South Korean PM, Bill Gates discuss SMR cooperation, AI energy needs

South Korean Prime Minister Han Seong-sook met Bill Gates, chairman of TerraPower, in Seoul on Friday to discuss cooperation on small modular reactors and energy solutions for the artificial intelligence era. Han said securing sufficient electricity would be critical as South Korea pushes ahead with three major projects to accelerate the country's AI transformation. The government is exploring an energy mix that includes renewable power and small modular reactors, or SMRs, she said. Han also wel

2026-08-14 17:18:57:00

Lee backs constitutional reform in principle, not any specific model: Cheong Wa Dae

Cheong Wa Dae said Friday that President Lee Jae Myung agrees in principle with a possible constitutional revision that would introduce a four-year, two-term presidency while strengthening the powers of the National Assembly. “We believe a four-year, two-term presidential system with enhanced powers for the National Assembly would have the broadest public acceptance,” a Cheong Wa Dae official told reporters. The official said Lee shares concerns about problems stemming from South Korea’s heavily

2026-08-14 14:30:40:00

Real estate policies drag Lee’s approval rating to new low

President Lee Jae Myung’s approval rating has fallen to the lowest level since taking office, with negative assessments outpacing positive assessment for the first time, weighed down by real estate policies. In the Gallup Korea poll released Friday, 46 percent of the respondents negatively assessed Lee’s performance, while 44 percent gave a positive assessment. Compared to the Gallup poll conducted in the final week of July, positive assessments slid 7 percentage points while negative assessment

2026-08-14 11:38:29:00

South Korea hosts goodwill event for UNC troops participating in UFS exercise

Senior South Korean military officials met Wednesday with troops from United Nations Command member states participating in this year’s Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise in a goodwill event at the War Memorial of Korea, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The event, attended by Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Lt. Gen. Kwon Dae-won and other senior JCS officials, was organized to thank the visiting troops for taking part in the annual combined exercise and to strengthen cooperation between Sou

2026-08-12 18:01:42:00

Cyberattack attempts on Overseas Koreans Agency surge more than twelvefold

Cyberattack attempts targeting South Korea’s Overseas Koreans Agency surged to 4,271 in the first seven months of this year, more than 12 times the 353 attempts recorded throughout last year, according to data released Tuesday. The agency, launched in June 2023, has yet to establish a dedicated cybersecurity unit and only began allocating a separate information security budget this year. According to cybersecurity management data submitted by the Overseas Koreans Agency to the office of Rep. Kim

2026-08-12 14:46:37:00

Pyongyang: One of the great centers of Goguryeo civilization

For centuries, historians have debated a deceptively simple question: Where was the capital of Goguryeo? The question puzzled scholars even during the reign of King Sejong the Great. In 1427, Minister of Rites Shin Sang reported that while the capitals of Silla and Baekje could be identified, "the capital of Goguryeo is unknown." Perhaps the question itself is too narrow. Rather than revolving around a single permanent capital, Goguryeo -- or Koguryo, as it is known in the North -- evolved throu

2026-07-23 09:59:07:00

Sports committee postpones parliamentary hearing on Korea Football Association

The National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee has decided to postpone a hearing on the Korea Football Association that had been scheduled for Wednesday. Rep. Lee Jae-jung, the committee chair and a lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea, told the media that the hearing would be delayed in consideration of ongoing negotiations between the ruling and opposition parties. The committee had approved the hearing during a plenary meeting on July 9, which lawmakers from the People P

2026-07-16 15:48:37:00

Jaemyung Bank? Opposition lawmaker slams bank for cutting mortgage limit

Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo of the main opposition People Power Party on Monday slammed KB Kookmin Bank for lowering the cap on mortgage lending, accusing it of following government policies at the cost of harming the public. “KB has cut off the people’s financial lifeline and betrayed them. It doesn’t deserve to carry the name ‘Kookmin,’” Ahn wrote on his Facebook page. “It would not be unreasonable for the bank to change its sign to ‘JM Jae-myung Bank’ instead.” The Korean word “kookmin” literally tran

2026-07-13 16:23:41:00

South Korea to allow stadium vendors at sports facilities

South Korea will permit vendors to sell prepared food directly to spectators at baseball stadiums and other sports facilities, as part of a government effort to ease everyday regulations and improve the fan experience. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, concerned government agencies will draw up detailed guidelines regarding the sale of food items and inform related industries before the measure takes effect. Until now, with the exception of beer, food and drink items could not be sold by

2026-07-13 13:22:30:00

Han Dong-hoon denies Ahn’s testimony over martial law night, warns of legal action

Independent Rep. Han Dong-hoon on Thursday rejected People Power Party Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo’s court testimony that he had called People Power Party lawmakers to the party headquarters, not the National Assembly, on Dec. 3, 2024, when martial law was declared by former President Yoon Suk Yeol. Speaking to reporters, Han accused Ahn of distorting facts, saying that “attempts should not be made to distort objective facts simply because time has passed.” Ahn testified the previous day as a witness in

2026-07-09 16:04:07:00