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Lee orders thorough probe into belated discovery of remains of Jeju Air crash victims
President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday ordered a thorough investigation into the recent discovery of additional remains of victims of the Jeju Air plane crash in late 2024, voicing regret over their belated recovery. Last month, authorities discovered nine pieces of remains presumed to belong to the victims in a reexamination of the wreckage site, prompting the victims' families to protest outside the presidential office this week to condemn the disaster recovery process. Lee instructed a "thorough
March 12, 2026 -
YouTuber’s 3-year prison term upheld over Tzuyang blackmail
South Korea’s Supreme Court upheld a three-year prison sentence for a YouTuber accused of blackmailing fellow creator Tzuyang, confirming a lower court ruling that found him guilty of extorting tens of millions of won by threatening to expose alleged personal scandals. The highest court on Thursday dismissed an appeal by Lee Jun-hee, better known online as Gujeok, finalizing the prison term handed down by lower courts. Lee was indicted in August 2024 on charges of extortion after prosecutors sai
March 12, 2026 -
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 -
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 -
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 -
Young Koreans turning to AI lawyers
As artificial intelligence advances, a growing number of young South Koreans are turning to generative AI for legal advice in relatively minor criminal cases. The Maeil Business Newspaper reported Wednesday that a 23-year-old college student used generative AI to develop a legal strategy before being questioned by police over sexually insulting remarks made while playing an online video game. “I explained the facts and trained the AI on relevant legal provisions and precedents. It helped me get
March 12, 2026 -
Lives could have been saved if rescue teams had arrived minutes earlier: Itaewon survivor
“If rescue teams had arrived about 10 minutes earlier, more than 100 lives could have been saved.” The remark by survivor Min Sung-ho set a somber tone Thursday as a special investigation panel held its first public hearing into the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush. Speaking at the hearing in central Seoul, Min recalled the moment the crowd surge turned fatal in a narrow alley in the Itaewon nightlife district during Halloween celebrations on Oct. 29, 2022. A total of 159 people were killed. “My chest w
March 12, 2026 -
96 child abuse deaths in Korea in 5 years, most involving parents
Nearly 100 children in South Korea died from abuse over the past five years, most at the hands of their own parents, according to police data covering tens of thousands of reported cases nationwide. A total of 63,575 child abuse cases were recorded during the five-year period, resulting in 96 deaths, according to data from the National Police Agency released Thursday by Rep. Chung Choon-saeng of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party. In 2025 alone, 14,211 cases were recorded, up from 11,572 in 2021,
March 12, 2026 -
Iranian Embassy in Seoul displays banner with image of Khamenei
The Iranian Embassy in Seoul has put up a banner bearing the image of the late former leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and accusing "war criminals," sources said Wednesday. The embassy in Seoul's central Yongsan district has recently installed the banner on the building's outer wall bearing an image of Khamenei and the English phrase, "When will the world hold war criminals accountable?" diplomatic sources said. It also said "the massacre of women and children is neither forgivable nor forgettable,
March 11, 2026 -
Defense minister inspects S. Korea-US military exercise sites
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back on Wednesday inspected sites of an ongoing South Korea-US military exercise, calling for thorough preparations for the planned recovery of wartime operational command from the United States. The minister visited the defense command headquarters, the command center for the Freedom Shield exercise, where he received a briefing on the progress of the drills, his ministry said. The allies launched the annual springtime military exercise on Monday for an 11-day run, with
March 11, 2026 -
Gender equality stalls as structural barriers persist, experts warn
Experts urged coordinated efforts to tackle structural discrimination that continues to shape women’s lives across society during an event hosted by the UN Women Knowledge and Partnerships Center in the Republic of Korea. They stressed that true equality requires dismantling entrenched barriers, not merely helping women navigate around them. The center, supported by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, held a commemoration marking the 2026 International Women’s Day in Seoul on Wednesday u
March 11, 2026 -
Korean ring smuggled bulk cigarettes to Australia, making $6m in profit
South Korean customs authorities have uncovered a smuggling ring that bought cigarettes in bulk from domestic convenience stores and illegally exported them to high-priced markets such as Australia and New Zealand, generating about 10 billion won ($6.78 million) in profit. The Korea Customs Service’s Incheon regional office said Wednesday that it had referred 11 suspects, including a ringleader in his 30s, to prosecutors without detention on charges of violating the Customs Act. The group allege
March 11, 2026 -
Jamsil mega convention center, dome stadium set for 2032 completion
A 3.3 trillion-won ($2.2 billion) sports and convention complex featuring South Korea’s largest domed baseball stadium is planned for completion in Seoul by 2032 after the city finalized long-delayed negotiations for the Jamsil Sports and MICE Complex redevelopment. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday it had concluded four years of negotiations with Seoul Smart MICE Park, a consortium led by Hanwha Construction Division selected as the preferred bidder for the privately funded proje
March 11, 2026 -
In Busan's Gijang, spring comes with anchovies
Spring comes in many forms: cherry blossoms, pale pastel outfits appearing after months of winter drab, or the first green shoots on the dinner table. In a fishing town of Gijang, Busan, however, the season announces itself with a far more pungent sign: the salty, briny smell of fresh anchovies. Dae-byeon Village and its bustling namesake port account for about 60 percent of South Korea’s anchovy catch, harvested using drift-net fishing. Anchovies, which live for only one year, are caught primar
March 11, 2026