Prosecution-police team wraps up probe into political-religious collusion

A joint prosecution-police team investigating suspected collusion between politics and religion concluded its activities Monday, 237 days after its launch on Jan. 6. The team achieved notable results, including the arrest and indictment of Lee Man-hee, founder of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a nonmainstream religious sect, and the seizure of 26 billion won ($18.9 million) in cash from the private safe of Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja. The team had investigated allegations of Shincheon

2026-08-31 11:46:45:00

Korean films set for back-to-back release after 'The Odyssey,' 'Spider-Man' hype

A cornucopia of Korean films are set to hit local theaters in September as films rush to bank in on the Chuseok holiday and exceed the big-screen success of Hollywood hits "The Odyssey" and "Spider-Man: Brand New Day." The slate is full and diverse, with six major Korean films set to open throughout September, ranging from the Korean remake of the Hollywood hit "The Intern" (2016) to modern auteur Lee Chang-dong's first feature in eight years. Kicking off the roll is director Lee Ji-won's poigna

2026-08-31 11:34:13:00

Land minister nominee vows close consultations with Seoul on housing supply

The nominee to head the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Monday he will closely consult with the Seoul city government to narrow differences over housing supply plans. Hong Jee-sun, currently vice land minister, made the remarks a day after he was tapped to replace Land Minister Kim Yun-duk, who had faced opposition from the Seoul city government over a proposal to use parts of Yongsan Park in central Seoul for housing development. "I will hold sufficient consultations with th

2026-08-31 10:37:27:00

Govt. launches 2nd half program to recover remains of fallen Korean War soldiers

The defense ministry said Monday it has launched second-half operations to recover and identify the remains of soldiers killed in the 1950-53 Korean War, continuing its efforts to bring closure to families of service members killed in action or still missing. The Agency for KIA Recovery and Identification under the ministry will carry out the excavation project starting Monday through Nov. 27, deploying troops from 14 Army divisions and brigades, and the 1st Marine Division, the ministry said. T

2026-08-31 10:08:59:00

Seoul shares open sharply lower on Fed chief's hawkish comments

Seoul shares opened sharply lower Monday, tracking losses on Wall Street amid the possibility of an imminent rate hike by the US Federal Reserve caused by hawkish comments from its chief last week. After opening 2.58 percent down, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index trimmed earlier losses, trading 163.60 points, or 2.41 percent lower at 6,625.28, as of 9:15 a.m. On Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.02 percent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite declined 0.52 percent.

2026-08-31 09:39:50:00

S. Korea, US discuss energy cooperation amid heightened uncertainty

Energy officials from South Korea and the United States discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the energy sector amid heightened global market uncertainties, Seoul's climate ministry said Monday. South Korea's Second Vice Climate Minister Lee Ho-hyeon met with his US counterpart, acting Assistant Secretary Curt Coccodrilli, in Seoul to discuss policy measures aimed at ensuring stable energy supply chains and power supplies, according to the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environm

2026-08-31 09:36:11:00

KBO's Seoul rivals set for final 3-game series at historic stadium

The two Seoul-based rivals in South Korean baseball are set for their final regular-season series this week in the historic stadium that they share, while the battle for the top spot in the standings will continue into the final full month of the campaign. The LG Twins and the Doosan Bears will meet for a three-game set at Jamsil Baseball Stadium from Tuesday to Thursday. They are the co-tenants of the stadium that will be torn down after this year, with the Bears serving as the home team this w

2026-08-31 09:31:20:00

Industrial output flat in July; retail sales down, facility investment up

South Korea's industrial output remained flat in July from a month earlier, data showed Monday, with retail sales losing ground, while facility investment advanced. Industrial production remained unchanged in July from a month earlier, according to data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics. Industrial output fell 0.5 percent and 0.4 percent in April and May, respectively, before rebounding 2.4 percent in June. Output in the mining and manufacturing sector, a key pillar of the economy, edged

2026-08-31 09:10:46:00

2 S. Koreans tie for 14th at PGA Tour playoff finale

Kim Si-woo and Tom Kim have closed out the PGA Tour playoffs by tying for 14th place at the finale in Atlanta. The two unrelated Kims both shot a nine-under 271 at the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in the capital of the US state of Georgia on Sunday. They ended up seven strokes behind the champion, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, and each took home $536,250. This pushed Kim Si-woo's earnings for the season to $10,271,694, making him the first South Korean player in tour history to make

2026-08-31 09:06:25:00

Enhypen claims 1st No. 1 on Billboard 200 with 'The Sin: Bliss'

The latest album from K-pop boy group Enhypen has debuted at No. 1 on the US Billboard's main albums chart, earning the group its first chart-topper. Billboard said in a preview of this week's chart on Sunday (US time) that the band's eighth EP, "The Sin: Bliss," took the top spot on the Billboard 200, ahead of Ella Langley's "Dandelion" and Olivia Rodrigo's "you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love." This marks the first time the group has reached No. 1 since its debut in November 2020. Before

2026-08-31 08:10:22:00