A victim of Japan's sexual slavery of Korean women during World War II has died, a civic group said Saturday, bringing down the number of officially registered surviving victims to eight. The woman died recently, the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan said, without revealing her identity. At 18, the late victim traveled to China with a friend to find work at a sewing factory but was forced into sexual servitude for Japanese troops

Social Affairs Sept. 7, 2024

The government said Saturday that the medical community should draw up its plan for proposed talks over an increase in the medical school admissions quota amid prolonged strikes by junior doctors. On Friday, the presidential office said it is open to readjusting the country's quota for 2026 and would welcome it if a negotiating panel is formed among the rival parties, the government and the medical community to discuss the issue. The ruling People Power Party proposed launching a four-way

Social Affairs Sept. 7, 2024

WASHINGTON-- South Korea and the US held simulation drills in Washington this week to enhance nuclear deterrence cooperation, both sides said Friday, as the allies are stepping up security coordination to counter evolving North Korean threats. Seoul and Washington held the first table top simulation of the Nuclear Consultative Group, the allies' key nuclear deterrence dialogue body, on Thursday and Friday, Seoul's defense ministry and the Pentagon said in a joint statement. The TTS

Foreign Affairs Sept. 7, 2024

North Korea has launched around 190 balloons filled with scrap paper and other waste toward the South in its resumed balloon campaign, with many found in Seoul and surrounding areas, military officials said Saturday. North Korea floated the balloons from Friday night to early Saturday morning, and around 100 have landed in the capital and its surrounding Gyeonggi Province so far, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. No hazardous materials have been found in the balloons, which contained only scrap

North Korea Sept. 7, 2024

PARIS (Yonhap) -- South Korea has collected two silver medals at the Paris Paralympics as the competition enters its final weekend. Yoon Ji-yu grabbed silver in the women's singles (WS3 classification) in para table tennis at South Paris Arena 4 on Friday, after losing to Andela Muzinic Vincetic of Croatia in the final by the score of 3-2 (11-7 11-8, 10-12, 10-12, 13-11). After dropping the first two games, Yoon battled back to take the next two. She held a gold medal point in the deciding

More Sports Sept. 7, 2024

The Supreme Prosecutors Office's investigation review committee advised Friday against indicting first lady Kim Keon Hee for accepting a luxury handbag from a Korean American pastor. The panel, comprising 15 outside experts, reached the conclusion after a meeting at the top prosecutors office to review the first lady's case involving allegations that she illegally received a Dior handbag worth 3 million won ($2,248) and other expensive gifts from pastor Choi Jae-young in 2022. Followin

Social Affairs Sept. 6, 2024

South Korea will keep next year's state health insurance premiums unchanged for a second straight year in an effort to help ease people's financial burdens, the health ministry said Friday. Under the plan, the health insurance premium rate will remain unchanged at 7.09 percent in 2025, marking the first time the government has implemented a two-year freeze in the insurance scheme. The government also froze the rate last year. Previously, the government has raised health insurance premi

Social Affairs Sept. 6, 2024

K-pop agency The Black Label's first girl group, Meovv, debuted Friday with its first single showcasing the group's identity that evokes the "chic and lovely" characteristics of cats. The label is led by Teddy, a renowned producer who has worked with K-pop legends BIGBANG and BLACKPINK. "I'm really happy to be on this debut stage, which I have dreamed of for a long time," member Gawon said during the media showcase for the group's debut album, which was st

K-pop Sept. 6, 2024

South Korean shares closed sharply lower Friday, extending their losing streak to a fourth consecutive session amid concerns over a potential US recession. The local currency rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 31.22 points, or 1.21 percent, to close at 2,544.28. Trading volume was moderate at 368.9 million shares worth 8.5 trillion won ($6.4 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 760 to 139. Foreign investors extended their selling streak to a fo

Market Sept. 6, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol approved the appointment of Kim Yong-hyun, former head of the Presidential Security Service, as defense minister and presented a certificate of appointment on Friday, his office said. Kim, a retired three-star Army general and close aide to Yoon, was nominated to the post last month to replace then minister Shin Won-sik, who has since served as national security adviser. Following Yoon's election in May 2022, Kim led efforts to relocate the presidential office from C

Politics Sept. 6, 2024

The defense ministry said Friday the military has been deploying an integrated anti-drone system in multiple locations across the country to counter threats posed by unmanned aerial vehicles from North Korea. The move comes as South Korea has pushed to bolster its drone response capabilities after five North Korean drones crossed the border in December 2022, with one of them entering Seoul. The military failed to intercept any of them, raising questions over its readiness. "The anti-drone i

Defense Sept. 6, 2024

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is set to visit South Korea on Friday for talks with President Yoon Suk Yeol as Kishida is preparing to leave office with a legacy of improving long-frayed relations with Seoul. Yoon and Kishida are scheduled to hold summit talks later Friday, their 12th summit in just about two years. It will also be their last summit as Kishida has given up on reelection as prime minister and leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party after three years on the job. Durin

Foreign Affairs Sept. 6, 2024

South Korean shares opened slightly lower Friday ahead of the US jobs report that may serve as another indicator of a possibly looming recession. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index shed 7.63 points, or 0.30 percent, to 2,567.87 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The index has been on a steady decline since Tuesday, when the United States reported a worse-than-expected manufacturing purchasing managers index. The US is set to release its latest jobs data Friday. In Seoul, large caps

Market Sept. 6, 2024

South Korea racked up a current account surplus for the third consecutive month in July, driven by robust exports, central bank data showed Friday. The country's current account surplus reached $9.13 billion in July, marking a surplus for the third consecutive month, according to data compiled by the Bank of Korea. The July surplus was smaller than the previous month's $12.56 billion, the largest since September 2017. The country's goods account racked up an $8.49 billion surplus in July followi

Economy Sept. 6, 2024