Jeju Air's Boeing 737-800 that clashed at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province on Sunday, claiming 179 lives, had experienced a prior incident in 2021, according to authorities on Tuesday. Korea Airports Corp. confirmed that the same aircraft, registered as HL8088 in the Aircraft Technical Information System, had a history of its tail being struck on the runway while taking off from Seoul's Gimpo International Airport in February 2021. The accident resulted in structural damage to

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon delivered his New Year’s address Tuesday, the last day of 2024, outlining his administration’s achievements in the last year as well as ambitious goals for 2025. The mayor emphasized his vision of transforming crises into opportunities and building a more livable, globally admired city, while stressing deregulation as the key to revitalizing Seoul’s economy and society. In his speech, Oh reflected on how Seoul has weathered various crises and positioned itself as a resilie

Decoding the black boxes from the Jeju Air crash in Muan, which claimed 179 lives, is expected to take at least a month, with one box partially damaged, the Transport Ministry reported. If the damage proves severe, the process could extend to six months, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said. Joo Jong-wan, director of aviation policy at the Transport Ministry, said during a briefing at the Sejong Government Complex Monday morning that both black boxes from Jeju Air flight 7C 22

South Korea is set to experience an intense combination of heavy snow and freezing temperatures during the final weekend of 2024, the Korea Meteorological Administration said Friday. The weather agency forecasts heavy snowfall in central and southwestern regions -- Chungcheong and Jeolla provinces -- accompanied by bitterly cold temperatures nationwide this weekend. The heavy snow, affecting South Chungcheong and Jeolla provinces as of Friday afternoon, is expected to intensify overnight and spr

Court rules 1980 emergency measures unconstitutional The mother and younger brother of legendary labor activist Jeon Tae-il were acquitted of martial law violations more than 44 years after their initial convictions under Chun Doo-hwan's military regime, court officials said Friday. They were among four people whose charges were ruled invalide by the Seoul Eastern District Court, due to the unconstitutional nature of the emergency martial law under which they were prosecuted. Jeon's mother Lee S

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, regarded as a likely presidential contender from the conservative bloc, said he was contemplating his next political steps amid the nation's ongoing political turmoil, while stressing that he feels obligated to complete his four-year mayoral term. “I feel the responsibility to complete my term as Seoul mayor. On the other hand, there are calls for me to use my abilities for the greater good of the nation on a larger scale. These two great responsibilities are in conflict

Seoul Cyber University, South Korea's first online university, is setting new standards for higher education by adopting innovative, AI-driven learning solutions. As part of this initiative, the university is utilizing AI technologies to enhance the delivery of higher education. For example, SCU plans to introduce AI-powered lectures in 2025, featuring virtual instructors built with text-to-speech technology and modeled on real professors. These AI instructors will provide consistent, engaging,

Han’s hesitation sparks constitutional debate as Supreme Court, Constitutional Court both affirm his authority The Supreme Court has said that an acting president has the authority to appoint Supreme Court justice nominees approved by the National Assembly, explaining that such an appointment would not violate constitutional principles. The Supreme Court’s position is particularly significant, as the Constitutional Court previously affirmed that an acting president has the authority to appoint C

Filipina caregivers voiced dissatisfaction with the ongoing six-month pilot program, citing concerns over wages and working conditions, including the scope of their duties, according to a survey by the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Businesses. Concerns highlighted in the survey, disclosed on Monday by Rep. Lee Yong-woo of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, included insufficient net income caused by accommodation costs and the burden of various living expenses, cramped living c

Poll shows Woo Won-shik has become most trusted politician after martial law crisis President Yoon Suk Yeol's unprecedented declaration of martial law on Dec. 3 dominated headlines, but a photo of a man climbing a wall to enter the National Assembly compound that same night also went viral. The man, identified as National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, led an emergency vote in the chaos-filled Assembly despite the absence of most ruling party lawmakers, ultimately lifting Yoon's martial law. Ele

Rep. Jang Kyung-tae of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea alleged that first lady Kim Keon Hee spent three hours at a plastic surgery clinic on the evening of Dec. 3, just before President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law at 10:23 p.m. “On Dec. 3, (a few hours before) martial law was declared, Kim entered a plastic surgery clinic located near Sinsa Station in southern Seoul, at 6:25 p.m. and remained there until 9:30 p.m., less than an hour before the martial law announcement,” Jang

The South Korean government has announced plans to accept 207,000 nonprofessional foreign workers in 2025, the first reduction in four years, as employers struggle to use up the existing quota, according to officials Sunday. This total allocation includes workers under the E-9 employment permit visa, the E-8 seasonal work visa and the E-10 seafarer employment visa. Under the decision reached by a government committee, the number of workers under the E-9 employment permit visa for next year was s

The number of immigrants in South Korea, which includes foreign nationals residing here as well as naturalized citizens, reached a record high of over 1.56 million in 2024, according to government data released Tuesday. Similarly, the number of employed foreign nationals also hit an all-time high at 1.01 million. The number of those having resided in South Korea for at least 91 days, aged 15 and above, reached about 1,561,000 as of May, compared to 1.48 million tallied a year earlier, according

The Ministry of Employment and Labor, in collaboration with the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, announced Tuesday the rollout of 20 safety signs, or pictograms, designed to help foreign national workers easily identify workplace hazards and precautions, regardless of proficiency in the Korean language. These pictograms will be distributed to workplaces employing foreign workers particularly in manufacturing industries. Those pictograms were created based on feedback collected from m

The iconic seasonal ice skating rink at Seoul Plaza is set to reopen Friday and operate until Feb. 9 next year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday. The city government has opened an ice rink every winter since 2004, except during the COVID-19 pandemic. The rink operates every day -- 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. from Sunday to Friday with hours extended until 11 p.m. on Saturdays and holidays. The entrance fee has remained unchanged at 1,000 won (70 cents) for 20 years, covering skate rental,