Chinese EVs surge, Japan retreats in Korea’s shifting auto rivalry
Honda’s exit opens door as BYD rises, Zeekr, Xpeng go premium in Korea
· Ahn Sung-mi
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Newest first · UTC+11:00Seoul shares spike over 5 pct to approach 7,000 on chip rally; won sharply up
SEOUL, May 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks shot up by more than 5 percent to close at a fresh high Monday, approaching the 7,000-point mark, as investors scooped up semiconductor shares while awaiting developments in U.S.-Iran peace talks. The Korean won rose sharply against the U.S. dollar.
· Kim Boram
(URGENT) Seoul shares shoot up over 5 pct to hit fresh high, approaching 7,000 on chip rally; won sharply up
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· Kim Boram
North Korean women’s football club headed to Seoul in rare trip across the border
Visit will be the first time a North Korean women’s football team has competed on southern soil since the 2014 Incheon Asian Games
· Raphael Rashid
Lee urges careful deliberation on special probe over 'fabricated' charges against him under Yoon
SEOUL, May 4 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung has stressed the need for public input and careful deliberation, a presidential official said Monday, as the ruling Democratic Party (DP) pushes for a special probe into allegations that he was indicted in multiple cases based on fabricated evidence during the previou…
· Park Boram
Why Korean mothers are traveling 300 kilometers to give birth
Shortages in obstetricians and neonatal intensive care beds leave high-risk mothers searching for hospitals
· Choi Jeong-yoon
Korean films win awards at Italian film fest
SEOUL, May 4 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean documentary chronicling the short-lived martial law imposition in late 2024 won three prizes at an Italian film festival, while the films "My Name" and "The King's Warden" also picked up audience awards, organizers said Monday.
· Lee Minji
Seoul brings Korea’s most sought-after baked goods under one roof
Bread lovers who would normally travel across the country for a taste of Korea’s most-loved baked goods may not have to go so far this month. For three days, some of the country’s most popular bakeries will gather in one place in Seoul.
· Choi Jeong-yoon
Special counsel bill becomes political flash point
I’m a staff reporter for The Korea Herald, covering national security and foreign policy across the Defense, Foreign and Unification Ministries, as well as the National Assembly. Before entering journalism, I served as an Air Force lieutenant, working as an interpreter and junior planner at the ROK–US Combined Force…
· Hwang Joo-young
Samsung, Mirae take early lead in Korea's first single-stock ETF race
Eight firms launch Samsung, SK hynix ETFs as fee caps shift battle to execution
· Choi Yeon-jae
Seoul’s Min Kyeong Ho speeds way to solo finish in Tour of Luzon Stage 6
PAGUDPUD — South Korean Min Kyeong Ho of the Seoul Cycling Team clocked 5:12:13, speeding his way to a solo finish at the MPTC Tour of Luzon Stage 6 from Tuguegarao City, Cagayan to Municipality of Pagudpud in Ilocos Norte on Monday.
· Niel Victor C. Masoy
Lee Do-hyun wins silver at IFSC bouldering opener
South Korea's Lee Do-hyun won a silver medal in men's bouldering at the opening event of the 2026 IFSC World Climbing Series.
· Korea Herald
From mala tang to milk tea, Chinese food wave grows in Seoul
Nearly a week after Chinese milk tea brand Chagee opened its first three stores in Korea, the lines haven't got any shorter.
· Hong Yoo
BOK senior deputy gov. says time to consider rate hike on solid growth
SEOUL, May 4 (Yonhap) -- Ryoo Sang-dai, senior deputy governor of the Bank of Korea (BOK), has said it is time to consider a rate hike, citing the country's better-than-expected economic growth in the first quarter.
· Kim Boram
Top court gives wider leeway to deathbed wills
South Korea’s Supreme Court has broadened the scope for recognizing deathbed wills written down by others, ruling that a person’s limited ability to communicate does not necessarily invalidate a will made outside standard forms such as handwritten, recorded or notarized wills.
· Lim Jae-seong
Pokemon cards or Nintendo Switch? Children’s Day gifts split generations
Children’s Day shopping in South Korea is revealing a generational divide, with parents leaning toward practical gifts and grandparents gravitating toward collectibles that could become more valuable over time.
· Yoon Min-sik
N. Korea denounces Japan’s security policy revision as ‘challenge to international peace’
North Korea on Monday denounced Japan’s move to revise its three key national security documents aimed at strengthening defense capabilities and increasing defense spending, calling it “a blatant challenge to international peace and humanity.”
· Choi He-suk
Full Self-Driving hacking surges in Korea as cheaper China-made Teslas remain locked out
Only 2.4% of vehicles eligible, as 85 illegal activation attempts recorded
· Byun Hye-jin
Special counsel says signs found of martial law preparations since early 2024
SEOUL, May 4 (Yonhap) -- A special counsel team said Monday it has found signs a military unit was making preparations for martial law operations in the first half of 2024, well before former President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration in December of that year.
· Chae Yun-hwan
Netflix tax win in Korea highlights gaps in digital tax rules
Recent court decision renews debate over cross-border taxation, fairness concerns as domestic firms pay more
· Lee Yoon-seo
Rare inter-Korean women’s soccer match slated near Seoul this month
Naegohyang Women’s FC to compete with Suwon FC Women in semifinals of AFC Women's Champions League on May 20
· Park Jun-hee
Korea eyes wider QR payment network across Asia
Uzbekistan talks underway, as Singapore, Thailand come under review
· Choi Ji-won
The North Korean defectors running as Conservatives in UK local elections
Park Jihyun, left, and Timothy Cho escaped from North Korea decades ago and are now running for council seats for the Conservative Party in U.K. local elections. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by AP and Joe Luc Barnes)
· JOE LUC BARNES
Speaker hopefuls make stronger Assembly diplomacy key pledge
For over a decade, I’ve navigated the complexities of North Korean affairs, security, and foreign policy from both Seoul and Washington, D.C. As the National Desk Political Team Lead, I track the pulse of geopolitics, closely following developments from the Unification Ministry and the Foreign Ministry. My mornings …
· Ji Da-gyum
G-Dragon's agency apologizes over stage outfit featuring racial slur
SEOUL, May 4 (Yonhap) -- K-pop icon G-Dragon's agency issued an apology Monday, following criticism over a stage outfit featuring a racist slur that the singer wore during a recent performance.
· Lee Minji
Human rights watchdog chief says 'extreme' early education poses serious rights issue
SEOUL, May 4 (Yonhap) -- The head of the national human rights watchdog on Monday took issue with the country's "excessive" early education fervor for young children, saying it is depriving them of their childhood.
· Chae Yun-hwan
South Korean team behind promising stroke research, treatment cites Chinese interest
Animals given an experimental drug have shown significant improvement in motor function, with their brain damage reduced
· Park Chan-kyong
South Korean team behind promising stroke research, treatment cites Chinese interest
Animals given an experimental drug have shown significant improvement in motor function, with their brain damage reduced
· Park Chan-kyong
30-day countdown to local elections
A sign at an office of the National Election Commission in Seoul on Monday shows that there are 30 days to go to the June 3 local elections, which are expected to serve as the first major bellwether of public support for the policies of President Lee Jae Myung's administration since its launch in June 2025. (Yoon Ch…
· Korea Herald
Today in Korean history
1905 -- Bosung College, which later became Korea University, opens in Seoul.
· Kim Han-joo
Seoul, Taipei hit records as Asian stocks track Wall St tech rally
HONGKONG, China — Tech firms led a rally across most Asian markets Monday following another healthy day on Wall Street fuelled by more strong earnings, while investors were also cheered by news that Iran had submitted fresh proposals to end its war with the United States.
· Agence France-Presse
Seoul, Taipei hit records as Asian stocks track Wall St tech rally
HONGKONG, China — Tech firms led a rally across most Asian markets Monday following another healthy day on Wall Street fuelled by more strong earnings, while investors were also cheered by news that Iran had submitted fresh proposals to end its war with the United States.
· Agence France-Presse
Tigers sign minor leaguer Rodriguez as injury replacement
SEOUL, May 4 (Yonhap) -- The Kia Tigers announced Monday they have signed longtime minor leaguer Aderlin Rodriguez as a temporary injury replacement.
· Yoo Jee-ho
Samsung family pays off record $8bn inheritance tax bill
The family behind the South Korean corporate giant Samsung has completed its payment of a 12 trillion won (£6bn; $8bn) inheritance tax bill, the largest such settlement in the country's history.
· Osmond Chia
Fewer AAPI adults report hate incidents than in 2023, new poll shows
Members of the Korean American Federation of Los Angeles hold signs reading: "#Stop Asian Hate,” in a caravan around Koreatown to denounce hate against the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in the Koreatown neighborhood in Los Angeles March 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)
· Terry Tang
Debt-financed stock investment booming as market surges in South Korea
The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) achieved a historic milestone by jumping beyond 6000 points in February. A factor in the rise has been an increase in debt-financed investing. © Yonhap
· Staff Writer
A North Korean women's soccer team is set to play in South Korea
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A North Korean women’s soccer team is scheduled to play at a regional tournament in South Korea later this month, in a rare sports exchange between the war-divided rivals.
After surge in young visitors, Gwanaksan faces overcrowding, litter, vandalism
Gwanaksan, one of Seoul’s most popular mountains, is reeling from severe littering after going viral as a lucky landmark among young Koreans, according to online communities Monday.
· Choi Jae-hee
Nearly 3 in 10 COVID vaccine doses discarded after expiring: report
South Korea has acquired more than 200 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines since 2020, but 28.8 percent of them were discarded after reaching their expiration dates, data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency showed Monday.
· Yoon Min-sik
Outgoing Tanzanian envoy touts complementary Tanzania-Korea ties
South Korea and Tanzania's bilateral relations have grown stronger over the past 34 years, and the two nations will continue to be important partners, Tanzania's Ambassador to Korea Togolani Mavura said Thursday.
· Sanjay Kumar
N. Korean women's soccer club to travel to S. Korea for regional tournament
A North Korean women's soccer club will play a South Korean opponent at a regional tournament to take place near Seoul this month, the sport's governing body here announced Monday.
· Korea Herald
BOK senior official hints at rate hike pivot amid inflation fears
The Bank of Korea may begin considering a shift toward interest rate hikes, signaling a potential end to its easing cycle, as rising inflationary pressures and geopolitical risks cloud the economic outlook, a senior central bank official said Sunday.
· Im Eun-byel
4 in 10 Korean children prefer play after school, but most end up studying
Over 40 percent of children in Korea want to spend time with friends after school, but more than half attend private academies, known locally as "hagwon."
· Song Seung-hyun
Online shopping sales top record high of over 25 tln won in March on Tesla demand surge
SEOUL, May 4 (Yonhap) -- Online shopping sales in South Korea rose 13.3 percent from a year earlier to a new monthly high in March, driven by strong demand for Tesla vehicles and transactions in food services, government data showed Monday.
· Kim Han-joo
Half of upper elementary students use smart devices for over 2 hours
SEOUL, May 4 (Yonhap) -- Nearly one out of every 2 upper-grade elementary school students use smart devices, such as smartphones and tablets, for more than two hours a day after school, a survey showed Monday.
· Yoo Cheong-mo
(LEAD) N. Korean women's football club to travel to S. Korea for regional tournament
(ATTN: ADDS details throughout)By Yoo Jee-ho
· Yoo Jee-ho
Hyundai, Kia's U.S. sales drop on base effect, hybrid cars hit record high
SEOUL, May 4 (Yonhap) -- Sales of Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp. vehicles in the United States fell slightly from a year earlier, while numbers for hybrid vehicles rose to a new monthly high, the automaker said Monday.
· Kang Jae-eun
Seoul shares up nearly 4 pct late Mon. morning on chip rally
SEOUL, May 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks traded nearly 4 percent higher to hit a fresh intraday high late Monday morning, driven by strong chip advance amid patchy signals on peace talks from the Middle East.
· Kim Boram
Korean films take three prizes at Udine's Far East Film Festival
Martial law doc 'The Seoul Guardians' wins Silver Mulberry; 'My Name' and 'The King's Warden' share third place
· Moon Ki-hoon
Starbucks Korea expands sliced cake lineup as demand shifts to variety
Starbucks Korea said Monday it is expanding its lineup of cake slices ahead of "Family Month" in May, as dessert preferences shift toward greater variety and personalization.
· Jeon Ji-woo