-
Top general visits key Marine, Navy units to inspect S. Korea-US drills
South Korea's top general on Tuesday visited key Marine Corps and Navy units to inspect their participation in an ongoing major exercise with U.S. troops, his office said. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung visited the Combined Marine Component Command and the Northwest Islands Defense Command and urged troops to verify wartime plans during the Freedom Shield exercise as South Korea seeks to take back wartime operational control from the United States, according to the JCS. Jin al
March 10, 2026 -
S. Korea, Ghana leaders to discuss trade, defense cooperation: Cheong Wa Dae
The leaders of South Korea and Ghana seek to deepen cooperation across a broad range of areas, including trade and investment as well as defense and the arms industry, Seoul announced Tuesday. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is scheduled to hold a summit with Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday afternoon at Cheong Wa Dae, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a press statement. Mahama is in South Korea from Tuesday through Saturday for a working visit. “The two lead
March 10, 2026 -
PM to visit US, Switzerland in bid to host 'UN AI hub'
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok will travel to the United States and Switzerland later this week as South Korea launches its bid to host a platform for the United Nations bodies dedicated to artificial intelligence, which could collaborate with the South Korean government or private-sector companies. South Korea aims to secure a joint project with the UN and share necessary AI infrastructure through the launch of an "UN AI hub," Kim said in a meeting at the Government Complex Seoul on Tuesday. He ca
March 10, 2026 -
Inside Korea’s migrant population: 10 key takeaways from latest survey
The Ministry of Statistics and the Ministry of Justice on Tuesday released the results of their annual Survey on the Residence and Employment Status of Migrants, offering a snapshot of how foreign residents and naturalized citizens live and work in South Korea. The government has conducted the survey since 2017, examining demographic, visa and employment trends among migrants aged 15 and older who have stayed in the country for at least 91 consecutive days. Here are some key findings from the 20
March 10, 2026 -
Last registered resident of Dokdo dies at 88
The last registered resident of Dokdo, South Korea’s easternmost islets, has died, leaving the outpost without a legal resident for the first time since the 1960s. According to Ulleung-gun in North Gyeongsang Province on Tuesday, Kim Shin-yeol died last week at the age of 88. A former haenyeo, or female free-diver who harvests seafood, from Jeju Island, she had been registered as a resident of the islets since moving there in 1991 to join her husband, Kim Sung-do. Kim Sung-do had lived on the is
March 10, 2026 -
Lee cautions against ‘burning down the house’ in prosecution overhaul
President Lee Jae Myung on Monday warned that prosecution reform should be carried out with precision, cautioning against attempts that “burn down the house to get rid of bedbugs,” in remarks widely seen as directed at hard-line lawmakers within the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. “To solve a problem, one must accurately identify its cause and clearly distinguish what should and should not be addressed,” Lee wrote in a post on X. “In carrying out necessary reforms, caution is needed to avoid b
March 10, 2026 -
North Korean leader signals closer Pyongyang-Beijing cooperation in letter to Xi
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reaffirmed Pyongyang’s commitment to strengthening relations with Beijing in a reply to a congratulatory message from Chinese President Xi Jinping, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said Tuesday. The North Korean leader sent the letter to Xi on Monday in response to the Chinese leader’s message congratulating him on his reelection as general secretary of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea during the party’s congress held last month. In the message, Kim Jong
March 10, 2026 -
How war in Iran is affecting Korea
As the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran shows signs of prolonging, the ripple effects of soaring global oil prices are being felt acutely across South Korea, especially hitting workers in transport, agriculture, fisheries and island communities, whose livelihoods depend heavily on fuel. For many, the crisis triggered by the Middle East conflict is materializing in the form of rising operational costs that cannot be passed on to consumers. Truck drivers and delivery workers,
March 10, 2026 -
Lee calls large, small firms’ cooperation ‘survival strategy’
President Lee Jae Myung said Tuesday that cooperation between large corporations and small businesses should be treated as an investment and even a national “survival strategy." Speaking at a roundtable at Cheong Wa Dae with representatives from 10 large companies and their SME partners, Lee said some approaches that powered South Korea’s industrial rise had become outdated. Held under the slogan “seeds of shared cooperation, blossoming into growth for all,” the meeting aimed to encourage compan
March 10, 2026 -
Kim Jong-un’s sister issues stark warning over South Korea-US military drills
Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, warned Tuesday that joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States could lead to “unimaginably terrible consequences,” as the allies began their annual spring drills on the Korean Peninsula. Kim, a department director in the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, issued the warning in a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency a day after South Korea and the US launched their annual joint exerc
March 10, 2026 -
Yellow Envelope Act takes effect as labor-business tensions rise
The government’s major revision to labor law took effect Tuesday, allowing subcontractors to negotiate directly with contractors and expanding the scope of permissible labor disputes. But mixed views persist over potential disruptions to business operations. The government promulgated the revision to the Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act, commonly called the "Yellow Envelope" bill, on Sept. 9. 2025. Since then, authorities have continued to clarify ambiguous provisions in the law, e
March 10, 2026 -
Speaker sets early April as deadline to draft constitutional amendment
National Assembly Speaker Rep. Woo Won-shik said Tuesday that the rival parties should work to launch a special parliamentary committee for constitutional amendment by next week and propose the draft by April 7. Woo's proposal would be a prerequisite for South Korea to hold a referendum simultaneously with the June 3 local election. The last amendment came into being in South Korea in 1987, alongside South Korea's democratization. Woo stressed in the press conference that legal hurdles to hold a
March 10, 2026 -
People Power Party moves to distance itself from Yoon, but doubts linger
South Korea’s main opposition People Power Party has formally moved to distance itself from former President Yoon Suk Yeol, but doubts and criticism remain. The conservative party adopted a resolution Monday apologizing for Yoon's Dec. 3, 2024, martial law declaration and formally rejecting the “Yoon Again” slogan used by some supporters advocating for the former president's political comeback. The resolution was read by floor leader Rep. Song Eon-seok, who said the party must acknowledge public
March 10, 2026 -
Police probe ticket scams ahead of BTS Gwanghwamun comeback show
Police have launched an investigation into suspected ticket scams and misuse of automated programs related to BTS’ upcoming comeback show at Gwanghwamun Square. Park Jeong-bo, chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, said Monday that police are currently investigating three suspected criminal cases tied to ticket sales for the concert, after ticket platform Nol Universe requested a probe into signs of automated programs buying tickets for the event on March 21. Police said the main types o
March 10, 2026 -
Government to increase retirement age in phases
The National Human Rights Commission of Korea said Tuesday that the Ministry of Employment and Labor had informed it the government would begin working to meet its recommendation to gradually raise the statutory retirement age. “We plan to draft new legislation to gradually raise the retirement age as part of the government’s national agenda,” the ministry said, according to the commission. “The government will actively support discussions so that labor and management can find common ground in a
March 10, 2026