How Trump is inadvertently bringing Japan, South Korea together
Both appear willing to put past differences aside as they confront an assertive China, North Korea and an unpredictable US
· Julian Ryall
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Newest first · UTC+11:00Korea adds Toss to large business group list after stock market boom
FTC designates Toss as new publicly disclosed business group; Kiwoom and DB also climb in rankings
· Choi Yeon-jae
Four Seoul hikes to help you enjoy spring like a local
Spring is the season when Seoul's mountains come alive. Within minutes of dense urban neighborhoods, hiking trails open into panoramic views, blooming ridgelines and quiet forest paths.
· Choi Jeong-yoon
Yonhap, Save the Children host mini marathon to support children of migrant workers
SEOUL, May 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's key news service Yonhap News Agency and international charity Save the Children co-hosted a fundraising marathon on Saturday, seeking to help children of migrant workers and increase public awareness of children's rights.
· Yi Wonju
WSJ: Iran war exposes gaps in US defence systems
The Wall Street Journal reported that the Iran war has provided countries including China, Russia and North Korea with insights into the capabilities and limitations of the United States military.
· Middleeasteye
Today in Korean history
1967 -- Park Chung-hee, who led a military coup in 1961, is reelected as South Korea's sixth president.
· Yi Wonju
Workers’ Day in North Korea
North Korea commemorated the 136th International Workers’ Day with nationwide events, underscoring the working class’ role in advancing its economic development plan.
· Byun Hye-jin
Main opposition picks supreme council member as candidate for Gyeonggi Province Gov.
SEOUL, May 2 (Yonhap) -- Yang Hyang-ja, a member of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP)'s supreme council, was nominated as the party's candidate for Gyeonggi Province governor in the June 3 local elections, the party said Saturday.
· Yi Wonju
Unionized workers of Samsung Biologics continue strike for 2nd day
SEOUL, May 2 (Yonhap) -- Unionized workers at Samsung Biologics, the biotech arm of Samsung Group, continued to stage a strike Saturday for a second day, according to union officials, with the union and the company showing little signs of bridging gaps over wages and other issues.
· Deok-Hyun Kim
Top headlines in major S. Korean newspapers
SEOUL, May 2 (Yonhap) -- The following are the top headlines in major South Korean newspapers on May 2.
· Yi Wonju
South Korea's Hanwha builds arms empire as Ukraine, Iran wars spur spending
U.S. Navy cadets with the Maine Maritime Academy tour the National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) State of Maine at the Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia, on Aug. 26, 2025. The yard acquired by the South Korean conglomerate in 2024 epitomizes its drive to build ships for the U.S. Navy and expand its globa…
· Staff Writer
How AI shamans ‘predict’ the fortunes of curious South Koreans | South China Morning Post
Artificial intelligence-equipped shamans in Seoul are calculating customers’ futures using an ancient fortune-telling system.
Highways congested on 1st day of extended holiday
SEOUL, May 1 (Yonhap) -- Highways across South Korea were congested Friday, as outbound traffic built up on the first day of an extended holiday that began with Labor Day.
· Lee Minji
The KOSPI's miracle surge comes with a warning label
A trader reacts near a screen showing the KOSPI and the dollar-won exchange rate at Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul on April 29. © AP
· William Pesek
Hanwha Solutions ordered again to revise share sale plan
South Korea's financial regulator has again ordered Hanwha Solutions to revise its share sale plan, citing insufficient disclosures, the company said Friday.
· Yonhap
Lee commends law enforcement for almost halving voice phishing damage
SEOUL, May 1 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung on Friday praised law enforcement authorities for their recent success in cracking down on phone scam cases.
· Woo Jae-yeon
We are obsessed with 'Speed.' Where will it take us?
Korea has long been associated less with a sense of ease than with a culture of "bbali, bbali" ("hurry, hurry"). Speed often feels less like a preference than a condition of everyday life. The phrase has become familiar shorthand, echoed in everything from same-day delivery services to a digital ecosystem. Faster is…
· Hwang Dong-hee
In May, Korea turns to families
May is widely referred to as ‘Family Month’ in South Korea, with a cluster of family-related observances including Children’s Day (May 5), Parents’ Day (May 8), Teachers’ Day (May 15) and Couples’ Day (May 21). It is a time when the cultural calendar shifts noticeably toward children and parents, with museums, outdo…
· Park Ga-young
US expert says OPCON transfer won't 'unzip' S. Korea-US alliance
A US expert said Thursday that the transfer of wartime operational control to South Korea from the United States would not "unzip" the bilateral alliance, downplaying concerns that the move could weaken America's security commitment to the Asian ally.
· Yonhap
Hanwha Solutions ordered again to revise share sale plan
SEOUL, May 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's financial regulator has again ordered Hanwha Solutions to revise its share sale plan, citing insufficient disclosures, the company said Friday.
· Choi Kyong-ae
Sun out, books out at Seoul Plaza
Seoul Plaza became the heart of the city's new outdoor library program on Friday, marking the venue's opening as a reading and cultural space through Children's Day on May 5.
· No Kyung-min
Travelers face steeper airfares as fuel surcharges double
South Korean travelers are facing sharply higher airfares starting this month as fuel surcharges roughly double due to surging oil prices tied to escalating tensions in the Middle East.
· No Kyung-min
Today in Korean history
1972 -- Lee Hu-rak, head of South Korea's state intelligence agency, makes a secret trip to North Korea under the orders of President Park Chung-hee to broker a historic inter-Korean agreement.
· Choi Kyong-ae
Korea’s WGBI entry lifts foreign demand for government bonds
Foreign investors increased their exposure to South Korean government bonds in the first month following the country’s entry into the FTSE World Government Bond Index, or WGBI, with both net purchases and holdings moving higher.
· No Kyung-min
Majority of S. Koreans back raising senior age to 70: poll
SEOUL, May 1 (Yonhap) -- A majority of South Koreans support raising the country's senior age threshold to 70 from the current 65, a survey by Gallup Korea showed Friday.
· Choi Kyong-ae
Lee's approval rating dips to 64 pct over 'excessive' welfare, spending concerns
SEOUL, May 1 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating slipped 3 percentage points to 64 percent this week, with concerns over "excessive" welfare policies cited as a key factor for the decline, a poll showed Friday.
· Woo Jae-yeon
Foreign buying, holdings of S. Korean government bonds rise after WGBI entry
SEOUL, May 1 (Yonhap) -- Foreign investors increased their purchases and holdings of South Korean government bonds in the month following the country's inclusion in the World Government Bond Index (WGBI), supporting the local debt market, data showed Friday.
· Choi Kyong-ae
S. Korean envoy stresses commitment to 'peaceful coexistence' on peninsula, denuclearization
South Korea's top envoy to the UN on Thursday reaffirmed Seoul's commitment to "peaceful coexistence" on the Korean Peninsula and denuclearization, as he explained its policy to reduce military tensions and build trust with North Korea.
· Yonhap
Drug supplier to notorious drug kingpin Park Wang-yeol repatriated from Thailand
SEOUL, May 1 (Yonhap) -- A key drug supplier linked to infamous trafficker Park Wang-yeol was repatriated from Thailand on Friday to face investigation and possible criminal charges in his home country.
· Woo Jae-yeon
S. Korean envoy stresses commitment to 'peaceful coexistence' on peninsula, denuclearization
WASHINGTON, April 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top envoy to the U.N. on Thursday reaffirmed Seoul's commitment to "peaceful coexistence" on the Korean Peninsula and denuclearization, as he explained its policy to reduce military tensions and build trust with North Korea.
· Song Sang-ho
Lee vows zero compromise on workplace safety in Labor Day address
SEOUL, May 1 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung on Friday pledged unwavering commitment to workplace safety in his address to mark Labor Day at Cheong Wa Dae.
· Woo Jae-yeon
S. Korea's exports top $80b for 2nd month in April
South Korea's exports exceeded US$80 billion for the second consecutive month in April, jumping nearly 50 percent from a year earlier on the back of robust shipments of semiconductors, government data showed Friday.
· Yonhap
북한 or 조선? South Korea debates what to call North Korea
For Seoul, what to call the North is difficult when you view it as a rebel-held region awaiting reunification
· Raphael Rashid
(2nd LD) S. Korea's exports top US$80 bln for 2nd month in April
(ATTN: ADDS details in paras 9-11, 17-18, byline, photo)By Kim Na-young
· Kim Na-young
Samsung Biologics union launches 1st general strike over pay dispute
SEOUL, May 1 (Yonhap) -- Unionized workers at Samsung Biologics, the biotech arm of Samsung Group, began a five-day general strike Friday, demanding higher wages and expanded performance-based compensation.
· Choi Kyong-ae
(LEAD) S. Korea's exports top US$80 bln for 2nd month in April
(ATTN: ADDS more info throughout)
· Kim Na-young
(EDITORIAL from Korea Times on May 1)
Coupang must face Korean lawIssue should not become bilateral rift
· Woo Jae-yeon
(EDITORIAL from Korea Herald on May 1)
Regulatory flashpointSeoul must enforce fair rules without fueling needless friction with Washington
· Woo Jae-yeon
Top headlines in major S. Korean newspapers
SEOUL, May 1 (Yonhap) -- The following are the top headlines in major South Korean newspapers on May 1.
· Woo Jae-yeon
S. Korea's exports top US$80 bln for 2nd month in April
SEOUL, May 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's exports exceeded US$80 billion for the second consecutive month in April, jumping nearly 50 percent from a year earlier on the back of robust shipments of semiconductors, government data showed Friday.
· Kim Na-young
(URGENT) S. Korea's exports top US$80 bln for 2nd month in April
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· Kim Na-young
[Graphic News] Korean Gen Z favors travel centered on experience
Travel is increasingly becoming an experience-driven part of everyday life for South Korea’s Generation Z, according to Agoda’s 2026 Travel Outlook Report.
· Nam Kyung-don
(Movie Review) 'The Day She Returns' ponders meaning, memory through subtle conversation
SEOUL, May 1 (Yonhap) -- Bae Jeong-su (Song Sun-mi) is a middle-aged woman who has returned to acting after a long hiatus.
· Lee Minji
Kim Jong Un confirms North Korean soldiers carried out suicide bombings in fight again Ukraine
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un praised soldiers who blew themselves while fighting against Ukraine up rather than be captured — confirming reports that the Hermit Nation’s soldiers were resorting to suicide bombings while fighting for Russia.
· Ronny Reyes
U.S. expert says OPCON transfer won't 'unzip' S. Korea-U.S. alliance
WASHINGTON, April 30 (Yonhap) -- A U.S. expert said Thursday that the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) to South Korea from the United States would not "unzip" the bilateral alliance, downplaying concerns that the move could weaken America's security commitment to the Asian ally.
· Song Sang-ho
Australia news live: housing market slows but rents surge; Penny Wong hails South Korea energy pact
Advertised prices for new rental listings rising at fastest pace since October 2024. Follow updates
· Martinfarrer, Stephanie Convery, Luca Ittimani
Australia, South Korea to strengthen fuel supply chain
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[Robert J. Fouser] English fever, then and now
This year is the 30th anniversary of the start of English education in elementary schools in South Korea. The pivotal year when English classes began in nearly all elementary schools was 1996, with the official national rollout completed in March 1997. At the time, I was teaching in Japan, where the topic was big ne…
· Korea Herald