South Korea's new COVID-19 cases rose to over 12,000 on Tuesday to report on-week growth for eight days in a row amid the relaxation of most antivirus restrictions to regain pre-pandemic normalcy. The country reported 12,129 new COVID-19 infections, including 14 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 30,785,589, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. Tuesday's figure...

An imposing US aircraft carrier is set to arrive in the southeastern port city of Busan on Tuesday, officials here said, in yet another show of America's military might against growing North Korean threats. The nuclear-powered USS Nimitz carrier is slated to dock at ROK Fleet Command in the city, 325 kilometers south of Seoul, after its strike group trained with the South Korean Navy in the inte...

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has guided the country's nuclear weaponization project, calling for expanding the production of weapons-grade nuclear materials for an exponential increase in its nuclear arsenal, Pyongyang's state media said Tuesday. The North's leader called for "perfect" preparations for the use of nuclear weapons "anytime and anywhere," Monday, when he received a briefing by t...

Seoul shares opened higher Tuesday due to the eased banking crisis in the wake of tightening monetary policies in major economies. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index moved up 11.89 points, or 0.49 percent, to 2,421.11 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The market has been bracing for a banking crisis sparked by unprecedented rate hikes in major economies. Most large caps traded h...

WASHINGTON -- The United States' goals remains the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, a state department spokesperson said Monday after Pyongyang threatened to use its nuclear weapons should the US continue to push for such an objective. Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson for the state department, also reaffirmed US commitment to engaging in dialogue with North Korea. "...

SUWON -- Four current or former executives of a major umbrella labor group have been arrested on charges of making unauthorized contact with North Korean spies, according to court officials Tuesday. The Suwon District Court issued warrants to detain the four, including a ranking executive of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions whose identity has been withheld. They are accused of violating ...

Seoul shares ended lower Monday as signs of trouble at the major European lender Deutsche Bank renewed concerns over the health of the global financial system. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index dropped 5.74 points, or 0.24 percent, to close at 2,409.22. Trading volume was moderate at 465.77 million shares worth 8.4 trillion won ($6.5 b...

South Korea's financial regulator said Monday that local banks showed no signs of abnormality in their withdrawal and deposit operations. The assessment by the Financial Supervisory Service came amid concerns of a global banking crisis following the recent failures of two US banks -- Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank -- and the stock plunge of Deutsche Bank, Germany's largest bank. Only a ...

South Korea opened an annual meeting of its top envoys abroad Monday with a focus on ways for the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's "global pivotal state" vision and drive to expand the country's exports. It marks the first time for them to hold an in-person group meeting in Seoul since late 2018. A total of 166 ambassadors, consul generals, and other heads of diplomatic missions in foreign countr...

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases bounced back to over 4,000 from a week earlier Monday, as people increasingly adapt to post-pandemic everyday life with the relaxation of most of the COVID-19 rules coming into effect. The country reported 4,204 new COVID-19 infections, including nine cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 30,773,460, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency s...

Seoul shares opened lower Monday as investors remain concerned over the risk of recession amid the banking crisis triggered by the collapse of the US-based Silicon Valley Bank. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 3.57 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,411.39 in the first 15 minutes of trading. In Seoul, most large-cap stocks declined. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics Co. fell ...

South Korea will take their second crack at winning their first match under new head coach Jurgen Klinsmann this week, hosting Uruguay in Seoul in a rematch of last year's FIFA World Cup. The kickoff between 25th-ranked South Korea and 16th-ranked Uruguay is set for 8 p.m. Tuesday at Seoul World Cup Stadium. South Korea settled for a 2-2 draw against Colombia on Friday, frittering away a 2-0 le...

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Monday, Seoul's military said. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the launches from the Chunghwa County area in North Hwanghae Province starting from around 7:47 a.m. The missiles flew some 370 kilometers before splashing into the sea, it added. Pyongyang's latest provocation came as South Korea and the United S...

North Korean propaganda outlets continued their criticism of an ongoing South Korea-US amphibious landing exercise Sunday, blaming the allies for heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Seoul and Washington kicked off their first large-scale Ssangyong exercise in five years last Monday to sharpen deterrence against growing North Korean threats. It runs through April 3. Uriminjokkiri, a pro...

Cha Jun-hwan captured a historic silver medal at the figure skating world championships Saturday, becoming the first South Korean man to reach the podium at the annual competition. Cha finished with a new personal-best 296.03 points in the men's singles at the International Skating Union World Figure Skating Championships at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Shoma Uno of Japan won his secon...