Prosecutors recently identified all three of former first lady Kim Keon Hee’s aides as being linked to a bribery scandal involving members of the Unification Church. According to legal sources and media reports Friday, the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office placed Yoo Kyung-ok, a former secretary for Kim, under an overseas travel ban as part of its widening influence-peddling investigation against the former first lady. Yoo, who served as a close aide to the first lady, is suspected of

Unseasonal heat in May has led to a surge in heat-related illnesses across South Korea, with 44 patients hospitalized over the past week — a dramatic 22-fold increase compared to the same period last year. According to data released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, 21 people were treated for heat-related illnesses on May 21 alone. The cases were reported by 517 emergency medical facilities participating in the agency’s nationwide heat illness surveillance system. Since the sys

Kim Kwan-young, governor of Jeonbuk State, called for deeper regional cooperation between South Korea and African nations during the Africa Day 2025 Korea-Africa Business Forum held Wednesday at the Grand Hyatt Seoul. Co-hosted by Herald Media Group in collaboration with the African Group of Ambassadors representing 19 countries and the Korea-Africa Foundation, the forum discussed progress in economic diplomacy and sought cooperation between Korea and African nations. Congratulating the forum's

Two individuals accused of attempting to extort money from South Korean soccer star Son Heung-min were formally indicted and handed over to prosecutors in custody, authorities said Thursday. The Seoul Gangnam Police Station said it sent a woman in her 20s, identified as Yang, and a man in his 40s, identified as Yong, to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office at around 8 a.m. on charges of extortion and attempted extortion, respectively. Yang, who is reportedly Son’s former girlfriend, al

Nearly 4 out of 10 South Korean adults aged 40 and older said they would rely on a caregiver in the event of old age or illness, according to survey results released Wednesday. The poll, conducted by the nonprofit Care for All Foundation on 1,000 adults aged 40 and older, found that 39 percent identified caregivers as their primary care providers, followed by 35 percent who said their spouse would take care of them. The survey also showed that 21 percent said they would care for themselves, whil

South Korea’s infants and toddlers are entering day care institutions at a younger age and spending more time there, according to a new national child care survey released Tuesday by the Education Ministry. The 2024 National Child Care Survey, which collected responses from 2,494 households and 3,058 day care centers and kindergartens nationwide, found that the average age for first enrollment in child care facilities has dropped to 19.8 months, compared to 30 months in 2009. This marks a contin

In South Korea, an increasing number of young adults are embracing the idea of childbirth outside of marriage, with attitudes shifting dramatically in recent years. A recent study commissioned by the Presidential Committee on Low Birth Rate and Aging Society and conducted by the Korea Women's Development Institute revealed Monday that the approval rate for nonmarital childbirth among individuals in their 20s and 30s has steadily increased over the past decade. For men in their 20s, support for c

SEOGWIPO, Jeju Island — Education leaders and global experts from across the Asia-Pacific region gathered Wednesday on Jeju Island for the 7th APEC Education Ministerial Meeting, opening a high-level dialogue on advancing inclusive and sustainable education in the era of digital transformation. Hosted by South Korea as the 2025 APEC chair, the meeting brought together some 200 participants, including ministerial delegations from 20 out of 21 APEC member economies. The forum convened for the firs

South Korea will host the 7th APEC Education Ministers’ Meeting from Tuesday to Thursday at the Jeju International Convention Center, marking the first such gathering in nine years since the previous session in Peru. As the chair of this year's APEC, South Korea’s Ministry of Education will lead the event, with education ministers and officials from all 21 APEC member economies, including the United States, China, Japan, Taiwan, Canada, Australia and Mexico, set to attend. Over 400 domestic and

A judges’ representative council will convene an emergency session on May 26 to discuss growing concerns over judicial independence and public trust in the courts, following the Supreme Court’s swift ruling in opposition leader Lee Jae-myung’s election law violation case. The council, composed of judges representing courts nationwide, announced Friday that its second meeting of 2025 will take place at 10 a.m. at the request of multiple representatives. The agenda will include issues submitted by

More than 40 percent of South Korea’s medical school students have been officially held back following a prolonged class boycott that disrupted the first semester of 2025, the Education Ministry announced Friday. With 46 students also confirmed for expulsion, the country’s largest academic disciplinary action in medical education is now official. According to the ministry, 8,305 students, or 42.6 percent of the 19,475 enrolled across 40 medical schools, now have to repeat the semester after fail

As South Korea’s classrooms grow increasingly diverse, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education is launching a new interpretation service to protect the rights of multicultural students, many of whom face heightened vulnerability in schools due to language barriers. Starting this month, the Seoul Eastern District Office of Education will provide real-time interpretation support in 18 languages to support multicultural students involved in school violence investigations. The move comes as multi

Acting President and Education Minister Lee Ju-ho said Wednesday that South Korea will proceed with calm and coordinated negotiations with the United States regarding tariffs, amid shifting US trade policies that he described as part of a "grave situation." Speaking at a high-level economic security strategy meeting in Seoul, Lee said the government will push forward discussions with Washington under the leadership of the minister of trade, industry and energy, while engaging all relevant minist

Medical education in South Korea is facing an unprecedented situation as schools across the country confirm that masses of medical students will have to repeat courses if they wish to continue their studies. The Ministry of Education has made it clear: students who missed the April 30 deadline and will therefore be subject to academic retention or expulsion will not be granted a second chance. By Wednesday, all medical schools are required to submit detailed reports to the Education Ministry, in

For South Koreans in their 20s to 40s, work is considered the most important part of life, significantly outweighing children or marriage and even personal fulfillment, according to a new government-commissioned report. The study released by the Presidential Committee for National Cohesion said that 38.1 percent of 2,690 respondents, South Koreans aged 25 to 44, selected "work" as their top priority when asked to rank the most important aspects of their current life. This was followed by persona