A nonfiction book by a renowned Korean American author won this year's Pulitzer Prize in the biography category Monday, according to Columbia University, which administers the prestigious annual award. "Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom" by Ilyon Woo was announced as the winner of the prize. The book is based on the story of a young enslaved couple that made their escape together from Georgia to the free states of the North in 1848. Woo holds a BA

South Korea has raised its automotive industry's concerns with the United States over Washington's inquiry and envisioned rules to address potential security risks from "connected vehicles" that use technology from China and other countries of concern. On April 30, the South Korean government submitted its comments to the US Department of Commerce as the department has requested public feedback on its rule-making process designed to tackle those risks stemming from supply cha

South Korean shares opened higher Tuesday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street, as investors were buoyed by looming hopes that the US Federal Reserve may slash key rates this year. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 49.32 points, or 1.84 percent, to 2,725.95 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 0.46 percent higher, and the tech heavy Nasdaq rose 1.19 percent. The S&P 500 gained 1.03 percent In Seoul, top tech giant Sams

An American soldier was detained on charges of criminal misconduct in the Russian Far East city of Vladivostok last week while on leave after finishing his tour of duty in South Korea, officials said Monday. US Army spokesperson Cynthia Smith said that the soldier, whose name was withheld, was detained Thursday, and that the US Army notified his family of his detention. The soldier was on leave in Russia following the completion of his tour of service in South Korea, a US official told Yonhap Ne

The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) plans to propose legislation providing cash handouts of 250,000 won ($184) to the entire population as its first bill of the new National Assembly set to open later this month, its new floor leader said Monday. Rep. Park Chan-dae unveiled the plan in a radio interview with local broadcaster MBC after DP leader Lee Jae-myung asked President Yoon Suk Yeol last Monday to accept his election pledge for the cash handouts as a way to help restore the people�

BEIJING -- South Korea and China are in the final stage of talks to set up a visit to Beijing by Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul that will make him the first South Korean foreign minister to visit the Chinese capital in more than six years, an official said Monday. The senior official at South Korea's Embassy in Beijing made the remark to South Korean correspondents, noting that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi invited Cho to visit China when they held phone talks in February. "The two co

The health ministry has asked hospitals to devise measures to minimize damage to patients from medical professors taking a collective action in support of a walkout by junior doctors protesting the increase in medical school quotas, officials said Monday. The Korean Hospital Association said the government has asked hospital chiefs to take appropriate measures for patients undergoing treatment when medical professors, who are senior doctors, resign or take a leave of absence. Medical professors

Veterans Minister Kang Jung-ai will visit France and Germany this week to strengthen cooperation in veterans affairs with countries that participated in the 1950-53 Korean War, her office said Sunday. Kang departed for France earlier in the day for a seven-day trip that also includes a stop in Germany from Wednesday to Saturday, according to the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. In France, she will meet Christian Cambon, a member of the French Senate, to discuss bilateral cooperation on

First Vice Finance Minister Kim Byoung-hwan attended a ministerial meeting of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) last week, Seoul's finance ministry said Sunday. During the meeting in Paris on Thursday and Friday (local time), Kim discussed global supply chains, inclusive growth and other issues, the Ministry of Finance and Economy said in a statement. On the sidelines of the meeting, Kim held separate talks with his counterparts, including Charlotte Vere of Br

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Sunday invited hundreds of children and parents to Cheong Wa Dae, the former presidential office, to commemorate Children's Day, his office said. Yoon invited around 360 children and their families to the Children's Day event, including those from rural areas and in foster care, as well as children from multicultural families, the presidential office said. "It is always exciting to meet with children," Yoon was quoted as saying by the office. "

Forty flights have been canceled on the southern resort island of Jeju due to adverse weather conditions, officials said Sunday. According to officials from Jeju International Airport, 20 arrivals and 20 departures had been canceled as of noon. Strong wind warnings have been issued for the island, with an advisory for wind shear also in effect at the airport. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) asked air passengers to check their flight schedules in advance as the bad weather is expect

Sales of eco-friendly cars surpassed 100,000 units in the first quarter in South Korea on booming demand for hybrid vehicles, industry data showed Sunday. A total of 101,727 environmentally friendly cars made by five South Korean carmakers, including Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp., were sold during the January-March period, up 8.7 percent from a year earlier, according to the data. Out of this total, 85,828 units, or 84.4 percent, were hybrid cars, soaring 42.4 percent from the same period last

South Korea's Cyber Operations Command will participate in a US-led multinational cyber exercise this week to strengthen its capabilities to counter malicious cyber activities, Seoul's defense ministry said Sunday, amid growing security threats from North Korea. Nine personnel from the South's military will join the Cyber Flag exercise to be held from Sunday through Saturday (local time) in the US state of Virginia, according to the defense ministry. The online exercise is designe

The government appears to have shelved a plan to take punitive measures against a protracted walkout by trainee doctors and have pulled back slightly from its plan to increase medical school admission quotas amid a standoff with major doctors' associations, according to officials Sunday. Still, the doctors' associations remained adamant over the issue and renewed their call for the government to revisit the medical reform from scratch, despite some signs of an internal split. During a

North Korea on Sunday denounced the United States and other countries for seeking an alternative to the United Nations monitoring panel that enforced sanctions against Pyongyang, saying that such a move will be doomed to face "self-destruction." North Korean Ambassador to the UN Kim Song issued a statement condemning Seoul, Washington, Tokyo and 47 other countries for jointly calling for "objective" and "independent" analysis regarding the enforcement of anti-North

Seven channels selling goods on television in South Korea saw their combined operating profit plunge 39.6 percent on-year in 2023, according to industry data Sunday, hurt by intense competition with social media and livestreaming platforms. The combined operating profit of the seven TV home shopping channels stood at 327 billion won (US$241 million) last year, compared with a combined profit of 541.1 billion won in 2022, according to the data released by the Korea TV Homeshopping Association. It

South Korea is in final consultations with China and Japan to hold a long-stalled trilateral summit of their leaders on May 26 and 27, according to the foreign ministry on Saturday. "South Korea, Japan and China agreed to hold the summit at the earliest date convenient for all sides," an official at the ministry said. "We have been in consultations with Japan and China as the current chair country." Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese Premier Li Qiang are expect

South Korean police on Saturday were searching for the individual who sent an email threatening to detonate bombs at a public facility on Children's Day. Police said they received a report from a local news outlet about the email, which detailed plans to place "high-performance bombs in public facilities in Korea, where many children visit," on Sunday. Written in English, the email declared the bombs would go off Sunday, describing the act as retaliation against U.S. President Joe

A man in his 40s was arrested by police while threatening a woman with a weapon in Seoul's southern district of Gangnam on Saturday morning, officials said. Police said they dispatched officers to the scene after receiving an emergency report that a man is holding a woman hostage in a store selling household items near Gangnam Subway Station at about 9:30 a.m., and the officers arrested the suspect about 25 minutes later. The victim is known to have been safely rescued. Police said they wer

A South Korean reported to have been missing for over two weeks while traveling in Paris was found alive and unharmed, ministry officials said Saturday. The South Korean Embassy in France said they were able to identify the whereabouts of the missing 30-year-old male, identified only as Kim. He is reportedly safe, the embassy said, though it did not provide further details as per the family's request. Kim flew into France from India around April 17 but disappeared on April 19, a day after m