Yoon's approval rating drops to 33%: Yonhap News Survey

President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating dropped 4 percentage points from a month earlier to 33 percent, according to a survey conducted jointly by Yonhap News Agency and Yonhap News TV on Wednesday. The survey also showed that the ruling People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) would secure 31 percent and 36 percent of the vote, respectively, if the general elections were to take place tomorrow. Yonhap News Agency and Yonhap News TV jointly commissioned the survey

PoliticsDec. 6, 2023

Korea, Japan hold working-level talks on bilateral ties

Korea and Japan held working-level diplomatic consultations Tuesday to discuss pending bilateral issues and ways to boost bilateral ties, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Seo Min-jung, director general for Asia and Pacific affairs at South Korea's foreign ministry, met with her Japanese counterpart Hiroyuki Namazu to assess bilateral relations and exchange views on "issues of shared interest," the ministry said in a press release. The ministry didn't give details, but ther

Foreign AffairsDec. 5, 2023

Korean students outperform OECD average amid pandemic havoc: data

South Korea outperformed in tests that compare educational attainment among 15-year-olds around the world, despite COVID-19 having wrought havoc on global education systems, according to a survey released Tuesday. Program for International Student Assessment is a study of 15-year-old students’ performance in mathematics, reading and science literacy conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Typically conducted every three years, this year’s assessment, f

Social AffairsDec. 5, 2023

Requirements for zoo licenses set to be toughened

The Ministry of Environment said on Tuesday that the ministry will toughen requirements for zoo and aquarium licenses as part of efforts to ensure the welfare of animals at these facilities. According to an amendment to the Act on the Management of Zoos and Aquariums approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday, facilities must go through a separate licensing system following the requirements set by the ministry to operate as zoos and aquariums. To be licensed as a zoo or aquarium, the facilities must pro

Social AffairsDec. 5, 2023

Warmer winter temperatures expected this week

Temperatures are expected to become warmer this week compared to previous years, the Korea Meteorological Administration said Tuesday. “Over Tuesday and Wednesday, temperatures are expected to reach up to 12 degrees Celsius in Seoul,” said a KMA official. On average, low temperatures in South Korea were expected to reach up to 6 C on Tuesday morning, with high temperatures expected to rise to 16 C. Normally, temperatures at this time of the year are colder, with lows of around 4 C an

Social AffairsDec. 5, 2023

N. Korea closes 7 embassies, now down to 46, says Seoul

North Korea has closed seven embassies across Africa, Europe and Southwest Asia, reducing its total from 53 to 46, amid persistent challenges in earning hard currency abroad exacerbated by economic sanctions, South Korea's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday. Pyongyang has closed embassies in Guinea, Nepal, Bangladesh, Senegal, Spain, Angola and Uganda as of Tuesday. News about a series of embassy closures started emerging in October. But the Foreign Ministry disclosed the withdrawal of North Kor

Foreign AffairsDec. 5, 2023

Left-leaning 'News Factory' sanctioned for calling president's English 'pretentious'

A top-rated, left-leaning news program formerly on broadcaster TBS has received an official warning for calling President Yoon Suk Yeol's English use "pretentious" last year, a matter decided by the state censor on Monday afternoon. The Korea Communications Standards Commission decided to issue a warning, which is the lowest of the statutory sanctions that can be issued by the state-run body. Any broadcaster that receives such a punishment can be penalized by the KCSC when applyin

PoliticsDec. 5, 2023

South Korea unveils plan to tackle ailing mental health

South Korea on Tuesday rolled out a comprehensive plan to offer mental health checkups every two years for young Koreans aged 20 to 34 and other counseling services tailored to all age groups, in the first-ever detailed state policy aimed at tackling the country’s consistently high suicide rates. Korea has recorded the highest suicide rate among member nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development for almost 20 years, with 25.2 deaths per 100,000 people in 2022, more

Social AffairsDec. 5, 2023

Drunk driver who killed father of two gets 10 years

A 49-year-old has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for killing a man in a drink driving incident, exceeding the Supreme Court's sentencing guidelines. The Incheon District Court on Tuesday handed down the sentence on account of the victim suffering from extensive pain due to his injuries before his death, and the defendant not being forgiven by the victim's family. The sentence is within the legally permitted limit, but higher than the range of punishment recommended by the state i

Social AffairsDec. 5, 2023

Seoul to provide 10,000 portable safety alarms in December

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Tuesday that it has teamed up with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to provide portable personal safety devices to some 10,000 potential victims of gender-based violence. The set of devices was unveiled by Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Kim Kwang-ho, chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, at a ceremony held on Tuesday at Seoul Square. Police arrived less than four minutes after Oh activated the alerting device, according to Oh's office. Th

Social AffairsDec. 5, 2023

JCS head stresses readiness against enemy drones in Seoul skies

The head of South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, Kim Myung-soo, on Tuesday visited the Capital Defense Command to assess readiness against enemy uncrewed aerial vehicles, or UAVs, infiltrating Seoul's airspace. The JCS chairman called for thorough preparations for countering possible enemy threats that could arise in Seoul and nearby areas, especially in the skies. Over his visit to the command force in the capital, he said close coordination among the military, police and government

PoliticsDec. 5, 2023

Over 70,000 teens homeless, urgent support needed: professor

More than 70,000 children and teenagers are identified as “homeless” in South Korea, wandering the streets or living in poor conditions, signaling an urgent need to enhance support for them. Professor Lim Se-hee of Seoul Cyber University, speaking at a recent Children Policy Forum, reported that there were 73,399 homeless individuals under the age of 18. Citing government data, the professor said that among them, 55,407 wander around with no place to spend the night after leaving the

Social AffairsDec. 5, 2023

Experts forecast US-China rivalry to continue for at least 5 years: report

South Korean and global security experts saw it unlikely for the growing competition between the United States and China to end soon, with some even predicting an armed conflict within the next five years, a report showed Tuesday. In the "2023 Near Global Survey Report of the World Order" released by the NEAR Foundation, an independent think tank specializing in Northeast Asia, 15 percent of the 42 experts surveyed believed a military clash between Beijing and Washington is likely to b

Foreign AffairsDec. 5, 2023

6 outgoing ministers ‘strong candidates’ for general elections: ruling party

Six soon-to-be ex-ministers from President Yoon Suk Yeol’s Cabinet have been identified as “strong candidates” to represent the ruling party in the 2024 general elections, a party spokesperson said Tuesday. “The six soon-to-be ex-ministers, including Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong, are currently being considered as strong candidates to represent our party for the parliamentary elections slated for April next year,” a spokesperson for

PoliticsDec. 5, 2023

Court upholds police officer's suspension for 'barmaid' comment

The Chuncheon District Court on Tuesday ruled that Gangwon Police were justified in a recent decision to suspend an official for comparing his female subordinate to a barmaid. The plaintiff, who had been serving as the unit leader at a police office in Gangwon Province, had told the subordinate that "local bars would have far more customers if someone like you worked there" in 2021. He also alluded to sexually suggestive lyrics from a song and boasted to her about seeing an exposed fem

Social AffairsDec. 5, 2023

Bomb scare hits Hongdae station, police search turns up empty

An anonymous memo was found Tuesday claiming that a bomb had been planted at Hongdae subway station, but after a search, police found no evidence of an explosive device. Police said subway officials received a report around 5:05 a.m. of a note found in a men's bathroom in the station, saying, "I'll install a bomb. You'll suffer." Police blocked off the station bathroom area, where they conducted a search until 7 a.m. Station functions were maintained during the search. S

Social AffairsDec. 5, 2023

US rejects NK's 'double standard' claim on Seoul's satellite launch

The US Department of State said Monday that South Korea is not the subject of UN Security Council sanctions, after North Korea accused the United States of having a "double standard" over space programs. Last month, the North launched a space rocket to put a military spy satellite into orbit, drawing international criticism that it violated multiple UNSC resolutions banning any launch using ballistic missile technology. South Korea also launched a military reconnaissance satellite from

Foreign AffairsDec. 5, 2023

Rival parties call for measures after China halts urea exports

The rival parties called Monday for the government to come up with countermeasures against Beijing's recent halt in urea exports to South Korea, voicing concerns it could lead to another urea crisis. On Sunday, government and industry officials said that China has recently halted customs procedures for urea exports to South Korea and has yet to respond to Seoul's request for an explanation. Sources have said the government assumes the Chinese action was not a formal export control meas

PoliticsDec. 4, 2023

Venezuelan Embassy holds disputed Essequibo territory referendum event

The Venezuelan Embassy in Seoul held a press briefing in Seoul last week on the current government's position to a controversial referendum that occurred Sunday over whether the Venezuelan government could claim sovereignty over the disputed Essequibo territory. In the leadup to Sunday's referendum, the Venezuelan Embassy presented its view of the historical context to the territorial dispute and its "unwavering commitment to sovereign rights." Venezuela's current govern

Foreign AffairsDec. 4, 2023

Tajikistan envoy urges S. Korea to partner for green economy vision

Tajikistan Ambassador to Korea Salohiddin Kirom advocated for a strategic partnership between South Korea and Tajikistan in an interview with The Korea Herald on Friday. "Green Economy Development Strategy 2023-2037" strategy adopted by President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon in 2022 with an estimated budget of $2.1 billion aims to enact regulatory reforms, optimize natural resource use, attract investments, introduce modern technologies, boost global collaboration in the green economy

Foreign AffairsDec. 4, 2023