Key developments on North Korea this week
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- The following are key developments regarding North Korea this week.
· Kim Hyun-soo
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Newest first · UTC+10:00Summary of domestic news in North Korea this week
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of domestic news in North Korea this week.
· Kim Hyun-soo
Summary of inter-Korean news this week
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of inter-Korean news this week.
· Kim Hyun-soo
EcoPro Innovation wins first direct lithium supply deal with automaker
South Korean battery materials maker EcoPro Innovation said Friday it had signed a four-year deal to supply lithium hydroxide to a global automaker, enough to power roughly 200,000 vehicles.
· Ahn Sung-mi
8 out of 10 diabetics in their 30s also have obesity: study
Over half of adults with diabetes in Korea have obesity, a recent study by local scholars showed on Friday, with cases particularly high among patients in their 30s and 40s.
· Yoon Min-sik
Seoul shares end higher for 2nd day on U.S.-Iran deal hope; won sharply down
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks closed mildly higher Friday, extending their win for a second straight session, amid rising hopes for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict between the United States and Iran. The local currency lost ground against the U.S. dollar.
· Kim Han-joo
(URGENT) Seoul shares end higher for 2nd day on U.S.-Iran deal hope; won sharply down
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· Kim Han-joo
CICI forum examines what makes K-content globally competitive
The Korea Image Communication Institute (CICI) held the 17th Culture Communication Forum on Thursday, exploring the future of Korean cultural content and its competitiveness.
· Park Yuna
KBO League hits 4m fans in record time
South Korea's professional baseball league surpassed 4 million spectators for the 2026 season in just 222 games, the fewest ever needed to reach the milestone.
· Lee Yeon-jae
(LEAD) Lee discusses S. Korea's labor policy in AI era with ILO chief
(ATTN: RECASTS lead; UPDATES throughout with new info, photo)
· Park Boram
S. Korea plans to acquire U.S. SM-6 missile interceptors by 2034
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Friday finalized a plan to acquire U.S. Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) shipborne missile interceptors by 2034, in a bid to boost its missile defense capabilities, the state arms procurement agency said.
· Kim Seung-yeon
Foreign ministry conveys concerns to Israel over assault claims by returned activists
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- The foreign ministry said Friday it has conveyed concerns to Israel over claims by two activists that they were assaulted by Israeli forces after being detained aboard aid vessels bound for the Gaza Strip.
· Chang Dong-woo
S. Korea says actions will be taken if Gaza activists' abuse claims are verified
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday said that Seoul will take measures in a corresponding manner if claims of abuse by South Korean activists who were held by Israel are verified.
· Son Ji-hyoung
Probe under way over alleged irregular drone acquisition linked to Yoon's martial law bid
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- The defense ministry is investigating how the drones sent into North Korea ahead of former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law attempt were brought into service, amid allegations of irregularities in the process, an official said Friday.
· Kim Seung-yeon
Police step up probe into Shinsegae chief over Starbucks Korea's 'Tank Day' event
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- Police said Friday they were questioning a civic activist who filed a complaint against Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin over Starbucks Korea's controversial marketing campaign.
· Chae Yun-hwan
Lee, ILO chief discuss S. Korea's global AI hub initiative
President Lee Jae Myung and International Labor Organization Director-General Gilbert Houngbo held talks at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Friday to discuss the ILO's participation in South Korea's global artificial intelligence hub initiative.
· Son Ji-hyoung
N. Korean football club coach bristles at 'rough' label ahead of top Asian tournament final
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- The head coach of the North Korean women's football club competing at the top Asian tournament south of the border on Friday took exception to the narrative that his athletes play a rough style.
· Yoo Jee-ho
Samsung union begins vote on tentative wage deal
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- Unionized workers at Samsung Electronics Co., the world's largest memory chipmaker, began voting Friday on a wage deal following a last-minute agreement that averted potential disruptions to the global supply chain.
· Kim Han-joo
Asian shares and oil prices rise as war's end remains elusive
Currency traders watch monitors at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, May 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
· Chan Ho Him
Veterans ministry to step up screening of false info related to May 18 uprising amid Starbucks marketing debacle
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- Veterans Minister Kwon Oh-eul has expressed "deep regret" over a controversial marketing campaign by Starbucks Korea and vowed to step up screening for false information associated with the country's pro-democracy movement in 1980.
· Kim Hyun-soo
Vice FM discusses alliance, strategic cooperation in Washington visit
Staff reporter at The Korea Herald’s National Desk, based in Seoul. Covers South Korea’s national security and foreign policy, with a focus on the Defense, Foreign and Unification Ministries, as well as the National Assembly.Before entering journalism, served as an Air Force officer. Experience includes providing tr…
· Hwang Joo-young
Today in Korean history
1985 -- South Korean university students storm into a U.S. cultural center in Seoul and launch a sit-in. The protesters demanded the U.S. apologize for allegedly overlooking a bloody crackdown by South Korea's then military-backed regime on anti-government protests in the southern city of Gwangju in 1980.
· Woo Jae-yeon
Civil servant unions join Starbucks boycott over 'Tank Day' event
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- Civil servant unions have called on their members to boycott Starbucks Korea over a promotional event that evoked painful memories of a brutal military crackdown on the 1980 pro-democracy movement, officials said Friday.
· Chae Yun-hwan
S. Korea to widen travel ban in DR Congo to 3 provinces over Ebola outbreak
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- The foreign ministry said Friday it will widen a travel ban in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to three provinces in the country amid the spread of Ebola virus disease.
· Oh Seok-min
New mortgage loans per borrower hit record high in Q1: BOK
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- New mortgage loans per borrower rose to a record high in the first quarter despite the government's tightened regulations to cool the overheated housing market, central bank data said Friday.
· Kim Boram
Farming households' income hits record high in 2025: data
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- The average income of South Korea's farming households increased to the largest-ever level last year on the back of a sharp rise in earnings from livestock, government data showed Friday.
· Park Sang-soo
'Baby Shark' surpasses 1 bln streams on Spotify, a first for character IP
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- The English version of "Baby Shark," the hugely popular children's song from South Korean educational brand The Pinkfong Company, has surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify, the company said Friday.
· Shim Sun-ah
Japanese club coach predicts tough final vs. N. Korean foe at top Asian women's football tournament
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- Sitting a win away from claiming the top Asian women's club football prize, Tokyo Verdy Beleza head coach Naoki Kusunose said Friday he expects a difficult showdown against his North Korean opponent.
· Yoo Jee-ho
Seoul stocks up late Fri. morning after previous session's rally
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks traded higher late Friday morning, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street, as investors took a breather following the previous session's sharp gains.
· Kim Han-joo
South Korea's cosmetics trade surplus tops $10 bln for 1st time in 2025
South Korea's trade surplus in cosmetic products exceeded $10 billion for the first time last year, government data showed Friday, marking a significant milestone for the country's K-beauty industry.
· Yonhap
Ex-NIS deputy chief grilled over alleged role in insurrection
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- Hong Jang-won, former first deputy director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), appeared before special prosecutors Friday for questioning over alleged involvement in insurrection related to former President Yoon Suk Yeol's imposition of martial law.
· Yoo Cheong-mo
Lee's approval rating rebounds to 64 percent: poll
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating rebounded to 64 percent this week from the previous week, led by positive assessments of his economic policies, a poll showed Friday.
· Yi Wonju
Daewoo E&C chair awarded for promoting Korea-Africa ties
Daewoo Engineering & Construction Chairman Jung Won-ju received the 2026 Korea-Africa Contribution Award at Africa Day in Seoul on Wednesday, in recognition of his efforts to bolster industrial and cultural cooperation with African nations.
· No Kyung-min
Zombie thriller 'Colony' sets year's opening-day record
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- Director Yeon Sang-ho's newest film, "Colony," has claimed the highest first-day ticket sales of the year, drawing nearly 200,000 moviegoers upon its release Thursday.
· Lee Minji
Actress Kim Gyu-ri injured in burglary
South Korean police officers said Thursday they had arrested a man in his 40s who broke into actress Kim Gyu-ri's home and assaulted her the previous day.
· Yoon Min-sik
KOGAS signs 10-yr LNG purchase deal with BP
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- Korea Gas Corp. (KOGAS), the country's state-run gas utility, said Friday it has signed a deal to purchase 700,000 tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) annually for 10 years from BP plc.
· Kim Boram
South Korea's cosmetics trade surplus tops US$10 bln for 1st time in 2025
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's trade surplus in cosmetic products exceeded US$10 billion for the first time last year, government data showed Friday, marking a significant milestone for the country's K-beauty industry.
· Kim Han-joo
S. Korea to host K-culture expo in Los Angeles
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhpa) -- South Korea will hold a Korean culture expo in Los Angeles next week to promote exports of Korean cultural content, food and beauty products, officials said Friday.
· Shim Sun-ah
Gov't to seek to overhaul KFA as part of nation normalization project
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- The government will seek to overhaul the way the Korea Football Association (KFA) is run, including introducing a direct election for its president and making the appointment process for the national team's head coach more transparent, as part of efforts to address abnormal social practices…
· CHANG JAE SUN
Govt. to supply 90,000 rental homes in greater Seoul area for youths by 2027
Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol said Friday the government plans to supply some 90,000 rental housing units for young people in the greater Seoul area by 2027, as part of broader efforts to stabilize the housing market and improve living conditions for youths.
· Yonhap
Lee set to discuss S. Korea's labor policy in AI era with ILO chief
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung was set to meet with International Labour Organization (ILO) Director-General Gilbert Houngbo on Friday to discuss South Korea's labor policy in the era of artificial intelligence (AI), the presidential office said.
· Park Boram
Loss coverage, tax break-armed fund goes on sale
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- An investment fund offering tax break and loss coverage began to be offered to the public on Friday with the goal of generating upward of 600 billion won (US$397 million) in sales, the country's financial regulator said.
· Park Sang-soo
Gov't to supply 90,000 rental homes in greater Seoul area for youths by 2027
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol said Friday the government plans to supply some 90,000 rental housing units for young people in the greater Seoul area by 2027, as part of broader efforts to stabilize the housing market and improve living conditions for youths.
· Kim Boram
Boy group Ateez to return with new EP next month
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- K-pop boy group Ateez will be back with its 14th EP next month, the group's agency KQ Entertainment said Friday.
· Shim Sun-ah
2 S. Koreans seized on Gaza-bound aid vessels return home
Two South Korean activists returned home Friday after being released by Israeli forces that had captured them aboard aid vessels bound for the Gaza Strip.
· Yonhap
(Yonhap Interview) Back in KBO, Heroes starter Rosenberg trying to be good teammate
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- He pitched for only about three months in South Korea last year before suffering a season-ending hip injury, but the Kiwoom Heroes' American left-hander Kenny Rosenberg fell so in love with his adopted country that he missed everything about it after he left -- from his teammates and coache…
· Yoo Jee-ho
Seoul shares open higher on overnight Wall Street gains amid Iran hope
South Korean stocks opened slightly higher Friday following the previous session's sharp rise, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street amid rising hopes for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict between the United States and Iran.
· Yonhap
(LEAD) Seoul shares open tad higher on overnight Wall Street gains amid Iran hope
(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES with more info throughout; CHANGES photo)
· Kim Han-joo
Seoul shares open higher on overnight Wall Street gains amid Iran hope
SEOUL, May 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks opened higher Friday following the previous session's sharp rise, led by tech gains, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street amid rising hopes for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict between the United States and Iran.
· Kim Han-joo
(URGENT) Seoul shares open 0.74 pct higher on overnight Wall Street gains amid Iran hope
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· Kim Han-joo