South Korea's main opposition party has ratcheted up criticism of the prosecution and President Yoon Suk Yeol and rallied in support for its chairman, Rep. Lee Jae-myung, who has become the first incumbent leader of the main opposition party wanted for arrest. Members of the Democratic Party of Korea held an outdoor rally denouncing the Yoon government and the prosecution in front of the National Assembly on Friday. It said about 2,000 people took part. In a speech, Lee accused the Yoon adm

The number of international flights between South Korea and China, currently 62 per week, will be increased to 100 per week next month. The decision to drop other quarantine measures, including mandatory PCR tests for entrants travelling from China, will be announced next week. "We will gradually increase the number of international flights between Korea and China to 80 per week by the end of this month, and to 100 per week next month," said Prime Minister Han Duck-soo at a COVID-19

The Blue Tree Foundation, an institution for victims of school violence, held a meeting Monday on the sidelines of the 61st Session of the United Nations Commission for Social Development, to discuss the prospect of sustainable development in the era of digital transformation. The 61st plenary session of the UN Commission for Social Development was held online and offline at the UN headquarters in New York from Feb. 6 to Wednesday with the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United

A state reconciliation panel confirmed Thursday that a civilian was shot by soldiers during a military coup 62 years ago, recommending compensation be paid by the state. The victim, who suffered a lifetime of pain from the gunshot wound, has finally been granted the possibility of receiving financial reparation. On May 16, 1961, then-Major General Park Chung-hee led a military coup against former President Yun Po-sun's government. The victim, who is only identified by the surname Cho, was s

South Korea, located on the relatively stable Eurasian Plate, has generally been considered safe from earthquakes. But authorities and experts here are voicing concerns that it is not a safe zone anymore, citing the growing number of earthquakes detected in recent years, changes in geology making Korea more vulnerable to big quakes in nearby regions, and most importantly, inefficient regulations that could minimize the damage if a quake happens. According to Korea Meteorological Administration&#

A research team comprised of experts from Korea, the United States and Europe developed "full-color micro LEDs with ultra-fine vertical stacked pixel structures" which can enable the production of more vivid screens. A joint research team led by Hong Young-joon, a professor of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials Engineering at Sejong University, has developed a new method to reduce costs and time of producing micro LEDs -- devices that are smaller than 100 micrometers in length and w

The Korea International Cooperation Agency said Sunday it is participating in a project to build "peace villages" in Vietnam in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme. The project involves removing land mines and unexploded bombs from central Vietnam's Binh Dinh, Quang Ngai and Hue provinces. The project, which began last year, has a goal of establishing sustainable cities and communities, ending hunger, and achieving food security. KOICA will provide 31.7 b

Go Do-won, chairman of the Morning Letter Cultural Foundation and independent lawmaker Yang Hyang-ja will hold a ceremony to inaugurate a foundation for young overseas Koreans around the world on Feb. 23, the two said Sunday in a news release. The foundation, named K-Diaspora World Solidarity, aims to provide young overseas Koreans with opportunities to strengthen their connection to the home country, they added. The organization will serve as a platform to connect 2 million overseas Korean teen

Actor Yoo Ah-in is under police probe for the illegal use of propofol, a powerful anesthetic commonly used for routine surgeries, and has been banned from leaving the country, according to the police on Wednesday. A drug crime investigation unit under the Seoul Metropolitan Police questioned Yoo on Monday, on suspicions of violating the Narcotics Control Act. The police questioned Yoo over allegations that he was habitually prescribed propofol through repeat visits to several hospitals. The inve

Following a devastating earthquake that struck central Turkey and northwest Syria, Koreans from all walks of the life on Tuesday expressed condolences to the victims and their families and showed their support for rescue missions in search of survivors. Calling for international assistance to people who lost homes and families, Koreans said they would stand in solidarity with those in Turkey and Syria struggling to respond to the biggest quake in 84 years in the area. “A disaster is not ea

In Sinchon, the student area near Seoul's Yonsei University, "Room Cafe" signs vie for the attention of passersby. But these are not just places for coffee or dessert. Instead they offer a maze of rooms, typically less than 3 square meters. Each has a TV, and often a bathroom with a shower and a bed. Many of them openly cater to minors, who are banned from using motel rooms with someone of the opposite sex. The rate for staying at a room cafe is around 10,000 won ($8) per hour --

Military police said Monday they had launched an investigation after a report that a sergeant had abused a soldier with a motor drill. According to a military statement, a sergeant at a unit located in the greater Seoul metropolitan area was reported Sunday for using a motor drill on the arm of a soldier on Friday. The names of the perpetrator and victim have not been disclosed. The sergeant appeared at the unit's cafeteria with a motor drill in his hand and, without warning, began to drill

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will launch a special crackdown on “room cafes,” which provide private closed spaces similar to hotel rooms, even to teenagers, officials said Thursday. Municipal officials, police and a civic group will participate in the crackdown from Feb 3 to 13. The facilities called "room cafes" or "multi-rooms," are businesses that provide private spaces, simple snacks, and drinks. They are usually registered as ordinary cafes or general re

Researchers sought to quell concerns that microplastics from disposable masks could cause lung damage, saying their study did not show that simply wearing masks and breathing through them is potentially harmful. "It is not the wearing of the mask itself that causes lung damage, but the microplastics that remain after disposing of the mask," said Yoo Byung-ah, an official at the Korea Institute of Toxicology. "Microplastics cannot be inhaled in one's lungs just by wearing and

Facilities in South Korea which temporarily detain foreigners subject to deportation have been gradually improved compared to the past, but are still short of fully protecting human rights, the Korean Bar Association and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said as they wrapped up a joint investigation. Since October last year, a special committee on refugees and foreigners under the KBA conducted in-depth interviews with foreigners and employees at several Immigration Processing Center

The Yongsan District Office said Tuesday that it would operate a Korean-language counseling center in February to assist people who are suffering from trauma after the Itaewon disaster. The center will provide mental and psychological evaluations, counseling and additional group sessions if necessary. Every Wednesday, a psychiatrist from Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital will visit to provide counseling sessions. "Merchants and residents near Itaewon are being hit hard by the depressi

On the first day of eased indoor masking, a 20-something worker surnamed Shin at a startup company in Seoul started her work day with her mask on as usual -- and she was not the only one. "Eight out of 10 people in our office were wearing masks when I walked into the office. I am also one of those who intend to keep masking,” Shin said. “(Masking) became a habit that makes me feel secure. I feel more comfortable with it." As of 12 a.m. Monday, South Korea's 27-month in

Ending a 27-monthslong mandate on Monday, South Korea lifts mandatory masking at most indoor spaces except for on public transportation and at hospitals. But confusion lingered among students, teachers and workers demanding accurate and detailed guidelines for schools and workplaces. The eased indoor mask mandate still requires people to wear masks in special circumstances, as the risk of getting COVID-19 is still relatively high here, they said. At schools, for example, masks will still be mand

The Ministry of Justice said Thursday that it will push for legislation of a new law that prohibits sex offenders from living closely to schools and establish a unit to oversee overall immigration policies. The so-called "Korean Jessica Act," calls for preventing high-risk sex offenders from residing within 500 meters of education facilities that involves minors -- elementary, middle, and high schools, daycare centers and kindergartens – after they are released from prison. The r

To cope with fast growing number of foreign residents, the ministry will set up a unit to help coordinate immigration policies with related ministries and agencies. The number of foreigners staying in Korea already exceeded the 2 million mark, the ministry said stressing the need to set up an integrated management system. “We will quickly establish a unified immigration policy at the pan-government level through the establishment of a coordinating unit and secure the budget by preventing o