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Lee thanks Turkmenistan, Singapore for helping evacuate S. Koreans from Middle East
President Lee Jae Myung has sent letters of appreciation to the leaders of Turkmenistan and Singapore for their assistance in evacuating South Korean nationals from the Middle East amid rising regional tensions, Cheong Wa Dae said Monday. In a letter to Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedow, Lee expressed gratitude for Turkmenistan's cooperation in helping 25 South Korean nationals staying in Iran, as well as four Iranian nationals who are family members of Korean nationals, safely evacuate to
March 9, 2026 -
Gov't urges oil refiners to refrain from excessive price hikes amid Middle East crisis
Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan on Monday called on major oil refiners to refrain from excessively raising prices amid a recent surge in international crude oil prices due to the ongoing Middle East situation, his office said. "We ask that transparent and fair petroleum pricing be implemented to ensure that the burden of rising international oil prices due to the recent situation in the Middle East is not unilaterally or excessively passed on to consumers," Kim said in a meeting with oil refiner
March 9, 2026 -
Lee urges caution over reform measures to minimize side effects
President Lee Jae Myung on Monday urged caution in pushing ahead with reform measures to minimize potential side effects, suggesting a "surgical correction" approach where necessary. Lee reaffirmed his commitment to carrying out reform initiatives to address problems across various sectors, but stressed the need to avoid discouraging or hurting many members who are not involved in causing those problems. "Reform often requires surgical correction," Lee wrote on social media platform X. "To resol
March 9, 2026 -
203 S. Koreans return from Abu Dhabi aboard chartered flight
More than 200 South Korean nationals who had been stranded in the United Arab Emirates due to the escalating US-Iran conflict returned home Monday aboard a chartered flight. The Etihad Airways plane, carrying 203 South Koreans and three family members of other nationalities, arrived at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, in the early morning, about 8 hours after departing from Abu Dhabi. It marked the first chartered flight organized by Seoul to bring back South Korean nationals from t
March 9, 2026 -
Finding a pharmacy in the middle of the night
There's no telling when you may be coming down with something, and responding to a sudden medical issue is tricky late at night or in the wee hours. If it's serious, the best thing to do is call the 119 emergency services, but sometimes all you need is an aspirin to nurse your headache. Most pharmacies in South Korea close at around 6 p.m. or 8 p.m. on weekdays, and around 1 p.m. or 2 p.m. on Saturdays, with a handful of stores taking turns opening on Sundays. In a bid to fill gaps in the supply
March 9, 2026 -
Gender pay gap hovers near 30% in Korea: report
The gender pay gap at South Korea’s major conglomerates still hovers near 30 percent while women make up roughly one-quarter of the workforce, a report showed Sunday. According to an analysis of the 2024 business report by the Korea CXO Institute, women accounted for 25 percent of employees at 150 major conglomerates across key industries. The figure marks a 0.3 percentage point increase from 24.7 percent in 2023. From a year earlier, the number of female employees increased by 2,876 while their
March 8, 2026 -
KCA issues consumer safety warning over Dubai Chewy Cookie
The Korea Consumer Agency on Sunday issued a consumer safety alert over the Dubai Chewy Cookie after confirming cases of allergic reactions and tooth damage linked to the product. The agency said 23 cases were reported to its Consumer Injury Surveillance System between January and February. Of those, 11 involved allergy symptoms after consumption, while five reported digestive disorders. Four cases involved tooth damage caused by hard foreign substances, two reported finding foreign matter in th
March 8, 2026 -
Seoul plan to create forest near Cheong Wa Dae scrapped: report
A Seoul city government plan to create forest areas and restore waterways near Cheong Wa Dae has effectively been scrapped, local media reported Sunday. According to Korea Herald sister paper, the Herald Business, authorities decided not to pursue projects to redevelop areas around Cheong Wa Dae, including Hyoja-ro, Cheongwadae-ro, Samcheong-ro and Jahamun-ro. The government also halted plans to restore historic waterways such as Baegundong Stream and Samcheongdong Stream. The original plan call
March 8, 2026 -
Korea moves to curb 'excessive' celebrity security disrupting airport passenger flow
South Korea has long grappled with airport congestion caused by the large entourages and security details accompanying celebrities traveling overseas. The issue has persisted for years, with fans and security personnel frequently crowding airport passageways and delaying travelers trying to catch flights on schedule. That situation may soon change. Earlier this week, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport commissioned a research project titled "A Study on Crowd Safety Management Meas
March 8, 2026 -
Gas price surge takes toll on truck drivers
The recent surge in gas prices has slowed, but prices still hover near six-year highs, placing a heavy burden on truck drivers amid tensions in the Middle East. As of Sunday morning, South Korea’s average diesel price rose 4.8 won from the previous day to 1,915.4 won ($1.29) per liter, while average gasoline prices increased 3.9 won to 1,893.3 won, according to industry data. The pace of increases has slowed significantly compared with recent days, when prices had been rising by several dozen wo
March 8, 2026 -
Seoul cracks down on hotels near BTS comeback concert
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Sunday that it has uncovered multiple violations of lodging regulations near the venue of an upcoming concert by BTS, as authorities step up inspections ahead of the group’s comeback event scheduled for March 21 in Gwanghwamun Square. According to the city, 18 out of 83 accommodation facilities inspected in the Jongno-gu and Jung-gu districts were found to violate lodging regulations, mainly for failing to display required price lists or business registrati
March 8, 2026 -
Top 3 universities see highest freshmen vacancies in 6 years
The number of unfilled freshman seats at South Korea’s top three universities has tripled over the past six years, apparently driven by continued preference for medical schools and last year’s expansion of medical school admission quotas, data showed Saturday. According to an analysis by Jongro Academy based on the state-run Higher Education in Korea university information disclosure system, freshman vacancies at Seoul National University, Yonsei University and Korea University rose from 21 in b
March 8, 2026 -
Lee pledges to promote gender equality on International Women's Day
President Lee Jae Myung on Sunday pledged to advance gender equality and foster a more inclusive society, marking International Women's Day. "I will fulfill my given role and responsibility to ensure that the Republic of Korea is reborn as a gender-equal society," Lee wrote on his Facebook page, referring to South Korea's official name. Lee said gender equality policies were scaled back under the previous administration, which had pledged to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family but
March 8, 2026 -
Chartered plane to bring home S. Koreans from UAE on Sunday: ministry
A chartered plane to evacuate South Koreans from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will take off this weekend amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, the foreign ministry said Saturday. The ministry said it is arranging a 290-seat Etihad Airways chartered flight, set to depart from Abu Dhabi at noon on Sunday (local time). Starting early Saturday, the South Korean Embassy in the UAE will receive applications from South Korean nationals wishing to board the plane, with priority given to critica
March 8, 2026 -
No. of drug addicts rises 49 pct from 2020 to 2024
March 8, 2026