official visit to South Korea. It was the first visit by a Malaysian leader in five years. During the talks, Yoon expressed anticipation that their "bil

Despite Dongduk Women’s University temporarily halting its plans to transition into a coeducational institution, the aftermath of student protests continues to fuel controversy as alleged employment discrimination and damage compensation claims take center stage. The dispute sparked an online backlash, with discriminatory posts targeting graduates of women’s universities appearing on anonymous forums like Blind, a workplace discussion app. Users claiming to work in human resources at

As the year draws to a close, many South Koreans have named exercise and dieting as their top year-end resolutions, according to survey results Monday. The survey, conducted by Karrot Market, South Korea’s largest community marketplace platform, between Nov. 12 and 17, asked users what they most want to achieve before the year ends. The result showed that 39.5 percent of respondents identified exercise, health and dieting as their main priorities. Popular goals included walking for two hou

A massive flag depicting a human eye was unveiled near the venue of an international negotiation forum on plastics, which opened in Busan on Monday. Created and hoisted by the international non-profit organization Greenpeace, the "#WeAreWatching" flag aims to deliver a powerful message: global citizens are closely observing the discussions on solutions to end plastic pollution, the group said. Designed in collaboration with Swiss artist Dan Acher, it incorporates portraits of 6,472 ind

Seoul City announced Monday that it has launched two urgent care clinics and four specialized clinics to address the challenges patients requiring urgent care for non-severe conditions face during nights and holidays. The centers are expected to alleviate patients' challenges accessing medical care after a prolonged standoff between the government and trainee doctors, according to city officials. The two urgent care clinics, one in Yangcheon-gu and the other one in Songpa-gu, are to treat n

Starting Monday afternoon, heavy rain is expected to fall on Jeju Island and the Honam region, which includes Gwangju and South and North Jeolla provinces, and later spread across the country, according to the weather agency. Rain in the southern parts of the country and Jeju Island will mostly stop by Tuesday morning, but it will continue in the central regions until later in the day. The Korea Meteorological Administration added that low-pressure troughs could turn rain into snow in the moun

The national pension fund said Monday that the number of its recipients reached 7 million this month, marking the first time the milestone has been reached since its launch in 1988. "More than half of South Koreans aged 65 and above are currently receiving national pension," the National Pension Service said in a statement. "This indicates that the NPS is playing a pivotal role as a safety net for retirees." The NPS currently distributes 3.6 trillion won ($2.57 billion) month

President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating rose for the second consecutive week to 25.7 percent, a survey showed Monday. According to the survey by Realmeter and commissioned by a local news outlet, the positive assessment of Yoon's performance rose 2 percentage points from the previous week, while the negative assessment fell 2.7 percentage points. The survey was conducted on 2,508 adults from Monday to Friday last week and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points, wi

South Korea has designated May 27 as Aerospace Day to commemorate the launch of the Korea AeroSpace Administration and proclaim the country's commitment to becoming a global space power, the national space agency said Monday. The day will be commemorated as a national memorial day starting next year, according to KASA, which was established on May 27 this year. The designation has been made to uphold the country's goal of becoming one of the five global leaders in the aerospace industr

A group of North Korean soldiers disguised as "indigenous people" of Russia's Far East have engaged in combat with Ukrainian troops in Russia's western border region of Kursk, according to a Ukrainian news report. Citing Kyiv's top military officer, RBC Ukraine on Sunday reported that more than 11,000 North Korean soldiers are already stationed in the Kursk region and have taken part in battles against Ukrainian troops. "These are mostly general military units. They

A Posco factory in the southeastern city of Pohang has suffered its second fire in two weeks, officials said Monday, with no casualties reported. The fire started at the steel company's patented No. 3 Finex furnace of the plant, located about 270 kilometers southeast of Seoul, at 11:18 p.m. Sunday. Firefighters dispatched 21 fire trucks and some 50 personnel to the scene before extinguishing the fire at 1:13 a.m. Monday. The police and fire agency plan to look into the exact cause of the f