Yoon issues executive order against striking truckers as crisis bites

The government on Tuesday ordered some 2,500 cement cargo truck drivers at over 200 companies across the nation to stop their strike and return to work on the sixth day of the walkout, taking an unprecedented move as the supply crisis deepens. The order came into effect immediately after the Cabinet meeting presided by President Yoon Suk-yeol for cement truckers took place in the morning. Those who refuse to comply with the order will be subject to a suspension of their trucker license, as well

One month after Itaewon disaster, bereaved families seek solidarity

The families of victims who died in the Halloween crowd crush in Seoul’s Itaewon neighborhood a month ago asked for solidarity from the community as they search for accountability from the government. In a statement late Monday, the families thanked supporters and offered consolation to survivors, marking one month since the disaster that killed 158 people and left dozens with severe injuries. “Because the government did not take measures to allow the bereaved families to communicate

North Korea’s insult at Yoon shows pressure is working: Yoon’s envoy

The insult North Korea hurled at President Yoon Suk-yeol and his administration last week for pursuing additional sanctions on the isolated country after its missile launches is evidence that efforts led by South Korea and the US to curb Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions are in fact working, according to Yoon’s US envoy. On Thursday, Kim Yo-jong -- the powerful younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un -- called Yoon and his government “idiots” serving its master, the

Dispute continues over removal of 'sexual minority' from curriculum

Amid ongoing controversy over the curriculum revision plan's removal of the term "sexual minority," the Ministry of Education on Tuesday refuted the National Human Rights Commission's criticism that the plan is a retreat in human rights discourse for Korean society. "The revised curriculum plan is a retreat from human rights discourse in our society. Removing the term ‘sexual minority’ is a very serious problem in that it can lead to a deepening of discrimina

South Korea’s chip exports dwindle as export to China increases

South Korea is heavily reliant on China for its semiconductor exports, and it should diversify its overseas markets to mitigate associated risks of decline in trade with the neighboring country, a report said on Monday. According to statistics released from the Korea International Trade Association, South Korea’s semiconductor exports to China from January to September was $42 billion, rising 1.7 percentage points from the previous year becoming 40.6 percent of the country's total volume

EV industry advised to adopt battery swapping for better efficiency

The Korea International Trade Association suggested introducing battery swapping as a solution that could boost South Korea’s electric vehicle transition, the association said in a report released Monday. Battery swapping is touted as an emerging solution for EVs, particularly in China. The technology allows drivers to switch a drained battery with a fully charged one in just a few minutes, instead of having to charge the empty one at a designated station. Rolling out battery swapping i

S. Korea signals delays to crypto income tax

Financial authorities on Monday maintained their position on imposing an income tax on cryptocurrency trading from 2025, delaying the initial plan of levying a 20 percent tax starting next year. According to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, it submitted a bill to lawmakers to push back the new taxation law from 2023 to 2025. Before the end of the year, the bill has to be passed by the National Assembly for the current taxation plan to be postponed. Under the current taxation law, anyone

Korean users spend less time on Twitter taken over by Musk

South Korean users spent less time on Twitter compared to the month before billionaire Elon Musk took over the social media platform in a drama-plagued $44 billion deal, industry data showed Monday. According to local data tracker Mobile Index, the average time a local user spent on Twitter was 43.94 minutes for the four weeks of Oct. 28 to Nov. 24, down from 45.9 minutes marked a month prior to the highly publicized purchase. The number of daily active users on the platform in that period, ho