Reform Party floor leader slams DCC for 'hiding' defense minister's military records

Reform Party Floor Leader Rep. Chun Ha-ram on Tuesday upped the attack against Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, raising questions over Ahn's military service and against military reform measures. According to Chun, the Defense Counterintelligence Command denied his request of information regarding allegations of irregularities in Ahn's military service. Writing on his Facebook account, Chun said that the DCC cited lack of personnel to handle the request as all available employees were engaged in p

2026-07-23 09:59:14:00

Ahn Cheol-soo likens president to invasive species of real estate

Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo of the main opposition People Power Party on Tuesday accused President Lee Jae Myung of using an irregular real estate trading method, comparing him to the invasive bluegill fish. Ahn's statement, written on his Facebook page, came after Lee officially sold his house located in Bundang-gu, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, for 2.9 billion won ($1.97 million). According to the property's certificate of registry information, around 1.78 billion won is financed with debt held by Lee a

2026-07-21 17:39:58:00

Presidential Chief of Staff for Policy says the state must lay foundations for self-sustaining AI ecosystem

The government must lay the grounds for the spread of AI across sectors, approaching the technology as a "basic right," Presidential Chief of Staff for Policy Kim Yong-beom said Tuesday. Writing on his Facebook page, Kim said the artificial intelligence market is still not fully unlocked, and applications in hospitals, schools and public administration remain elusive. Kim cited conflicting stakes as the cause: hospitals wait for regulations to be eased, regulators wait for successful precedents

2026-07-21 13:18:04:00

Opposition accuses government of running trading chat rooms with leveraged ETFs

The main opposition People Power Party on Monday continued its attack on leveraged single-stock exchange-traded funds, with its floor leader accusing the government of fanning speculative investing. Speaking at the party's Supreme Council meeting on Monday, People Power Party floor leader Rep. Jeong Jeom-sig referred to the ETFs as "government-led 'leading rooms' targeting the public." The term "leading rooms" refers to stock tip chat rooms that provide advice on stock investments, often in exc

2026-07-20 15:30:53:00

Korea's running craze has a new pace: Slowing down

Running has long been associated with chasing faster times and who crosses the finish line first. But a growing number of runners in South Korea are embracing a different philosophy: slowing down. At My Pace Morning, a Seoul Metropolitan Government running program held in Yeouido on Sunday, there were no sprints to the finish. Instead, runners chatted with companions, pushed strollers and jogged at a pace comfortable enough to hold a conversation. Despite the scorching summer heat, about 150 peo

2026-07-18 16:00:00:00

Rewards for reporting illegal hagwon operations jump tenfold to W2m

People who report unregistered private academies or illegal tutoring services in South Korea can now receive rewards of up to 2 million won ($1,347), the Education Ministry said Thursday. The maximum reward for reporting a hagwon operating without registration or notification has increased tenfold from 200,000 won to 2 million won under revised enforcement rules for the law governing private academies and extracurricular tutoring. Rewards for other violations have also risen. Reports of academie

2026-07-16 13:15:47:00

Cheongju city councilor elected while under probe for alleged sexual exploitation of minor

Choi Yeong-joong, a member of the Cheongju City Council in North Chungcheong Province who has been accused of sexually exploiting a minor, ran in June's local elections and won while under police investigation over the allegations, local reports said Thursday. The first-term councilor, 35, is accused of engaging in sexual activity with a middle school student who was 13 years old and filming sexually explicit videos between October 2024 and May 2025. According to the reports, Choi delayed appear

2026-07-16 13:00:11:00

Dog breeder jailed for cutting open live mother to remove puppies

A dog breeding farm owner in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for cutting open a live mother dog to remove its puppies and for illegally euthanizing sick and elderly dogs. The Suwon District Court on Tuesday sentenced the former operator, whose identity is withheld, to 18 months in prison and a fine of 3 million won ($2,010) for violating the Animal Protection Act, Veterinarians Act and Building Act. A manager from the farm received a 14-month prison term. Both w

2026-07-16 09:01:21:00

Police investigate Cheongju city councilor for alleged sex with minor

Police searched the office and home of a Cheongju city councilor on Wednesday as part of an investigation into allegations that he paid a minor for sex and produced sexually explicit videos. The Cheongju Cheongwon Police Station said investigators searched the councilor's two offices and residence on Wednesday morning, seizing computers and digital storage devices. The councilor, whose identity is withheld, is accused of engaging in sexual acts with a middle school student and filming sexually e

2026-07-15 15:21:53:00

Abu Dhabi Shake Shack draws criticism over inaccurate Korean flag

Shake Shack has come under fire for reportedly distributing World Cup merchandise that features an inaccurate South Korean flag at its branch in Abu Dhabi of the United Arab Emirates. The controversy went viral on Tuesday after Seo Kyoung-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women’s University, shared a photo highlighting an oversized finger with nations' flags wrapped around it on social media. Seo said the image had been provided by a South Korean resident in Abu Dhabi. The item, which appears to be a

2026-07-15 11:17:48:00