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President Lee Jae Myung to hold summit with France’s Macron during state visit
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will hold a summit with French President Emmanuel Macron on April 3 during Macron’s state visit to South Korea, Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday. According to Cheong Wa Dae, Macron's state visit will take place from April 2 to 3 at Lee’s invitation. Macron will be the first European leader to make a state visit since the launch of Lee’s administration. The trip will also mark the first visit to South Korea by a French president in 11 years and Macron’s first visit
March 13, 2026 -
Education Ministry notifies universities of expanded medical school quotas for 2027-2031
South Korea on Friday confirmed the medical school admission quota for the 2027 academic year will increase to 3,538, as part of a five-year plan to boost the number of newly qualified doctors by 2031. The Ministry of Education said it has notified universities of the increased medical school admission quotas allocated to select institutions. There will be 490 additional seats in 2027 and 613 more seats annually from 2028 to 2031, compared to the base figure of 3,058 in 2024. The government emph
March 13, 2026 -
Police raid Transport Ministry over Jeju Air plane crash disaster
The special police unit investigating the deadly 2024 Jeju Air plane crash conducted a search-and-seizure operation at the related government ministry to look into the causes of the accident, officials said Friday. The police said they sent officials to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to investigate officials who worked in the Air Navigation Satellite Policy Division and the Airport Operation Division at the time of the accident. The Jeju Air aircraft collided with a concrete
March 13, 2026 -
Diplomat highlights growing Korean investments in India
The India-Korea Strategic Business Forum 2026, co-hosted by the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Korea, Deloitte and ICICI Bank, highlighted the expansion of Korean investments in India on Wednesday. Speaking at the event, Nishi Kant Singh, deputy ambassador at the Indian Embassy in Korea, cited Korean companies’ expansion in India as a “second wave” of investment, signaling deeper economic integration. Singh referred to the decadelong India-Korea strategic partnership, which is marking its 11th an
March 13, 2026 -
President Lee asks public to tell him of fuel price cap violators
President Lee Jae Myung on Friday asked the public to tell him directly of any gas stations that violate the fuel price cap that took effect Friday. “The public’s monitoring and participation are needed to ensure that some sellers don’t gain unfair profits,” Lee wrote on his X account. “If you find any gas stations and such that break the regulation, report to me without hesitation.” The price cap limits the price of fuel supplied by refiners to gas stations to 1,724 won ($1.16) per liter of gas
March 13, 2026 -
South Korea to require approval for hiring foreign, dual-national staff at defense firms
Defense companies in South Korea will be required to obtain government approval when appointing foreign nationals or dual nationals to executive posts or positions handling defense technologies, according to sources Friday. The requirement is part of revisions to the Defense Acquisition Program Act and the Defense Industry Technology Protection Act, which were recently approved at a Cabinet meeting, sources familiar with the matter said. The move comes amid growing concerns that appointing forei
March 13, 2026 -
Chief judges warn of 'external pressure' on courts after judicial reform laws take effect
Forty-four chief judges from courts nationwide gathered Thursday in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province, to discuss follow-up measures after three judicial reform laws took effect the same day. “There are concerns that the fundamental structure of Korea’s judicial system may change following the passage of the three judicial reform laws,” said Ki Woo-jong, acting minister of the National Court Administration, during the meeting. The three laws include provisions allowing constitutional complaint
March 13, 2026 -
Father injures son, wife while lecturing son for 'not studying'
A man in his 40s was arrested for inflicting injuries with a knife on his wife and son, South Korean police said Friday. The father had allegedly been reprimanding the son for not studying. The incident occurred at around 11:32 p.m., Thursday, at an apartment in Gwangju, according to the Gwangju Gwangsan Police Station. The son supposedly showed defiance, which enraged the suspect and led to him bringing a knife from the kitchen, apparently to scare him. His son and his wife tried to restrain hi
March 13, 2026 -
Korean embassies urge citizens to avoid US and Israel-linked facilities
South Korean embassies and consulates abroad have urged citizens to avoid US and Israel-linked facilities amid the Middle East war. They urged Korean nationals to stay vigilant in crowded public spaces, check emergency exits and follow the FBI’s “Run, Hide, Fight” guidance for active shooter situations. “Run, Hide, Fight” is a civilian safety protocol for active shooter situations, prioritizing escape, then hiding if escape isn’t safe, and confronting the attacker only as a last resort. South Ko
March 13, 2026 -
She went to help her neighbor, but his parked truck rolled free and killed her
A woman in her 60s was crushed to death while out helping her neighbor Thursday, when his parked truck rolled down a hill. The incident occurred at around 1:13 p.m. at a home in Jindo-gun, South Jeolla Province, according to the Jindo Police Station. The victim was helping out a neighbor, a man in his 60s, dry his seaweed when the man's truck rolled down the hill. The car was parked in front of the home, about 7 or 8 meters uphill from the front yard where the fatal accident occurred. The car ow
March 13, 2026 -
North Korea warns Japan over missile deployment
North Korea warned Friday that Japan’s plan to deploy upgraded long-range missiles could sharply worsen regional security and would bring about the "sinking of the Japanese archipelago." In a commentary carried by the Korean Central News Agency, Pyongyang criticized Tokyo’s reported plan to deploy an extended-range Type 12 surface-to-ship missile at an army base in Kumamoto prefecture, with additional deployments being considered in Shizuoka and Miyazaki. North Korea said the missile, whose rang
March 13, 2026 -
NK may possess up to 50 nuclear weapons: report
North Korea may currently possess as many as 50 nuclear weapons as the country continues expanding its nuclear capabilities, according to news reports citing a former International Atomic Energy Agency official. In an interview with Voice of America, Olli Heinonen, former deputy director-general of the IAEA, said that North Korea’s nuclear program is growing faster and more extensively than previously understood. The warning comes after the IAEA confirmed that North Korea has restarted light-wat
March 13, 2026 -
AI-generated image used for fraud, as woman falsely claims manicure injury
A woman recently tried to extort money from a local nail salon by using an image generated by artificial intelligence that made it appear as if her treatment caused minor injuries to her fingers. South Korean police on Thursday said they had transferred the case to the prosecution for fraud and obstruction of business. The suspect also fabricated medical records in the process, but the police did not press charges of counterfeiting private documents. The suspect allegedly made a fake image of he
March 13, 2026 -
PM Kim Min-seok meets Vance in Washington to discuss trade, investment plan
South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok met US Vice President JD Vance in Washington on Thursday, where the two discussed bilateral trade issues, including the implementation of a Korea-US investment framework agreed upon by President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump last year. Vance welcomed the South Korean National Assembly passing the US investment bill, and called for continued close cooperation between the two countries, South Korean the Prime Minister's Office said Friday. "(I
March 13, 2026 -
US sanctions 6 individuals, 2 entities for roles in N. Korean IT worker 'fraud': Treasury Dept.
The US Treasury Department said Thursday it sanctioned six individuals and two entities for their roles in North Korea-orchestrated information technology (IT) worker schemes, which it accused of defrauding American businesses and generating revenue to fund Pyongyang's weapons programs. The department's Office of Foreign Assets Control announced the measure, noting that the latest sanctions are part of the United States' "whole-of-government" effort to counter Pyongyang's wide-ranging revenue ge
March 13, 2026