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Why Korean women decided to go on strike
While International Women’s Day is often marked with campaigns celebrating empowerment, women’s groups in South Korea are preparing to stop work. Thousands are expected to gather in central Seoul on Friday as more than 20 women’s and labor organizations stage a nationwide “women’s strike,” saying persistent gender inequality and violence have left them with little choice but to halt both paid and unpaid labor for a day. The action, organized by the 2026 March 8 Women’s Strike Organizing Committe
March 5, 2026 -
Criticism mounts after Daejeon-South Chungcheong Province merger bill stalls
Politicians are coming under fire from civic groups after a merger bill to integrate South Chungcheong Province and Daejeon failed to pass during the February session of the National Assembly. The February session, which ended Tuesday, had been considered the last window to complete the integration and establish a unified provincial leadership ahead of the June 3 local elections. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea is seeking one last chance to pass the law in March, despite the already tight s
March 5, 2026 -
Former 'Chungju Man' nears 1m subscribers with single video
Kim Seon-tae, the former official behind the Chungju city government's wildly popular YouTube channel, is drawing explosive attention after launching his own channel following his resignation from public service. As of noon Thursday, Kim’s YouTube channel “Kim Seon-tae” had about 961,000 subscribers despite having only a single video uploaded. The number has surged rapidly, approaching the 1 million mark just three days after the channel was launched. In the video, which racked up 5.6 million vi
March 5, 2026 -
Human or mechanical error? Family challenges carmaker over accident that killed child
An appellate trial on compensation for the 2022 crash that killed a 12-year-old child began Thursday at the Chuncheon branch of the Seoul High Court, with the families of both the driver and the victim claiming the crash was caused by a mechanical error in the vehicle. The family of the victim, Lee Do-hyeon, is seeking 920 million won ($630,000) in damages from KG Mobility — formerly SsangYong Motor Co. — for what they claim was sudden unintended acceleration of the car driven by Lee’s grandmoth
March 5, 2026 -
Men indicted for growing cannabis at state-subsidized smart farm
Two men in their 30s were recently indicted for illegally cultivating cannabis at an underground farming facility, part of a sweeping raid conducted by the joint government drug crime investigation headquarters. The suspects are accused of growing and distributing cannabis between September and February under instructions from a seller on the dark web, which is not accessible through conventional search engines or web browsers. The main suspect had been selected as a beneficiary of a government
March 5, 2026 -
Woman accused of motel drug killings treated to luxury meals, hotel stays by victims: report
A woman in her 20s accused of killing two men with drug-laced drinks at Seoul motels had been treated to luxury meals and hotel stays by the victims before the killings, local media reported Thursday. According to police investigators, the suspect, surnamed Kim, gave the men drinks containing drugs when she felt it was time to give something in return, despite knowing the substances could be fatal. Investigators said she was the one who suggested staying at motels, where she provided them with d
March 5, 2026 -
British TV personality Eva Popiel becomes South Korean citizen
Eva Popiel, a British-born entertainer who gained popularity in Korea through KBS’ hit talk show “Global Talk Show” from 2006-2007, has officially become a Korean citizen after nearly two decades in the country. Popiel shared the news on her Instagram account Tuesday, posting several photos from the ceremony, where she received her naturalization certificate at the Yangju Immigration and Foreign Affairs Office in Gyeonggi Province, with the message “Finally. Thank you!” She reportedly passed the
March 5, 2026 -
Police to be dispatched to Oman, Dubai to help S. Korean departures as US-Israeli war on Iran widens
Police said Thursday it will send personnel to Oman and Dubai this week to help South Korean nationals leave the Middle East as the US-Israeli war on Iran has broadened. The National Police Agency said it will dispatch three officers to each of the two Gulf region hubs early Friday to help those stranded return home as the conflict between US-Israeli forces against Iran has widened to affect neighboring countries. The move comes after the government held an interagency meeting Wednesday on respo
March 5, 2026 -
Industry minister heads to Canada to back Seoul's bid for submarine project
Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan left for Canada on Thursday to lend support for a South Korean consortium's bid to secure Canada's high-profile submarine project. To help the Korean consortium win the estimated 60 trillion-won ($41 billion) project, Kim plans to meet with Canadian Industry Minister Melanie Joly and other government officials, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources. Kim is also scheduled to attend the completion ceremony for LG Energy Solution Ltd.'s joint ele
March 5, 2026 -
Ex-President Moon set to visit US for discussions on inter-Korean ties
Former President Moon Jae-in was set to depart for the United States on Thursday, marking his first visit to the US since leaving office in 2022. The trip comes at the invitation of US think tank RAND Corp. and the Pacific Century Institute. Moon, who led South Korea from 2017 to 2022, is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech and participate in a roundtable with Nancy Staudt, vice president of RAND, and other experts to discuss inter-Korean relations and the rapidly changing global order on Frid
March 5, 2026 -
Lee asks Marcos for temporary transfer of jailed Korean drug kingpin
President Lee Jae Myung said he asked Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to allow the temporary transfer of a jailed Korean drug kingpin to face investigation and prosecution in South Korea. Lee noted that “one of the difficulties faced by Koreans living abroad is the issue of public safety” during his luncheon meeting with members of the Korean community in Manila on Wednesday. Lee further explained that incidents affecting Korean residents in the Philippines appear to be rising, in cont
March 4, 2026 -
Korean happiness hits record high, despite political turmoil: report
South Koreans reported their highest level of life satisfaction on record in 2025, despite deep political tensions following former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration in December 2024. Overall life satisfaction scored 6.63 out of 10 points, the highest figure recorded in the annual Korea Social Integration Survey, according to a report by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs. The figure surpassed the previous high of 6.47 points recorded in 2024. The happiness index r
March 4, 2026 -
Doctor sentenced to 6 years for murder disguised as abortion
A Seoul court on Wednesday sentenced an obstetrician to six years in prison for performing a cesarean on a 36-week pregnant woman and killing the baby, amid a lack of legal provisions to regulate abortions. The Seoul Central District Court found the 81-year-old hospital director, identified only by his surname Yoon, guilty of murder for killing the baby after conducting a caesarean section. The operating surgeon, identified as Shim, 62, was sentenced to four years in prison. The mother, a 26-yea
March 4, 2026 -
Brazilian woman indicted for stalking Jungkook, visiting home 20 times
A Brazilian national has been indicted and detained on stalking charges after repeatedly visiting the home of BTS' Jungkook, authorities said Wednesday. According to the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office, the woman in her 30s was indicted Friday on charges of violating the Anti-Stalking Act and trespassing. She allegedly visited Jungkook’s residence around 20 times over the course of a month starting on Dec. 7, 2025, rang his doorbell hundreds of times and left notes and other items at
March 4, 2026 -
Will Korea lower juvenile offender age for the first time in 70 years?
The government has begun a formal public deliberation process on whether to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility for “juvenile offenders,” after President Lee Jae Myung signaled support for reducing the current threshold from 14 to 13. The move reopens a decadeslong debate over how Korea should respond to rising public concern about youth crime, even as ministries and experts remain sharply divided. According to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on Wednesday, preparations ar
March 4, 2026