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Doubts cast over plan to relocate defense, foreign ministries
Plans to relocate South Korea's defense and foreign affairs ministries to Sejong have been met with caution from experts and resistance from opposition parties, who point out the importance of the existing diplomatic and security infrastructure in Seoul. On Tuesday, the government unveiled plans to move 44 central government agencies still based in Seoul and the surrounding area to Sejong, about 110 kilometers south of the capital, with the relocation to be carried out in stages through 2031. Th
Oct. 18, 2026 -
K-rom-com 'queen' Chae Soo-bin wants to break out of her comfort zone
With her youthful charm and knack for portraying endearing female leads, Chae Soo-bin has cemented her status as a global K-rom-com staple following standout turns in romantic hits like "Love in the Moonlight," "Where Stars Land" and "The Fabulous." Continuing her streak in the genre, Chae once again returns to familiar territory in Netflix Korea’s latest romantic comedy, "Take Charge of My Heart." She plays Bo-bae, an aspiring screenwriter whose newfound electrical powers unexpectedly intertwin
Oct. 18, 2026 -
Paws on the red carpet for forever homes
The red carpet belonged to some unlikely stars on Sunday morning, as around 200 dogs dressed in colorful scarves, dresses and other accessories made their grand entrance at Yeouido Hangang Park in Seoul to cheers from the crowd. But behind the glamorous appearances were stories of abandoned dogs still waiting for a place to call home. Among them were senior dogs, large breeds and dogs with disabilities, which often face greater challenges finding adoptive families. The parade was part of an adop
Oct. 18, 2026 -
Seo Chae-hyun wins lead title, eyes fourth straight double
Seo Chae-hyun, one of South Korea's leading sport climbers, won the women's lead title at the National Sports Festival for a fourth consecutive year. Seo, who represents Seoul City Hall and The North Face, finished first in the women's lead semifinal at the 107th National Sports Festival at Jeju Sports Complex on Saturday with a score of 34. She then won the final with a competition-best score of 54+. Seo won gold in the women's lead event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Oct. 3 and retur
Oct. 18, 2026 -
Choo's firefighter comments open ruling party to attack
A remark by Gyeonggi Province Gov. Choo Mi-ae that appeared to disparage firefighters as a drain on public resources has left the ruling bloc struggling to contain the fallout, with her subsequent apology sparking further anger. During a National Assembly audit of the provincial government last week, Choo had called the fire service the "biggest and troubling fiscal drain" on resources. Choo apologized after paying her respects at the funeral of Kim Jin-seok, a 44-year-old firefighter who died a
Oct. 18, 2026 -
Martinez hospitalized after collision in Everton match
Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was taken to a hospital after colliding with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite during a Premier League match. Chelsea beat Everton 2-0 at Hill Dickinson Stadium in the seventh round of the 2026-27 season, with Pedro Neto scoring twice in the second half. Martinez was injured in the 66th minute when he and Branthwaite collided while challenging for a cross. Both players went down, and medical staff entered the field. Play was stopped for more than 10 minutes
Oct. 18, 2026 -
Top bank chiefs face grilling over cyberattacks
Chiefs of five major South Korean commercial banks will attend a parliamentary audit on Monday to face questions over a wave of cyberattacks that exposed customers' and employees' personal data. The National Assembly's National Policy Committee approved a motion on Oct. 8 to summon KB Kookmin Bank CEO Lee Hwan-ju, Shinhan Bank CEO Jung Sang-hyuk, Hana Bank CEO Lee Ho-sung, Woori Bank CEO Jung Jin-wan and NH NongHyup Bank CEO Kang Tae-young as witnesses for an audit of the Financial Supervisory S
Oct. 18, 2026 -
Korean MLB players saw a disappointing 2026 season
The 2026 season brought mixed results for South Korean players in Major League Baseball, with several struggling to secure regular roles or match expectations. Lee Jung-hoo was the most consistent Korean major leaguer in terms of playing time, appearing in 143 games and batting .276 with 10 home runs, 57 RBIs and a .724 OPS. Lee had productive stretches early and midway through the season but was less consistent over the rest of the year. His batting average improved from .266 last season, thoug
Oct. 18, 2026 -
Samsung, SK hynix suffer worst weekly stock rout since 2008
South Korean chip giants Samsung Electronics and SK hynix suffered their steepest weekly share declines since the 2008 global financial crisis, battered by record foreign selling amid concerns over US interest rates, an AI investment bubble and intensifying competition from Chinese memory chipmakers. According to the Korea Exchange, Samsung Electronics shares plunged 17.8 percent from Monday to Friday, falling from 262,000 won to 215,500 won ($195 to $160). It was the stock's sharpest weekly dro
Oct. 18, 2026 -
Foreign passengers file 6,000 complaints for taxi overcharging in 5 years
Only 3.1 percent of foreign visitors' reports alleging taxi fare overcharging in Seoul resulted in administrative penalties between 2021 and August this year, a lawmaker revealed Sunday. Of the 6,481 complaints filed during the period, only 204 led to administrative measures, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government data obtained by Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Mo Gyeong-jong. Of those, 176 resulted in warnings, 26 in driver license suspensions, and two in license revocations. Another 1,
Oct. 18, 2026 -
SME minister visits Kolmar plant amid K-beauty boom
Kolmar Korea said Sunday that Minister of SMEs and Startups Lee So-young visited its cosmetics plant in Sejong on Friday to discuss ways to help small and independent K-beauty brands expand overseas amid surging global demand for Korean skincare products. Lee toured the manufacturing facility and met with Kolmar Korea executives and ministry officials to discuss industry challenges and measures to strengthen the competitiveness of Korean cosmetics manufacturers. As Korea's first cosmetics origin
Oct. 18, 2026 -
Kim Min-jae starts as Bayern thrash Leipzig 6-1, stay unbeaten
Bayern Munich reclaimed first place in the Bundesliga after routing RB Leipzig 6-1, with South Korea center back Kim Min-jae in the starting lineup. Bayern earned the emphatic home victory at Allianz Arena in Munich on Oct. 17 behind a Luis Diaz hat trick and a goal and two assists from Harry Kane. The win kept Bayern unbeaten through its first six league matches at 4-2-0 for 14 points. It moved back atop the standings ahead of Borussia Dortmund on goal difference. Kim started at center back and
Oct. 18, 2026 -
Yamal stars as Barcelona ties La Liga record with ninth straight win
Barcelona tied the La Liga record for the most consecutive wins to start a season, extending its perfect run to nine matches with a 5-2 victory over Real Betis. Barcelona won Saturday's away match at La Cartuja Stadium in Seville to improve to 9-0-0 for 27 points. The club matched Real Madrid’s record of nine straight wins to open a La Liga season, set in 1968-69. Barcelona has scored 39 goals while conceding nine during its winning streak, 20 more goals than second-place Atletico Madrid, which
Oct. 18, 2026 -
Wave of antidiscrimination rules sweeps across universities
More university student councils across South Korea are adopting rules against discrimination and hate speech as a comprehensive antidiscrimination bill remains stalled at the National Assembly nearly two decades after it was first proposed. According to local reports, Seoul National University's student council amended its constitution in September to explicitly guarantee students "the right not to be discriminated against." The new provision prohibits discrimination on grounds including gender
Oct. 18, 2026 -
Samsung invests $22.8m in Texas workforce as TSMC eyes entry
Samsung Electronics is committing more than $22.8 million to workforce development and community programs in Central Texas as rival TSMC explores a potential chip plant in the state, raising the stakes in the competition for skilled semiconductor workers. Samsung Austin Semiconductor announced the investment at its “Made in Texas: Boundless Opportunity” event, unveiling new technical training and internship programs aimed at building a local talent pipeline for its expanding operations in Austin
Oct. 18, 2026