Opposition lawmaker egged during press conference

Members of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, including Rep. Baek Hye-ryun, were hit with raw eggs Thursday morning in front of the Constitutional Court in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The liberal party members were holding a press conference around 9 a.m. calling for the prompt dismissal of President Yoon Suk Yeol when they faced off against a group of Yoon's supporters who were rallying in support of the impeached leader. Police have yet to confirm the identity of the person who threw eggs at

March 20, 2025

Vaccination in action after foot-and-mouth disease outbreak

Goryeong County, North Gyeongsang Province, announced the start of an emergency foot-and-mouth disease vaccination campaign for all cloven-hoofed livestock, including cows, pigs and goats, as South Korea battles the first outbreak of the contagious animal disease in nearly two years. Emergency vaccinations will be carried out from Tuesday to Saturday. Over the past week, at least eight reported foot-and-mouth disease cases were reported in Yeongam County, South Jeolla Province.

March 18, 2025

Olympic statues get annual bath

With spring just around the corner, Songpa-gu Office kicked off its annual cleaning of the 51 monuments commemorating the 1988 Seoul Olympics near Jamsil Sports Complex on Wednesday. The statues, covered in a layer of dust since their last wash about a year ago, were thoroughly cleaned.

March 12, 2025

Seoul tourism reaches new high, undeterred by martial law

Seoul attracted about 900,000 foreign tourists in January, despite political instability caused by the Dec. 3, 2024, declaration of martial law and subsequent impeachment trials. While January is typically a low season for tourism, this year’s figure surpasses the 2019 figure of 880,000, setting a new January record. From the same month in 2024, the city saw a 27 percent uptick in tourist arrivals.

March 10, 2025

Foreign exchange reserves slump to nearly 5-year low

South Korea's foreign reserves fell from a second month in February amid the weak local currency, the Bank of Korea data showed Thursday. The reserves stood at $409.21 billion, down $1.8 billion from a month earlier. This marks the lowest level in 4 years and 9 months.

March 6, 2025

Welcome to first grade

Baesan Elementary School in Suyeong-gu, Busan, celebrated the first day of school for its first grade students on Tuesday, with parents and guardians invited to watch the children reach milestones. Following a long weekend for the March 1 Independence Movement holiday, March 4 marked the start of the school year in South Korea. This year, more than 18,422 children are starting first grade in Busan, about 2,000 fewer than the number of students who enrolled last year. Compared to two years ago, t

March 4, 2025

Han Dong-hoon’s book hits shelves

Han Dong-hoon, former chair of the ruling People Power Party, released his autobiographic book “People First” on Wednesday. In the book, he recounts the chaotic days following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, and the events leading up to his resignation as the People Power Party leader amid internal pressure over his open support for the president’s impeachment. Considered a potential presidential standard-bearer for the conservative faction, the prosecutor-t

Feb. 26, 2025

Myeongdong shop busted for selling fake luxuries

Police nabbed two persons for selling counterfeit goods at a store in Myeong-dong, Seoul, and seized about 1,200 fake items, including handbags, wristwatches, and other luxury items, with an estimated retail value of over 3.82 billion won, officials said Thursday. The store appeared to be a regular shop with authentic goods but had a secret storage unit accessible only through a hidden stairway disguised as a wall that contained the counterfeits. Investigators revealed that when foreign customer

Feb. 20, 2025

Snow-covered hills, streets, temples form picturesque scenes

Most regions of South Korea, including Seoul, picked up at least a light coating of around 1 centimeter of snow, Wednesday morning, while North and South Gyeongsang and Gangwon provinces reported precipitation of up to 5 cm. The Korea Meteorological Administration said that the snow will gradually subside Wednesday afternoon and a clear day is forecast for Thursday.

Feb. 12, 2025

Han River freezes for first time this winter

The icy weather over the past few days caused parts of the Han River to freeze for the first time this winter on Sunday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. The official freezing of the Han River is determined when the point 100 meters upstream from the second and fourth piers of the Han River bridge freezes over completely. This marks the river's second-latest freeze since records began in 1906, occurring a month later than 2024's freeze. While Seoul recently experienced its c

Feb. 10, 2025