Former first lady Kim Keon Hee had her seven-year prison sentence reduced to five years Tuesday, after an appeals court cleared her of accepting a 39.9 million won ($29,000) Vacheron Constantin watch in return for business favors. The Seoul High Court upheld most of Kim’s conviction for accepting luxury goods from people seeking public appointments and other favors through her influence as the spouse of former President Yoon Suk Yeol. It ordered her to pay 24.4 million won in forfeiture and the

People who need medical care during the Chuseok holiday should check opening hours before heading out, as hospitals, clinics and pharmacies will operate on limited schedules from Thursday through Sunday. The easiest way to find a nearby facility is through E-Gen, the national emergency medical information website. Users can search for facilities by location, type, medical specialty and treatment date. Because holiday hours may change, visitors should call the hospital, clinic or pharmacy before

A South Korean Army sergeant has had a four-year prison term upheld for selling classified materials, including documents on South Korea-US combined military exercises, to a Chinese intelligence organization. Legal sources said Friday that the Supreme Court’s Second Division upheld an August ruling by the Seoul High Court, which also included a 20 million won ($14,500) fine and a 19.07 million won forfeiture. The soldier, who was an active-duty sergeant at the time of the offenses, had been in c

Reports of adverse events following the use of Wegovy and Mounjaro have reached 1,780 in Korea as prescriptions for the weight-loss drugs have surged, government data showed Friday. The data, submitted to ruling Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Kwon Chil-seung, showed 944 reports involving Wegovy from its Korean launch in October 2024 through March this year. The annual breakdown was 49 in 2024, 672 in 2025 and 223 in the first three months of 2026. “Adverse-event reports alone cannot establish a

Nine people have been referred to prosecutors for allegedly targeting and threatening foreign nationals riding motorcycles without license plates in two cities in South Gyeongsang Province, police said Thursday. Yangsan Police Station referred two suspects in their 20s to prosecutors who were in custody on charges including joint extortion. Gimhae Seobu Police Station separately referred seven teenagers without detention on aggravated assault charges. The two Yangsan suspects allegedly followed

The National Tax Service collected 5.56 billion won ($4.02 million) in taxes after finding dozens of cases in which withholding on fees paid for foreign artists’ performances in Korea had not been properly reported, government data showed Thursday. The findings came from a review launched in July 2025 of 110 withholding agents involved in performances held between 2022 and 2024. Reporting omissions were found in 39 cases, according to data obtained by Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Jung Tae-ho.

A new energy security push by South Korea and the International Energy Agency will take on Asia’s heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels and surging electricity demand from AI and data centers. The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding in Seoul on Thursday to strengthen the region’s energy supply chains and power systems against supply disruptions and climate-related disasters. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment and the IEA signed a memorandum of understanding in Seoul to

Tell a robot to “go to the blue sofa in the living room,” and it may navigate the building only to stop in the wrong place. KAIST researchers have developed an AI system that makes the robot take a second look and ask itself, “Is this really the right place?” before deciding it has arrived. The self-checking technology helped a joint team from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute finish first among 112 teams in an in

In just four years, 369 foreign workers died in workplace accidents in Korea, government data showed Wednesday, prompting a ruling party lawmaker to call for stronger safeguards at high-risk workplaces. The figures, covering 2022 through the first quarter of 2026, were compiled from workers’ compensation cases approved by the Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service. The Ministry of Employment and Labor then submitted the findings to Rep. Shin Jeong-hoon of the Democratic Party of Korea.

A Chinese teenager arrested while allegedly listening to air traffic control communications at Jeju Airport had multiple photographs of military facilities on his camera, prompting police to examine whether the two were connected. The Jeju Provincial Police Agency said Tuesday it was investigating the teenager without detention on suspicion of violating the Protection of Communications Secrets Act. The teenager allegedly used a handheld radio to listen for about 90 minutes to communications betw

Lee Sang-kyun, board chairman of Seoul Cyber University, received one of Kazakhstan’s highest state honors from President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Seoul on Monday for his contributions to educational exchanges and closer bilateral ties. The Order of Dostyk, Second Class, recognizes Kazakh and foreign nationals who have contributed to peace, friendship between nations, international cooperation and social harmony. Tokayev personally presented the decoration during his state visit to Korea in reco

Starting Monday, foreign tourists visiting Busan will be able to pay for city bus fares without needing to purchase a local transportation card or exchange cash. Busan Metropolitan City said Tuesday that it will introduce ZeroPay QR payments on city buses starting Sept. 21. Supported payment services include mobile payment apps widely used across Asia such as Alipay, WeChat Pay, UnionPay, PXPay Plus and PayPay. Under the system, passengers can scan a ZeroPay QR code displayed inside the bus usin

For generations, Korean families have gathered during Chuseok to make songpyeon, the half-moon-shaped rice cakes associated with the holiday. On Monday, that tradition was shared by a different kind of family gathering in western Seoul — older local residents and international students. Hosted by the Seodaemun-gu Family Center, the event brought together about 40 international students and 40 older residents to make songpyeon and share stories about Korean culture and holiday traditions. Seodaem

Seoul’s Jung-gu, home to Myeong-dong, captured nearly a quarter of foreign-card spending for shopping in Korea in the second quarter of 2026, increasing its share even as foreign visitor numbers grew faster in the other Seoul areas of Seongsu-dong and Yeouido. Purchases made with foreign-issued credit cards at department stores, outlets, duty-free shops, large supermarkets, convenience stores and souvenir shops totaled 2.36 trillion won ($1.76 billion) nationwide, including 568.4 billion won in

Reports of suspected misuse of personal customs clearance codes more than quadrupled in two years to 71,440 last year, Korea Customs Service data showed Sunday. Another 33,545 reports were filed in the first eight months of this year. The annual total rose from 16,355 in 2023 to 24,741 in 2024, before jumping to 71,440 last year. A PCCC is an identification code used when goods purchased directly from overseas go through customs clearance. It is used instead of a resident registration number. If