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PM calls on Vance to work together to quickly implement deals on nuclear subs, energy, shipbuilding
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok called on U.S. Vice President JD Vance to work together to swiftly implement bilateral agreements on South Korea's push to build nuclear-powered submarines, as well as nuclear energy and shipbuilding, during talks in Washington on Thursday, his office said. He made the call during the White House meeting, hours after the National Assembly approved a special bill to facilitate Seoul's commitment to investing $350 billion under a bilateral trade deal, paving the way for
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 -
Gov't designates 23 necessities for special price monitoring amid Middle East crisis
The government has designated 23 key items, such as petroleum products, rice and telecommunications fees, for special price monitoring amid resource supply concerns in the wake of the Middle East crisis, the finance ministry said Thursday. The items include 13 key food products closely tied to household living costs, five service charges, such as telecommunications fees, fuel products and five manufactured goods, including school uniforms, the ministry said. The decision was made during a minist
March 12, 2026 -
Seoul mayor again delays PPP candidate registration for local elections
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said Thursday he did not register for the main opposition People Power Party (PPP)'s candidacy for the June local elections within the extended deadline, expressing dissatisfaction with the party leadership's lack of effort to clearly sever ties with ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol. The fourth-term mayor did not submit his registration for the Seoul mayoral race by the deadline set by the PPP -- which had been extended from the original cutoff on Sunday -- citing concerns o
March 12, 2026 -
5 S. Koreans flee from Iran amid Middle East conflict
Five South Korean nationals have fled from Iran amid the widening conflict in the Middle East, the foreign ministry said Thursday, as Seoul continues to evacuate its citizens from Tehran and other regions under attack. Four South Koreans crossed into Turkmenistan via a land route a day after leaving Tehran, the ministry said. Another South Korean national is still at the border area with two family members and they are expected to arrive in Turkmenistan on Saturday. More than 6,000 South Koreans
March 12, 2026 -
S. Korea, US agree on need to implement summit agreements in 'balanced' manner: Seoul official
South Korea and the United States agreed Thursday on the need to work together to ensure that their joint summit agreements on trade and security are implemented in a "balanced" manner, rather than prioritizing certain areas, a Seoul official said. A senior foreign ministry official made the remarks following the meeting between Deputy Foreign Minister Chung Eui-hae and Michael DeSombre, US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs. DeSombre, who took office as the top dipl
March 12, 2026 -
Judicial reform laws take effect allowing constitutional appeals of court rulings, punishment for 'legal distortion'
A set of judicial reform laws were officially proclaimed Thursday, allowing constitutional appeals of Supreme Court rulings, punishment for judges who intentionally distort legal principles and an expansion of the top court. The reforms marked the first major overhaul of the current judiciary system since a constitutional amendment in 1987. The National Assembly, controlled by the ruling Democratic Party, passed the bills last month in a push for judiciary reform despite strong objections from t
March 12, 2026 -
Gov't to implement fuel price cap system this week to help ease cost burdens
The government said Thursday it will implement a temporary fuel price cap system this week to help ease cost burdens amid supply concerns over the ongoing Middle East crisis, officials said Thursday. The government announced the plan at a task force meeting of ministers in charge of managing market prices, as domestic fuel prices have fluctuated since the United States and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran late last month. It marks the first time since 1997 that South Korea is enforcing th
March 12, 2026 -
Lee orders thorough probe into belated discovery of remains of Jeju Air crash victims
President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday ordered a thorough investigation into the recent discovery of additional remains of victims of the Jeju Air plane crash in late 2024, voicing regret over their belated recovery. Last month, authorities discovered nine pieces of remains presumed to belong to the victims in a reexamination of the wreckage site, prompting the victims' families to protest outside the presidential office this week to condemn the disaster recovery process. Lee instructed a "thorough
March 12, 2026 -
Would Michelangelo have welcomed KAIST’s solution to dripping paint?
A research team at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology has developed a method to prevent liquid from dripping when applied to surfaces facing downward, a problem famously associated with the struggles of Michelangelo while painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome more than 500 years ago. The institution said Thursday that the team led by mechanical engineering professor Kim Hyoung-soo reexamined how gravity interacts with liquids using interfacial fluid dynamics and
March 12, 2026 -
Right-wing Busan mayor hopeful requests probe into rival's alleged Political Funds Act violation
Rep. Joo Jin-woo of the People Power Party, a Busan mayoral hopeful, on Thursday requested an investigation into a potential Democratic Party of Korea candidate, accusing him of violating the Political Funds Act in a recent gathering of supporters. His request was filed with the election authority in Busan, according to Joo's office. Joo claimed that cash was exchanged during a "book launch" event of Democratic Party lawmaker Rep. Chun Jae-soo held in early March. In South Korea, politicians typ
March 12, 2026 -
Rep. Yang Moon-seok loses Assembly seat in top court ruling, mulls appeal
Rep. Yang Moon-seok of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea was stripped of his assembly seat with the Supreme Court on Thursday, upholding his fraud conviction. Yang, who represented the Ansan A electoral district in southern Gyeonggi Province, said he would consider appealing the top court's decision to hand down a suspended 1 1/2 years of sentence. He was convicted of defrauding the Korean Federation of Community Credit Cooperatives to take out 1.1 billion won ($743,100) of corporate loan and
March 12, 2026 -
9 caught drugging players, rigging screen golf machines in betting scam
Nine people have been caught in a screen golf betting scam after secretly drugging victims’ drinks and manipulating game machines, earning about 74 million won ($50,000), authorities said Thursday. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said the suspects were referred to prosecutors in February, with two detained on charges of fraud and violations of the Narcotics Control Act. Police said the group used insomnia medication to impair victims during golf betting games at indoor screen golf venues. T
March 12, 2026 -
YouTuber’s 3-year prison term upheld over Tzuyang blackmail
South Korea’s Supreme Court upheld a three-year prison sentence for a YouTuber accused of blackmailing fellow creator Tzuyang, confirming a lower court ruling that found him guilty of extorting tens of millions of won by threatening to expose alleged personal scandals. The highest court on Thursday dismissed an appeal by Lee Jun-hee, better known online as Gujeok, finalizing the prison term handed down by lower courts. Lee was indicted in August 2024 on charges of extortion after prosecutors sai
March 12, 2026 -
Guilt trap: Opposition faces call for 'more sincerity' after martial law apology
South Korea's political arena is once again facing an "apology trap," where rival parties and factions take issue with the sincerity of an apology for political events. On Monday, the conservative opposition People Power Party adopted a resolution apologizing for former President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law, after months of internal discord and indecision. The party's on-the-fence position on Yoon and his supporters was most notable in the actions of party chair Rep. Jang Dong-hye
March 12, 2026