-
Video of Japanese woman pushing Korean child sparks outrage
A video showing a Korean child being pushed by a passerby at a convenience store in Japan has sparked anger online after it spread widely on social media. The footage, posted on Instagram by the child’s mother, shows a woman forcefully shoving the girl with a bag as she walks past inside the store. The child, who had been browsing snacks with her father, appears startled and immediately runs toward her mother. “While I was filming in a convenience store after finishing our schedule, the woman fi
March 12, 2026 -
President to meet investors, companies in capital market stablization meeting
President Lee Jae Myung will chair a policy meeting on March 18 aimed at strengthening the resilience and restoring stability of South Korea’s capital markets, the presidential office said Thursday. The meeting will focus on assessing responses to financial market volatility triggered by recent developments in the Middle East, while also discussing longer-term reforms to improve the structural health of the country’s capital markets. Officials said the government intends to use the gathering to
March 12, 2026 -
Lee orders probe, accountability over delayed recovery of Jeju Air crash victims’ remains
President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday ordered a renewed investigation into the Dec. 29, 2024 Jeju Air disaster after additional human remains were discovered during inspection of the crash debris more than a year after the accident. Lee Kyu-yeon, presidential secretary for communication and public relations, told reporters that the president received a report earlier in the day on the latest inspection of debris from the crash site. “Investigate thoroughly how the remains were left unattended and
March 12, 2026 -
Ruling party lawmaker loses seat after fraud conviction; mulls constitutional complaint
The Supreme Court on Thursday confirmed a suspended prison sentence for Rep. Yang Moon-seok of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, effectively stripping him of his seat in the National Assembly. South Korea’s highest court upheld an earlier ruling sentencing Yang to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years, saying the lower courts made no error in applying the relevant laws. Yang was found guilty of fraud after he and his wife fabricated documents to obtain an unlawful loan in their daug
March 12, 2026 -
Russian agency launches North Korea tour using Moscow-Pyongyang train
A Russian travel agency has launched a North Korea tour package using the direct train between Moscow and Pyongyang, marking the first group tourism product to include the route since service resumed last year. According to a North Korea-specialized agency based in Russia’s Primorsky region, the eight-day itinerary departs Moscow’s Yaroslavsky Station on May 26 and travels by train to Pyongyang. Tourists will spend four nights and five days in the North Korean capital before returning home on Ju
March 12, 2026 -
Seoul to hold morning strolls from Hapjeong to Yeouido park
The Seoul Metropolitan Government will launch a program that temporarily turns busy city roads into pedestrian spaces on weekend mornings, offering residents a rare chance to enjoy walking in areas usually dominated by traffic. On Saturday, the city will open part of a central street in Yeouido and sections of Mapo Bridge, creating a 2.5-kilometer walking route. The event, called My Pace Morning, will run from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., with about 7,000 participants expected to join through online reserv
March 12, 2026 -
Kim Jong-un tests new pistol with daughter Kim Ju-ae, stresses arms production
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected a key military production facility and tested a newly developed pistol this week, state media reported Thursday, once again appearing in public with his young daughter Kim Ju-ae. According to Rodong Sinmun, Kim visited a munitions factory and stressed the importance of the factory’s role in producing portable light weapons, including pistols, saying such arms are essential for strengthening combat capabilities. During the visit, Kim tested the new pistol
March 12, 2026 -
The calculus behind Pyongyang's support for Tehran
North Korea’s swift backing of Iran after joint US-Israeli strikes appears to serve purposes far beyond routine diplomatic solidarity. By rallying behind Tehran, Pyongyang is signaling its intention to draw closer to Russia, Iran’s key partner, through carefully calibrated messaging that keeps it at arm’s length from the conflict. From the standpoint of regime security, the Kim Jong Un regime’s denunciation of the strikes as a violation of sovereignty functions as preemptive political signaling
March 12, 2026 -
Seoul urges US not to let Section 301 probe affect summit commitments
South Korea has called for ensuring that the US investigation into 16 economies to uncover "unfair" trade practices does not negatively affect the implementation of commitments outlined in the ROK-US Joint Fact Sheet, a Foreign Ministry official said Thursday. The remarks addressed the Office of the US Trade Representative's latest move to launch a Section 301 investigation under the 1974 Trade Act into South Korea, China, Japan and 13 other economies to examine alleged unfair trade practices li
March 12, 2026 -
National Assembly passes Korea-US strategic investment bill
The National Assembly on Thursday passed a special bill to facilitate Seoul’s $350 billion investment in the United States, as part of a bilateral strategic investment framework struck with Washington last year. The bill was approved with 226 in favor, eight against and eight abstentions, with 242 of the 296 lawmakers present. The legislation stems from a bilateral understanding between Seoul and Washington to expand Korean investment in the United States across key sectors such as manufacturing
March 12, 2026 -
Lee urges swift extra budget to cushion Middle East fallout
President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday urged officials to accelerate work on a supplementary budget, as the government moves to limit the economic fallout from the ongoing Middle East conflict. “In times of crisis, swift fiscal spending is essential to ensure that efforts to stabilize people’s livelihoods and support the economic recovery do not lose momentum,” Lee said during a meeting of senior secretaries and aides at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul. “In the end, there is no way a
March 12, 2026 -
School bullying brokers emerge as college admission rules toughen
South Korea’s decision to make school bullying records a mandatory factor in college admissions starting in 2026 is fueling a new shadow market of consultants promising to erase or neutralize disciplinary records. As fears grow among parents and students facing potential penalties, so-called “school bullying brokers” are charging hefty fees to delay or weaken cases before admissions decisions are made. According to data from the Education Ministry and the admissions industry, schools handled 7,4
March 12, 2026 -
95 sex offenders found to have worked in child-related facilities
Government data released Thursday showed that 95 registered sex offenders were working at or operating institutions serving children and teenagers last year, including day care centers and elementary schools. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family released the results of its 2025 inspection of employment restrictions for registered sex offenders. The current employment restriction system bars convicted sex offenders from working for a designated period at institutions related to children and
March 12, 2026 -
Leaving a teaching job in Korea? Here's what foreign instructors need to know
When a private English academy in South Korea abruptly terminated a 30-year-old American instructor’s contract, her first thoughts were about her visa and pay. “I remember going blank, thinking about what was going to happen to my visa, and whether I would be able to receive my severance pay,” said the instructor, who asked to remain anonymous. Her concerns are shared by many foreign national teachers working in South Korea. As of 2024, 13,443 instructors were residing in the country under the E
March 12, 2026 -
Seoul ramps up support for students with international backgrounds
Seoul’s education authority is expanding support for students from multicultural families and migrant backgrounds as their numbers rise in schools across the city. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on Thursday unveiled a comprehensive support plan that includes establishing a second multicultural education support center and improving school environments to help such students and their parents better adapt to the Korean education system. The second Seoul Multicultural Education Support
March 12, 2026