Green Korea United, a local environmental group, staged a protest in front of the Embassy of Japan in Seoul on Wednesday, condemning Japan's plan to discharge approximately 1.32 million tonnes of wastewater from the destroyed Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean. The activists displayed a water purifier attached to a mock barrel of contaminated Fukushima wastewater, provided by Jeski Social Campaign, a research group that creates public service campaigns. They criticized the

South Korea is envisioning a plan to scrap the limit of 20 English characters on driver's licenses, the government said Wednesday. The character limit -- imposed on driver's licenses and disability certificates -- has often discouraged holders from having their full name displayed. The eased rule will accommodate names with up to 37 characters on the identification cards and certificates, according to the Ministry of Interior and Safety. Under current rules here, foreigners who earned a license

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen visited Seoul to exchange views on furthering bilateral cooperations with his counterparts. It was the first time for the foreign minister to visit South Korea in 11 years, according to the Israeli Embassy in Korea on Wednesday. On the second day of the two-day visit, he met his South Korean counterpart Park Jin to discuss ways to expand cooperation in trade, science, technology, startups and culture, South Korean foreign ministry said. They also exchanged view

Without substantive investment and market activation, Kim's agriculture reforms won't result in any improvement, experts say

A middle school student has been arrested for throwing firecrackers at a police patrol division in Daegu on Wednesday. According to Daegu Gangbuk Police Station, the student is accused of throwing a set of firecrackers at a police outpost located in Buk-gu, a district located in northwestern Daegu, at 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday. He ran away right after but was caught by the police within 10 minutes. No one was injured due to the firecrackers, but parts of the sidewalk near the patrol division were da

Anyang Manan Police Station said Wednesday it had arrested a man in his 30s for murdering his father, after he threw away his diary. The man is suspected of stabbing his father several times while he was sleeping, at around 8:54 p.m. on Tuesday. After he committed the crime, he called the police and said that he had “killed his father.” The man said that he had committed the crime due to a sudden rush of anger. The police plan to seek a warrant for his further detention after further

S. Korean, Polish defense ministers attend FA-50 rollout ceremony, live-fire drills

Authorities in Vladivostok, a port city in the far eastern region of Russia, have launched an investigation into the disappearance of two North Koreans, Russian news outlets reported Tuesday. The missing North Koreans are believed to be wife and son of an official working at the North Korean consulate general there, according to the Arguments & Facts weekly owned by the Government of Moscow. The two -- 43-year-old Kim Kum-sun and 15-year-old Park Kwon-ju -- were last seen leaving the North K

South Korea is stepping up efforts to lead global peace initiatives, emboldened by winning a two-year term on the United Nations Security Council at an election Tuesday, as it doubles down on fighting security challenges -- the biggest of which is North Korea. Beginning in January next year, Seoul will serve as one of the 10 nonpermanent members of the UN’s most powerful body, which also includes five permanent members with veto power: China, France, Russia, the UK and US. The annual elect

President Yoon Suk Yeol has pledged to enhance transportation accessibility in North Chungcheong Province, saying “robust transportation is indispensable to foster a livable province” at the groundbreaking ceremony of a double-track high-speed railway connecting Pyeongtaek in Gyeonggi Province and Osong in North Chungcheong Province, on Wednesday. The double-track high-speed railway project is aimed at constructing 46.9 new kilometers of underground high-speed railway connecting Pyeo

The annual Seoul Queer Culture Festival parade this year, which had struggled to secure a venue due to the city's refusal of its request to use Seoul Plaza, will be held on July 1 starting in Euljiro 2-ga, Seoul, the organizing committee said Wednesday. The organizing committee expects more than 50,000 people to participate in the parade alone and 150,000 in all festival events. The parade starts from Euljiro but the route will include Seoul Plaza, they said. “The meaning of the Pride

The wording of an advertisement for an apartment complex in southern Seoul sparked criticism on Wednesday for inciting classism. The ad for a residential complex called The Palace 73 read: “We've built this for those who've always dreamt of an unequal world." The builder said the apartment aspires to be South Korea’s own version of Central Park in New York, establishing a new standard for luxurious living space for centuries to come. As the ad came under attack online,