The Coast Guard apprehended 22 Chinese nationals Tuesday suspected of attempting to illegally enter a western coastal city by boat, officials said. The Boryeong Coast Guard Station detained 21 people on board an unidentified vessel anchored off the coast of Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province. A 57-year-old man who fled the scene was arrested in a house in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, some 110 km north of Boryeong. The group of Chinese nationals, known to be around their 40s, faces charges of atte

Social Affairs Oct. 3, 2023

South Koreans' happiness level is rising slowly but surely, unlike what the country's ranking on happiness indices might suggest, according to a presidential committee promoting national cohesion. The Presidential Committee of National Cohesion said in a paper published last month that it reached the conclusion after comparing and analyzing data contained in the annual World Happiness Report and the annual Korea Social Integration Survey (KSIS) over the past 10 years. The World Happine

Social Affairs Oct. 3, 2023

  WASHINGTON -- The United States has called on China to use its influence to encourage North Korea to take steps for de-escalation and return to diplomacy, the State Department said Monday. Spokesperson Matthew Miller made the remarks amid expectations that an anticipated summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing this month would lead to a strengthening of cooperation between the two countries and North Korea. "One of the things that w

Foreign Affairs Oct. 3, 2023

HANGZHOU -- Following a crushing defeat at the finish line of a roller skating relay final at the Asian Games in Hangzhou on Monday, South Korean skater Jung Cheol-won had little else to say but sorry. Jung was the anchor for South Korea in the men's 3,000-meter relay final at Qintang Roller Sports Centre, with Choi In-ho and Choi Gwang-ho also joining him. Thinking he'd beaten Huang Yu-Lin of Chinese Taipei at the finish, Jung raised his arms in celebration. That came a fraction of

More Sports Oct. 2, 2023

Four tourists were injured after nearly 400 tons of rock fell in South Korea's eastern island of Ulleung on Monday, officials said. The rockfall occurred at 6:56 a.m. at a popular tourist attraction known for its turtle-shaped rock on the island, causing a head injury to a female in her 20s. She was transported to a hospital at around 9:40 a.m. with symptoms of a cerebral hemorrhage. She is said to have been camping near the site, along with three others who sustained minor injuries. An off

Social Affairs Oct. 2, 2023

HANGZHOU -- No competitive athlete tries to finish in second place. The ultimate goal is always to take the top prize. That was also the goal for the South Korean women's roller skating relay team at the Asian Games in China. But after settling for silver, Lee Seul, Park Min-jeong and Lee Ye-rim said they were pleased with the color of their medal, knowing that they had given a valiant effort and laid the foundation for a bright future together. South Korea finished second in the women�

More Sports Oct. 2, 2023

BERLIN -- Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho has warned that North Korea's vicious cycle of receiving assistance and breaking off agreements will "no longer work" under the current administration of President Yoon Suk Yeol. Kim made the remarks at a conference hosted by the Berlin chapter of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council on Sunday, stressing that North Korea's nuclear threat has persisted for 30 years. "Whenever North Korea has threatened with various provoca

North Korea Oct. 2, 2023

The Shin-Hanul 2 nuclear reactor in southern South Korea began a six-month test operation this month to go into full operation next March, according to a state-run nuclear power agency Monday. The 1.4 gigawatt reactor in the coastal county of Uljin, some 215 kilometers southeast of Seoul, was loaded with fuel and entered into testing last week, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. said. If the test run goes without a hitch, the reactor is expected to be put into full operation in around March as

Industry Oct. 2, 2023

Honda Korea Co. is beefing up its product lineup to revive sales after they plunged nearly 70 percent in the January-August period from a year earlier due mainly to a lack of new models. Honda Korea Co. has recently launched two all-new models -- the 3.5-liter gasoline-powered Pilot and the 2.0-liter gasoline hybrid CR-V SUVs, while planning to add the Accord gasoline hybrid sedan to the lineup next month. The Japanese carmaker had sold only two models, the 3.5-liter gasoline-powered Odyssey min

Mobility Oct. 2, 2023

Legislative efforts to end dog meat consumption in South Korea are picking up speed amid rare political unity following the presidential office's outspoken support for ending the centuries-old practice. Calls to end the practice are not new in South Korea, where butchering or eating dog meat is neither explicitly prohibited nor legalized. But the anti-dog meat campaign received fresh attention in late August as first lady Kim Keon Hee made a surprise visit to a civic group's press conference cal

Social Affairs Oct. 2, 2023

Major expressways across South Korea are expected to experience heavy traffic Monday, the fifth day of the extended Chuseok holiday, as many families headed home after visiting their hometowns. As of 1 p.m., the estimated travel time to Seoul from the southeastern port city of Busan was 5 hours and 11 minutes, 4 hours and 51 minutes from the southeastern city of Ulsan, and 3 hours and 50 minutes from the southwestern city of Gwangju, according to Korea Expressway Corp. Traffic into Seoul is expe

Social Affairs Oct. 2, 2023

North Korea on Monday denounced the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for criticizing Pyongyang's nuclear development, calling it a "conspiracy between the US and its followers." At the 67th IAEA General Conference in Vienna, Austria, last week, IAEA member states adopted a resolution urging the recalcitrant regime to suspend its nuclear weapons program and abide by its obligations under UN Security Council resolutions. "We vehemently denounce and reject the abnormal

North Korea Oct. 2, 2023

North Korea has been ramping up efforts to boost crop production during the fall harvest season amid expectations that the impoverished country's food shortages have improved, compared with the first half of the year. The Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, recently carried a report that a "critical" time has come in attaining the goal of this year's grain production, while urging officials to lead efforts to produce satisfactory outcomes in the agricultural secto

North Korea Oct. 2, 2023

HANGZHOU, China -- South Korean Choi Gwang-ho won the gold medal over compatriot Jung Cheol-won in a brand new roller skating race at the Asian Games on Sunday. Choi finished first in the men's 1,000-meter sprint event with a time of 1:29.497 to edge out Jung, who grabbed silver in 1:29.499. Roller sports have been in and out of the Asian Games since 2010. The men's and women's 1,000m sprint events made their debut in Hangzhou on Sunday. Earlier Sunday, Lee Ye-rim grabbed bronze

More Sports Oct. 1, 2023

HANGZHOU, China -- South Korea captured the gold medal in the team event of the men's golf tournament at the Asian Games on Sunday, as a pair of PGA Tour winners joined two amateurs for a comfortable victory. Kim Si-woo and Im Sung-jae, who have a combined six victories on the top men's tour, along with Jang Yu-bin and Cho Woo-young, scored 76-under to give South Korea its first Asiad gold medal in men's golf since 2010. The three best scores from the four players were added eac

Golf Oct. 1, 2023