President Yoon Suk Yeol and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev were set to hold summit talks Wednesday to discuss strengthening cooperation in the supply chain of critical minerals, infrastructure development and other areas. Yoon began his three-day state visit to Kazakhstan on Tuesday, the second leg of his Central Asia trip following his stop in Turkmenistan. At the talks, the two leaders plan to discuss ways of further advancing economic ties, particularly in resources and infrastructure

President Yoon Suk Yeol instructed the government Wednesday to carry out a swift damage assessment and safety check in response to a 4.8 magnitude earthquake that struck near the southwestern county of Buan early in the day, his office said. Yoon gave the instruction upon being briefed on the quake, the strongest on the Korean Peninsula and in its surrounding waters this year, while on a state visit to Kazakhstan, according to presidential spokesperson Kim Soo-kyung. He also called for continual

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo instructed the government Wednesday to take thorough and effective measures in the aftermath of a 4.8 magnitude earthquake that struck near the southwestern county of Buan early in the day, his office said. The quake struck 4 kilometers south of the North Jeolla county at 8:26 a.m., the strongest on the Korean Peninsula and in its surrounding waters this year, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. Han ordered the interior minister to thoroughly manage

Professors at 40 medical schools were set to hold a meeting Wednesday to decide whether or not to join a planned strike by community doctors, an official at a group of the professors has said. Community doctors voted to take a day off next Tuesday in support of a protracted walkout by trainee doctors, who have left their worksites since late February to protest against the government's medical reform. The official at the Medical Professors Association of Korea told Yonhap News Agency on Tue

South Korean stocks opened higher Wednesday, tracking overnight gains by US big tech shares. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 9.05 points, or 0.33 percent, to 2,714.37 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The US stock market closed mixed overnight as investors remained cautious about the conclusion of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting, set to end Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average retreated 0.31 percent to close at 38,747.42, but the tech-heavy Nasdaq advance

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent a congratulatory message to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the occasion of its national day, the North's state media reported Tuesday, amid growing speculation that Putin would visit Pyongyang soon. Kim sent "a message of greeting" to Putin, which was "courteously conveyed" by the North's Ambassador to Russia Sin Hong-chol to an official of the Russian foreign ministry, according to the Korean Central News Agency. The KCNA d

South Korean captain Son Heung-min collected his 127th cap for the national team Tuesday, moving into a tie for fourth place on the country's all-time list. Son was in the starting XI for the host South Korea in their World Cup qualifying match against China at Seoul World Cup Stadium. Son is now level with former left back Lee Young-pyo. Two retired legends, Cha Bum-kun and Hong Myung-bo, are tied atop the rankings with 136 caps. The match against China is the final Group C contest for b

South Korea's foreign ministry on Tuesday welcomed the UN Security Council's adoption of a United States-led ceasefire plan for the war in Gaza. On Monday, the council approved the first resolution endorsing a ceasefire proposal presented by US President Joe Biden, which calls for ending the months-long war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. "South Korea expects all parties concerned to immediately accept the proposal and fully implement it upon the UNSC's adoption of the reso

South Korean shares closed slightly higher Tuesday ahead of the Federal Reserve's rate-setting meeting this week. The local currency fell slightly against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 4.15 points, or 0.15 percent, to close at 2,705.32. Trade volume was moderate at 550 million shares worth 11.6 trillion won ($8.4 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 510 to 349. The index had opened higher, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street. After choppy tra

South Korea and China are expected to hold "two plus two" talks of their senior foreign and defense officials early next week, diplomatic sources said Tuesday, amid rising tensions from North Korea's provocations and the prospect of another summit between the North and Russia. The vice-ministerial diplomatic and security dialogue is expected to take place in Seoul early next week, and the two sides are fine-tuning the details on the arrangement, the sources familiar with the matte

The chief policymaker of the main opposition Democratic Party said Tuesday no extra budget should be allowed for a project for potential offshore oil and gas reserves in the East Sea unless relevant data is submitted. The remark came amid growing controversies surrounding Act-Geo, the US geoscience firm that gave a positive assessment of the potential reserves, including one that the company had signed a contract with state-run Korea National Oil Corp. when it was subject to operational restrict

About 20 North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the inter-Korean land border earlier this week and went back to the North's side after the South's military fired warning shots, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday. The North Korean soldiers crossed the Military Demarcation Line within the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas in the central section of the border at around 12:30 p.m. Sunday, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The South Korean military conducted warning broa

South Korean stocks opened slightly higher Tuesday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street ahead of a US Fed meeting. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 9.99 points, or 0.37 percent, to 2,711.16 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The positive start follows overnight gains on Wall Street, with investors taking caution ahead of the US Federal Open Market Committee meeting slated for Tuesday and Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.18 percent to close at 38,868.0

Three members of the popular K-pop group EXO -- Chen, Baekhyun and Xiumin -- claimed Monday their agency SM Entertainment is making an "unfair" demand over revenue from their individual activities, reigniting their conflict with the K-pop powerhouse after a year. They alleged that the agency is unjustly demanding a 10 percent royalty from revenue of their individual activities without fulfilling its end of a behind-the-scenes deal made to resolve the conflict in June last year. During

South Korean shares closed lower Monday as investors took to the sidelines ahead of the US Federal Reserve's rate-setting meeting later this week. The local currency sharply lost ground against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 21.5 points, or 0.79 percent, to close at 2,701.17. Trade volume was moderate at 499.3 million shares worth 11.16 trillion won ($8.1 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 499 to 381. Retail investors scooped up a net 553.8 billi

Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung called on the two Koreas to halt a chain of retaliatory actions, such as South Korea's border loudspeaker broadcasts and North Korea's trash balloon campaign, calling it a "childish chicken game" that can lead to war. On Sunday, South Korea resumed propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts near the inter-Korean border for the first time in six years in retaliation against the North's recent launch of balloons carrying trash into the South. The bro

The financial regulator said Monday it plans to develop a real-time monitoring system for naked stock short selling by March next year. The plan comes amid an ongoing ban on stock short selling, which was originally set to end at the end of this month. "A considerable amount of time is required to develop a centralized naked short selling monitoring system, as well as an effective algorithm to detect illegal stock short selling," the Financial Supervisory Service said in a press releas

President Yoon Suk Yeol embarked Monday on a weeklong Central Asia trip that will take him to Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on a mission to expand cooperation in critical minerals and other key sectors. Yoon is set to make state visits to the resource-rich Central Asian nations through June 15, accompanied by first lady Kim Keon Hee and a business delegation comprising over 60 Korean companies. It marks Yoon's first overseas trip since a state visit to the Netherlands in December.

Seoul shares opened sharply lower Monday ahead of the US Federal Open Market Committee meeting this week. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 28.47 points, or 1.05 percent, to 2,694.20 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The weak start follows losses on Wall Street last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 87.18 points, or 0.22 percent, to close at 38,798.99 on Friday, following stronger-than-expected employment data that weakened hopes for a US rate cut. The US Federal R

The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has warned that South Korea will face unspecified "new counteraction" by the North if it keeps sending anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets and playing its loudspeaker broadcasts across the border. The statement by Kim Yo-jong came after the South resumed propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts toward the North for the first time in six years, in retaliation against the North's repeated sending of trash-carrying balloons. "If the