KOREA TODAY
Five former commanders receive long prison terms over December 3 martial-law role
A Seoul court sentenced five former senior military commanders to terms ranging from nine to 18 years after finding them guilty over their roles in carrying out the December 3 martial-law operation.
Government softens farmland survey enforcement after nationwide backlash
After 2.84 million parcels were flagged for possible non-compliance, the government says inherited, elderly-owned and customary leased farmland can avoid immediate forced disposal if owners regularize their status.
FTC weighs legal changes after courts pause company field inspections
The Fair Trade Commission says recent court orders involving Coupang and Hanwha have weakened its ability to conduct voluntary field inspections and may prompt changes to law or regulation.
Justice Ministry plans to keep 2,292 prosecutors under new prosecution-office system
Draft rules for the October transition would preserve the current prosecutor headcount while reducing senior posts and shifting the organization toward prosecution and case review.
Police and prosecutors split over command responsibility in failed murder investigation
A police special team blamed local station leadership for investigative failures preceding a teenage girl's murder, while prosecutors have pursued responsibility higher up the National Office of Investigation chain.
DMZ mine-blast investigation examines possible link to recently laid minefield
Three South Korean officers were injured during a western-front DMZ operation, while the Joint Chiefs says the cause remains under investigation and a lawmaker has raised a possible North Korean mine link.
WEEKLY
What changed in Korea, and why it matters
WHAT'S ON
Events, festivals and things to do across Korea
PLACES
Venues, institutions and public spaces worth knowing
GUIDES
Clear answers for living and working in Korea
RECENT STORIES
DAILY LEADS
Won weakens past 1,385 as oil adds to Korea's import-cost pressure
Kim Seung-won withdraws as justice minister nominee after 20 days
Two executives detained in major petrochemical price-fixing case
Fed rate increase puts Korea back on a tighter-money path
South Korea plans regulated abortion medication access
Seoul buses stay on the road after overnight pay deal averts strike
ESSENTIAL STORIES
Seoul weighs stronger Cheonghae naval role while ruling out combat deployment
President Lee says Korea will not join the war but is considering a wider role for the existing naval unit to protect merchant shipping and oil routes near the Gulf.
Chuseok travel plan brings four toll-free days as traffic compresses into shorter break
The government expects average highway traffic to rise 11.8 percent, with the biggest outbound wave on September 24 and 12.99 million people moving on Chuseok day.
Ruling party targets first-half 2027 referendum in renewed constitutional push
The Democratic Party has launched a revision task force after President Lee ruled out seeking another term through a constitutional change, but opposition participation remains unresolved.
Reports add petition-author meeting to Kim Seung-won's final day as nominee
Kim reportedly met a former aide who helped submit a petition against his appointment one day before resigning, adding a new detail to the timeline without resolving the allegations themselves.
Seoul says Hormuz contribution options remain under review
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun told U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that South Korea is willing to help restore free navigation, while the presidential office denied that participation had been rejected.
Lee considers dedicated youth-policy office as job pressures deepen
The president says the government is weighing a new body to coordinate youth policy, citing employment barriers, inequality and AI-driven changes in the economy.
South Korea reaches Davis Cup Finals for first time in 66-year history
Kwon Soon-woo won both of his singles matches as South Korea beat India 3-1 in Seoul to secure its first place among the competition’s final eight.
Culture Ministry brings performing-arts voices into 2027 budget planning
The ministry is consulting theatre, classical music, gugak and dance practitioners as it shapes the direction of government support for the 2027 budget.
Korea moves to define frailty before ageing turns into disability
KDCA is building a national standard for frailty after adding K-FRAIL to the 2026 Community Health Survey, aiming to give local prevention programs a common threshold.
Korea puts flavored tobacco under a sharper public-health lens
KDCA says 80.2 percent of adolescents with tobacco-use experience used a flavored product the first time, and is examining how that evidence should shape prevention and regulation.
Korea says high-risk flu vaccination supply remains on track
KDCA says 12.33 million government-procured doses remain secured after replacing a delayed 500,000-dose shipment, with additional private-market supply also arranged.
Korean researchers find two recurring brain patterns in autism models
An IBS and KISTI team found that mutations in different autism-risk genes converged on two broad patterns of brain activity, offering a possible route toward more precise research and treatment.
Police refer executives over Daejeon factory fire that killed 14
Investigators sent company officials and others to prosecutors after finding repeated safety failures around the fire that left 14 people dead and 60 injured.
Korea extends occupancy relief for tenant-occupied homes in permit zones
Eligible first-home buyers can delay moving into homes with existing tenants, with applications extended through 2027 and some occupancy deadlines reaching 2029.
Study links North Korean nuclear tests to years of fault activity
Researchers say the 2017 Punggye-ri nuclear test reactivated a fault system near Mount Mantap, with earthquakes continuing for years afterward.
KCTU joins special labor talks over mega-zone bill
The union confederation agreed to a one-off social dialogue on proposed labor exemptions, its first participation in comparable tripartite talks in six years.
College application outage: 388 remedies confirmed
The Education Ministry has reviewed most relief requests after a disruption in the 2027 early-admissions application process.
Korea moves flu vaccinations earlier after early surge
Children and pregnant people can begin on September 21, while older adults will start in stages from October 6.
US crypto bill setback hits Korean-linked shares
A stalled Senate procedural vote on the CLARITY Act drove declines in Bitcoin, US crypto stocks and related Korean shares.
Korean workers begin legal claims over Georgia immigration detention
About 300 Korean workers detained in last year’s Georgia immigration raid have begun the required administrative claims process before possible federal lawsuits.
Ruling party advances prosecution overhaul bills in committee
Several National Assembly committees approved follow-up legislation for the planned prosecution-system overhaul as opposition lawmakers walked out.
POSCO union starts 120-hour partial strike after wage talks stall
POSCO workers are beginning a second partial strike after management and the union failed to narrow differences in renewed wage negotiations.