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Seoul calls for port access support for Korean ships stranded near Strait of Hormuz
Seoul has asked countries near the Strait of Hormuz to assist South Korean vessels operating in the area by allowing them to enter nearby ports and receive supplies, a Foreign Ministry official said Tuesday. According to the official, requesting anonymity, more than 20 South Korean-flagged vessels with about 180 crew members are currently in or near the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway linking the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman between Iran and Oman. Concerns are growing that the vessel
March 10, 2026 -
More regions pay grandparents for child care
Jeju will begin offering stipends to grandparents caring for their grandchildren starting in March, following strong public approval of a similar program in Seoul. A survey conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in February found that 99.2 percent of guardians were satisfied with the program, while 99.5 percent said they would recommend it to other caregivers. “I want to give my parents money for taking care of my children, but I’m glad the city is supporting them on my behalf,” said a p
March 10, 2026 -
Foreigners through eyes of media: Does coverage lead to prejudice?
Crimes committed by foreigners account for only a small share of offenses in South Korea. But news coverage and public debate often make them appear far more common than the numbers suggest. As of 2024, the number of “foreign residents” — defined by the Interior Ministry as foreign nationals staying in Korea for more than 90 days, naturalized citizens and their children — surpassed 2.58 million, the highest figure on record. They now make up roughly 5 percent of the population. Despite this demo
March 10, 2026 -
Why Chinese students flock to Korea’s MBA programs?
The number of Chinese students enrolled in graduate programs at South Korean universities has surged over the past decade, and now account for more than half of all foreign master's and doctoral students in the country. Chinese graduate students totaled 30,081 as of April 1 last year, according to data submitted by the Education Ministry to Rep. Kim Min-jeon of the National Assembly’s Education Committee. The figure represents a 167 percent increase from 11,250 in 2016, marking a roughly 2.6-fol
March 10, 2026 -
Ex-President Yoon refuses to attend hearing on 2022 Itaewon disaster
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday refused to meet with representatives of a special investigation committee on the 2022 crowd crush who visited the Seoul Detention Center to persuade him to attend a hearing. The National Commission for the Investigation of the October 29 Itaewon Disaster is scheduled to hold the hearing Thursday and Friday to uncover the truth behind the crowd accident that killed 159 people in the central Seoul district in October 2022, when Yoon was serving as presiden
March 10, 2026 -
Number of foreign residents in S. Korea nears 1.7m in 2025
The number of foreign nationals residing in South Korea approached 1.7 million as of May last year, government data showed Tuesday. The total number came to 1.69 million as of last May, up 8.4 percent from a year earlier, according to data released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics. The figure refers to foreigners aged 15 and older who have resided in the country for more than 91 days. By category, overseas Koreans with foreign nationalities accounted for the largest share, at 24.2 percent,
March 10, 2026 -
S. Korea providing supplies to its stranded vessel in Strait of Hormuz: official
South Korea is in the process of providing supplies to one of its ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz amid the conflict in the Middle East, a foreign ministry official said Tuesday. The vessel is among some 20 ships stranded in the key waterway where roughly 20 percent of global oil and gas pass through. The shipping channel has effectively been shut down as the war between US-Israeli forces and Iran intensified. About 180 South Korean seafarers are currently aboard the 20 vessels, according
March 10, 2026 -
Seoul’s aging poor driven toward bankruptcy by living costs
A growing number of residents in Seoul are falling into irrecoverable debt, with new city data showing that people in their 60s and older now make up the majority of personal bankruptcy applicants. Six out of every 10 individuals who sought personal bankruptcy assistance through the Seoul Financial Welfare Counseling Center last year were aged 60 or above, according to a report released Tuesday. The center analyzed 1,192 valid bankruptcy applications filed in 2025 as part of its annual review of
March 10, 2026 -
Lee says S. Korea’s deterrence intact regardless of USFK developments
President Lee Jae Myung said South Korea’s deterrence against North Korea is not affected by the movement of US Forces Korea air defense assets, while underscoring the importance of self-reliant national defense. Presiding over a weekly Cabinet meeting, Lee noted that “it appears that recently controversy has arisen over the US Forces Korea taking certain assets such as (missile) batteries or air defense systems — out of the country.” “From our government’s standpoint, we expect the role of US F
March 10, 2026 -
S. Korea seeks to tap crude oil stored by foreign refiners: lawmaker
South Korea is moving to exercise its rights to tap crude oil reserves stored in the country's oil terminals by foreign oil firms to cope with the volatility caused by the situation in the Middle East. According to Rep. Ahn Do-geol of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea on Tuesday, the government has initiated coordination with undisclosed foreign refiners over the rights to purchase oil stored in South Korea. According to Ahn, up to 6.86 million barrels of oil could be secured based on South K
March 10, 2026 -
Lee says possible shift of USFK's military assets won't affect deterrence against N. Korea
President Lee Jae Myung said Tuesday that a potential relocation of military assets owned by the US military stationed in South Korea will not affect the deterrence posture against North Korea. Citing media reports that the US Forces Korea might have recently shipped out some weapons, including an anti-missile defense system, Lee told a Cabinet meeting, "If you ask if our deterrence strategy against North Korea is severely affected (because of a possible shift of such assets), I can say absolute
March 10, 2026 -
Additional Cheongung-II interceptors shipped to UAE: reports
The United Arab Emirates appears to have received dozens of Cheongung-II interceptor missiles from South Korea, according to multiple reports Tuesday. Local wire service News1 reported that a UAE Air Force C-17 strategic transport aircraft was spotted departing from Daegu Airport, near South Korea’s K2 Air Base, on Monday afternoon. According to reports, the UAE’s C-17 transport aircraft arrived at Daegu Airport late Monday night, and the Cheongung-II interceptor missiles — developed by South Ko
March 10, 2026 -
Blog of jailed Telegram sex ring leader shut down after post bragging about prison award
A blog associated with Cho Ju-bin, the imprisoned leader of a Telegram-based sex exploitation ring, has been shut down as of Tuesday after a post boasting about an award he received in prison. When accessed, the blog currently displays only a notice stating that the page has been restricted for violating the platform’s policies. The closure follows public backlash over a blog post from Monday titled “Award acceptance speech," which shared the news of Cho receiving recognition in a prison educati
March 10, 2026 -
Attacks reported near South Korean overseas units amid Middle East conflict
Attacks have occurred near South Korean overseas military units following the outbreak of war in the Middle East, with the units maintaining heightened protection measures to ensure the safety of personnel, according to government data released Tuesday. Data submitted by the Defense Ministry to Rep. Hwang Hee of the Democratic Party of Korea showed that a strike occurred about 31 kilometers northeast of the Dongmyeong Unit in Lebanon on Feb. 28, when the United States and Israel carried out airs
March 10, 2026 -
Lee thanks UAE and Qatar, calls for sustained evacuation efforts
President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday called on government agencies to continue efforts to evacuate Korean nationals from the Middle East and thanked foreign governments for their support. Speaking at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, Lee said hundreds of South Koreans had safely returned home in recent evacuation operations facilitated by the United Arab Emirates and Qatar amid escalating conflict in the region. “Early yesterday morning, 203 of our nationals who had been staying in the UAE returned home
March 10, 2026