South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee, who are on a state visit to Britain to mark the 140th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, attended a state banquet hosted by King Charles III at Buckingham Palace, Tuesday. The two leaders confirmed the strong relationship between South Korea and Britain, paying tribute to influential cultural figures and the history of each country. After attending an official welcoming ceremony at

People traveling from Incheon to Seoul by bus will be able to use an unlimited monthly transit pass from next year, Seoul City said Friday. It is an expansion to a 65,000 won ($50) pass that gives commuters unlimited access on all public transport within Seoul, and bus rides that depart from Seoul to other metropolitan areas. The announcement came as Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok signed a "Seoul-Incheon Transportation Business Agreement" at Seoul City Hall and

The first snow of the season fell in many regions, including Seoul, Friday. The Korea Meteorological Administration explained that the first snowfall in Seoul, at 11:20 a.m., was observed earlier than usual. Friday's measured precipitation in Seoul was not immediately available as of 3 p.m., but the KMA predicted about 1 centimeter of snowfall in the Greater Seoul area until Saturday. The weather agency officially announces the first snow in Seoul when an observer at the Seoul Meteorologica

Local governments across the country have suspended issuing government certificates and civil documents due to a failure in the administrative computer network, followed by a series of suspensions of the Government 24 online service, causing massive inconveniences. The Interior Ministry said it was working to restore the system. An indefinite suspension of all services was announced on the Government website at 1:55 p.m., with the explanation that the system was malfunctioning. The Government 24

The Suneung, South Korea's national college entrance exam, is less than a week away, with this year's test seeing a number of changes. The Education Ministry in June announced that it would exclude "killer questions" -- excessively difficult questions, the material for which is often not covered in the public education system. The change came following President Yoon Suk Yeol's comments that such questions might create an excessive dependence on private education. The mi

Even in the chilly winter season, when the air gets cold and the sun sets fast, there are still good reasons to take a walk: warm, delicious street snacks. As winter approaches, street vendors attract customers with sweet and savory snacks that one can hold in a hand and enjoy while walking along the street. "The cold, dark way home from work in winter feels even more exhausting than in mild weather, but when I find a street snack truck or a vendor, it really cheers me up," said Lee Hy

As the Seoul Metro, operator of the city's subway system, initiated a two-day warning strike Thursday to protest the company's downsizing plans, disruptions are expected outside of rush hour. The labor union of the Seoul Metro is holding a strike from 9 a.m. on Thursday to 6 p.m. Friday as the final negotiations broke down the previous day. Seoul Metro operates Seoul subway lines 1 to 8 and some sections of line 9. During rush hour, from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., all subway trains will operate

Morning temperatures fell below freezing in several regions across the country on Wednesday, the weather agency said. In Seoul, the first frost was observed on Wednesday, 21 days later than last year and 11 days later than the average record from 1991 to 2020. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, Jeonju, Gwangju, Seoul, Suwon, Cheongju, Daegu, and Incheon also saw the first frost as of 6 a.m. The first ice was also observed in Seoul, Suwon, and Andong. All were about 20 days lat

The South Korean government on Tuesday announced the withdrawal of a ban on disposable paper cups for food service businesses such as cafes and restaurants, along with provisional approval for the use of plastic straws at cafes and plastic bags at convenience stores. The Environment Ministry's announcement came as the grace period for the policy was coming to an end. A ban on single-use products, including paper cups, plastic straws and stirring sticks, was part of disposable product regula

Following the rain that fell across the country on Monday, temperatures are expected to drop significantly on Tuesday morning, with some areas likely to see morning temperatures below freezing and the first cold wave alerts. The Korea Meteorological Administration forecast that the morning temperature in Seoul on Tuesday will drop to 3 degrees Celsius, which is 12 C lower than the previous day, marking the coldest weather this fall. In northern Gyeonggi Province and some parts of Gangwon Provinc

Amid the steady stream of bedbug reports nationwide, central and local government agencies have begun implementing measures to prevent the spread of the pests in the country. In mid-September, a student reported having been bitten by bedbugs in a dormitory at Keimyung University in Daegu. On Oct. 13, live bedbugs and larvae were found in a sauna in Seo-gu, Incheon. Bedbugs have also been reported in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul and Busan. The Busan Metropolitan Government a

Labor Minister Lee Jung-sik said the government will work to set clear criteria for what constitutes workplace harassment as part of a push to foster a safe working culture, during a meeting with young workers in Seoul on Wednesday. "Creating a fair and safe workplace is the fundamental starting point of labor reform," said Lee during a meeting with young workers, labor inspectors and related experts at an event organized by the Ministry of Employment and Labor. Lee promised to consi

A man in his 70s was arrested on Tuesday for wielding a knife in front of the main gate of the Defense Ministry in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, where the presidential office is located. Two police officers were injured in the process of subduing the man. The Yongsan Police Station arrested the 77-year-old man, who is only identified by his surname of Park, who took out a knife in front of the main gate of the presidential office at 1:20 p.m. When Park, who was passing in front of the main gate of the Defe

The Korean government is stepping up its official development assistance support projects in developing countries as part of its bidding efforts to host the World Expo 2030 in Busan. Official development assistance is a form of government aid designed to promote economic development and welfare in developing countries. Developing countries account for about two-thirds of the 182 member countries of the Bureau International des Expositions, which are the countries that have the right to vote for

Despite efforts being made by South Korean cattle farmers and the government to contain the outbreak of lumpy skin disease, concerns are growing over the contagious viral infection. Authorities and officials stressed that the disease does not affect the human body, assuring consumers that all food products related to cattle are safe. As of Monday morning, a total of 61 cases of lumpy skin disease were reported since the first case was confirmed on Oct. 20 in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province. A

On the first anniversary of the Itaewon crowd crush that claimed 159 lives, bereaved families, civic groups and citizens gathered for a memorial service and march, demanding a thorough investigation and a formal apology from the government. The Itaewon Disaster Citizens’ Task Force and the Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families group hosted the event Sunday, with the march starting from the site of the disaster near Itaewon Station and proceeding to Seoul Plaza. Wearing purple jackets symboliz

Starting next year, foreigners must reside for at least six months in South Korea to receive health insurance coverage as dependents of the actual subscribers. A revision to the Health Insurance Act, which stipulates that foreigners must "stay in Korea for at least six months" to be registered as dependents of a worker living in Korea, received approval from a parliamentary subcommittee on Sept. 21 and is currently under review by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. Direct family

South Korea's central and local governments, along with livestock farmers nationwide, are making concerted efforts to curb the spread of lumpy skin disease, a highly contagious viral infection impacting cattle. South Korea's agriculture ministry has confirmed a total of 29 cases of the disease as of 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday since the first case was reported last Friday. In an attempt to contain the outbreak, around 1,000 cattle from farms where lumpy skin disease-infected cattle were bred have bee

Nearly 4 out of 10 young unemployed Koreans have been jobless for the last three years, highlighting an emerging issue in Korean society: a growing number of young people are giving up on job searching. According to data Statistics Korea released Sunday, 218,000 Koreans aged from 15 to 29 had not been employed for more than three years as of May 2023. Among them, 80,000 were those who spent time mostly at home without seeking employment or training and education for hiring opportunities, the age

Protestors calling for the freedom of Palestine held rally in Seoul, Friday, urging Israel to stop bombing the Gaza strip and free the region. Progressive civic group Workers’ Solidarity and local Muslim group Kore de Islam denounced the Israeli attack on Gaza Strip. About 700 Civic group members, Palestinians and other supporters gathered around Itaewon Mosque and marched to Itaewon Station, chanting slogans "No to ground invasion," "Stop Israel bombing of Gaza," and &