South Korea

The foreign ministry, Thursday, welcomed new U.S. President Joe Biden's pledge to strengthen alliances, saying it will work with Washington to that end and seek an early summit between the two countries. "Our government welcomes that President Biden, through his inauguration speech, has expressed a willingness to lead the international community with the […]

Former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Sung Kim has been named the acting assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs. This, according to diplomatic sources, will make Kim the only official in the Joe Biden administration to have serve in all three key posts related to North Korea, conditional on Senate approval of his new appointment.

A former physical therapist of a municipal triathlon team was sentenced to eight years in prison on Friday for sexually and physically abusing an athlete who took her own life last year. The Daegu District Court handed down an eight-year prison term and a fine of 10 million won (US$9,090) to Ahn Joo-hyeon, a former therapist of the Gyeongju city […]

A 56-year-old woman has been sentenced to a suspended prison term for assaulting her 89-year-old mother-in-law after discovering her husband had recently had sex with a prostitute while overseas.

Former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris said the groundbreaking 2018 summit between the leaders of the U.S. and North Korea in Singapore is “a good starting point” for the Joe Biden administration in denuclearization dialogue with North Korea. In an interview with The Korea Times on his last day in office, Jan 20, Harris viewed North Korea […]

One of the gravest challenges for Korea in the years ahead may be the escalating U.S.-China rivalry which will continue to have a profound impact on Korea's policies in various sectors, including diplomacy, national security and trade.

Two accomplices in a high-profile online sex trafficking case were sentenced to 15 and 11 years in prison on Thursday. The men, 20-year-old Kang Hun and a 28-year-old surnamed Han, were found guilty of colluding with notorious ringleader Cho Ju-bin to operate a Telegram chatroom that distributed sexually abusive material.

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases fell back below 400 Friday on the back of tougher virus curbs, but health authorities warned against complacency as they try to further slow down new infections. The country added 346 more COVID-19 cases, including 314 domestically transmitted infections, raising the total caseload to 74,262, according to the Korea […]

Harry Harris, in his farewell to South Korea as the U.S. ambassador, expressed the hope that the Asian country will join the U.S. and its other allies to stop China's “malign influence” although not necessarily in the form of an expanded Quad.

Three years have passed since the so-called “Death with Dignity Act” came into effect here in February 2018, which enabled people to make a choice about ceasing life-prolonging medical treatment. During this period, nearly 800,000 individuals have signed up for the program by submitting an advance directive forgoing life sustaining treatment in the […]

In March 2013, a flash mob of thousands of students from elementary to high schools across South Korea performed PSY's “Gangnam Style” at Cheonggye Stream in downtown Seoul. Led by the World Wide Fund for Nature Korea (WWF), it was held to encourage people to participate in the WWF's global electricity and energy saving campaign “Earth Hour,” by […]

The military will help the government with the delivery of coronavirus vaccines to the public set to begin next month, the defense ministry said Thursday.According to the ministry's policy plan for the New Year, the government will set up a 41-member coronavirus vaccine logistics support team, comprised mostly of service members and headed by the Army's […]

Former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris said North Korea is not likely to collapse in the next several years, noting Kim Jong-un is in “complete control” over the repressive state.

Korea is gearing up to start COVID-19 vaccinations next month, with the first batch of vaccines expected to arrive in the country in the coming weeks. The first shipment of Pfizer vaccines for 50,000 people is likely to arrive in early February, health authorities said Thursday. It will be the first batch of doses for 10 million people Korea has secured […]

The presidency of Joe Biden is anticipated to provide wider opportunities for Korean healthcare firms to improve their presence in the U.S. market, as the new leader pledged to reform the country's Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare.

A former national short track speed skating coach was sentenced to 10 1/2 years in prison on Thursday on charges of sexually assaulting Olympic champion Shim Suk-hee. The Suwon District Court convicted Cho Jae-beom of violating the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles against Sexual Abuse, saying his act is highly condemnable. Cho is accused of […]

U.S. President Joe Biden's inaugural speech Thursday carried a brief but noteworthy message for allies who were weary of his predecessor Donald Trump's precipitous “America first” policy and questioned the health of the country's global leadership.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his Costa Rican counterpart, Carlos Alvarado, had phone discussions Friday on the COVID-19 pandemic and other major issues including efforts to promote a green and emissions-free economy, Cheong Wa Dae said.

Many people learn foreign languages for different reasons - for studying, traveling abroad or for business opportunities, to list just a few. For Lee Ji-hyun, founder and CEO of Chinese language learning application Five Color Chinese, learning Chinese as a foreign language was about learning another way to view the world and express herself.

Former President Park Geun-hye, now serving a 22-year prison term on corruption convictions, tested negative for COVID-19 on Wednesday after coming into contact with an infected person, the Ministry of Justice said.

If you're in the Sinyongsan area, just east of Yongsan Station, you might notice a red sculpture that wasn't there a year ago. It looks sort of like a tulip, or a red flame, standing in front of the recently opened Hyosung Harrington Place building. A plaque identifies it as the “Fire Flower” by Han Jin-su, and it seems to be an accidental memorial to a […]

A Seoul court on Monday sentenced Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong to 2 1/2 years in prison in a retrial of a bribery case involving former President Park Geun-hye and ordered him returned to prison. The Seoul High Court gave Lee, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics Co., the prison term for bribing Park and her longtime friend, Choi Soon-sil, to win government […]

President Moon Jae-in said Monday that South Korea will seek dialogue with Japan to find a solution to Tokyo's wartime sexual slavery amid renewed tensions following a recent court ruling on the thorny issue. During his New Year's press conference, Moon also renewed his call for a diplomatic solution to the issue of Japan's colonial-era forced labor, while […]

A heavy snow advisory has been issued for Seoul and central and southwestern regions, the weather agency said Monday, forecasting nearly 10 centimeters of snow in some areas during the day. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said it issued the heavy snow advisory for Seoul; almost all areas in the surrounding Gyeonggi Province, Gangwon Province […]

President Moon Jae-in on Monday assessed that now is not yet the time to talk about special pardons for two convicted former presidents. "It's hard for the public, as well as myself, to accept the calls for special pardons when the (two former presidents) deny their wrongdoing and don't accept the results of the court rulings," Moon said during a New Year's […]

Global philanthropic campaigner Goodwill Cooperation Service International's board of directors meeting for this year was held at the organization's headquarters in Seoul's Jongno District, Jan 21.

The timing of President Moon Jae-in's first talks with U.S. President Joe Biden is drawing attention, after the White House announced that the U.S. leader had begun making phone calls to global leaders following his taking office, Wednesday, starting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases rose by the smallest number in nearly two months Monday, apparently on the back of tightened social distancing measures and fewer tests over the weekend, but health authorities remain vigilant over potential upticks. The country added 389 more COVID-19 cases, including 366 local infections, raising the total […]