146 violent crimes between 2023-25 had no clear motive

There were 146 recorded violent attacks with no clear motive from 2023 to 2025, police records showed Sunday, with 87 percent of them taking place in shopping malls, the streets, subway stations, and other crowded public places. The annual number of "abnormal motive crimes" — in which the attacker has no clear motive or connection with the victim — declined over the period, from 46 in 2023, 42 in 2024, and 39 in 2025, according to National Police Agency data revealed by Rep. Kim Yea-ji of the ma

Oct. 18, 2026

Parties clash over USFK commander's remarks

Fallout from a lawmaker’s response to remarks by the commander of US Forces Korea appears likely to grow into another partisan clash that spills into the security and diplomatic arena. On Sunday, the conservative main opposition People Power Party accused the Lee Jae Myung administration of “degrading” and “picking a fight” with the US, claiming that the administration was creating another “diplomatic farce.” “The idea of "jurisdiction by a foreign power" is raised over a single remark by the US

Oct. 18, 2026

Egypt's Sissi asks parliament to authorise support for Saudi

Egypt's parliament was to hold an emergency session after President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi asked lawmakers to authorize support for Saudi defenses against Houthi attacks if the kingdom requests it. Saudi Arabia leads a military coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognized government in its civil war with the Iran-backed Houthis. Egypt joined the Saudi-led intervention in 2015, although its role has largely focused on securing Red Sea shipping routes rather than front-line combat operat

Oct. 18, 2026

Trump's decision to waive Russian sanctions outrages Congress, but no quick counter seen

US President Donald Trump's abrupt decision to waive sanctions on Russia days before they were to take effect drew outrage Saturday from members of Congress, which had overwhelmingly passed the legislation in a bipartisan display of American support for Ukraine in the war with Russia. Lawmakers from both parties blasted the executive order late Friday, the latest in a series of steps that the Republican president has taken drawing the US closer to Russia's Vladimir Putin. Trump recently announce

Oct. 18, 2026

Foreign tourists head for Korea's mountains

Korea's mountains are drawing international travelers, with visits to national parks and online interest in hiking tours rising this year. Global travel platform Klook said traffic for its hiking-related tour products rose about 22 percent from a year earlier between July 1 and Oct. 10. Growth was strongest among travelers from the US and Europe, where traffic climbed 38 percent and 34 percent, respectively. Taiwan, Singapore and the Philippines followed as the next-largest markets browsing hiki

Oct. 18, 2026

Trump faults aides as Republican midterm prospects dim

US President Donald Trump is blaming senior aides and political operatives for a faltering midterm strategy, questioning campaign spending, faulting redistricting and second-guessing candidate choices as Republicans fight to retain control of Congress, said three people familiar with internal discussions. Trump is not ‌on the Nov. 3 ballot but repeatedly tells supporters to pretend that he is, hoping to mobilize voters who might otherwise skip the election. He has embarked on a frenetic campaign

Oct. 18, 2026

Nepal floods 'defining moment' for climate action: UN

Nepal's devastating floods should be a turning point for global climate action, with the international community helping the Himalayan nation recover, a top UN official told Agence France-Presse Saturday. The country suffered one of the worst disasters in its history on Aug. 26, when a mountain collapse near the China border triggered catastrophic floods that killed more than 1,400 people and left over 5,000 missing. Scientists said climate change played a significant role in that disaster. Jorg

Oct. 18, 2026

Mass protests in France spiral into worst riots in years

Rioting erupted in cities across France Saturday as demonstrations against rising living costs and declining public services spiraled ‌out of control in some of the worst violence the country has witnessed for decades. While hundreds of thousands protested peacefully in street marches in scores of cities, violent fringe groups targeted public buildings, looted luxury boutiques and supermarkets and attacked police vehicles and officers. In Limoges, the city hall was set ablaze; in Marseille, blac

Oct. 18, 2026

Did authorities have chance to stop Incheon knife attacker?

Choi Choong-rak, the 59-year-old man behind last week's stabbing spree in Incheon, was found to have been investigated by police for weapon possession just 34 days before the attack. The discovery has sparked criticism that local law enforcement may have missed a chance to prevent the bloody incident. It was reported that Choi held a solo protest in front of a hospital in Gyeyang-gu, Incheon, on Sept. 9, complaining about the medical treatment he received at the hospital. Citizens reported him t

Oct. 18, 2026

Pope returns to Vatican days after surgery; surgeon says he should be fit for Latin America tour

VATICAN CITY (AP) -- Pope Leo XIV returned to the Vatican on Saturday days after lung cancer surgery, as his surgeon said there are "no clinical reasons" to prevent his planned trip to Latin America next month. "The Holy Father has put his heart and soul into his recovery," Dr. Stefano Margaritora told Vatican News, adding that he expected the pope to recover fully from surgery "in another 10 days or so." Leo, 71, is scheduled to make an ambitious Nov. 6-17 trip to Uruguay, Peru and Argentina, i

Oct. 18, 2026

[World Class] HUFS bets on Songdo, AI to redefine what a global university can do

Behind each university’s global ambitions are choices about what to preserve, what to develop and where to go next. In “World Class,” The Korea Herald interviews leaders of Korean universities about the strengths they are cultivating and the futures they envision. — Ed. The president of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies sees Songdo as a place to put the university’s decades of expertise in languages and regional studies to work in international education, AI research and industry partnerships

Oct. 18, 2026

16th-century war chronicle 'Jingbirok' gets revised English edition

A revised and expanded English edition of "Jingbirok," a Joseon-era chronicle of Japan's invasions of Korea in the late 16th century, has been published, offering an account of the war and its lessons by Ryu Song-nyong (1542-1607), a prominent scholar-official who reflected on the failures that led to the conflict. The new edition was revised and expanded by Choi Byong-hyon, a former professor at Honam University, more than 20 years after he published the first English translation, titled "The B

Oct. 18, 2026

Gentle Monster vs. Blue Elephant: Behind K-eyewear's global boom, a bitter battle over imitation

Gentle Monster’s global standing is hardly in doubt. Its recent campaigns feature Tilda Swinton, Japanese actor Kentaro Sakaguchi and Stray Kids’ Felix. It has released collaborations with Prada and Maison Margiela, to name a few, and crossed into wearables with Google and Samsung Electronics. With its success came a Korean eyewear boom and a wave of challengers. Rising fastest is Blue Elephant, with similarly trendy frames for much lower prices and gallery-like stores to match. Those parallels

Oct. 18, 2026

Musinsa brings Japanese fashion to Seoul with Zozotown

South Korean fashion retailer Musinsa is bringing 15 Japanese fashion brands to Seoul through a partnership with Japan's leading fashion e-commerce platform Zozotown, expanding a collaboration that has largely focused on selling Korean brands in Japan. The Zozotown in Musinsa pop-up opened Friday at Musinsa Store Seongsu and runs through Oct. 31, with an online promotion continuing until Nov. 16. The lineup includes Beauty & Youth United Arrows, Snidel and Urban Research, alongside labels with l

Oct. 18, 2026

Four months after Tongyeong killing, suspect remains at large

Four months after a woman in her 60s was fatally stabbed at her home in Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, police have not arrested a suspect, despite receiving over 400 tips and offering a 100 million won ($74,000) reward. The Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency reported that a man wearing a hat, face covering and gloves entered the victim’s yard around 12:20 a.m. on June 10. The man arrived empty-handed and appeared to survey the property before entering the house. Approximately two hours la

Oct. 18, 2026