S. Korea partially suspends inter-Korean military agreement

South Korea on Wednesday decided to partially suspend a 2018 inter-Korean military agreement in order to resume reconnaissance near the border and enhance its readiness posture, hours after North Korea launched a military spy satellite. President Yoon Suk Yeol -- currently on a state visit to the United Kingdom -- gave his approval for a proposal to suspend the implementation of the no-fly zone clause in the Sept. 19 Comprehensive Military Agreement. Yoon's assent came hours after he presid

DefenseNov. 22, 2023

S. Korea, US, Japan share information on NK spy satellite launch: JCS

South Korea, the United States and Japan shared information about North Korea's launch of what it claimed to be a military spy satellite, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Wednesday. "We immediately detected, tracked and monitored the launch, and shared related information among South Korea, the United States and Japan, and we are comprehensively analyzing detailed specifications," the JCS said in a message to reporters. North Korea said it successfully launched a spac

DefenseNov. 22, 2023

Klinsmann stands by S. Korean intl. Hwang Ui-jo amid police probe on filming accusation

With the South Korean international Hwang Ui-jo under police investigation for alleged illegal filming of a sexual act, national football team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann is standing by the player. Hours before South Korea played China in a World Cup qualifying match in Shenzhen on Tuesday night, Seoul police said they had seized Hwang's mobile phone as part of their probe into accusations that he had filmed his ex-girlfriend during sex without her consent. In a statement released by her at

Social AffairsNov. 22, 2023

N. Korea says it successfully placed spy satellite into orbit, will launch more

North Korea said Wednesday it has successfully placed a spy satellite into orbit and will launch several more satellites "in a short span of time" to secure its reconnaissance capabilities against South Korea. The state-run Korean Central News Agency said that the North launched a reconnaissance satellite called the Malligyong-1 on a new type of Chollima-1 rocket from a launch site in Tongchang-ri on the west coast at 10:42 p.m. Tuesday. The purported success followed two earlier botch

North KoreaNov. 22, 2023

King Charles welcomes South Korea's president with state banquet, mingles with K-pop band Blackpink

LONDON (AP) — King Charles III hosted South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife at a glittering banquet at Buckingham Palace Tuesday, as Britain rolled out the red carpet for a formal state visit aimed at strengthening trade and defense ties between the two countries. The UK government hopes the Korean leader's three-day visit will help cement an “Indo-Pacific tilt ” in its foreign and trade policy. The king and Queen Camilla hosted Yoon and first lady Kim Keon H

Foreign AffairsNov. 22, 2023

Yoon, first lady receive ceremonial welcome from King Charles III, Queen Camilla

LONDON -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee received a ceremonial welcome from King Charles III and Queen Camilla as they began their state visit to Britain on Tuesday. The ceremony began with Prince William and his wife, Kate Middleton, arriving at Yoon and Kim's hotel in London to travel with them to Horse Guards Parade, where the official welcome took place amid a 41-gun salute and an inspection of the Guard of Honor. The King and Queen greeted the presid

Foreign AffairsNov. 22, 2023

N. Korea makes 3rd spy satellite launch attempt

North Korea launched a spy satellite on Tuesday night, around three months after its unsuccessful second attempt to place a domestically developed surveillance satellite into orbit in August. It is not yet clear if the launch was successful. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed that "what North Korea claimed to be a military reconnaissance satellite" was launched at around 10:43 p.m. southward from the Tongchang-ri area of North Pyongan Province. The launch vehicle then p

DefenseNov. 21, 2023

S. Korea, Britain vow closer ties in nuclear energy sector

South Korea and Britain agreed to strengthen their cooperation in the nuclear energy sector, including the construction of new power plants, the industry ministry said Tuesday. The two countries signed nine memoranda of understanding centered on building a cooperative relationship spanning the entire lifecycle of nuclear power plants, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Industry Minister Bang Moon-kyu met his British counterpart, Claire Coutinho, and agreed to hold technical

Social AffairsNov. 21, 2023

NIS seeking to form Asian cooperative body to counter drug crimes

South Korea's spy agency said Tuesday it is preparing to form a cooperative body with Asian countries next year to help crack down on growing drug-related crimes in the region. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) said discussions are still ongoing with five countries, including Thailand, with the aim of launching the body next February. The names of the countries have not been released yet. "Drug-related crimes in South Korea have been on the rise and international drug rings in th

Social AffairsNov. 21, 2023

S. Korea hints at halt to 2018 inter-Korean military accord in event of NK satellite launch

LONDON -- South Korea's presidential office suggested Tuesday that a 2018 inter-Korean military tension reduction agreement could be suspended in the event North Korea goes ahead with its planned space rocket launch. The remark by a senior presidential official came after North Korea reportedly notified Japan of its plan to launch a space rocket between Wednesday and Dec. 1, in what would likely be its third attempt to put a military spy satellite into orbit. "If you read carefully t

North KoreaNov. 21, 2023

Prosecutors seek 30-yr prison term for cult leader for sex assault

DAEJEON -- Prosecutors on Tuesday demanded a 30-year prison term for the leader of a controversial religious group charged with sexual assault. Jeong Myeong-seok, who leads the Jesus Morning Star (JMS) group, is accused of raping and sexually assaulting two female followers of foreign nationality on multiple occasions from February 2018 to September 2021, as well as sexually molesting a South Korean female follower. In the final hearing at the Daejeon District Court, prosecutors also demanded he

Social AffairsNov. 21, 2023

G-Dragon tests negative in nail drug testing

G-Dragon of K-pop group Big Bang tested negative in a detailed narcotics analysis on his nail sample conducted by the National Forensic Service, police officers said Tuesday. The National Forensic Service recently notified the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency of the negative drug test result on the singer's fingernails and toenails, according to the police. G-Dragon, whose real name is Kwon Ji-yong, was booked on Oct. 25 over allegations of illegal drug use and later banned from leaving t

Social AffairsNov. 21, 2023

Man arrested for stabbing restaurant owner in Paju

A man was arrested after stabbing a restaurant owner in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, police said Tuesday. The suspect was arrested by police at around 3:30 p.m. near Gupabal station in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, about 30 kilometers south of the restaurant. The suspect, believed to be in his late 30s and a former employee of the restaurant, stabbed the restaurant owner in his 60s at around 2:30 p.m. in Paju. The victim remains unconscious as of 4 p.m. Tuesday. The suspect's motive for the crime ha

Social AffairsNov. 21, 2023

[Herald Interview] Palestinian envoy denies Hamas connection with North Korea

Waleed Siam, the non-resident ambassador of Palestine to South Korea, said Monday that there was no connection between Hamas and North Korea, amid continued speculations of the Palestinian militant group’s alleged ties with the rogue country. “I can say in the name of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the Palestinian authorities that there is no contact between Hamas and North Korea,” the permanent general mission of Palestine said in an interview with The Korea Herald in

PoliticsNov. 21, 2023

More Korean youth prone to online gambling addiction

Teenagers in South Korea are increasingly being exposed to online gambling, and the government and police are working to prevent a further rise in teen gambling addictions. However, a shortfall in medical support to prevent or treat teenagers' addiction has come under the limelight as the National Center for Youth Internet Addiction Treatment serves as the only facility that runs rehab programs for online gambling addictions in Korea. When one is admitted to the state-run rehab camp, they m

Social AffairsNov. 21, 2023

'Dancing woman' on Seoul street arrested for meth use

In yet another stark reminder of South Korea's escalating drug problem, Seoul Bangbae Police arrested a woman in her 40s on Nov. 2 for drug use -- under rather unusual circumstances caught on police camera. The incident began as a minor traffic mishap in Seocho-gu, Seoul. The woman, driving a white vehicle, was involved in what initially appeared to be a routine fender bender. Her behavior at the scene quickly raised suspicions, however. Footage from the patrol car's dashcam shows the

Social AffairsNov. 21, 2023

North notifies of satellite launch amid concerns

North Korea on Tuesday notified Japan that its satellite launch would take place between Nov. 22 and Dec. 1 in a third attempt this year, amid concerns that Pyongyang is seeking to advance the country’s weapons technologies. The notice prompted immediate protest from chief nuclear envoys from South Korea, the US and Japan. In a phone call, Kim Gunn -- special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs -- was joined by his US and Japanese counterparts in urging the North

North KoreaNov. 21, 2023

All residents with disabilities to get personal doctor

All South Korean residents with disabilities will have their health condition monitored and checked by a personal doctor, according to a plan approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday. Upon approval, the Ministry of Health and Welfare will launch the fourth-stage and last pilot project in February next year, ahead of the planned rollout of the personal health care system nationwide, ministry officials said. Aimed at providing access to personalized medical attention for individuals with disabilitie

Social AffairsNov. 21, 2023

What phrase do you want to hear most from your partner?

What phrases would you like to hear more frequently from your partner? An online survey of divorced singles reveals that it's words of encouragement or appreciation for their efforts that they longed for most when they were married. According to the survey, conducted by South Korean matchmaking agencies Only U and Bien-Aller on 514 individuals, the top answer from male respondents (31.1 percent) was the empowering phrase, "You're the best." The top choice among female respond

Social AffairsNov. 21, 2023

Suneung might not see perfect scorer for first time in 13 years

Controversy over the difficulty of the Suneung, South Korea’s college entrance exam, is likely to persist as this year’s exam has so far not seen a perfect score in tentative grading, giving an inkling that the test might not see a single perfect scorer for the first time in 13 years. While test-takers are to receive notice of their scores on Dec. 8, none of the high school senior students who took the test received full marks after tentative grading of their answers, according to th

Social AffairsNov. 21, 2023