The South Korean minister for veterans affairs expressed regrets over the public outcry that erupted over the decision to deploy an advanced U.S. anti-missile defense system on the Korean Peninsula."I feel very sorry over the controversies caused by the South Korean and U.S. governments' decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system," Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Park Sung-choon said during Korean-American Friendship Night, an annual gathering of former a

Two U.S. Air Force B-1B strategic bombers this week made the closest-ever flight to North Korea to warn the communist country against any further provocations, the U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) said Thursday.North Korea conducted its fifth underground nuclear test on Sept. 9, despite international condemnations and sanctions imposed after the previous nuke detonation in January. The latest provocation came on the heels of the launch of three ballistic missiles four days earlier.   One of the tw

Union workers in the public sector held a massive rally in central Seoul on Thursday in protest of the government's push to expand a performance-based pay system, police said.About 2,000 members of the Federation of Korean Public Industry Trade Unions gathered in front of Seoul Station, according to police. The number of participants that the rally organizer said took part in the event stood at around 5,000.During the protest, the federation said its members will put utmost efforts towards preve

The government said Thursday it has designated quake-stricken Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, as a special disaster zone, in the aftermath of the country’s strongest recorded quake that hit the historic city last week. 　Gyeongju is set to be granted emergency relief and the financial support needed to restore the area. Its residents will receive tax benefits and cuts in utility bills, as well as counselling services to help them overcome post-traumatic stress disorder.　 Members of a civic e

Aftershocks following the strongest recorded quake on Sept. 12 will continue to take place in the Korean Peninsula for months to come, though there will be no more quakes stronger than 5.8 magnitude tremors, the Korea Meteorological Administration said Thursday.The KMA said that it decided to install additional seismic monitors nationwide to detect earthquakes within 7 seconds of a disaster striking the county. “It is very unlikely that a quake stronger than the magnitude 6.5 will hit the nation

The government and ruling Saenuri Party decided Wednesday to designate quake-stricken Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, a special disaster zone as the historic city suffered from the country’s strongest quake on record last week and more than 400 weaker aftershocks since. The decision came as South Korea’s presidential office, the prime minister, and ruling Saenuri Party held high-level talks Wednesday to discuss measures to deal with the string of quakes that have rattled the southeastern pa

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck near the historic city of Gyeongju in the nation’s southeastern region Monday night, a week after two strong earthquakes jolted the same city. The Korea Meteorological Administration said that the quake hit a depth of 14 kilometers at 8:33 p.m., with the epicenter located some 11 kilometers south of Gyeongju in what is believed to be the biggest aftershock. Seismic monitors recorded more than 400 aftershocks as of Tuesday morning since the quake -- the largest e

South Korea has the fourth highest number of students pursuing studies abroad in the world, with the most favored destination being the United States, recent data showed. According to statistics from UNESCO on the mobility of students in 2014, the number of Korean students studying abroad was 116,942. Among South Korean students, the most popular destination was the United States, with 64,693 students, or more than half of the total, choosing to study in the country. Japan was the second most fa

The number of serious crimes such as murder and robbery has decreased, but sex crimes against women surged over the past decade, with the arrest rate having declined, a study showed Sunday. According to the Korean Institute of Criminology, the total number of crimes stood at 1.93 million in 2014, which marks 3,767 offenses per 100,000 in the country with a 50 million population. The number of criminal offenses has remained at around 1.9 million since 2010 after it reached a peak of 2.16 million

At a parliamentary hearing Monday, rival parties clashed over the legitimacy of the use of force by police during an anti-government rally last year that left 69-year-old farmer Baek Nam-gi unconscious.  The opposition The Minjoo Party of Korea and People’s Party lashed out at the police for using force to crack down on rallies and failing to apologize over the protestor’s collapse. The ruling Saenuri Party called it a regrettable accident that occurred as police were carrying out their duties.

South Korea had the second-highest income disparity among senior citizens out of the member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, as their jobs are mostly low-paying and unstable, a government report showed Sunday. According to a report on the employment structure and income disparity of seniors released by the Korea Labor Institute, the Gini coefficient -- a measure of inequality -- for people aged 65 or over in Korea was 0.422, the second highest after Chile a

A Seoul court on Thursday sentenced South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Hong Joon-pyo to 18 months in prison for taking bribes from a deceased businessman and ordered him to pay 100 million won ($91,600) in forfeiture. Hong, 61, was accused of receiving 100 million won in political funds from Sung Woan-jong, the late chairman of local construction firm Kaengnam Enterprises, in 2011. Yoon Seung-mo, who delivered the money to Hong on behalf of Sung, was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for

Korean law firm Yoon & Yang launched the Public Interest Legal Center on Wednesday, aiming to expand its corporate social responsibility programs for legally underrepresented people.Under the Yoon & Yang Pro Bono Foundation, the legal aid center plans to provide legal assistance on various issues to the socially marginalized, including single parent households, victims of sexual and domestic violence, the homeless, the disabled, migrant workers and North Korean defectors. Participants of the ope

The prosecution said Wednesday it had formed a special team tasked with investigating allegations that an incumbent prosecutor received kickbacks from a businessman in exchange for influence peddling in court proceedings. According to the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, the special inspection team -- consisting of four prosecutors and 10 investigators -- will look into bribery allegations involving senior prosecutor Kim Hyung-joon. “In regard to the case, the special inspection team will thoroughly

Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae on Tuesday offered a public apology over an incumbent senior judge who was arrested last week on suspicions of taking bribes from a scandal-ridden businessman.　“I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely apologize on behalf of the judiciary for causing concern to the people. I promise to take stern measures following what comes to light,” Yang said during an opening speech at an emergency meeting of local court chiefs. 　Yang Sung-tae, chief justi

The prosecution said Monday that it has launched an inspection into allegations that an incumbent prosecutor received kickbacks from a businessman, in the latest blow to the scandal-marred justice system.  The senior prosecutor, identified only by his surname Kim, is suspected of taking a total of 15 million won ($13,564) in bribes from a businessman, also surnamed Kim, in exchange for dismissing a case about his alleged embezzlement and fraud. The two attended the same middle and high schools.

When David Swan, an expert with 10 years of experience in the recruitment industry, came to Korea, he was surprised to see Korean job candidates entering the labor force relatively later than its neighboring Asian countries. What he witnessed in Korea was a large number of young job seekers, who are highly educated and overqualified, aiming for jobs that are in short supply or waiting for a job they want. Swan, who has served as managing director of global recruitment consulting firm Robert Walt

 Sponsored by the Presidential Committee for the Young Generation, a 2016 tourism job fair was held on Thursday and Friday at Coex in southern Seoul to promote jobs for the youth in the tourism sector. During the event, jointly hosted by a total of 10 organizations including the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Park Yong-ho, head of presidential committee, gave a special lecture to young job seekers about creative tourism and the future of the tourism industry. Park Yong-ho, head of the

The prosecution urgently arrested an incumbent senior judge on Thursday on suspicion of taking bribes from Nature Republic founder Jung Woon-ho in a widening probe into a high-profile corruption scandal plaguing the justice system. The Seoul Central Prosecutors’ Office arrested the 56-year-old judge at around 2:30 a.m., identified only by his surname Kim, without a warrant, citing his unstable mental state. The arrest came 17 hours after the prosecutors grilled him over his ties with the 50-year

[THE INVESTOR] The overall number of students in South Korea decreased amid the continuing low birthrate, while the number of students from multicultural families hit a record high this year, government data showed Tuesday. According to statistics released annually by the Education Ministry in August, the number of students in nationwide preschool, elementary, middle and high schools reached 6.63 million as of April 1, down 2.7 percent from the previous year. The number of middle school students