Fine dust levels to return to normal over weekend Most of South Korea was covered by thick, ultrafine dust for the second consecutive day Wednesday, with such conditions forecast to continue until Thursday, according to the National Institute of Environmental Research. The NIER announced that the density of ultrafine dust particles is forecast to remain at “bad” levels nationwide until Thursday, excluding some eastern coastal regions in Gangwon Province and southern parts of Jeju Island. The per

Hatred, distrust of Democratic Party motivates young men to support Yoon: experts Since the South Korean National Assembly approved the bill to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol on December 14, large-scale protests have erupted across the country, with pro- and anti-Yoon demonstrators calling for either his criminal punishment or his reinstatement as president. Anti-Yoon protests have seen a notable increase in young female participants, while pro-Yoon protests have drawn a large number of men in

Judge responsible for issuing Yoon's warrant to be under police protection from Monday morning Law enforcement agencies on Sunday condemned the violent protests at the Seoul Western District Court, the first-ever riot targeting the judiciary in South Korea, vowing to restore order and hold those responsible accountable. Sparked by the formal arrest of President Yoon Suk Yeol earlier in the day, the attacks have sent shockwaves through the country. After the court granted a warrant for Yoon’s ext

115 medical clinics, 197 affiliated hospitals selected to conduct focused treatment for the flu, other respiratory illnesses The South Korean government and the ruling People Power Party agreed Thursday to designate an emergency medical response period for treating influenza patients and patients with other respiratory diseases over the Lunar New Year holiday, as the number of flu patients soared in recent weeks. The ruling party and representatives from the Ministry of Health and Welfare held a

'Only the beginning': Concerns about S. Korea’s political future still linger despite Yoon’s detention With South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol taken into custody by investigators on Wednesday, mixed voices among protesters for and against Yoon’s detention echoed in front of Yoon’s residence at Hannam-dong in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul. From around 5 a.m., the streets of Hannamdaero began to swell with pro- and anti-Yoon protesters, with one side demanding he be detained and the other chanting h

Situations requiring emergency response to be shared with local authorities; drones to be deployed for effective safety response The Ministry of Interior and Safety announced Tuesday that alerts sent through the Emergency Ready App will soon be available in 19 languages from August 2025, as part of the ministry’s key policy plans to make emergency information more accessible. The Emergency Ready App is run by the Ministry of Interior and Safety, which provides multilingual support for 36 emergen

The new head of South Korea's largest group of doctors kept a hardline stance, despite a recent conciliatory gesture from the government, dampening hopes for renewed dialogue addressing the ongoing and almost yearlong medical crisis. The Korean Medical Association announced that Kim Taek-woo, a surgeon, was appointed as its new leader on Tuesday, following his election on Jan. 8. The KMA leadership had remained vacant since late last year after the impeachment of former head Lim Hyun-taek. The K

Starting last Friday, foreign national residents in South Korea can apply for digital ID cards through the Mobile IDentification App, available for both iPhone and Android devices. Foreign residents aged 14 and over who own a smartphone under their name can get the mobile ID card. The digital card carries the same legal validity as the physical card and can be used in places such as public institutions, hospitals and convenience stores to verify one’s identity. Here are two ways one can apply fo

Foreign nationals residing in South Korea will be able to apply for digital residence cards from Friday, according to the Ministry of Interior and Safety. Foreign nationals aged 14 and above are eligible to use their smartphone to have their mobile identification cards issued. The digital ID carries the same legal validity as a physical card. According to the Interior Ministry, the digital copies of residence cards can be used in public institutions, hospitals and convenience stores. The governm

The chief of South Korea's Presidential Security Service, Park Jong-joon, appeared for police questioning at 10 a.m. Friday, facing allegations of obstructing the execution of a court-ordered warrant to arrest suspended South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Jan 3. In front of the National Office of Investigation of the Korean National Police Agency in Seoul, Park, who commands Yoon's bodyguards, claimed investigators attempting to carry out the warrant to arrest Yoon was “inappropriate.” “I be

Extreme cold expected to reach peak Friday The season’s coldest temperatures swept over South Korea on Thursday with a cold wave advisory issued in most parts of the country, as morning temperatures dipped below minus 10 degrees Celsius. The temperatures are likely to drop further on Friday morning. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, a cold wave advisory took effect in most parts of the country on Thursday morning. As of 8 a.m., the lowest temperature in Seoul was recorded at

South Korea in 2024 experienced the hottest year since weather records were first kept 113 years ago, marking an all-time high in the average yearly temperature as well as the number of tropical nights observed, said the Korea Meteorological Administration on Thursday. According to the KMA, Korea’s yearly average temperature was 14.5 degrees Celsius in 2024, which is 2 C higher than the average temperature of previous years. The year 2024 also marked the second consecutive year in which high-tem

The Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-water) said Thursday that it will display its water management technologies at CES 2025, the world’s largest consumer electronics and IT trade show, scheduled to run through Friday in Las Vegas. K-water, being its third consecutive year of participating at CES, stated that it will show the enterprise’s water management technologies that aims to target global water shortage problems at the K-water exhibition hall, along with 19 other South Korean startup c

Authorities are under growing pressure to detain President Yoon Suk Yeol for questioning, following their aborted attempt on Friday and the subsequent receipt of an extended warrant. On Tuesday, the court granted an extension of its warrant to arrest Yoon, giving the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials and the police — key agencies in the joint probe team — additional time to strategize when and how to make their second attempt. Oh Dong-woon, the chief prosecutor of the CI

South Chungcheong, Jeolla Provinces to see snowfall of up to 40 cm With Thursday’s morning and daytime temperatures forecast to dip below freezing, South Korea will experience the coldest temperatures of this winter so far, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration on Wednesday. According to the KMA, morning temperatures on Thursday will fall to minus 15 degrees Celsius in the central region, including Seoul and the surrounding areas, as well as in North Jeolla Province and North Gyeo