Ex-President Yoon sentenced to 30 years over N. Korea drone operation

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to 30 years in prison by a Seoul court Friday, which ruled that a covert drone operation targeting Pyongyang was intended to provoke North Korea and help justify his martial law declaration. The Seoul Central District Court found Yoon guilty of benefiting the enemy and abuse of power, concluding that the operation was designed to heighten inter-Korean military tensions rather than serve legitimate national security objectives. Former Defense Minister

2026-06-12 11:37:11:00

When caregiving takes over childhood: South Korea's hidden child labor

For generations, child labor in Korea had a recognizable face. It was the elementary school student mobilized for farm work during Japan's colonial rule. The teenage girl bent over sewing machines in textile and wig factories during the country’s rapid industrialization. The boy spending long hours in workshops instead of classrooms to help support his family. Those images helped shape a national understanding that child labor belonged to another era. Today, South Korea is one of the world’s lar

2026-06-11 15:56:05:00

Seoul AI Foundation, MIT discuss people-centered AI city

Artificial intelligence should be used not only to optimize city services, but also to help address challenges such as aging populations, declining birth rates and social isolation, city officials and researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said Thursday. Carlo Ratti, director of the MIT Senseable City Lab, said Seoul is well positioned to become a model for how cities can use AI to better understand how people live, interact and build communities. “Many cities will use AI to

2026-06-11 14:12:43:00

[팟캐스트] (800) 투표 용지 부족 사태

진행자: 최정윤, Tannith Kriel Lee calls for fundamental fixes after ballot fiasco, reflects on 'sensitivity to sovereignty' 기사 요약: 6·3 지방선거 당시 발생한 투표용지 부족 사태와 관련해 이재명 대통령은 “구조적 문제를 인식하고 개선해야 한다”고 말하며, 이 문제를 지적하는 청년들의 모습을 두고 “귀하고 존경스럽다”고 평가했다. [1] President Lee Jae Myung on Monday called for “fundamental measures” to prevent a repeat of the ballot shortages that marred the June 3 local elections, saying the controversy had led him to question whether he had lacked “sensitivity to sovereignty.” fiasco:

2026-06-11 06:00:00:00

Seoul gears up for World Cup watch parties

Ahead of South Korea’s opening match in the 2026 FIFA World Cup at 11 a.m. Friday, (Korean time), Seoul urged soccer fans to use public transportation and take precautions against extreme heat as public viewing events return to some of the capital’s most popular gathering spots. Thousands of fans are expected to assemble at Gwanghwamun Square on Friday morning for a street cheering event during South Korea’s Group A opener against Czechia. Additional watch parties are scheduled for matches again

2026-06-10 17:04:33:00

Busan promotes local experiences to foreign tourists through Naver Map

Busan is teaming up with Naver, South Korea’s leading online platform, to help foreign tourists discover restaurants, cafes and shopping spots beyond the city’s traditional tourist attractions. The city government said Wednesday that it had launched the “Be Local” campaign with Naver, which will run through July 19 and target international visitors traveling in South Korea. The campaign features more than 300 attractions and businesses in Busan under the theme “The most local way to enjoy Busan.

2026-06-10 13:53:36:00

Four US soldiers detained after assault case in Itaewon

Four US soldiers were detained after an early morning altercation in Itaewon, Seoul, on Monday that left two Korean men injured, police said. The Yongsan Police Station said it detained four US service members and two Korean men on suspicion of joint assault following a fight that broke out at around 2 a.m. in the popular nightlife district in central Seoul. The soldiers, all in their 20s and stationed at Camp Casey in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province, allegedly approached two Korean women on the

2026-06-09 14:17:01:00

A little bit of Paris is coming to Seoul this weekend

Seorae Village, home to Seoul’s largest French community, will host its annual Korea-France music festival featuring performances, food stalls and cultural activities. Held near the Seoul Public Procurement Service building, the festival brings together residents, French expatriates and visitors for an evening celebrating the long-standing ties between the two communities. The event will feature local school choirs, taekwondo demonstrations, traditional Korean dance groups, students from the Fre

2026-06-09 12:38:41:00

Korea to expand support for migrants, single fathers, one-person households

South Korea on Tuesday laid out plans to expand government support for families with migrant backgrounds, single fathers, one-person households and other groups long excluded by family policy as part of a new five-year policy blueprint. The Fifth Basic Plan for Healthy Families, covering 2026 to 2030, was approved at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday. The government described the plan as a shift toward a more inclusive family policy framework designed to reflect the country's changing demographics and h

2026-06-09 11:29:43:00

Man indicted for secretly filming women, spraying capsaicin on restroom tissue

A 21-year-old man has been indicted in custody on charges of secretly filming women in a restroom and injuring a woman by spraying capsaicin on toilet paper in a building in southern Seoul, prosecutors said Monday. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office indicted the man, identified only by his surname Kim, on June 2 on charges of causing bodily injury and violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes. Kim, a social service worker, is accused of spraying ca

2026-06-08 17:21:24:00